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What We Offer
Do you have a casino marker you’ve taken out prior to the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you finding that you’re unable to pay your casino marker back because Coronavirus has slowed down or completely crippled your ability to pay back your markers?
If so, we can help.
A Law Firm With 20+ Years of Experience
You, the patron, apply for a line of credit by presenting a valid government-issued identification and filling out a credit application. Casinos will then use their own internal system to determine if you have taken out any other markers from other casinos and whether you have a history of paying back your markers, whether you’re in default on those markers, or if this is your first time applying for casino credit. As part of the qualification process before issuing markers, the casino will run your credit to determine your FICO credit score. Additionally, the casino will determine how much money is in your bank accounts.
Once Approved for a Casino Marker
After you sign the marker, you now officially have credit to play in that casino. You’ll be issued chips at “the cage” and then play them accordingly.
We’ll Do the Fighting For You
Beginning in 2007 to 2008, the global financial crisis struck leaving many casino patrons with outstanding casino markers vulnerable to criminal prosecution by the Clark County District Attorney’s Office for their unpaid markers. For each of the many clients we began representing, each has been able to avoid jail or prison time and each client has ultimately had his or her case dismissed with repayment of only a small percentage of the amount originally owed. For some clients, we have been able to negotiate a substantial discount from what they owe to casinos and work out a 5-year payment plan with the charges to be dismissed upon successful payments.
Marker Approval
If you’re approved for a line of credit, the casino will inform you the maximum they will issue to you in the form of casino playing chips. How much the casino extends to you is determined by what they find when they check your background and sometimes it can be influenced by recommendations of another patron you know.
Marker Amount
Let’s say the casino extends you a $100,000 line of credit. You’ll then sign a casino marker for that amount. The marker looks just like a check with the amount of $100,000 made out to the casino, but there’s no bank routing information and no checking account numbers at the bottom of the marker. The casino then prints your bank routing and checking account numbers at the bottom marker.
What happens after I lose my chips gambling?
Typically, your host will encourage you to take a temporary increase in your line of credit. This is what’s referred to in casino credit operations as a “TTO”, which stands for “This Trip Only”. So, in our hypothetical, they’ll increase your credit limit to $200,000. And you’ll sign a new marker for that.
At the end of your stay, assuming you’ve lost your $200,000, you’ll be given the option of settling your account then before you leave, or you can wait and allow the casino to deposit your marker within the usual 30 days. If you have a history of gambling and paying that casino back, you can usually get an extension of another 30 or possibly 60 days before they deposit your marker.
No later than 90 days
At some point, usually no later than the 90 days, the casino will deposit your signed casino marker in their bank just as they would a check. If there are sufficient funds in your checking account to cover the $200,000 you lost in playing, the amount will conveniently be deducted from your checking account and credited to the casino’s bank account. If there are insufficient funds in your checking account, the casino will receive notification that your marker “bounced” just like a check bounces if there are insufficient funds to cover a check. If you try and close your bank account or put a stop payment on your marker, the casino will be notified.
Should I call the casino?
I don’t recommend contacting the casino directly because they document everything you say and often record your calls. Anything you tell them can be used against you in a subsequent civil or criminal proceeding.
Once the casino marker (check) is returned to the casino
Once the casino marker (check) is returned to the casino because there were not enough funds to cover the marker, a stop payment order was placed on the marker, or the bank account was closed before presenting they deposited your marker, the casino will then send you a certified letter at the address on the original credit application you signed informing you that you are in violation of NRS 205.130(e), a felony. Under this section of the law, “credit extended by any licensed gaming establishment” is considered a “check” in Nevada. The casino informs you that you must pay them within 5 days or they will turn your case over to the Clark County District Attorney’s Bad Check Unit for criminal prosecution. It is not a defense to the charge if you didn’t receive the certified letter from the casino demanding payment.
Once the casino marker reaches the District Attorney (BCU)
Once the marker reaches the Clark County District Attorney’s Office Bad Check Unit, their office will send you a non-certified letter to the address that was on your casino marker application. The letter will tell you that you have 10 days to pay $220,000 or they will issue a warrant for your arrest. Why is it now $220,000 instead of $200,000? That’s because the Clark County District Attorney’s Office Bad Check Unit charges 10% on top of what they are requested to recover. So, 10% of $200,000 is $20,000 and now you owe $220,000.
Calling the Clark County District Attorney’s Office Bad Check Unit (i.e., Bad Check Unit) is not advisable because just like the casino personnel, they document all your calls and everything you tell them in their internal computer system. And, everything you tell them will be used against you in their felony criminal prosecution of you.
What do you do if you receive the letter from the Bad Check Unit?
First, contact an experienced criminal attorney licensed in Nevada. This is crucial because many patrons who don’t live in Nevada end up contacting their own lawyers out of state who aren’t licensed here and get dangerous and incorrect advice. For instance, I’ve represented people before who were wrongly assured by their out of state lawyer that they didn’t have to pay the casino marker “because it’s an unenforceable gambling debt” or, “they can’t arrest you because debtors’ prison is illegal” or, “it was discharged in bankruptcy.” WRONG! Those clients relying on this incorrect and bad advice found themselves arrested!
Do NOT ignore their letter. If you don’t respond, they will obtain an arrest warrant. This means that your name and arrest warrant will be placed in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. This means that the police where you live can go to your home or work and arrest you. Most commonly people get pulled over for a traffic violation outside Nevada or come into an international airport returning from overseas and are arrested. If you’re arrested, the Bad Check Unit will request your extradition which means they’ll order you transported by prison bus which takes anywhere from one to three weeks for you to be brought to and booked into the Clark County Detention Center. The prison bus, run by a company called TransCor, picks up inmates all over the country and drops them off at different jails along the way. It’s usually never a direct ride to Las Vegas on the prison bus and if you’re on this bus, you’re likely sitting next to people who are facing all kinds of serious felony charges with extensive criminal backgrounds.
Michael D. Pariente, Esq.
With more than two decades of experience as a criminal defense lawyer, Michael Pariente knows how to tackle the tough cases his clients are facing. He emphasizes a tough approach to every case and a determination to aggressively fight each charge in order to protect his clients’ futures. In order to minimize the stress of facing the overwhelming criminal justice system, he also works to maintain open communication in every situation and help his client to understand the options at all times. With a wide range of experience handling every area of criminal defense, from traffic violations to violent offenses, Michael Pariente is ready to proactively take on any issue, no matter how challenging.
Winning Casino Marker Cases
If you would like to discuss your case with me, give me a call at (702) 966-5310. If you are in Las Vegas, come sit down with me at my office at the Hughes Center. If you’re calling from out of state, we can visit over the phone, Skype, WhatsApp, or Facetime.
What is a Casino Marker?
All over the world, casinos issue what are known as “casino markers” which are a convenient way for you to take lines of credit, gamble, and have the amounts deducted from your checking account.
Defending Casino Marker Cases
Do you have a casino marker you’ve taken out prior to the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you finding that you’re unable to pay your casino marker back because Coronavirus has slowed down or completely crippled your ability to pay back your markers?
Experienced in Casino Marker cases
Professional service from a professional team.
Keep your record clean and walk away without a felony.
What are the ways we can defend you?
If you have the money to pay them back entirely and not have to deal with being prosecuted, you can pay it all back in full and you won’t be prosecuted. But, if you’re one of the many people who don’t have the ability to pay the entire amount back, there are many options.
Call our Firm
Give us a call to talk about your case.
Plan Your Defense
Talk about the plan of action for your particular situation.
Execute and Stay out of Jail
Repayment plan
Repayment plan with no criminal charges being filed. This first option involves what is referred to as a “stipulation”. The upside of this approach are that as long as you pay the money back with an agreed payment plan, no criminal charges will be filed against you. But, the downside of this approach means you’ll have to pay the entire casino marker plus the BCU fee of 10%. So it doesn’t save you any money.
Jury trial
In the event you’re not interested in settling your casino markers, we are always ready to fight for you if you decide you want us to battle the Bad Check Unit in front of a jury. The upside of being found “not guilty”, of course, is that you will not be criminally liable for casino markers. The downside of being found “guilty” is that you will then have a felony conviction and risk confinement in prison in the Nevada Department of Corrections.
Negotiations
Generally, if your marker is new, don’t expect the casino to give you a big discount on your marker. If you want us to get you a substantial discount from what you owe on your casino markers of at least 50% off, we have to fight and litigate your felony charges of Drawing and Passing a Check Without Sufficient Funds in Drawee Bank with Intent to Defraud (Category D Felony – NRS 205.130, 205.132 – NOC 55999) and Theft (Category B Felony – NRS 205.0832, 205.0835 – NOC 55991). By litigating your case, this process takes about three years or longer. After three to four years have passed, only then will the casino be willing to give a much larger discount because oftentimes they have written off your debt owed to them as a loss for tax purposes. In the past, we have worked out great deals for our clients to where they end up paying between 33%-50% of the total amount owed.
Personalized Services For Every Type of Case
Each case is different. We work with you to personalize your defense based on your needs.
Client Review
What some of our clients are saying about us.
Great attorney. Worked with me all the way through. Great communication, really wants the best for you. I’d highly recommend Mike Pariente Law Firm.
Reliable ,excelent staff ,and mike takes his calls anytime, need a lawyer call mike pariente
Michael is the BEST! Extremely responsive and very efficient. You need help call him! You will not be disappointed.
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(702) 966-5310
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Our Office
3960 Howard Hughes Pkwy. #615
Las Vegas, NV