Press Release  Holyoke Man Pleads Guilty in Connection With Cheating Scheme at MGM Springfield

BOSTON — A Holyoke man has pleaded guilty in connection with a cheating scheme that netted more than $30,000 in illegal poker winnings at MGM Springfield and has been ordered to pay full restitution to the casino, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today. Defendant is the first individual to have been indicted with cheating at a Massachusetts casino.

Daniel Ruiz, age 41, pleaded guilty March 24 in Hampden Superior Court to one count of Larceny by Single Scheme, and one count of Cheating and Swindling. Following the plea, Judge Edward McDonough ordered Ruiz to serve two years of probation with the condition that he pay $30,025 in restitution to the casino.

These charges were brought as a result of a joint investigation between the Massachusetts State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit at MGM Springfield and the Massachusetts State Police Gaming Enforcement Detective Unit.

Between January 29, 2019 and February 14, 2019, Ruiz frequently went to MGM Springfield to play Four Card poker. While playing poker, Ruiz repeatedly used a strategy whereby he would ask dealers to break a high value chip down to smaller chips. Ruiz then handed the high value chip to the dealers, and using a slight of hand, discreetly added to his existing bet in the game, increasing his winnings. This is known as “bet-capping.” He was ultimately caught when MGM observed him cheating at the game via their surveillance system.           

AG Healey’s Gaming Enforcement Division has a dedicated group of prosecutors and investigators who enforce the state’s Expanded Gaming Act of 2011 and investigate and prosecute illegal activity such as gaming-related financial crime, organized crime, corruption and money laundering, including the majority of criminal activity occurring at the state’s casinos.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Colleen Monroe with the assistance of the Senior Financial Investigator Gene Griffin, both of AG Healey’s Gaming Enforcement Division. The case was investigated by the Massachusetts State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit at MGM Springfield with assistance from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the AG’s Gaming Enforcement Division, and Springfield Police, and with the full cooperation and assistance of MGM Springfield.

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