He Walked Into a Casino Sting, Complained About Cameras: ‘Secret Life of a Vegas Casino’ Ep. 6

^{Porky Jr. threatens to sue Golden Nugget security officers after being caught in an elaborate hotel-room sting operation in Discovery’s “Secret Life of a Vegas Casino.” (Screenshot: Discovery)}

LAS VEGAS – There's a $100,000 blackjack tournament happening at the Golden Nugget, and while the casino is busy rolling out the red carpet for its biggest gamblers, a few familiar faces have returned looking for money they haven't exactly earned.

This week on “Secret Life of a Vegas Casino,” security sets up an elaborate hotel-room sting to catch a repeat thief, another suspect makes off with a woman's slot winnings, and one high roller decides he'd enjoy Las Vegas a lot more if there weren't so many people in it.

Between the VIP demands and the surveillance investigations, the blackjack tournament might actually be the least dramatic thing happening at the Golden Nugget.

$100,000 in Blackjack and No Mercy for Grandma

The Golden Nugget is hosting its annual $100,000 blackjack tournament, one of its busiest weekends of the year. The winner takes home $50,000, while the remaining prize money is divided among the other finalists. For the casino, it's also an opportunity to bring its biggest players onto the property, where they'll hopefully spend plenty of time at the slots, restaurants and bars.

Naturally, that means the VIP requests are already getting out of hand. One host keeps calling management about upgrading a player to the Chairman Suite, despite being told the man's gambling activity doesn't justify the room. Apparently, the third phone call isn't going to magically improve his player rating.

Meanwhile, the competition is getting serious. One blackjack player explains that although she's friendly with plenty of people at these tournaments, all bets are off once they sit down at the table. She even jokes that she'd take down an elderly woman with a walker if it meant advancing to the next round.

That's quite a competitive spirit for an event where most people are probably just hoping to win enough money to cover their next Vegas trip.

But with the casino packed with high rollers, security has another concern. When that much cash is circulating through a building, there's always someone looking to get their hands on it without actually placing a bet.

Finders Keepers Doesn't Work in a Casino

It doesn't take long for security to get its first call. A woman reports that her slot ticket, worth approximately $160, disappeared after she stepped away from her machine for less than 30 seconds. By the time she returned, her winnings were gone.

The missing voucher is known as a TITO, short for "ticket in, ticket out." It's the paper ticket issued by slot machines when players cash out, and it carries the same value as the money printed on it. Unfortunately, some people make a habit of wandering casino floors looking for abandoned credits and unattended tickets.

One employee explains that these people are sometimes called "silver miners," although I'd argue there's a pretty significant difference between mining for silver and waiting for someone from Wisconsin to get distracted.

The woman is understandably upset, especially since she's a regular guest. Staff promise to review the surveillance footage and see whether there's anything they can do to make the situation right.

Investigators eventually spot a man taking the ticket and leaving the machine. After identifying him, they discover he's already been trespassed from the Golden Nugget and has reportedly been making the rounds at other downtown casinos. Security also warns staff that he has a history of potentially dangerous behavior.

An alert goes out to the team, with instructions to watch for him if he returns. As we've learned from previous episodes, people who've been kicked out of the Golden Nugget don't always seem particularly concerned about staying away.

Porky Jr. Is Back in Business

Over in the Rush Tower, security gets called to a stairwell after someone discovers a suitcase and clothing scattered around. At first glance, it could be another bizarre lost-and-found situation. And judging by one employee's unsolicited warning about leaving adult items behind in Vegas, that department has seen some things.

But investigators suspect something more serious. They believe a "door pusher" may have gotten into a guest room, rummaged through someone's belongings and abandoned the suitcase after taking whatever was valuable.

Door pushers are people who slip into hotel towers behind legitimate guests and walk the hallways testing doors to see which ones have been left unlocked. With tourists carrying cash, jewelry, watches and casino chips, an unsecured room can be a pretty profitable discovery.

When investigators review footage from the area, they recognize someone they know all too well: Porky Jr.

According to security, Porky has a history of sneaking into hotel towers, searching rooms and disappearing for months before eventually turning up again. He's apparently developed something of a routine, which is impressive dedication to a career that repeatedly ends with getting arrested.

This time, surveillance shows him lingering around the Spa Tower elevators, watching guests and apparently looking for an opportunity to follow someone upstairs. That's particularly concerning because the tower houses some of the property's high-end suites, and the blackjack tournament has brought plenty of wealthy guests into town.

The problem is that investigators don't actually have footage of Porky taking the suitcase from a room. They suspect he's responsible, but they need proof before they can do anything about it.

So they decide to give him an opportunity he might find difficult to resist.

Golden Nugget Sets a Trap

Security comes up with a plan that sounds more like something from a crime show than a normal day at work. They'll set up a room in the Spa Tower, fill it with valuables, install hidden cameras and wait to see whether Porky Jr. lets himself inside.

William and Dominic are tasked with preparing the room, which includes casino chips, a suitcase, a cellphone and other items that might attract someone searching for an easy payday. Everything is carefully inventoried, and the team positions cameras so they can see exactly what happens.

The guys seem to be enjoying themselves a little too much. There's joking about ninja masks, undercover work and getting to spend the day hanging around a luxury suite. I suppose when your normal shift involves people fighting over slot machines, playing detective for an afternoon is a welcome change of pace.

The actual plan is pretty clever. Plainclothes security officers will pose as hotel guests and enter the Spa Tower elevators when Porky is nearby. If he follows one of them, they'll lead him to the floor with the bait room, where investigators have conveniently left the door slightly open.

All they need is for Porky to take the opportunity. Security isn't forcing him to enter the room or steal anything; they're simply watching to see what he chooses to do.

And with Porky's history, they're betting he won't be able to help himself.

Wrong Floor, Porky

Eventually, surveillance spots Porky Jr. hanging around the elevators in an orange shirt. The team sends in its first decoy and watches as Porky follows him into the elevator.

It's working beautifully, right up until Porky gets off on the eighth floor.

The room is on the ninth.

William and Dominic watch from their position upstairs as Porky begins testing doors on the wrong floor. He's doing exactly what they expected, just one floor away from where they need him.

Thankfully, they have another plainclothes officer ready to try again. When Porky returns to the elevators, the second decoy manages to bring him to the ninth floor, where the bait room is waiting.

This time, Porky starts checking doors in the right hallway. Investigators watch the cameras as he approaches their setup, apparently unaware he's the star of his own little surveillance production.

He finds the open door, steps inside and heads straight for the casino chips. Moments later, he's leaving with the bag, and security moves in to stop him.

‘Not Consenting to Being Filmed’

When William approaches Porky outside the room, things get interesting.

Porky claims he's staying with his girlfriend, who supposedly gave him access to room 802. Unfortunately for him, they're standing on the ninth floor of a completely different tower. His explanation doesn't exactly improve when security starts asking questions about the suitcase he's carrying.

Then he notices the cameras.

Rather than focusing on how he's going to explain being caught inside someone else's hotel room with a bag full of valuables, Porky announces that he doesn't consent to being filmed.

Of all the possible defenses to offer inside a Las Vegas casino, complaining about surveillance cameras is certainly a choice.

Security places him under a citizen's arrest for the suspected theft and takes him back to the office while Metro is contacted. Porky continues insisting that the belongings are his and even threatens to sue, which I'm sure makes the investigators feel terrible about their successful sting operation.

When officers begin counting the chips recovered from him, they discover approximately $1,300. There's just one small issue: investigators only placed $1,000 in the room.

That leaves an extra $300 they can't immediately account for. Security wonders whether it could have come from another room, although they don't yet have an answer.

Regardless, the team finally has what it was missing earlier: footage of Porky entering the room and taking the bait. After spending hours setting up cameras, arranging decoys and waiting around, William and Dominic are pretty pleased with themselves.

Apparently, Everybody Decided to Come Back

Porky isn't the only familiar face to make a return appearance. Security also spots someone matching the description of the man suspected of stealing the woman's $160 slot ticket.

Surveillance watches him moving around the machines with a black backpack, apparently looking for unattended credits rather than actually gambling. Officers head over and quickly take him into custody.

The man reportedly resists, but security manages to restrain him. During the search, officers find a stack of slot tickets and an envelope opener that they consider a potential weapon. Metro is called to handle the situation.

At this point, I'm starting to wonder whether these guys have some sort of loyalty program for repeat trespassers. The Golden Nugget has made it abundantly clear they're not welcome, yet they keep showing up like they've got a room comp and dinner reservations.

One High Roller, One Private Craps Table

While security has been busy catching suspected thieves, VIP host Stephen has spent most of the tournament weekend trying to keep one particularly valuable player happy.

Phil is a major craps player who loves gambling but isn't especially fond of crowds. Unfortunately, he's visiting during the Golden Nugget's $100,000 blackjack tournament, when practically every available inch of the casino seems to be occupied.

After struggling to play at the crowded craps tables, Phil asks whether there's somewhere quieter he could gamble. Stephen suggests the possibility of opening a private table near the pool, and Phil loves the idea.

The only issue is that the poolside tables are closed for the tournament, and opening one for a single guest requires gaming management, dealers, a supervisor and security coverage. Phil would also prefer to have a particular dealer working his table.

It's a pretty big request, but according to Stephen, Phil sometimes wagers around $5,000 per roll and has a $50,000 credit line. That's the kind of gambling activity that tends to get people's phone calls returned.

Unfortunately, Stephen may have gotten a little ahead of himself by floating the idea before confirming it was possible.

While he works through the logistics, he does everything he can to keep Phil happy, including complimentary meals, drinks and tickets to Sphere. Most people would be thrilled to have an entire evening at Sphere covered by a casino. Phil is grateful, but he'd really just like to roll some dice without a crowd breathing down his neck.

Eventually, gaming management agrees to open the table, and security manages to find coverage despite an already packed schedule. They even arrange for Phil's preferred dealer.

When Stephen finally delivers the news, Phil is thrilled. The table has a $500 minimum, which isn't much of a concern for someone accustomed to betting thousands at a time.

And after all that effort, Phil likes the setup so much that he'd love to have a private table available on future visits.

Stephen is happy to accommodate his VIP.

A Good Weekend for the House

By the time the blackjack tournament wraps up, the Golden Nugget has plenty to celebrate. One of its hosted VIP players takes the top prize, the event brings strong business to the property, and management is happy to see both returning customers and new faces among the finalists.

Phil gets his private craps experience, security catches the slot-ticket suspect, and William and Dominic successfully pull off their sting against Porky Jr.

Not bad for a weekend that started with management worrying about having enough security coverage to handle the tournament.

If there's one thing we've learned from this episode, it's that Vegas casinos are watching a lot more than the gaming tables. Between the cameras, security officers and plainclothes investigators, somebody is probably paying attention even when you think nobody is.

Especially if there's a suspiciously inviting hotel room with a pile of casino chips waiting just inside the door.

See you next week. And seriously, check that your hotel room door is closed.