- Security footage revealed a blackjack dealer at MGM National Harbor in Maryland was showing her cards to players and didn’t collect their losing bets.
- Jamie Smith’s cheating operation resulted in more than $43,250 in fraudulent winnings.
- The dealer faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of multiple theft and embezzlement charges.
BALTIMORE – A Maryland blackjack dealer is accused of cheating at MGM National Harbor. Surveillance footage from the casino showed the blackjack dealer revealing her cards to three players, allowing them to change their wagers mid-round, and not collecting losing bets.
The Maryland State Attorney’s office brought charges on the former MGM National Harbor employee for losing the casino $43,250, as reports claim. Outside of financial loss, Maryland State Attorney Aisha Braveboy cited that the damages indirectly impacted local children, as casino profits go to the state’s Education Trust Fund used to support public schools.
Blackjack Dealer Faces Maximum 10-Year Sentence
The blackjack dealer, identified as Jamie Smith, could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. She’s charged with embezzlement, theft scheme, conspiracy to commit a theft scheme, and several other counts of theft.
Smith violated plenty of blackjack dealer rules during the theft scheme that lasted from Oct. 2 to Oct. 8 of 2023. An MGM investigator discovered the theft scheme while reviewing surveillance footage last week, claiming the dealer intentionally let the players see her cards and change their bets accordingly to take money from the casino.
Legal proceedings of the case will have an impact on public perception of Maryland blackjack and other casinos’ integrity across the country. Luckily, playing blackjack at internationally-licensed casinos like Bovada have no reported integrity issues from their live dealer blackjack or their video blackjack games.