A few days after the San Juan Court filed charges of fraud and illegal appropriation against a man who was caught manipulating a machine in a Condado casino, Edgardo Lizardi, president of the Association of Gambling Inspectors (AIJA) denounced that cases how these can be repeated in the absence of inspectors from the Gaming Commission of the Government of Puerto Rico in the casinos.
"The lack of inspectors in the country's casinos could cause cases like the one seen these days, where a person illegally appropriated $18,000 by stealing a machine, to be repeated and even more so when Alexis Berrios, "Chief of Staff" of the The Puerto Rico Gaming Commission has given the instruction to limit the overtime that is worked (due to lack of personnel) even if this implies leaving the casino unattended and without the surveillance of inspectors. Law 11 of 2004 enables all inspectors to notify the Puerto Rico police when cases like these occur in order to carry out the pertinent complaint process, if the inspectors are not in the casino, no illegal activity can be reported" .
“Leaving the casinos for 8 hours and even more without an inspector is a risk that the Commission is taking. All this situation is caused by not hiring more personnel to cover the need that exists in the casinos around the Island. Currently we are 59 inspectors who visit all the game rooms in the Country. More personnel are needed to maintain the integrity of the processes and that the casinos are always covered as indicated by law”, he concluded.
