A Toowoomba gaming attendant has walked away without a conviction or his job, after chasing his own lost $20 on Keno with over $66,000 of the hotel’s money.
On Sunday 6 January 27-year-old Benjamin Naythan Shipp was working a quiet afternoon 2-6:30 shift at Toowoomba’s Portadown Hotel.
The accredited gaming attendant had access to the Hotel’s gaming systems, and was playing Keno with his own money. But after losing his last $20 began using the Hotel’s account to try to recoup his loss.
Shipp’s playing continued until after his shift ended, when at 6:57 he placed a bet of $9,000 on Keno’s ‘heads or tails’ option. Standard practise is for Keno operators to investigate large bets to ensure all is in order, and as Shipp was a registered attendant the bet was cleared.
He subsequently won and was credited $18,000.
By this time, he had placed $66,279 on 127 bets, winning back $39,160 but still $27k in the hole.
The size of the heads or tails win meant a payout would not be in cash, with Keno typically sending a cheque through the mail.
However, hoping to have the win paid right away, Shipp phoned the Keno line, where it was uncovered that the bet was his.
Realising his predicament, he admitted what had happened to his employer, and was sacked.
Authorities were less forgiving, and he faced Toowoomba Murri Court on a charge of stealing as a servant, which is seen as a breach of trust and potentially results in jail time for the offender.
Shipp’s defence cited self-imposed treatment since the incident, including counselling sessions and visiting every hotel in Toowoomba to have himself banned, lest he be tempted to gamble there. Solicitor Joe Millican said his client had panicked, and “kept doubling down” to recoup the loss.
Magistrate Kay Ryan noted Shipp’s lack of prior criminal history and elements of his case that could be distinguished from other offenders.
Ryan ordered two years’ probation and that Shipp pay the Hotel restitution of $27,119, but no conviction was recorded.