Is this the Extreme of Gambling Addiction?

[Davidvictorson]

So I was surfing the gamblingnews.com website to get the latest information in the gambling world. I found this interesting story which I kept pondering on to understand whether this is the extreme or a new dimension of gambling addiction or not. I am tempted to think that it is because the gang according to the news, targets only businesses that have video poker and video gaming machines. And so far they have stolen a total of $400K from gambling machines. The logic behind my conclusion is that, if people who are addicted to gambling would do anything at all costs to win money and for this group they have gone the extreme of breaking and stealing the monies in these gaming machines. This behaviour should be on the far end of the continuum of gambling addiction. Below is the story¹.

Four individuals are facing charges over their alleged participation in a statewide video gaming burglary ring.
On Thursday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul released details regarding the recent arrests of three individuals believed to be involved in a burglary ring that operated in multiple Illinois counties. The Attorney General said charges have been filed against Giulia and Gino Wuttke and Alyssa Slouka, over their alleged participation in the burglary ring that stole $400,000 from video gaming machines. Brian Morgan, 42, of Plainfield, Illinois also faces charges for his alleged participation in the burglary ring.

The criminal charges are the result of collaborative efforts between the Attorney General’s office, the Illinois State Police, the Illinois Gaming Board, as well as law enforcement and Attorney’s offices in multiple counties.

“Members of this burglary ring allegedly targeted bars, restaurants, social clubs and other small businesses that have video poker and video gaming machines. They broke into dozens of these establishments in multiple counties and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash out of the machines.“

Raoul commented on the topic in a statement by saying that the alleged members of the uncovered burglary ring primarily targeted businesses that had video poker and video gaming machines. He explained that in multiple counties, businesses were broken into and gambling machines were robbed, resulting in the theft of thousands of dollars. Raoul acknowledged that the arrests and charges are the result of the collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies. In conclusion, he thanked all agencies involved in the case.

Having read the story do you think that this could be the extreme or a new dimension of gambling addiction?

1. https://www.gamblingnews.com/news/police-nabs-four-who-stole-400k-from-gambling-machines

[NeuroticFish]

So I was surfing the gamblingnews.com website to get the latest information in the gambling world. I found this interesting story which I kept pondering on to understand whether this is the extreme or a new dimension of gambling addiction or not. I am tempted to think that it is because the gang according to the news, targets only businesses that have video poker and video gaming machines. And so far they have stolen a total of $400K from gambling machines. The logic behind my conclusion is that, if people who are addicted to gambling would do anything at all costs to win money and for this group they have gone the extreme of breaking and stealing the monies in these gaming machines. This behaviour should be on the far end of the continuum of gambling addiction.

My take is that it may not be at all related to gambling.
My take is that - in a way or another - they've found out some ways to easily (or at least very fast!) break into those machines and steal their content. I would not be surprised only certain makers (of the machines) were targeted.

[serjent05]

I think that is plain burglary.  There is nowhere in the article stated that those burglars involved were gambling addicts.  I think they targeted establishments with gambling games because they knew that there is money to get from the machines.  They target of these machines is not to play or gamble but to commit a crime by stealing the money that is inside the machine.

[darkangel11]

I think that is plain burglary.  There is nowhere in the article stated that those burglars involved were gambling addicts.  I think they targeted establishments with gambling games because they knew that there is money to get from the machines.  They target of these machines is not to play or gamble but to commit a crime by stealing the money that is inside the machine.

You're right. We don't know if they were addicts. It's like OP would say that if someone stole money from a brothel he must've been a sex addict

Thieves will find the most innovative methods to steal money. There's a video on youtube of a planned attack on a jewelry store in Canada that was done in broad daylight and the group used a stolen truck to smash into the store and had another car parked outside that they used to escape.

[Gozie51]

The logic behind my conclusion is that, if people who are addicted to gambling would do anything at all costs to win money and for this group they have gone the extreme of breaking and stealing the monies in these gaming machines.

OP this to me is pure burglary and at the far side known as stealing. If someone woke up to a taught to take whatever does not belong to them and in fact committed the act like in this case at hand, it is called a crime of stealing and depending on the time of the act which might have been at night or odd hours that security guards or other protective measures are absent so it is burglary being that they broke into or the machine. There is no need to tie the crime to any extraneous cause or act of frustration of not winning bet or being a bet addict or under some influence of drug. They have committed a crime not because they are addict but because they have the intention to break into the machine to steal monies and it was done simultaneously with others in different counties which makes it intention, well planned and executed and not under the influence of addition or drugs

[cabron]

The must have lost big from poker too and if they couldn't win by playing they rob the establishments with poker machines.  So its extreme way to dealing with their addiction, if they really are addicted to gambling and the get even they only chose those establishment though so I guess its sort of a revenge type of assault to these businesses

These are grown ups by the way, 52-year-old woman is among of them. Unusual way of life but I guess we'll see more of this due to this unusual condition of economy.

[noormcs5]

So I was surfing the gamblingnews.com website to get the latest information in the gambling world. I found this interesting story which I kept pondering on to understand whether this is the extreme or a new dimension of gambling addiction or not. I am tempted to think that it is because the gang according to the news, targets only businesses that have video poker and video gaming machines. And so far they have stolen a total of $400K from gambling machines. The logic behind my conclusion is that, if people who are addicted to gambling would do anything at all costs to win money and for this group they have gone the extreme of breaking and stealing the monies in these gaming machines. This behaviour should be on the far end of the continuum of gambling addiction. Below is the story¹.

There is a difference between playing gambling and stealing at a gambling casino. The story which you mentioned is related to stealing and this is not linked with gambling Addiction. There could be a situation where these gangs had lost in gambling in the past and they decided to cover their losses by stealing which is not the right way and they will have to face strict legal action against them in the court of law.

[Oshosondy]

Having read the story do you think that this could be the extreme or a new dimension of gambling addiction?

It is not gambling or gambling addiction and has nothing to do with gambling at all, what we can call this is thievery, they have ways they can break into video poker and video gaming machines to steal money and that is all about them. What I just see is that they prefer to go and steal from machines that is not difficult for them to steal from.

[AmoreJaz]

Having read the story do you think that this could be the extreme or a new dimension of gambling addiction?

It is not gambling or gambling addicted and has nothing to do with gambling at all, what we can call this is thievery, they have ways they can break into video poker and video gaming machines to steal money and that is all about them. What I just see is that they prefer to go and steal from machines that is not difficult for them to steal from.

as what NeuroticFish mentioned above, these robbers may have been targeting specific machines because they can easily get into it. it is not about gambling addiction here but thieves are just finding their strategy to get cash, out of these video poker and video gaming machines. and besides, we don't know the whole story about these thieves...from the article, it was not mentioned that they are gambling addicts. so don't know where the OP got the idea that robbing these machines was owed to being gambling addicts of these thieves.

[chaser15]

I think it's not gambling addiction but rather, these group really intends to do illegal activities where there is a big money involved.

If these guys are addicted to gambling, I doubt they can think properly about how they were able to steal such an amount successfully.

Good thing though that they got arrested and will face the consequences of what they did. That's a big case and for sure they will serve several years in the jail. A big syndicate is surely behind them and it's not that these groups are the only group who are working around.

[Saint-loup]

I think it's not gambling addiction but rather, these group really intends to do illegal activities where there is a big money involved.

If these guys are addicted to gambling, I doubt they can think properly about how they were able to steal such an amount successfully.

Good thing though that they got arrested and will face the consequences of what they did. That's a big case and for sure they will serve several years in the jail. A big syndicate is surely behind them and it's not that these groups are the only group who are working around.

I agree with you. It doesn't seem to be related to any gambling addiction. They have just targeted those games for the money stored into them obviously. We can suppose that bars, restaurants and social clubs owners have not a direct access to the funds locked inside and they can't withdraw them every night before closing their establishment, that's why those robbers have targeted them presumably. But I don't understand what you mean by "If these guys are addicted to gambling, I doubt they can think properly about how they were able to steal such an amount successfully" gambling addicts are not only honest people, they can be criminals too. Gambling is usually not renowned to be tied to the most innocent and virtuous environments.

[KennyR]

It doesn't seem to be related to any gambling addiction. They have just targeted those games for the money into them.

Yes, it doesn't have any connection with gambling addiction. Maybe on further investigation we'll come to know about the same people involved in other forms of stealing. Right now the authorities have identified these people getting involved into chain of gambling machines that have money.

[passwordnow]

Having read the story do you think that this could be the extreme or a new dimension of gambling addiction?

I don't think so.
This is just another robbery that these people have been doing with their targeted machines. That's a lot of money that they're stealing and this is an organized crime for these three.
I don't see any reason for them to steal it because they're addicted and it's not something like that. They really are just robbers and doing the typical thing that they do once they lock on a target.

[coin-investor]

So I was surfing the gamblingnews.com website to get the latest information in the gambling world. I found this interesting story which I kept pondering on to understand whether this is the extreme or a new dimension of gambling addiction or not. I am tempted to think that it is because the gang according to the news, targets only businesses that have video poker and video gaming machines. And so far they have stolen a total of $400K from gambling machines. The logic behind my conclusion is that, if people who are addicted to gambling would do anything at all costs to win money and for this group they have gone the extreme of breaking and stealing the monies in these gaming machines. This behaviour should be on the far end of the continuum of gambling addiction. Below is the story¹.

This is burglary and those who did or will do this may not be compulsive gamblers but are criminals that know there is money stacked on these machines so they take the risk of stealing from these machines but eventually they will be caught because every establishment now has a CCTV and police can easily track these criminals, not all gamblers can do this extreme many resorts to lying and taking loans, but to break a machine and steal from it and if they happen to be gamblers it is really extreme addiction indeed, and I did not read on that article that those people involved are compulsive gamblers.

[Mahanton]

Having read the story do you think that this could be the extreme or a new dimension of gambling addiction?

When you already comes into a point where you do already committing a crime just for you to have some money for you to play then it is automatically be considered to be a an extreme addiction towards gambling.
No person on their right mind and thinking would really be doing this bullshit or putting up themselves on harm or getting imprisoned just for them to play gambling but if you are really that someone who are really that
impulsive and doesnt mind off about probabilities and scenarios then you would definitely be proceeding on what you do have in mind and will just regret in the end if you do find yourself
on a very tough position.

[DoublerHunter]

It doesn't seem to be related to any gambling addiction. They have just targeted those games for the money into them.

Yes, it doesn't have any connection with gambling addiction. Maybe on further investigation we'll come to know about the same people involved in other forms of stealing. Right now the authorities have identified these people getting involved into chain of gambling machines that have money.

^ It is irrelevant to gambling addiction, they are just doing their illegal activity just for the money, These kinds of people who are innovating their activity how to steal money and since it is easy to steal money in any gambling machine that has money.
I don't even think that they are gamblers here who are addicted to gambling, they are plain robbers who wanted to steal money and do those illegal activities just to have a big chunk of money. To be honest, I hate people like this, they put shit on gambling and turn it into bad things to other people.

[livingfree]

To know if that's extreme addiction, it's better to question the culprits and ask them where they're using their money.

So, if someone admits that they're gambling addicts then we can have that conclusion that they're at a high extreme addiction which made them to do extreme stuff like this.

But if there's no answer like that, we can just have the conclusion that they're not extreme addicted gamblers but they're the typical crooks.

[alegotardo]

So I was surfing the gamblingnews.com website to get the latest information in the gambling world. I found this interesting story which I kept pondering on to understand whether this is the extreme or a new dimension of gambling addiction or not. I am tempted to think that it is because the gang according to the news, targets only businesses that have video poker and video gaming machines. And so far they have stolen a total of $400K from gambling machines. The logic behind my conclusion is that, if people who are addicted to gambling would do anything at all costs to win money and for this group they have gone the extreme of breaking and stealing the monies in these gaming machines. This behaviour should be on the far end of the continuum of gambling addiction. Below is the story¹.

Well, we know that a lot of these machines steal from players, so I think they just wanted to steal the machines back.
About the machines that steal, I refer mainly to cases of countries where gambling is prohibited, so the machines need to operate underground and then it is much easier to manipulate it to steal from the players, as it will never be supervised by someone competent .

Anyway, despite what I said at the beginning of the post, I don't support any kind of theft and I'm sure these people are not players, they are just thieves.

[Oceat]

It looks like they are not addicted to gambling at all, or maybe they are just pretending to play gambling but their main plan really is to find the easiest spot to rob the casino and they were just actually a robbers, who knows? If they were that addicted to the game/gambling they may not or they may but usually when you are addicted to the game you like to beat the system and not to break or steal from it which is going to break against your principles. But just like I said, who knows? We need more further information about them so it's up to you OP, to dig or nah just leave them alone.

[Wexnident]

I don't think any of the robbers indicated anything about being a gambling addict? This is just a case of robbers choosing to attack gambling casinos instead of anything else, which imo makes sense to rob from since well, it's a casino. If they see that the security that they have is less than what they can't handle, then they'd try to handle it ofc. I wouldn't put it past that they have no gambling experience, I reckon they at least have a bit but I still don't think their gambling tendencies are at fault here. They're just thieves at the core.