NJ state casino regulators canceled a poker match and ordered all prize money frozen until an investigation is complete on whether counterfeit poker chips were used.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement canceled the first event of the Borgata Winter Poker Open. It had suspended the game after suspicions about the use of fake chips arose, said the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Thus far, investigators have found that one or more tournament entrants improperly introduced a significant number of counterfeit chips into the tournament, gaining an unfair advantage and compromising the integrity of play for the event,” said Tom Ballance, the Borgata’s president and chief operating officer.
“It is extremely unfortunate that the criminal actions of these individuals can have a detrimental impact on more than 4,000 other entrants,” he said. “We fully understand and regret the disappointment this cancellation causes our valued customers, and we will work diligently with DGE investigators to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. The integrity of our games and the confidence of our players is of the utmost importance to us.”
Ballance said the Borgata has thoroughly examined its remaining stock of chips, which were cleared by investigators for use in dozens of other events in the poker tournament, which will be played as scheduled, said the Journal.