If Uncle Earl has been coming around and causing trouble recently, it might be because he was kicked out of the casino for card counting, stealing, or other stupid behavior. Wouldn't it be great to see a list of everyone who was excluded from the state's casinos in recent years?
Florida's Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering makes it easy to see a list of everyone who's been permanently excluded from the pari-mutuel facilities it runs. These include the dog and harness tracks, jai-alai frontons, and barrel-racing operations that are licensed to provide slots and poker as well.
Oddly, though, the list is pretty brief. Apparently it takes a lot to get yourself permanently banned from a casino.
On the list, available at the Division's website, you can find such people as Jeanne Shahan, who the state alleged left her 14-year-old and 2-year-old children in the car with the windows up for an hour while she went off to gamble. This is unfortunately more common than you might think, as discussed in a 2010 New Times feature.
There are also folks like David Dasenbrock, an Oregon man who allegedly bounced a check at Mardi Gras racetrack, and Joe Shaktman and Sandro Alonso (a licensed poker dealer), who were caught on videotape helping each other cheat at cards at Fort Pierce Jai Alai.
Then there are the former employees who were banned, like Edwin Arroyo, who was ejected from Mardi Gras simply for stealing a bracelet from the lost and found.
Should these people ever be allowed in a casino again? Well, them's the rules, and the state regulates these businesses closely, so that's up to them. But do they deserve to live in a permanent Hall of Shame on the internet? That's a little trickier.
But any gambler will tell you that the more information you have, the better.
Stefan Kamph: Twitter | Facebook | Email
The Pulp on Twitter | New Times on Facebook
