CLEVELAND, Ohio — A former poker dealer at the JACK Cleveland Casino is accused of stealing from the pot while he was working.
Jason Saliba, 51, of North Olmsted has been indicted on 14 counts of violation of casino gaming laws, a fifth-degree felony. He’s also charged with misdemeanor theft.
He was arraigned in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court last week and given a personal bond. Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer reached out to Saliba’s attorney for comment. JACK Entertainment declined to discuss the case.
Saliba was working as a dealer in the casino’s poker room when a patron accused him of stealing, according to records from the Ohio Casino Control Commission, the state agency that regulates casinos and investigates gambling crimes.
On Sept. 6, a patron told a casino manager that Saliba was stealing from the pot, or the pile of chips that players are wagering during a hand.
After receiving that tip, casino staff looked through video and found five instances where Saliba had stolen from the table, according to the commission’s report. Saliba was fired the next day.
Saliba is now accused of stealing 14 separate times in a one-month period, according to the indictment. The misdemeanor charge suggests he stole less than $1,000.
Saliba is the second man charged with stealing from a casino’s table game in recent months. Ellis Quinn, a Tennessee man who has been convicted of cheating at multiple casinos, is accused of cheating on craps at the casino on July 31. He was indicted last month.
Ohio’s casino commission is tasked with investigating many gambling-related crimes, whether that’s cheating in casinos or illegal gambling operations.
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According to the agency’s annual report, there were 24 instances of cheating at casinos from July 2023 through June 2024. That includes 12 at the JACK Cleveland Casino.
Those convicted of stealing at the casino are banned from Ohio’s gambling establishments and added to the commission’s involuntary exclusion list. Six former employees are on the list and are accused of stealing while they were employed.
Sean McDonnell is a reporter for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. You can reach him at [email protected].
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