Thu, 07/21/2011 – 22:14 – PokerPages Staff

A poker dealer who stole $500 in chips from a casino in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been fined $75,000, it was revealed on Wednesday. 26 year-old Matthew Eisenberg was caught by security at the Rivers Casino after placing poker chips into his own tip jar in order to increase his earnings. While Eisenberg was not caught in the act, suspicious authorities at the casino later rumbled the thief. It was said to have occurred on more than 100 occasions.

While Eisenberg accepted a one year probation order and restitution he was shocked to hear he would have to pay a ‘$75,000 fine for theft in a casino.’ Several similar cases in the past have not resulted in the courts enforcing this substantial penalty.

Michael Santicola, Attorney for Eisenberg, criticized the harshness of the five figure fine as it would make it difficult for the defendant to move forward with his life following the incident. “It shocks the conscience that we would have a legislature that would write a law that puts the casino above every other business, above a church, above a senior citizen’s home, above you, above me.”

However, District Attorney Stephen Zappala said that the fine was warranted as it would deter others from the behavior displayed by Eisenberg. The case will now go to an appeal. “We believe that the crime fits the statute as written and we believe that the General Assembly wrote the statute to protect the integrity of the casino process.”