Police Officer Busted for Cheating at Blackjack

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With the introduction of table gaming and blackjack card games in Pennsylvania casinos, many have been seeing incidents of cheating, but the latest bust at Parx Casino marks a sobering first, as this time the perpetrator was a Philadelphia police officer.

A Parx Casino dealer reportedly caught policeman John Gallagher using a “card-counting device” while playing blackjack there. Not much further is known about the incident, as Philadelphia police department spokesmen have offered no comment at this point. State police officials have promised to release further details as they come out, however.

Though the casino has yet to file charges and no arrest was made, Gallagher immediately retired from the police force he’d been working in since 1978. Pennsylvania state police have reportedly begun an investigation of the incident through Internal Affairs.

Card-counting systems are well-known among serious blackjack players and some are actually quite simple just by using your head; we’re not sure what Gallagher’s “device” was, but you can play some honest blackjack at our recommended casinos.