Officials dig in to shooter’s high-stakes gambling

LAS VEGAS » Authorities trying to piece together the final days before Stephen Paddock unleashed his arsenal of powerful firearms on country music fans on the Las Vegas Strip have at least one potential trove of information: his gambling habits.

Nevada gambling regulators say they’re sorting through documents for clues about him and his girlfriend, Marilou Danley. Those can include suspicious transaction or currency reports, as well as information from a player’s rewards card, which the casinos use to track their gambling and offer perks.

Paddock’s brother has described the gunman as a highstakes video poker player who was routinely comped rooms, meals and drinks at casinos.

“He was a substantial gambler. It was a job to him,” Eric Paddock said.

A person who has seen Mandalay Bay hotel records that have been turned over to investigators said they show Paddock was given his room on the 32nd floor for free because he was a good customer who wagered tens of thousands of dollars each time he visited.

The individual was not authorized to speak publicly and disclosed the information to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The massacre has brought new attention to the world of highlimit video poker and casino comps where high-rollers are given all sorts of free items to keep them gambling. The biggest gamblers — often known as whales — can get such perks as chartered planes, butlers and free lodging at a $35,000-a-night villa.

Paddock’s brother said he was not at that level, but he gambled enough that he got free rooms, poolside cabanas and high-end sushi meals exceeding $1,000.

Michael Shackleford, who runs a gambling strategy website called The Wizard of Odds, said based on what is known of Paddock’s life, the gunman seems to have been what the casinos refer to as a “premium mass” player — one who bets in higher amounts, with a better understanding of the game than the typical player.

Eventually, Shackleford said, if players stay true to a perfect strategy — one designed to maximize their performance over the long haul, such as by getting rid of potentially decent cards like low pairs to increase chances of a big-payout royal flush — their luck will turn, based on statistics, and they’ll break even or come close to it.