BRONCOS prop Joe Ofahengaue has been fined $150 for returning to a Brisbane casino from which he had been banned for cheating.
Ofahengaue was caught cheating last year after casino security reviewed footage of him winning a poker hand and noticed him slip a $100 chip under $15 he already had on the table.
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Ofahengaue pleaded guilty in writing to one charge of cheating by fraudulent act or scheme and was fined $400, with no conviction recorded, in April last year.
He was banned from Treasury Casino but was later charged with a new offence, after he returned in September.
Ofahengaue was served with a notice to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court yesterday, but sent an email to the court asking to plead guilty in writing, without appearing.
Magistrate Grace Kahlert said Ofahengaue said in his email that he had been banned from Treasury Casino for a year, and went back after 12 months.
Ofahengaue said within about five minutes of being in the casino he was approached by security.
Joe Ofahengaue models the Broncos’ 2019 jersey.
He had been in the LiveWire Bar and was escorted from the premises, the court was told.
Ofahengaue said he had no clue he had to reapply to come back into the casino after the 12 months ban had expired.
Ms Kahlert accepted Ofahengaue’s written plea and his explanation and said he had left the casino as soon as he was asked to do so.
She fined him $150, with no conviction recorded.
When he appeared on the cheating charge the court was told he had been at Treasury Casino about 5.45am when he won a poker hand and slipped “a $100 chip under the $15 chip”.
He said the dealer did not see the sleight of hand, but when security reviewed the footage the ruse was apparent.
Ofahengaue returned the money after being challenged by security and left the area, returning later that day to give security his name and address.