Richard Smith is the Vice President of Anti-Fraud Strategy and Investigation for the San Manuel Tribal Gaming Commission (SMTGC). Under his leadership, the Investigation Team received the 2025 North American Gaming Regulators Association (NAGRA) award for Regulatory Team Demonstrating Excellence in the Gaming Regulatory or Enforcement Environment. Richard leads a team dedicated to being a world-class investigative unit—leveraging strategic partnerships, specialized expertise, advanced technology, and data analytics to proactively address both current and emerging risks impacting the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and Yaamava’ Resort and Casino.

Prior to joining SMTGC, Richard retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation after 24 years of distinguished service. His career encompassed a broad range of investigative and operational disciplines, including White Collar Crime and Health Care Fraud, Counterintelligence and Espionage, Intelligence and Private Sector Engagement, and both Domestic and International Terrorism. Before his government service, Richard worked as a Chemist in private industry. He holds both Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degrees in Biology.

SESSION DESCRIPTION:
Fighting Back Against the Epidemic of Comp Fraud in Slots
Casino promotions and player re-investment programs are the backbone of successful casino slot machine operations. With the expansion of gambling across the world, casinos are doubling down on offering free play in order to gain and retain valuable players. The incentives have drawn the attention of fraudsters who have created and established well organized syndicates of players who through deceptive or illegal means set up multiple accounts to exploit loopholes in the casino’s comp system. In this session, three innovate surveillance departments share how they’ve pivoted their protection strategies from reliance on JDLR and tip-offs to developing high-tech digital alert systems to successfully take down comp fraud syndicates and save millions.