Lucky Lil’s Casino is sometimes known as Montana Lil’s.
A casino in Missola, Montana has been robbed twice within a week’s time and the robbers are still on the loose. Local police are looking in whether the two robbers are the same people who robbed the casino last week.
Missoula is a city of 69,800+ people. The entire metropolitan area has just over 112,000 people in it, making Missoula the second largest city in Montana. Yet by many standards, Missoula is still a small-town community.
The casino in question is Lucky Lil’s Casino on North Reserve Street in Missoula. At around 5:55 am on Sunday morning, two men entered Lucky Lil’s and robbed the place at gunpoint.
Two Locked inside an Office
A bursar’s clerk and a gambler were locked inside an office. With them out of the way, the men collected cash and left. Both men were armed with guns and both wore scarves over their faces.
The pair of robberies have locals concerned. A casino robbery is something which happens every once in a while, like any place which handles money. A string of robberies is much more concerning, especially in a small town. People wonder whether any place is safe.
Fear of a Violent Robbery
In a smaller community, people get the idea someone in the community circle is a violent criminal. Perhaps worse, the incidents might be unrelated, meaning a dangerous percentage of residents are willing to rob a casino.
For Lucky Lil’s Casino, it gains a reputation as a dangerous place to be. If armed robbers strike with impunity once a week, patrons are taking a risk even being on the premises.
Residents Discuss the Crime
Stephen Bradley, a resident of Missoula, said residents and business owners have to be more careful. Many communities deal with a drug epidemic, which makes some junkies desperate for cash.
Mr. Bradley said, “You got to be careful actually, if they’re robbing the casinos. Sounds like somebody’s probably making some bad choices and I guess they have to rob somewhere to get money for whatever they’re into.”
Warnings to Avoid Confrontations
Nathan Riley, another Missoula resident, said he is concerned that someone might try to thwart such robberies. Riley warned locals to avoid being a hero.
Riley said, “I think they should just hand over the money if that’s what they got to do. It’s not worth getting somebody hurt over, so just hand over the money with as least resistance as possible.”
Cashier Gives His Experiences
Mirroring Nathan Riley, Austin Hodgins calls for those being robbed to comply and hope for the best. In the case of Austin Hodgins, he speaks from experience. Austin Hodgins works at the Ole Country Stores. Convenience stores and remote gas stations are often targeted by armed robbers.
Austin Hodgins said, “Our protocols are to just comply with the robber and keep our customers safe. After the robbery has been committed, (we have) to contact local police and let them handle it from there.”
NBC Montana Tips
Everyone seems to be getting into the act. NBC Montana is giving residents tips on how to spot potential robbers. This includes recording information in a way that doesn’t get oneself noticed, whether that is with pencil-and-paper, cameras, and smartphones. The pivotal tip NBC Montana presented is to avoid being conspicuous.
Gambling in Montana
Despite its remote location, Montana has more gambling than many U.S. states. Montana has 142 brick-and-mortar casinos or poker rooms, 4 racetracks, and 22 off-track betting facilities. When people discuss New Jersey’s attempt to strike down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which bans 46 states from having sports betting, Montana is one of the 4 states which is allowed to have a sportsbook.
Though the sports lotteries Montana, Oregon, and Delaware have are more limited than Nevada’s full sportsbooks, those three states are still exempted. It is a legacy of Montana’s long history of legal gambling, because Montana sports betting was grandfathered into the PASPA.
Libertarian Views on Gambling
The state of Montana attracts a certain kind of people: those who like wide-open spaces, natural beauty, and a lack of neighbors. People from Montana tend to be libertarian, meaning they do not want the government in their business. If they want to gamble, then it’s their right to do so.
When armed robbers enter a place of business twice in one week, though, the live-and-let-live mentality goes out the window. Missoula law enforcement needs to find the robbers before they strike again, because the Sunday robbery at Montana Lil’s Casino is a sign they do not intend on stopping with just one score.
