The Parkwest Bicycle Casino near Los Angeles was evacuated Thursday evening after authorities received a phone call claiming that a person armed with a semiautomatic rifle was on site.
The Bell Gardens Police Department immediately dispatched a SWAT team, temporarily closing nearby highway lanes and surrounding streets as a safety precaution. After a thorough search, officers determined the call was a hoax, and the casino was cleared by 10 p.m. Customers and staff had gathered in a nearby shopping center parking lot during the investigation, according to KTLA.
The Bicycle Casino, a longtime hub for poker enthusiasts, has hosted numerous World Poker Tour events and other major tournaments over the years. The venue also made headlines in 2017 when it temporarily closed during a money-laundering investigation.
Recent Casino-Related Crimes
This incident is the latest in a series of unusual law enforcement operations targeting casinos. In May, authorities arrested two California men accused of ambushing multiple casino winners in the Los Angeles area. The suspects allegedly posed under false identities to track high-earning gamblers and then followed them off-property, using firearms and vandalizing vehicles during the attacks.
In March 2024, a guest at Remington Park Casino fell victim to a bizarre heist in which a man allegedly used a snake to steal a $400 slot machine ticket.
Another notable case occurred in 2023 when Erik Gutierrez Martinez, 24, pleaded guilty to a scheme that defrauded more than $1 million from the Circa Hotel and Casino in Downtown Las Vegas. Martinez had impersonated the hotel owner, Derek Stevens, over the phone and convinced a supervisor to deliver six-figure “emergency payments” purportedly for fire safety devices—successfully obtaining a total of $1.2 million.
While the Bicycle Casino swatting incident proved to be a false alarm, it highlights the ongoing risks and unusual threats that can disrupt major gaming venues.
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