From NYT:
“He was a gambler, that was his job,” his brother, Eric Paddock, told reporters Monday at his home in Orlando. “He was a wealthy guy, playing video poker, who went cruising all the time and lived in a hotel room.”
From WAPO:
His brother was very particular about the games he played. “It had to be the right machine with double points, and there has to be a contest going on. He won a car one time,” Eric Paddock said.
How does one make money over any long period of time playing video poker machines? The machine is rigged to return a small percentage to the house over time even if you play each hand perfectly.
5 and 10K a hand in the high-stakes rooms’ machines.
“How does one make money over any long period of time playing video poker machines? “
You don’t. As you point out these things are carefully calculated to make money for the house.
But a criminal who needs to explain large amounts of money can make it appear legit by claiming to be a successful gambler.
The shooter and his brothers were with their dad when he was living the life of a career criminal. They learned his methods for getting money and concealing it. And they improved upon them enough so that their cover story is still holding up. The only flaw being that big brother had the crazy gene in spades and if there are some diligent and curious investigators who start looking into the killer’s finances the whole thing will unravel.