Stones Gambling Hall cheating scandal
| Date | September 2019 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Stones Gambling Hall |
| Location | Citrus Heights, California, near Sacramento, California |
| Coordinates | 38°41′32″N 121°17′17″W / 38.6923°N 121.2880°W |
| Type | Poker cheating scandal |
| Cause | Alleged misuse of RFID and electronic devices |
| Motive | Gain unfair advantage in poker games |
| Target | Opposing poker players |
| Perpetrator | Mike Postle (alleged) |
| First reporter | Veronica Brill |
| Organised by | Justin Kuraitis (Poker and Livestream Director) and Stones Gambling Hall management |
| Filmed by | Stones Live |
| Participants | Mike Postle, Veronica Brill, Justin Kuraitis, and multiple poker players |
| Outcome |
|
| Accused | Mike Postle (civil case) |
| Convicted | None |
| Litigation |
|
In late September 2019, Stones Gambling Hall, located in Citrus Heights, near Sacramento, California, came to prominence due to a cheating scandal that became known as Postlegate. Mike Postle was publicly accused of cheating in poker games he participated in during livestream events hosted at Stones Gambling Hall. "Stones Live" livestream poker games utilized playing cards with embedded RFID sensors that scanned the playing cards and transmitted identifying information (the cards' suits and ranks) into the livestream's technical control room and to play-by-play announcers and color commentators; casino management and livestream supervisors also had access to real-time identifying information of otherwise unknown, facedown, cards.
The initial public accusation of Postle's alleged cheating was made by poker color commentator, interviewer, and recreational player Veronica Brill, whose day job of analytic for the medical industry was instrumental in her being emboldened to accuse Postle of cheating. Brill's allegations were reported by Scott Van Pelt on ESPN's SportsCenter during its October 3, 2019, broadcast. Initially, industry, local, and national media closely followed the evolving story, but interest waned after criminal charges were not brought by law enforcement, and as civil lawsuits were adjudicated, settled, or dismissed (see litigation).