Reports from Redding, northern California tell of a local burglar who was not the sharpest knife in the drawer, having tried to gamble at two casinos using rare coins he had stolen in a burglary.

The Shasta County sheriff’s department is holding 37-year-old James Smith of Anderson on suspicion of burglary and receiving known stolen property. He and another man are alleged to have exchanged the collector’s coins for $50 at Win-River Casino in Redding, perhaps not realising that the true value of the coins was around $6 300. The duo then tried to repeat the sale at the Rolling Hills Casino in Corning on the following day but the alarm had been raised.

Anderson’s companion was believed not to be involved in criminal activity and was released.

Gibraltar-based online gambling group 888.com, has announced that its 888 Ladies.com website, which caters particularly for women online punters, has been awarded a Gamcare certificate for its responsible gambling practices.

The certificate is issued by the British national body for gambling care educational resources and training, a registered charity that provides information, advice and practical help to players and addresses the social impact of gambling. As part of its work Gamcare acknowledges those gambling providers that achieve high standards of social responsibility and player protection and awards them with certification.

Since last year, 888.com has been included in the list of certified online gambling operators Gamcare publishes, which has now been expanded to include 888ladies. As a founder member of the player protection and standards body eCOGRA, 888.com supports that organisation’s staff training courses in responsible gambling, held in conjunction with Gamcare.

The certificate reflects good practice and commitment to the protection of players as manifested in Gamcare’s Code of Practice for Remote Gambling. Only companies that implement these guidelines receive the certification.

A company spokesman said that Gamcare’s principles are in line with 888.com’s own approach, which emphasises responsible gaming. “As part of its responsibility initiative 888 participates in social activities and encourages practices designed to obviate problem and underage gambling,” the spokesman said. “The campaign is based on the strong belief that customers will enjoy the games on offer most by playing responsibly.”