Publication Date: January 7, 2026, 08:29h.
Updated on: January 7, 2026, 08:29h.
- Gambler reportedly made bomb threat following a $20K loss at a casino
- Detainee arrested overnight, casino operations remained uninterrupted
- Sheriff references infamous 1980 bombing incident at Harvey’s casino
A gambler who reportedly lost $20,000 at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe allegedly called in a bomb threat to the casino and was apprehended in the early hours of Tuesday, per the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies reported that they arrived at the casino around 9:50 p.m. on Monday after staff relayed the threat.
“I just lost over $20,000 at your ridiculous casino, and I’m going to destroy it now. I’m going to bomb it,” stated the caller, based on a report from the sheriff’s office.
“This is indeed a bomb threat,” the caller emphasized.
Maybee’s Actions
Authorities traced the call back to Seth Maybee of South Lake Tahoe, who was taken into custody by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department around 1:43 a.m. on Tuesday.
The threat did not interfere with casino operations, and the sheriff’s office did not confirm whether it was deemed credible.
Maybee has been booked in El Dorado County Jail, awaiting extradition to Douglas County, facing charges linked to bomb threats and terrorist threats. A conviction could lead to a prison sentence ranging from one to six years for each felony count.
“I appreciate Harrah’s Casino for their swift reporting of the incident, as well as the South Lake Tahoe Police Department for their role in Maybee’s arrest,” said Sheriff Dan Coverley. “Given the tragic history of the Harvey’s bombing in the early 1980s, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Stateline casinos take these threats very seriously. We were fortunate to arrest him before any damage occurred.”
The Harvey’s Bombing Incident
Coverley referred to one of Nevada’s most notorious crimes, where on August 27, 1980, two individuals disguised as photocopier technicians delivered a rigged bomb to Harvey’s Resort Hotel, now known as Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe, situated across from Harrah’s Lake Tahoe.
The perpetrators claimed the bomb was impossible to disarm without a precise sequence of switches they would provide in exchange for a $3 million ransom. The extortion attempt fell short, resulting in the bomb exploding and destroying a significant portion of the casino.
The mastermind behind this plot was John Birges Sr., a Hungarian immigrant from Clovis, California, who asserted he lost $750,000 at Harvey’s—equivalent to over $2 million today—and sought revenge.
The FBI attempted to deliver the ransom but claimed they were misdirected due to unclear instructions. The bomb, containing 1,000 pounds of TNT, detonated during a remote defusal attempt. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the explosion, and the casino was subsequently rebuilt.
Birges received a life sentence and passed away in prison in 1996 at the age of 74.