The gambling industry attracts all sorts of characters, most of whom are law-abiding, and some of them have turned out to be fraudsters. The possibility of making quick cash makes players go out of their way to scam casinos. Whether online or land-based, it’s worth keeping your eyes out when visiting a casino. You should only visit legal casinos like spin.city/en. Moreover, remember that among fellow gamblers, there are scammers. This post looks at the most intricate scammers in the gambling industry.
Australian Danny Ocean
Imagine you’re the casino manager, and an unknown man manages to steal AUD 33 million (approximately 30 million USD). It will be a tough day, right? This happened at Crown Casino Melbourne in 2013. The man hacked into the casino’s surveillance system, and his identity was never known. Although the casino didn’t reveal details of the heist, Barron Stringfellow, a casino consultant in Las Vegas, explained how it happened. According to him, he thinks the scammer was playing in the VIP section while wearing an earpiece. He has an accomplice who was surveying the surveillance footage around or inside the establishment. The accomplice would relay the plays and bets to place for maximum profit. The casino released details to the public: the VIP staff member watching the gambler was dismissed. It’s unclear whether the staff member was part of the scam.
Keith Tough
Would you suspect a Baptist Church parishioner can steal from a casino? Only a few people would do that. However, an American known as Keith Tough proved that this can happen. In the 1970s, Keith designed a portable computing gadget that helped him count the probabilities of a specific blackjack card. By pressing his toes on unique buttons fixed in his shoes, he sent info to the mini-PC. The computer would process the information and respond through light bulb flashes mounted in glasses. Keith scoped $50,000 in the first game, but like most scammers, he was not satisfied. He started selling copies of his gadget for $10,000 apiece. The establishment operators were mad but could not charge Keith because authorities couldn’t figure out how the mini-computer gadget worked.
Ritz Roulette Scam
In 2004, Ritz Casino London lost £1.3 million (approximately $2.1M) to three gamblers from Siberia and Hungary. They allegedly used laser tech to steal. What’s more appalling is that they managed to keep the cash. According to experts, the scammers utilized a technique that uses figures to predict the “decaying orbit.” It then comes up with possible predictions on where the ball will land. The laser scanners were on their mobile phones and were connected to a computer that gave the projections. They used the laser scanner to read the roulette ball’s speed and predict where it might land. Using its prediction, the players would make quick calculations and place wagers before a new spin. The three were arrested but were not charged since what they did was not considered cheating.
The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas, 2011: Cufflink Camera
Known as “The Cutter Gang,” several men stole millions of dollars at the baccarat table. They did it utilizing a tiny camera hidden in a cufflink of one of the players. If you’re familiar with baccarat rules, you know that the croupier allows gamblers to cut the deck after shuffling. One player among the scammers would accept the offer for the trick to work. While doing so, he dragged the cut card over the deck, smartly separating the cards. The camera in the cufflink would record the card sequence. After excusing himself, the gambler would hand over the camera to another person. The accomplice would then give instructions to the other players via earpiece. However, the men were detained at the Cosmopolitan and released for lack of probable cause. Later, the gang was arrested in the Philippines. It managed to escape and has been missing ever since.
Les Prince Casino, 2011: Specialty Contact Lenses
In 2011, a trio of Italians robbed a casino by wearing infrared contact lenses. The scammers paid a casino team member to mark specific playing cards at the back – Aces and Kings – with slashes and crosses. Through the contact lenses, they could see the “invisible” marks. The scammers walked away with €70,000 the first time, which made the casino security start getting suspicious. An investigation showed that players would fold starting hands, which only happens if a cardholder has prior knowledge of the croupier’s cards. The group’s ringleader returned to the establishment two months later, winning €21,000 playing poker. He was arrested that night. The judge was impressed by the gang’s tactics during the case, but it didn’t save them from a hefty fine.
What’s Our Final Thoughts on the Most Intricate Casino Scammers?
For the many decades that casino gambling has existed, there have been gamblers who want to use dubious ways to win. Although some have managed to escape, most have been caught. We advise our readers to find good strategies that help them win without breaking the rules.