Genius casino scammers
The introduction of online casinos has brought several changes to the gambling world. This is not only the appearance of new cashback casino bonus, but also a reduction in the risk of cheating, from which land-based casinos are still not protected. However, one thing remained the same; all gamblers want to take risks to check their luck. However, some deceitful bettors sometimes check their luck and their level of creativity, taking luck out of the equation. There have always been headlines in the newspapers stating that this or that casino has been theft by people who won dishonestly. Some of those criminals have succeeded in evading the police, while others ended up in jail cell. Whether it was blackjack, shuffling cards, or rigging machinery, most went out of a casino with big winnings. Here are some brilliant examples of scamming that happened in a casino.
The Biggest Scammers
- Tommy Glenn Carmichael created machines called “Monkey’s paw” and “light wand,” which helped him steal thousands of dollars from slot machines. Monkey’s paw was a wire he used to insert into the payout chute. This helped to trip the microswitch and release a jackpot. With the development of slot machines, Carmichael worked on improving his techniques. So, he invented the “light wand,” which led to the dysfunction of the slot machine’s sensor and made it spit out coins.
- The MIT Blackjack team used various card-counting techniques to deceive casinos and earn millions of dollars. The group consisted of students and previous students from MIT, Harvard, and other popular institutions. They tried various scientific techniques to beat casinos. The group’s captain, Bill Kaplan, trained thousands of gamblers worldwide, teaching various techniques to play blackjack successfully. In this way, he earned millions of dollars labeling his activity not illegal but frowned upon. However, the group members soon had been caught and banned from gambling.
- Louis Cola Vecchio used not real slot machine coins to deceive the system and win a lot of money without betting any dime of real currency. In 1997, he was sent to prison and sentenced to 27 months. However, when he was released, he continued his illegal actions and was again caught at 76.
- John Kane used software bugs in slot machines to earn thousands of dollars. He managed to earn $500.000 in this way. He used the technique to replay hands with various base wagers. He and his friend were caught; however, the judge had to set them free because they could not justify any sign of hacking. Their attorney mentioned that the guys had not done anything illegal but pushed a sequence of buttons which they were allowed to do.
- Moving to Las Vegas made Richard Marcus homeless. Soon, he found a job as a dealer in blackjack and baccarat. In this way, he learned the game’s ins and outs and discovered how to cheat the system. Late betting, or “past posting,” was one of his techniques that allowed him to earn a lot of money. Eventually, he was caught but never sentenced.
- Mark William Branco and his two accomplices, Jeffrey Martin and Anthony Grant Granito, used phantom “hop bets,” or high-value bets with a certain combination of dice that would be rolled. They used to mumble random numbers and force the dealers to pay out, stating they had correctly wagered on whatever fell. They were arrested in 2016.
- Cantor Gaming was accused of various money laundering activities and illegal gambling. Michael Colbert, a former head of risk management, and his staff committed illegal actions by taking state deposits and using them for illegal gambling. In 2021, twenty-five members were arrested. Canton Gambling was arrested but soon released with the settlement.
