Many casino operators have invested too much in ensuring their businesses don't collapse due to casino scams.
However, there are a few over-ambitious gamblers out there who fear playing casino honestly and want to make millions instantly. Therefore, they’ve mastered the art of scamming casinos.
In the process, these gamblers have walked away with millions from world-famous casinos across various countries in the world.
Below you’ll find the most famous casino frauds that delivered millions to casino scammers.
-
Fake Coins
Louis, “The Coin” Colavecchio, got arrested in 1998 after scamming casinos for years. Since he was a jeweler, he used the skill to make hardened steel dies of the originals. According to reports, he led a gang that fabricated numerous slot machines.
After some time, the casinos noticed extra coins in their vaults. He was sentenced to seven years and got released in 2006. However, he did not stop there! He went back to producing the fake coins and got arrested again by the FBI in 2006.
Because of such scams, the Swedish gambling authority took steps to promote fair gaming. As a result, Swedish casinos today use special paper vouchers to cash out of slot machines instead of coins to avoid a casino without Swedish license trustly.
Besides that, the authority ensures all casinos are licensed. So, you can play your favorite games at bonus utan insättningskrav, without the worry of getting scammed or cheated. As such, players can enjoy a fair and fun gaming experience, free from any issues associated with illegal gaming sites.
On that note, check out the second most famous casino scam of all time below.
-
Sector Targeting with Lasers
In 2004, a trio of fraudsters hustled $2.1 million from London's Ritz Casino. They used unique laser systems and computers called sector targeting to predict where the roulette ball lands on the wheel.
According to reports, the players used lasers from their phones to secretly scan the roulette wheel. After that, the fraudsters connected their phones to small computers that helped them make the bets.
-
Counting Cards
This fraud happened in 2011 when Phuong Quoc Truong collaborated with 30 card counters and blackjack dealers to defraud various casinos.
They pretended to shuffle and count the cards, but instead, they kept the cards in an order that would ensure they won. As a result, the fraudsters stole $7 million from 25 casinos.
-
Magnet Slot Scam
Back in the day, slot machines were made of metal. Scammers used magnets to make the reels spin until they got their winning combination. However, fraudsters cannot perform such a trick with the current machines because they use programmable software.
-
Light Wand
Tommy Glenn Carmichael made the scam to defraud the casino's slots. It involved using the wand to hinder the optical sensor such that it could no longer count payouts. He knew how to control the machine to hit the jackpot.
-
Monkey Paw
Carmichael was notorious for scamming casinos using different methods. In this scam, he only used a bent metal rod and a guitar string.
The scam involved inserting his device inside the air vent of a video poker machine, then triggering the coin hopper to spit coins by wiggling his device.
-
Edge Sorting
In 2012, poker champion Phil Ivey scammed a ritzy London casino (Crockfords) approximately for $11 million (7.3 million euros) while playing Punto Banco, a Baccarat variation. He used a technique known as "edge sorting.'' The technique involves monitoring slight imperfections found on every card back.
The method applied only to asymmetrical playing cards. Although Ivey took a while to find the perfect deck of cards, he made a vast sum of money. According to reports, Ivey went through multiple options to locate the lucky deck, and when he did, he increased the tables up to $150,000.
At Borgata Hotel Casino in 2014, Phil Ivey won nearly $9.6 million when playing baccarat. However, the casino believed Ivey was using the edge sorting technique to win, and that’s why the casino refused to pay him the winnings.
-
Roulette Ball and Cigarette Pack Scam
A group, consisting of a roulette dealer, his sister, and her husband, scammed $1 million from Casino Douville in France in 1973.
The dealer concealed a transmitter within a cigarette pack and a small radio receiver in a roulette ball. During the game, the brother-in-law placed the bets, while the sister secretly controlled the ball, guiding it to the chosen number.
The group would have gotten away with the crime, but the owner of the casino got infatuated with the sister. He noticed the sister sat at one specific spot at the table while making unsuccessful bets every time.
He got suspicious and called a debugging team to scan the area, and to his surprise, they discovered a radio receiver hidden in the ball.
Conclusion
Sketchy casino scams are one of the exciting stories out there. For years, casinos have been the target of fraud, especially during high stakes. But that changed with the introduction of online casinos.
Most online casinos are regulated, licensed, and safe, meaning players can gamble and win big without the worry of losing their hard-earned money.
However, there are few illegal operators out there running online casino scams to exploit players. So, before you sign up with any operator, ensure it has all the right licenses to operate.
Amy Martinsson has several years of experience in creating casino and gambling-related content. Learn more about her via her page.
