In 2013, Crown Casino employees in Melbourne experienced that modern scammers had nothing in common with trivial cheaters who mark cards or steal chips.
This famous Australian gambling club lost over $30,000,000 due to a high-tech scam.
Interestingly, the fraudsters used the casino's video surveillance system, which was meant to prevent and reveal cheating. This incredible story resembles the famous Ocean's Eleven movie starring several Hollywood celebrities.
The article on Casinoz describes the details of this scam. It is worth noting that the casino's managers did not share its information with the media, so many facts were kept secret.
Participants in the Scam
The name of the scammer who visited Crown Casino that day is not publicly available. His guilt was not proven, and it is possible that the casino's management could somehow agree with him. It is known that he was not a citizen of Australia and gambled with his family.
We can only presume he had partners since this scam required assistants' participation. Some casino employees were probably his accomplices, though there was no exact information.
Details of the Scam
As mentioned above, the casino security service was cheated unexpectedly. Indeed, having installed modern video surveillance cameras with high resolution, the gambling club owners did not expect that top-class devices could help fraudsters deprive them of millions of dollars.
The management became suspicious when an unknown gambler, making huge bets on eight hands in the VIP hall, began to win almost every time. Virtually all his moves were correct.
Having analyzed the situation, they realized that the customer did not act randomly. But how could he collect the information that helped him become so successful? They could find this out later when the gambler took the money and left the casino.
The investigation allowed the experts to conclude that scammers had managed to hack the video surveillance system. In other words, they could watch the gameplay via the cameras installed above the tables.
The gambler's accomplices probably transmitted information about the current situation on the table via a tiny microphone. So he could make the right decisions and act depending on the situation.
You are mistaken if you think it is challenging to hack casino computers. The expert on gambling, Barron Stringfellow, reported in an interview with ABC Melbourne:
The trouble with many casinos is that they think they cannot be defeated. But we are convinced of the opposite again and again. It is very easy to intercept the signal from many casinos that are not careful enough.
The official representative of the gambling house was laconic:
Employees of the video surveillance service of Crown Casino have recently reported problems associated with sophisticated betting fraud. The investigation has been launched.
And what's next?
Investigation and Consequences
The journalists discovered that Crown Casino had involved police officers in the investigation. However, they did not officially apply to investigate this fraud.
According to information published by the local media, the customer did not even try to escape. He withdrew his winnings and returned to his hotel room, worth more than one thousand dollars per night, where his family awaited him. It is said that the whole family was forced to wake up in the middle of the night, and they were expelled from the hotel. Then, they left Australia.
It was challenging to say whether the casino managed to get back its money. However, it is known that he was forbidden to visit Crown Casino. In addition, the employee of the VIP hall, who was considered partly guilty that the scam had turned out to be successful, was fired.
Conclusion
There is no relevant news on this issue. The most recent articles in Australian media sources were published in 2013. The history is probably over. If we find any additional information, we will let you know.
By the way, some people believe that this story is fictional.
- If the casino had evidence of fraud, why was there no trial?
- Did both parties manage to agree?
There are a lot of questions.
And what do you think? Share your opinions in the comments.