There are many famous stories of people trying to cheat the system at a casino. From card counting, as made famous by the movie “21” which was based on real-life events of an MIT blackjack team, to hijacking slot machines, people have tried in many unconventional ways to land jackpots.
While many don’t consider things like card counting, as developed by Edward Thorp, as cheating but instead believing it is more of a skill, some people blatantly cheat. What would naturally put many people off even thinking about trying to game the system is a fear of being caught in the act.
It’s easy to drum up images of being escorted out of a casino by a team of burly security detail and being handed over to the police. However, is that what happens? What is the protocol if you are caught cheating in casinos?
Famous Casino Cheats
Just as online casinos are heavily regulated, so are brick-and-mortar establishments. This, ultimately, is where cheaters get tripped up in their nefarious enterprises. Here are three of the most famous cases where players have tried and failed to pull a fast one.
Tommy Glenn Carmichael
Targeting older machines with less security, Carmichael made a metal device that would slot into the machine and trigger payouts. Eventually, he did move on to develop a new, light-based cheat tool that would trigger sensors on more modern machines. He was caught and ended up doing prison time.
Despite his time in prison, Tommy did have a certain level of success with his illegal activities. However, as we’ve stated, his focus was primarily on older slot machines. Now, in the age of online casinos, he would likely struggle to crack the slots. Especially when you consider the secure platforms with bonuses like those offered by Canadian brands at https://bstcasinos.com/no-deposit-casino-bonuses/.
Ron Harris and Reid McNeil
In the mid-90s, duo Harris and McNeal were taking huge profits from pokies in Atlantic City. The biggest jackpot was $100,000 which McNeal demanded as cash, which set off red flags. The secret behind their scam was the inside knowledge that Harris had. He worked for the Gaming Control board, was a computer programmer and manipulated bugs in game software, altering them to his favour.
Ida Summers
Using skilled sleight of hand, Ida Summers could add or remove cards to her favour. She got so good at card manipulation that she earned the nickname “Vegas Vixen”. But she fell foul of gaming officials, who set the FBI on her and she was arrested.
Wins Are Verified
Large casino payouts have to be verified under law. This may vary from one jurisdiction to another. However, there are overseeing bodies that set protocols for payouts. Everything in casinos is recorded, and software from machines is analysed after a major jackpot just to see if everything is legit.
The levels of control are high, and if they are breached, there are consequences. Casinos are heavily regulated and licensed to ensure that they offer fair gaming and have to do things “by the book”. If play is happening at a shady unlicensed casino down a back alley then, of course, you’re more likely to get scammed than you ever will at an established, licenced establishment.
Playing by Vegas Rules
Let’s look at Las Vegas, the home of gambling. At the very bottom of the cheating scale, the worst that can happen, especially at smaller establishments, is that a cheater will simply be kicked out. The price for that is probably a high degree of embarrassment and a ban from ever stepping foot in the casino again and being blacklisted around town.
Detainment by the Casino
Casino security is heavy, and they have a right to detain anyone they suspect of cheating – with enough probable cause. This is probably fairly intimidating, but there are rules that security has to follow. An appropriate holding place has to be used to detain anyone suspected of cheating, and there is a limit on how long (this will vary in jurisdictions) they can detain someone.
The Casino Payback
Any cheater will have to return money earned by fraudulent gains in a casino. It’s house rules, remember, and they have the right to get back their losses one way or another. If it’s not directly, then they have the power to put liens on earnings to start filtering their rightful money back. Entering a legal battle with a casino is probably not what the average person wants.
Receiving Criminal Charges
At the top end of the scale, cheating can lead to a felony charge. In Las Vegas, for example, state laws specifically make it unlawful for a person to cheat. That applies to both staff and customers. First-time offenders are likely to get off lighter than repeat offenders of course. But charges for the felony can be a substantial fine plus restitution to the casino, and at the very worst, prison time.
