Many people are very excited to try to gamble at a 5$ deposit casino once they turn 18 years or 21 years of age. While others have something in mind. Some are enthusiastic about trying online casinos, not because they want to win but because they plan to commit various crimes. People often break the law to cheat the casino.
Here, we have gathered some of the surprising crimes committed in casinos, so you will be aware and cautious while playing your favourite casino games. The crime can be done online and on a traditional playing site. The following cases took place:
- Harvey resort and casino bombings
- Hacking the CCTV system
- Largest casino theft with a cat
- 1.5 million dollar Bellagio casino chips case
- Kidnapper making $250 million squandering it all
Harvey Resort and Casino Bombings
The robber set up a bomb and threatened the authorities to destroy the Nevada casino if the $3 million ransom wasn’t paid. The bomb will explode if any movement is detected outside the bomb’s immediate vicinity. The device would detonate if there was a shift in the atmospheric pressure.
John Birges built the bomb. He was once a millionaire, but he blew it all in Harvey’s casino, where he ended up losing $750,000. The explosive creator foresaw the FBI’s futile attempt to deactivate the device. A modest explosion was employed in an effort to trigger the detonator, but the detonator itself was blown apart in the process. A massive explosion tore through the casino and hotel, wreaking havoc on each floor.
Hacking the CCTV System
Ocean’s Eleven is a band of professional criminals who are successful in their attempt to rob a casino safe in real-time. A big spender was able to pull off an incredible feat of winning $32 million from the casino by hacking into CCTV cameras and sending the security room images of a simulated safe. Crown Casino in Melbourne, Victoria, was the scene of the crime in 2013.
The con was conceived and executed by a high-bettor gambler from another country and a VIP casino manager, respectively. The latter was eventually sacked for his involvement in the scheme. In the scenario, casino security cameras were discreetly transported outside the casino to an unknown recipient.
The culprit used the video feed to look at what was in the hands of both opponents and dealers. They then told the high rollers what they saw. When the gambler had all the information he needed, he could devise a winning strategy that included placing high bets and folding or checking when he was given a hand with little chance of winning.
Largest Casino Theft Involving a Man and His Cat
The biggest amount of money that an individual stole from a casino is 500,000 dollars. It happened in September 1992 when the criminal Bill Brennan and his feline friend simply took off, taking with him the money and leaving the Stardust Casino in Las Vegas. What happened to Brennan following the theft remains a mystery.
1.5 Million Dollar Bellagio Casino Chips Case
The Bellagio Casino in Las Vegas is well-known for the money that Tony Carleo has stolen from it. He made it into the casino floor armed with a gun. He took as many purple-and-yellow and red-white-blue chips from the table as he could while showing his gun to the boxman. Detectives managed to track him down thanks to a tip-off from a poker dealer. He was found guilty of stealing and given a nine-year prison sentence.
Tony Carleo robbed Las Vegas’ Bellagio Casino. On a Suzuki motorcycle, Carleo arrived at 4 a.m. in December and promptly left the scene. It didn’t stop him from entering the casino and waving goodbye to security. Carleo took a seat at the high-limit craps table at the end of the night. While aiming his rifle at the boxer, he snatched up as many purple-and-yellow and red-white-blue chips as possible. Someone pulled an alert button after 15 seconds. On his motorcycle, Carleo evaded capture.
Carleo was caught after an officer impersonated a criminal eager to acquire his stolen Bellagio chips. Carleo was sentenced to nine years in jail for the robbery.
A Kidnapper Who Made $250 Million Squandered It All in a Casino
Cheung Tze-keung was a gangster in China. As a thief, Cheung kidnapped wealthy individuals and held them for ransom, amassing a fortune of $2 billion HK dollars (approximately $250 million USD). Cheung, born in Guangdong in 1955, was also a gambler. For his lavish lifestyle and desire to show off his wealth, he was dubbed “Big Spender” by friends and strangers he encountered in casinos or on the street. Because he admired the street artist’s work, he contributed a huge amount of money to the artist’s cause in Bangkok, Thailand.
With the help of Yip Kai-foon, Cheung carried out several robberies. They stole Hong Kong’s Kai Tak International Airport in 1990 and made off with $30 million in HKD in loot (almost 4 million USD).
When Cheung’s plan to kidnap Anson Chan, a key government official, didn’t work, he ran away to China. By paying off a few of the guards at the border between Hong Kong and mainland China, he was able to enter mainland China and leave Hong Kong. Cheung is said to have gotten 1.38 billion HKD (about 177 million USD) for letting Victor Li Taz-kuoi go free.
It was discovered that Cheung had gambled away nearly all of the money that he had acquired via the kidnappings at several casinos. He had Stanley Ho, a powerful casino boss in Macau, in his sights as a potential hostage. We are really fortunate that the police were able to foil the attempt to kidnap Ho.
The execution of Cheung Zuying took place in Guangzhou on December 5th, 1998. Cheung admitted to committing all of the crimes outlined in the indictment on the very first day of his trial. Even a short time before he passed away, Cheung steadfastly refused to give up his lavish way of life. He requested the guards prepare him a bowl of bird’s nest soup for dinner, which is considered a delicacy in China.
Final Thoughts
Because of money, people commit various crimes in casinos. It does not occur only in a certain country or hotel, but these crimes take place in several locations. The possibility of these crimes’ reoccurrence is high but can be avoided if they apply strict security in the casino.
If you wish to amass a lot of wealth, you should never even think about stealing a casino or trying to swindle one out of their money. This is clearly against the law and might result in a lengthy prison sentence. Try to earn money honestly. These days, you can play casinos on a traditional setup or online. You need to be very careful regardless of what platform you will use, as crimes are committed online and offline.
