Everyone that has ever played at a land-based or online casino must have asked themselves at least once how these gaming facilities manage to generate such huge amounts of money and what is the real house edge. Of course, every reputable casino operates according to law and makes a significant part of its revenue from customers that win big and leave the venue still rubbing their lucky eyes. However, there have always been and always will be casinos that prefer to make headlines by cheating rather than following the rules. Today, we’ll take a look at one of the biggest casino scandals in history and reveal some interesting facts about a group of friends who managed to deceive one of the most famous Atlantic City casinos and take home more than $2 million in just two years.
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The story begins in the late 90s with two cousins – Ron Harris and Anthony Curry. These two were raised together and have always been good at playing games. Later on, they were joined by Ron’s brother, Bobby Davis, and another friend named John Kannegiesser. These three weren’t much behind their cousins in terms of intellect and experience, which made the team even stronger.
NJ Online Casinos That Offer No Deposit Bonuses in 2023At first, the cousins tested their skills at various land-based casinos in the area and brought home nice profits quite regularly. However, they soon realised that if they wanted to make really big money, they would have to think of a new technique that would help them beat the casino. And so, the five scammers started looking for a way to exploit the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City and enriched themselves at its expense for over two years.
US Casinos with Instant Payout Options - Trada Casino ReviewsThe main person behind the development of their strategy was Anthony Curry, who spent months studying the roulette tables at the casino and observing the behaviour of the dealers. His conclusion was that the best way to enrich themselves at Tropicana's expense was to betray the wheel that determined the fall of the ball. According to him, this could be done by using magnets, which is exactly what the friends did. The ruse was that one member of the gang would place bets, while the other two stayed close to the roulette table and used neodymium magnets to turn the ball at the very moment when its direction was predetermined. In most cases, it happened at the moment when the croupier threw the ball into the air. Thanks to this trick, the ball was often directed towards one of the 8 special numbers the players had wagered on, ensuring an impressive payout.
Tips On How To Increase Your Chances of Winning At Online CasinosAccording to estimates, the cousins made about 40 trips to the Tropicana casino and resorts during the two-year period and generated an average of $5,000 in bets per each visit. All in all, they reportedly won over $2 million thanks to their sophisticated strategy. If caught red-handed, they could simply say that the wins were the result of pure luck and no one could prove them wrong as there were no signs of cheating.
Reasons to Play Online Casino Games for FreeHowever, things didn’t go as smoothly as planned and the chip leader of the group - Ron Harris, got carried away with his own importance and started showing off his wealth. He began borrowing large sums of money from different people and frequently visited banks to cash chips worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. All this attracted the attention of the casino management and the local police who launched an undercover operation against the chip leader and his cousin. Little did they know that this was only the tip of the iceberg.
During one of his visits to the casino, Ron was followed by the security and filmed together with four other men who turned out to be his partners in crime. As a result, the authorities searched the houses of all suspects and found numerous pieces of evidence, including dozens of neodymium magnets, as well as a number of documents related to the money they had stolen from the Tropicana. It turned out that not only had they deceived the casino but also several banking institutions. After a year and a half long trial, all five members of the so-called "Suspended Magnets Roulette Team" were sentenced to 5 years of probation, fines of up to $4,700 and forfeiture of almost $2.4 million in ill-gotten gains. The court also ordered the confiscation of dozens of luxury cars, including 3 Corvettes, 2 Hummers and a Lamborghini Diablo.
casinos near huntsville alabamaAlthough the Tropicana Casino & Resort was swindled out of more than $2 million, the casino chose not to press charges as getting caught was ultimately too much effort. Even though it wouldn’t have been impossible to prosecute the scammers – New Jersey has a special law that punishes anyone found in possession of a magnetic object within a casino compound with a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $200,000, the resort probably preferred to keep the damage to $2.4 million and a few bruised egos.
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As you can see in many , someone’s greed knows no bounds. This seems to apply for everyone involved in the casino business, be it players or employees. Due to its favourita location in the heart of America’s gambling capital, the Tropicana Casino & Resort has witnessed countless attempts of cheating throughout its history. Here are some of the most interesting scams that were attempted or successfully performed on its premises.
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Probably one of the oldest and most common methods used by advantage players is card counting. Although this tactic does not require any special tools and knowledge, it still requires great concentration and an excellent memory. Counting cards means keeping track of the high and low-value cards that have been dealt so that you can determine whether the remaining cards in the deck are beneficiary for the player or the dealer. If the player has counted enough high cards (Jack, Queen, King, Ace) he can increase his bet and improve his odds of winning.
2023: The Year of Sports Betting at Resorts Casino HotelA typical example of card counting occurred in 2016 when a gambler with a nominal deposit of only $25 turned into a millionaire at one of the Tropicana’s blackjack tables. At one point, the mystery player was betting $50,000 per hand and pocketing more than $2.5 million in less than 2 hours. Needless to say, after winning so much in such a short time, the casino grew suspicions and simply asked the player to leave. Well played!
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An Employee Steals More than $5 Million from the Tropicana Casino & Resort
While card counting may seem like rocket science to some, others prefer to go straight to the source and actually steal money directly from the casino vault. Such a case occurred in March 2017, when an employee of the Tropicana was arrested for stealing more than $5.5 million over a 4-year period. Investigators have established that the perpetrator was a cash services manager who was responsible for transporting cash between the casino and several ATMs in the surrounding area. The thief reportedly created false records to cover up the missing money and split it with an accomplice who helped conceal the theft.
draft king casino promo codeBeing a manager did not protect him from being handcuffed and taken to jail where he could face serious charges. As for the second person, the police are still searching for the fugitive who has not yet been identified or apprehended. As for the amount stolen, this is currently the largest robbery recorded in Atlantic City.
Two Men Used a Stun Gun to Rob the Tropicana
When planning a robbery, some people prefer to work alone, while others believe that two heads are better than one. One such duo struck the Tropicanan early in the morning of 1 May 2018. The robbers covered their faces and wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints. They approached the casino cashier from two sides and demanded money. One of the thieves was armed with a stun gun which he used to intimidate the staff. Fortunately, neither of the victims sustained serious injuries and called the police as soon as the bandits escaped. The assailants reportedly ran toward the nearby Ocean Casino Resort and boarded a white van driven by a third person. The total loss incurred by the Tropicana as a result of the robbery was set at $166,278.
Michigan Casinos to Play Online Right Now - BetMGM Casino App #6So far, the authorities haven’t been able to catch the criminals, but we hope they get caught soon and put behind bars. To avoid similar situations, the Tropicana Casino & Resort increased the security around its facility and offered a reward of up to $20,000 for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the culprits. If you have any details regarding the whereabouts of the suspects, call (609) 340-4000 ext. 4563 or . All calls will be kept confidential.
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