 |
| Last Laugh? |
 |
| Don't think so |
Not exactly as effective and cool as the infamous French Cigarette Pack Roulette Scam of 1973, but these two roulette dealers gave it their best shot--and got away with about forty grand before they were spun off right to deal, faster than either one of them could "non-spin" the roulette ball.
According to the UK Daily Mail, a pair of crooked casino croupiers and their friend pocketed £23,000 after working out a way to fix a roulette wheel. Craig Walker and Daniel Johnson - who worked at Coral Island casino in Blackpool, Lancashire - rigged the wheel so that ball would stay in the same slot and win their friend Kevin Traynor thousands of pounds, which they then split between them.
After their scam was uncovered by casino bosses, the three men admitted fraud and the two croupiers have now been jailed.
Preston Crown Court heard Walker, 26, and Johnson, 29, were working together on a quiet shift at the casino when they discovered it was possible to perform a 'no spin' on the wheel - fixing it so the ball stayed in the same slot. When he was given the signal of one of the croupiers scratching their heads, their friend Traynor increased his bet from £25 to £100, securing a win on the roulette wheel and later splitting the cash equally with his two accomplices. Traynor aroused suspicion because he seemed to be gambling small amounts but making big wins, winning £2,100 on one visit to the casino.
When CCTV footage was examined, Walker - a senior croupier with responsibility for overseeing games were being played fairly - was seen scratching his head prior to a ball being anticipated.
All three men were later arrested and admitted their part in the plan, before pleading guilty to fraud.
Sentencing the men, Recorder Nicholas Clarke QC said: 'On eight occasions you operated the game in such a way that your stooge, who you brought in from Manchester, could come in and play the game to win.
'You gave a signal, a no spin was arranged which prompted an increased bet and so secured a larger win than you would by playing by chance or without the knowledge of the wheel.'
Walker, of Blackpool, was jailed for 14 months, while Johnson, also of Blackpool, was jailed for 12 months. Traynor, of Greater Manchester, was handed a nine-month sentence suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. Patrick Williamson, prosecuting, said: 'All three said their motivation was that they had been in debt.' Fraser Livesey, defending Walker, said: 'He will never again work in the trade he has learned since he was 18. No one is ever going to trust him.'
Brian Williams, for Johnson, said: 'What began as an idle discussion developed into a plan. He can hardly believe they did it.'
0 Komentar untuk "Two UK Roulette Dealers Rig Casino Wheel and Share Profits with Friend"