Do Casino Scams Ever Succeed?

08.31.2007 | 1:31 pm | News, casinos

There have been a number of examples of criminal gangs targeting casinos for high tech scams over the last couple of years.  While there have been some high profile arrests, has anyone ever succeeded in scamming the casinos or is all just a myth?

Since the early days of  the casino, when Joseph Jagger spotted that one of the roulette tables at a Monte Carlo casino was uneven, it has been a constant battle for the casino owners to stay one step ahead.  When you consider that gamblers can, and have, walked away with million of dollars from a night in the casino, you can appreciate that amounts are at stake.  Where this kind of money is readily available, this will attract a certain element of the criminal fraternity.  So who is winning the battle now?

Despite all of the hype and press coverage about the recent attempted scams, the casino owners are definitely one step ahead of the criminal gangs.  This is not an easy operation though, and requires constant surveillance, circulation of suspected gang member identities and a whole range of in house technology both to monitor and block scams - without upsetting the actual gambling element of the “sport”.

When you consider that a new casino complex these days could cost an owner many billions of dollars, it is easy to see what is actually at risk in the industry, both on and off the tables.  There have been numerous online casinos who have been slaughtered by the change in US laws, many losing hundreds of millions of dollars in value and lost revenue.

Unfortunately, with big investments come bigger risks and it is certain that the casino operators will invest heavily to ensure that everyone plays the game by the rules.  Long jail sentences and large fines have scared off some of the criminal gangs, but there are still those willing to take big risks for potentially big gains.  The battle between the two is ongoing!