Casino Scandals Part 1

"The House always wins" is a saying many players are all too familiar with. However, the house turns into a victim when cheaters and scammers enter the picture. During our "Who wants to win Freeplay/Onboard Credit" game (played similar to Who wants to be a Millionaire),  the URComped team answers trivia questions about crazy scandals that took place in casinos. To join in on the fun, tune into our Facebook LIVE on Thursdays at 4:35 pm CST and put your answers in the comments for your chance to win Freeplay or onboard credit.

1. $500,000 Mysteriously Disappears

In 1992, William John Brennan was a former sportsbook cashier at the Stardust Hotel on the Las Vegas strip (now demolished). After being tasked to count the money after a “Monday Night Football” broadcast, he wrapped it up for deposit and disappeared with $500,000 worth of cash and chips. According to reports, no cameras picked up his exit and he was never seen again. A warrant was issued for his arrest but the case remains unsolved almost 30 years later.

2. Turning a $300 Win Into a $10,000 Win

Richard Marcus found a job as a blackjack and baccarat dealer, where he discovered ways to cheat the system by “past posting” or late betting. He wagered low amounts, waited to see if he won, and then discreetly used his sleight of hand to swap out low-denomination chips for higher value ones to earn huge payouts. For example, he could turn a $300 win into $10,000 in seconds. He was caught by law enforcement but never convicted, and managed to cheat more than $5 million from casinos. The best part of this story is that now he works as a casino protection consultant and sells books about his scams. URComped CEO, Craig Shacklett, interviewed Richard Marcus recently to hear his story, learn about his scams, and hear how he helps casinos now catch cheats. 

3. Bellagio Down a Million Plus

Mark William Branco was a craps dealer at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Two of Mark’s accomplices would go to the craps table where Mark was a dealer at and would place phantom hop bets (high-value bets on specific numbers being rolled), then they would mumble something that sounded like "hop bet." Mark would pay as if they had won. The group did their trick more than 76 times over 2 years. The casino finally caught on when they realized their luck defied 452 billion- 1 odds. In 2016, Mark and his two accomplices were arrested and charged with at least 4 years in Nevada State Prison for scamming the casino out of more than $1 million. Mark is also now in Nevada Gaming Commission’s “black book”  which makes it a felony for him to enter a casino. 

4. Illegally Processed Winnings

From 2009-2013, Cantor Gaming knowingly took massive illegal deposits from out of the state and processed the winnings. The staff also allowed 2 illegal bookmakers to launder money through the company. In the initial probe, $2.8 million was seized and 25 arrests were made. In order to resolve the issue, Cantor Gaming agreed to pay $22.5 million.