Fill a room full of flashing lights, loud noises and loads of cash, and what are you most likely going to attract? Criminal masterminds! Casino heists are common in the industry, and while many perpetrators have snatched the cash and chips never to be seen again, the same cannot be said for the following casino crime participants.
At EjWagner-CrimeHistorian.com we have taken a special interest in crime which occurs in the land-based casino and gambling environments, and not only do we report on gambling crime history, but we also provide the last casino crime news.
Even though Richard Taylor’s crimes eventually caught up with him, he could definitely be categorised as a criminal mastermind, and he was so successful at scamming casinos that he earned himself the nickname Mr Casino. Taylor focused on high roller play at the craps table and set up an elaborate network of players and dealers that would allow small rule breaches to occur seemingly unnoticed. After a while, these small rule breaches added up to $700,000 worth of losses from just two casinos and Taylor was eventually caught and sentenced to several decades in prison.
Bill Brennan was just your average cashier at The Stardust Casino and there was honestly nothing remarkable about him – or so his employers thought. While Brennan was most certainly no criminal mastermind, his ability to remain calm under pressure certainly aided in his plan. In September, 1992, Brennan placed $500,000 worth of casino cash into his backpack and calmly walked out of the casino on his lunchbreak. What truly makes this true crime casino story Hollywood-worthy is the fact that Brennan has never been found, and it would appear that he simply vanished.
March 2010 saw some of the biggest names in the world of professional poker descend upon Berlin to play for a €1 million prize. As the tournament kicked off, armed men in balaclava’s stormed the venue in order to get their hands on the money, and panic erupted. Hundreds of spectators and tournament participants were trampled while attempting to flee the scene and the robbers got away with almost €200,000 without harming a single patron. However, several people were injured during the panicked stampede, and to make matters worse, the entire robbery was streamed live online as part of the media coverage of the event.
Much like Bill Brennan, Elizabeth Williams is another example of a humble, bog-standard casino employee attempting to stick it to the man – except she was caught in the act. Apparently Williams didn’t give the whole robbery much thought as she emptied $50,000 from gambling machines into black trash-bags directly in front of the casino’s security cameras. She may have even gotten away with it if her employers hadn’t noticed that Williams calmly walked out of the casino with 3 trash bags, but only 2 of them ended up in the dumpster, prompting them to check the security cameras.
If true casino and gambling crime fascinates you, then you’ve come to the right place. Not only do we focus on casino heists from days past at EjWagner-CrimeHistorian.com but we also provide our readers in Canada and New Zealand with the latest casino crime news and casino cheaters.
While the typical casino player always conducts themselves in an honest fashion, throughout history there have been those who have perpetrated casino scams which actually worked. The majority of these scammers used modern technology to their advantage and obliterated the house edge in the process, virtually guaranteeing a win. Here’s how they did it.
The lottery is one of those things everyone wishes they could win and that is why lotto scams are prevalent and unfortunately have caught many people. There are different types of lottery scams, but they all promise the same thing; a huge cash pay out. There is always a catch though, the person will need to pay a processing fee or make some sort of small payment.
The Ways People Cheat at Casinos Gambling is big business, and casino rake in billions of dollars each year. But there’s a dark side to the industry too, with many players opting to cheat to try and get and edge on the house. Thanks to the developments we’re enjoying in terms of technology, however, it … Read more The Ways People Cheat at Casinos
Phil Ivey and the Edge Sorting Scandal It’s quite funny to think that a Poker player lost in the region of $10 million playing Baccarat, but that’s exactly what happened to Phil Ivey. The world famous Poker pro thought he had found an ingenious way to beat Baccarat, a real game of luck, but in … Read more Phil Ivey and the Edge Sorting Scandal
Sophisticated to Slapstick Casino Crimes When we think about crimes committed in casinos we think of Oceans’ Eleven style heists and scams that see sophisticated security systems fooled, prosthetic face masks used as disguises and laundry vans or exotic cars used as getaway vehicles. $100 dollar bills hidden in walls, chips smuggled out in fake limbs … Read more Sophisticated to Slapstick Casino Crimes
Recent Casino Scams There are always those that are looking for ways to beat the casinos. There are those that have done it without breaking any rules, but mostly they are just scammers. When you play at a casino no deposit this is something you don’t need to know about, but let’s take a look … Read more Recent Casino Scams
5 Most Famous Las Vegas Mob Murders While many know Las Vegas to be one of the most popular gambling and entertainment destinations in the world, many may not be as well-versed in just how seedy and dark the early days of Las Vegas were. The link between the mob and casino crime has cemented … Read more 5 Most Famous Las Vegas Mob Murders
Incredible Casino Crimes Around the World Although movies make casino heists look glamorous and thrilling, the reality is that modern-day casinos are hyper aware of security issues, and it is almost impossible to get through these to the cash they keep on hand. Most of the theft attempted these days are prosaic smash-and-grabs, or thieves … Read more Incredible Casino Crimes Around the World
Casinos Heists Often End In Disaster For The Crooks We’ve seen in it film and stories; that big, elaborate heist that a potential robber spends months to perfect, and then finally pulls off in a blaze of glory. In these stories, the robbery is almost always successful, and they get away with enough money to … Read more Casino Robbery Attempts
Fascinating Unsolved Casino Mysteries Given that casinos house millions of dollars and there are often clear-cut links to organised crime, it’s no wonder that crime rates in the area tend to rise when a new casino opens. As such, there are thousands of fascinating stories about casino heists, murders, and disappearances linked to casinos and … Read more Fascinating Unsolved Casino Mysteries
