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.
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The Link Between Casinos and Crime It’s not hard to imagine that more crime takes place at a casino than most other types of public venues. Dark interiors, tons of cash moving around, and endless ways to try and scam the casino of some money. This has give rise to the belief that casinos are, … Read moreThe Statistical Link Between Casinos And Crime
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Casinos and banks might not have much in common on first glance, but they are made equally attractive to thieves for one simple fact: they have vaults and safes full of money. While plenty of movies have been made about bank robberies, the two most notable films centred on casino heists are Ocean’s Eleven and … Read more4 Casino Crimes Perfect for Hollywood
Casinos are purely entertainment based, with an abundance of currency exchanging hands at the drop of every ace on a table; there is a looming predator willing to tackle the house. Its raw, it’s an adrenalin rush and it will get your heart rate up to 200 beats per minute. However dabbling in the unknown … Read moreThe Card Counting Strategy And Its Downfalls
With thousands of casinos operating all over the world, as well as online and mobile casinos, the gambling industry is at an all-time high and it’s showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. As the casino industry has progressed, so has the software and security used to operate the industry, which has made … Read moreUnanticipated Casino Threats and Crimes
