Cheaters busted in Ontario casino

[halcyon1234]

Looks like an orgainzed group bilked Rama out of $2mil by cheating at Baccarat:

Toronto Star (contains quotes from VP of Canadian Gambling Association):

Toronto Star

CTV News (contains the names of associates of the ring whom have warrants out for them):

(Dead link: http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20070525/casino_scam_070525/20070525?hub=TorontoHome) _CTV News_

Two comments:

1) I wish they didn't get caught, because Rama deserves to lose $2mil. What a craphole that place is.

2) They haven't released any details as to the "how" of the cheating-- yes. After the case is heard, the Freedom of Information Act is going to come in very handy, I'm sure. =) (Though by the sounds if it, they probably just hired some mechanic to base deal, next-card and expose)

 

[treehugger]

Cheating ring ties to Seattle

Check out this link from Seattle's CBS station. The mayor's kid seems to have been involved in a bit of AP on this one.

http://www.kirotv.com/news/13385555/detail.html (Archive copy)

 

[positiveEV]

Arrest warrants have been issued for the following suspects:

* Phat Tran, age 34 of Windsor, Ont
* Tai Tran, age 45 of San Diego, Calif.
* Hai Van Nguyen, age 34 of Barrie, Ont.
* Kim Lam, age 34 of Windsor, Ont.
* Anh Thi Tran, age 40 of San Diego, Calif.
* Hop Nguyen, age 37 of San Diego, Calif.
* Nam Van To, age 42 of Las Vegas, Nev.

These guys are all Vietnamese!

 

[Sonny]

There's a little more information here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070525/ap_on_re_us/casino_charges (Archive copy)

"Members of the organization would signal a dealer to do a false shuffle and bet on the known order of the cards, the indictments state. Grand jurors also alleged that the ring used hidden transmitters and special software to predict the order in which cards would appear."

It sounds like they were using false shuffles and a computer, probably something similar to the Deadlock computer, to calculate the best strategy for playing the unshuffled cards.

-Sonny-

 

[GeorgeD]

According to this they also cheated at BlackJack:

(Dead link: http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/ontarioniagara/story/84585.html)

 

[Sonny]

What a waste. With a little imagination and a lot more practice they could have done all of that legally! I guess it's much easier for an AP to become a crook than a crook to become an AP.

-Sonny-

 

[Mimosine]

What a waste. With a little imagination and a lot more practice they could have done all of that legally!

you mean and a lot of practice, and a lot of hard work......

who wants that!?!

 

[supercoolmancool]

you mean and a lot of practice, and a lot of hard work......

who wants that!?!

It probably took the cheaters a lot of practice and a lot of hard work.

 

[zengrifter]

It probably took the cheaters a lot of practice and a lot of hard work.

Undoubtedly. zg

 

[zengrifter]

Twelfth Member of Casino-Cheating Criminal Enterprise Pleads Guilty to
Racketeering Conspiracy Targeting Casinos Across The United States

Last update: 5:29 p.m. EDT Aug. 8, 2008

WASHINGTON, Aug 08, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Tien Duc Vu, 50, pleaded guilty today in San Diego to conspiring to participate in a racketeering enterprise, the "Tran Organization," in a scheme to cheat casinos across the country out of millions of dollars, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division Matthew Friedrich, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Karen P. Hewitt and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Jeffrey C. Sullivan announced today. Vu also pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit theft from the Nooksack River Casino, an Indian tribal gaming establishment near Deming, Wash.

A three-count indictment was returned in San Diego on May 22, 2007, and unsealed on May 24, 2007, charging Vu and 13 others each with one count of conspiracy to participate in the affairs of a racketeering enterprise; one count of conspiracy to commit several offenses against the U.S., including conspiracy to steal money and other property from Indian tribal casinos; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of his plea agreement, Vu agreed to have a separate indictment against him transferred to San Diego for plea purposes. The separate indictment, unsealed on May 24, 2007, in the Western District of Washington, charged Vu and four others for alleged violations related to card-cheating activity at the Nooksack River Casino.

MORE- (Dead link: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/twelfth-member-casino-cheating-criminal-enterprise/story.aspx?guid=%7BF646F226-46F9-4CF3-AB43-ECF0077946FC%7D&dist=hppr)