Six Charged in Hard Rock Casino Gambling Ring Cheating Scheme
Six individuals have been charged in connection with a sophisticated cheating scheme that targeted the Hard Rock Casino in Northern Indiana and at least ten other casinos across the US. The defendants face multiple felony counts, including theft and cheating at gambling, according to criminal complaints filed in Lake Criminal Court on June 2.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Authorities allege that the group defrauded the Hard Rock Casino out of more than $700,000 during a concentrated period of less than one week in 2023. This amount represents a significant portion of the total $1.5 million the ring is accused of stealing from casinos in Illinois, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, and California between July 2023 and March 2024. Arrest warrants have been issued for all six individuals.
Related: Men Arrested in Paris Casino for High Tech Cheating SchemeThe group's method of cheating focused on the table game Baccarat, which involves eight decks of cards and requires players to bet on whose hand, the player's or the banker's, will total closest to nine. The rules allow one of the players at the table to cut the deck before gameplay begins, using a designated card. The shuffled deck is then placed in a shoe, which is used to deal the cards.
Investigators allege that the defendants exploited this part of the process. According to the affidavit, one or more of the accused would manipulate the shoe or fan the cards in violation of standard casino procedures, allowing them to glimpse the values of cards that would later be dealt.
To aid in this, a pack of cigarettes was placed over a mobile phone or another device, discreetly recording the deck. Surveillance footage showed that a Baccarat score card was sometimes strategically held above the card manipulator, obstructing the view from security cameras and casino staff.
Once the hidden video recording was made, one member of the group would leave the table and review the footage either outside the casino or in a bathroom. This analysis gave them insight into the upcoming order of cards.
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Greed Leads to Capture
When the individual returned, the group would place high-value bets with greater confidence. Some wagers reportedly ranged between $10,000 and $20,000, raising suspicion among casino employees.
The group moved among different Baccarat tables, seeking dealers whose actions unintentionally facilitated their scheme. Initially, investigators suspected one of the dealers of collusion due to the repeated success of the group at his table. However, after conducting interviews and reviewing phone records, authorities determined that the dealer was not involved.
He had only recently learned that his dealing technique briefly exposed cards at the start of each game, unknowingly assisting the cheaters. He had been employed at the casino for just one year and had no contact with any of the defendants.
Similar incidents were documented by gaming officials in Illinois, where the group was linked to cheating at Bally's Casino in Chicago. They had been banned from that location less than a month after it began operations. Additional reports from casinos in Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, and California indicated comparable losses, with each property reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages.
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