Gang scoops £22m in card table trick

 
Frank Thorne15 March 2013
WEST END FINAL

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A gang infiltrated the camera surveillance system at Australia’s biggest casino to net A$32 million (£21.9 million).

A foreign gambler who was staying at Melbourne’s Crown Casino and a staff member have been implicated in the crime. Sources said cheating was exposed over eight hands of cards played in a short space of time. It is believed the gang gained remote access to the security camera system. Signals were then given to the gambler on how he should bet, based on the advice of someone viewing the high-resolution camera feeds. The cameras at Crown are capable of transmitting the most intricate detail of conduct at the card tables.

Police are investigating the fraud, believed to be the biggest since the casino opened 19 years ago. The high roller was thrown out of an opulent villa at Crown Towers in the middle of the night after the trick was uncovered. He had been staying there with his family.

Described by one source as a “whale” — a gambler who wins and loses huge amounts — he was served with a withdrawal of licence notice, barring him from entering the complex. A Crown VIP services manager has been sacked.

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