Notorious Casino Robberies
Gambling platforms have always been seen as money houses, and when players spend so much without getting rewards, they seek to defy the odds and win at all costs.
This act is most popular with land-based casinos, as most online platforms like the Syndicate Casino come with heightened security and fewer chances for players to steal from the house.
There have been hundreds of casino robbery cases over the years, but a few of them gained much popularity for being the most daring of all time. In this interesting piece, we’ll discuss a few of these.
Stardust ($500,000)
The Stardust casino heist is one of the most mysterious of all, and it remains unsolved today.
It was a regular working day at Stardust, and the cashier was tasked with counting the money from the sports book as had been done every other day.
Things took a dreary turn when he simply walked out of the casino with a sum of $500,000, half in cash and the other as chips.
The cashier, Bill Brennan, has been on the FBI’s most wanted list to this day. In 2006, Starburst closed down, partly due to this loss.
The Bellagio (Las Vegas Biker’s Bandit Theft)
Another brazen robbery on our list is the Bellagio heist in Las Vegas. In 2010, Anthony Michael Carleo, the son of an LA judge, walked into the gambling site with a gun in hand and a motorcycle helmet to conceal his identity.
He stole $1.5 million worth of chips off a craps table, walking away from the heist unscathed.
Apparently, he had robbed the Suncoast hotel and casino similarly, stealing over $20,000 from this casino as well.
Lady Luck might have been on his side during these heists, but she took a dive for the hill after Carleo got caught in a wrong decision to take credit for his crime.
Treasure Island
The Treasure Island robbery goes down in history for many reasons.
The perpetrator, known as Reginald Johnson, attempted the robbery three times before finally getting away with $30,000 from the cashier on his third try.
In his first attempt, he fired a shot at the security guard of the Treasure Island casino, leaving him severely injured.
His final attempt was in October 2000, when he struck the place again and made away with $30,000.
He finally pled guilty in January 2001 and was given a 130-year sentence by the judge for robbing the establishment three consecutive times in a year.
The Ritz London Heist (2013)
The next on our list is one of the most tactical attempts made by gamblers to cheat the house.
In 2004, a group of 3 gamblers showed us how physics can be used to garner some advantages in a game of roulette.
They used a technique called sector targeting, where laser scanners and microcomputers helped them depict where the ball would land.
Despite the obvious unfair advantage, it is still unclear to us why the police concluded that no crimes were committed in this scene.
The Crown Casino
The 2013 heist at Crown Casino is one of the biggest and most carefully calculated thefts in the history of gambling robberies.
It was carried out by the millionaire New Zealand businessman James Manning.
A VIP service manager invited Manning to play a few hands of blackjack in the high roller’s room.
At the end of the game, he won over $33 million from several rounds of the table game.
What many thought to be a lucky event turned out to be the result of breached security cameras and some colluding with the VIP service manager.
Ultimately, Manning never cashed out the money and was allowed to leave the premises while keeping the event under wraps.
Circus Circus Heist
The 1993 Circus Circus heist took a different approach. It didn’t involve guns, nor did it have to do with colluding with service managers.
Heather Tallchief succeeded at this one with help from her convicted boyfriend, Roberto Solis.
She took a job with Loomis, driving armored vehicles that transported cash to most Las Vegas gambling locations.
After some time of learning the ropes, Tallchief drove off with $3 million after a short stop at the Сircus Сircus casino.
She moved out of the country after this event, running off with her boyfriend, Solis.
Although she was never caught, she turned herself in in 2005, confessing to the crime with claims that she had separated from Solis and only got $1,000 from the money.
Lessons for Gambling Establishments
If there is one thing to learn from these occurrences, it would be that casinos, especially on-site establishments, are not invincible.
These events should remind gambling sites to employ the best security at all times.
The online industry has always had an edge, but online hacks and thefts are other possible threats to be wary of.
Users need constant reassurance that these platforms can be trusted and that they can bet safely without fear of getting scammed.
