French authorities made a breakthrough in the fight against cheating in casinos when they arrested a 63-year-old Ukrainian and a 37-year-old Latvian for running a sophisticated poker and blackjack scam. The duo was caught red-handed at the Casino Barrière Enghien-les-Bains, located in the Paris suburbs. This cheating operation was described as new to France and not well-documented in Europe.
The whole operation came to light when the police received a tip about some players achieving unusual results at the casino. Acting on this information, the authorities installed special surveillance equipment inside the casino on Sunday night, leading to the arrest of the culprits the following day.
One of the suspects had a tiny earpiece that was so small that it had to be removed from his ear using a magnet. The earpiece was described as “microscopic” and invisible to the naked eye. Additionally, the suspect’s mobile phone was modified to include a camera that could discreetly capture the underside of cards dealt by the dealer to other players in the game.
The suspect’s partner was stationed in a car in the parking lot, monitoring the feed from the camera and feeding information about the opponents’ cards back through the earpiece. This sophisticated cheating system allowed the duo to make substantial profits, with authorities estimating losses in the tens of thousands of euros every night they operated.
The police commissioner leading the investigation described this cheating system as unique and previously unknown in France and Europe. The authorities are now urging all casinos to take necessary measures to prevent such fraud from occurring in the future.
Following their arrest, the two men have been charged with organized gang fraud and are currently in pretrial detention. The authorities are hopeful that further investigations will lead to the identification and apprehension of other members of this cheating network.
In light of this incident, it is essential for casinos to remain vigilant and implement robust security measures to prevent similar scams from taking place. Cheating in casinos not only undermines the integrity of the game but also results in significant financial losses for both the establishments and honest players. By staying proactive and adopting stringent security protocols, casinos can deter potential fraudsters and ensure a fair and transparent gaming environment for all patrons.