Casinos have always been places that attract people who crave excitement, win or lose. While most players follow the rules and hope for luck to be on their side, some individuals take cheating to a whole new level. Over the years, some of the most ingenious and notorious casino cheaters have attempted to swindle casinos out of millions of dollars. Here is a list of some of the most famous casino cheaters in history, and their incredible and sometimes terrifying stories.
Tommy Glenn Carmichael
Tommy Glenn Carmichael is a legendary slot machine cheater who was able to beat machines with the “top-bottom” method. In the 1980s, he developed a small device that allowed him to manipulate the outcome of slot machine games. The device was called the “slider” and would jam the machine’s coin hopper, causing it to payout. Carmichael was eventually caught in 1985 and spent 5 years in jail. After his release, he developed a new device called the “light wand,” which was effective against new slot machines that used optical sensors instead of traditional coin acceptors.
Richard Marcus
Richard Marcus was a professional gambler who mastered the art of cheating at blackjack. He developed a technique known as “past-posting,” which involved placing bets after the outcome of the game was known. Marcus and his team would distract the dealer and switch their chips with higher denominations without being caught. Marcus was eventually caught, but his cheating was so sophisticated that he was not charged as the law had not yet caught up with his methods.
Ida Summers
Ida Summers was known as the “Vegas Vixen” and was one of the most successful female casino cheats in history. She was able to cheat casinos by dealing from the bottom of a deck of cards. Her modus operandi was to create distractions, such as revealing low cut dresses or flirting with dealers, to avoid attention while dealing from the bottom. She was finally caught in 1961 after she was recognized by a dealer at a casino where she had previously won a lot.
Louis Colavecchio
Louis Colavecchio was a master counterfeiter who created perfect replicas of casino chips and successfully passed them off as legitimate. He was eventually caught in 1996 when one casino became suspicious of the amount of chips he was using. Colavecchio had created over $500,000 in fake chips, which he used to win big at various casinos throughout the US. He was sentenced to six years in jail.
Ronald Harris
Ronald Harris was a computer programmer who worked for the Nevada Gaming Commission. He used his knowledge of the software and security systems of slot machines to program them to payout on demand. He was caught in 1995, and he and his accomplice were sentenced to prison for four and two years, respectively.
Casino cheating is not only unethical, but also illegal. It takes a high degree of skill and daring to pull off a successful casino scam. The above-mentioned cheaters are just a few of the many that have tried and sometimes succeeded in cheating casinos out of millions. However, as history has shown, eventually, the house always wins and the cheaters usually get caught. The real legends of gambling are those who respect the game and play it fairly, winning or losing with dignity.
