Melbourne’s Crown Casino Loses $32M to Foreign High-Stakes Gambler Using Ocean Eleven-Style Heist
Australia's largest gambling business, the Crown Casino in Melbourne, lost $32 million to a foreign high-stakes gambler who used an Ocean Eleven-style heist, reports said.
The bettor won the large amount fraudulently using eight hands of cards which he played over a short period of time, according to the Herald Sun. The winning was made possible apparently through an unauthorised access to the casino's security system.
It was similar to the 2001 movie that starred George Clooney and Brad Pitt who recruited a gang of con men, safecrackers and security experts to rob several gaming spots in Las Vegas.
It is not the first time that the Crown Casino was hit by gangster groups. In the past the casino has also lost money to high-rollers in larger amounts who also dealt with drugs, but it was the largest fraud in the casino's 19 years of running the business.
Although the Crown Casino cameras spied on the VIP high roller's room, it failed to capture how the scam worker, although it is believed the casino's security cameras were infiltrated from a remote location who then advised the expert gambler through hidden signals how to bet.
When the scam was confirmed, the high-roller was ordered to leave the Crown Towers at the casino complex where he was staying with his family. Crown Casino also fired a staff from the VIP area who appears to be the high roller's accomplice.
The Melbourne police had been called to investigate the fraud, but the casino has given up on getting back the bulk of the money it lost. However, the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor believes it could still recover the bulk of the amount involved in the scam.