A casino heist seems like the perfect plot for an action movie, and it seems tough to pull off something like that in reality. Modern security systems, especially in gambling establishments, make robbery practically impossible.
But at different times, there were criminals who managed to do incredible things. Such people were endowed with extraordinary ingenuity and the readiness to plan a crime for a very long time and bypass the most difficult traps.
Let’s recall real stories of extraordinary robberies. Even 1 dollar casino sites will not allow players to withdraw without their control, and these criminals managed to clean the establishments of hundreds of thousands.
The most expensive cocktail in history and 32 million dollars in winnings — almost a perfect robbery
Let’s start with the story, which did not succeed but could become the basis for a movie. It happened in Australia, at Crown Casino.
James Manning arrived from neighboring New Zealand in Perth and created a real furor in the casino. He challenged himself to order a cocktail for $12,500, which would enter the Guinness Book of Records. The drink had to be made from cognac from the collection that was on the Titanic!
The info drive was supposed to be a great PR event for the casino, and it was planned that it would be a public event with reporters and cameras.
Of course, such a good man as Manning was given VIP status, which allowed him to play in VIP rooms and make bigger bets. He took advantage of this, winning as much as 32 million dollars.
Such a large amount raised suspicions in the casino, which began an investigation and noticed that Manning was making very illogical bets, which nevertheless worked. A detailed examination of the case showed that Manning had his person in the casino and a listening device.
Interestingly, charges were not brought against Manning, but he was simply banned from visiting the casino.
“Everything was done almost perfectly, he almost outwitted us,” casino owners shared.
Chase with pursuit and robbery of the world’s most secure casino
The Bellagio casino in Las Vegas is the city’s jewel and one of the most popular establishments. Also, this casino is famous for its security systems, which make its building one of the most protected in general.
This in no way stopped Jose Vigoa – a former Cuban soldier who, after his service, went on a criminal path, robbing banks and casinos. The Bellagio was to become the main business of Vigoa’s life; he trained all his strongest skills for robbery.
Vigoa did not invent any cunning schemes, he simply disguised himself with a cap and sunglasses and entered the building. There was no need to shoot, he imperceptibly stole chips and money worth $160,000.
However, numerous surveillance cameras recorded his face, and rudimentary masking methods did not help. Vigoa was found and imprisoned effectively for life.
Impeccable reputation and a case with 500 thousand dollars
But there are also “success stories”, if such crimes can be considered criminal. Like Bill Brennan, who worked at the Stardust casino in Las Vegas for many years. During his tenure, Bill gained a reputation as a very conscientious and responsible employee who can be relied upon.
It turns out that all this time, Brennan was not just performing his duties, but thoroughly researching the principles of operation of the casino surveillance system. Finally, after years of work, he ventured into robbery. He took a case worth 500,000 dollars from the casino, taking advantage of the dead zones of the cameras and other gaps in the security system. However, he managed to get out unnoticed.
Interestingly, Brennan was not found. This case is one of the few when a person managed to rob a casino with success. Brennan’s further fate is unknown, he probably changed his name and lives in another country.
The moral of these stories is very simple, of course, all criminals wanted to be like Brennan, but for one such case, there were thousands of unsuccessful ones.
We remind you that a casino is a way of entertainment, not a way of earning. When visiting institutions, play honestly and responsibly.
