The immense amount of cash flowing through casinos naturally attracts the world’s most ambitious criminals.
Today, surveillance systems are flawless, but in the past, clever thieves managed to walk away millions.
The Stardust Casino Inside Job
Bill Brennan, a trusted sports book cashier, pulled off a flawlessly simple inside job.
Brennan simply packed half a million dollars into a bag and walked out the front door.
- Occurred at the Stardust Casino in 1992
- The thief was a trusted employee
- He disappeared without a single trace
The Baccarat Card Sorting Scandal
This sophisticated method involved identifying tiny manufacturing defects on the backs of playing cards.
Lengthy legal battles ensued, ultimately resulting in judges ruling that edge sorting constituted cheating.
The Crown Casino High-Tech Hack
In 2013, the Crown Casino in Melbourne was the victim of an incredibly high-tech heist.
The casino eventually discovered the breach and managed to recover most of the stolen funds.
| Thief | Location | Technique |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Brennan | Las Vegas | Walked out with bag |
| Phil Ivey | London | Edge Sorting Cards |
The allure of the casino vault will undoubtedly continue to inspire elaborate criminal plots in the future.