Italian casino cheats beat the rap, Korean cheaters not so lucky

italian-korean-casino-cheatsA pair of Italian sixty-somethings were handed suspended sentences in London on Friday for using fake ID’s to attempt to enter casinos from which they were already barred. Frank Camilleri and Francesco Baioni, members of what police describe as a ‘professional’ gang of casino cheats who travel the globe looking to defraud gaming establishments, were apprehended after scouting a few London casinos. A subsequent search of their premises turned up ‘a large quantity’ of falsified photo identification.

The Italian pair had previously operated in China, Australia and America – eventually serving time in the States after their cheating ways earned them ‘vast’ amounts of cash. Police did not elaborate on the tactics used by the pair, but Sky News’ Martin Brunt claims the pair targeted roulette tables – one cheat would distract the croupier while the other shifted his chips onto the winning number.

The casinos that originally alerted police to the pair are outraged that the men have avoided incarceration. Adding insult to injury, the prosecution reportedly advised casino reps that the problem with charging the men with attempting to defraud a gaming establishment was that ‘juries don’t see casinos as real victims.’ Yeah, and casinos don’t see English justice as being all that just.

Across the ocean in Connecticut, two members of a Korean casino cheating outfit appeared in a New London court on Wednesday. The pair is charged with using electronic devices to defraud the Foxwoods Resort Casino of over half a million dollars. Two other members of the same gang are awaiting extradition to Atlantic City to face similar charges of cheating at the mini-baccarat tables at Bally’s Hotel.

All we can say is, fuck the courts… Bring on De Niro and his trusty hammer…