No one likes a cheat. Cheaters ruin the fun, make things less entertaining for everyone else, and generally ruin an experience. That doesn’t mean that cheaters don’t exist. Casinos have seen some of the most creative cheats in history, some managing to walk away with millions. At least, walking away with millions until they got caught.
Let’s take a look at some of the most notorious casino cheats in history. Spoiler; cheaters never prosper. All of these big names have seen the inside of a jail cell.
Tommy Glenn Carmichael
Carmichael is a legend as far as cheating casinos goes. The levels of creativity he used are nothing short of mesmerising, demonstrating that the biggest risk casinos face is a truly creative fraud. Carmichael ran a television repair shop, and probably should have stayed there. In the 60s he gave up legit work and dedicated himself to robbing slots.
He was arrested in 1985, but went right back to fraud after release. Most fascinating is that he evolved his cheating tools as technology progressed. He is known to have bought slots, only to get to work figuring out how to rob them. From the infamous Monkey’s Pay, to the advanced Light Wand, he even sold the tools to other cheaters. Some of his clients report making upwards of $10,000 a day.
Carmichael went to jail in 1998, and again in 1999. Bad news for him is that it’s also now impossible to hack slots at sites like big dollar. Looks like his days are soon to be over for good.
Richard Marcus
Even if not as creative as Carmichael, Richard Marcus is an interesting story. Marcus started working as a Vegas croupier, only to then use the knowledge to turn cheater. Amongst his many scams, his most successful involved simply tricking dealers. His favourite scam involved placing a stack of similarly coloured chips on the table, a pair of 5s and a 500. If the bet failed he’d swop the 500 out for another 5, if it won he’d collect the winnings.
He was arrested, but after escaping started to market his gambling knowledge to others. To this day he presents himself as the world expert in cheating casinos. Apparently he also has a big following.
Dominic LoRiggio
Another famous name, LoRiggio, is known to claim that he can control his dice throw. He insists that he can toss Craps dice in exactly the right way, allowing him to get the rolls he wants on command. Most declare that he is lying, and that his techniques are impossible. But LoRiggio states to this day that he can beat Craps with his special techniques.
According to his own account, the scam involves gripping the dice precisely, then throwing them so that they touch the back wall of the table gently. Apparently this give the desired numbers when done right. Even if it is possible, chances are it isn’t consistent. It’s no wonder that LoRiggio is known more commonly as a scam artist rather than a pro cheater.