A group of women scams a casino in Cotai for HK$2m (US$258,000)

The group of ladies practically stole HK$2.2m from the casino in a span of two weeks but have now been caught and arrested. And no, this wasn’t a robbery at gunpoint. The four women and the dealer figured out a system of how to conduct a massive scam without weapons.

The four women watched the dealer play the games on his own without any players around, learning every move. He laid out the cards exactly as he would in the next round. The ladies closely studied the results of the game, showed up to played the same exact cards with the dealer, and made massive bets that got them considerable winnings from HK$60,000 to HK$150,000. These sly Baccarat games were quickly busted as security noticed the suspicious activity.

Very clever process, but the ladies, as well as the dealers, got busted and are now in serious trouble. The group of women were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office and will face charges of organized crime. And of course, the dealer didn’t get away with a slap on the wrist either, as he is now facing up to eight years in prison for embezzlement, according to articles 336 and 340 of the Macau Penal Code. The employee will not be allowed near a casino table anytime soon.

Upon the arrest, the officials confiscated considerable sums of cash, four smartphones, as well as 12 HK$10,000 worth of casino chips. Needless to say, the scammers didn’t keep any of it. As creative as this stunt was, it appears that the women didn’t plan this massive scam on their own, and someone higher up may be conducting these crimes.

Perhaps participating in a casino scam wasn’t the brightest idea for the dealer. And maybe stretching the swindle for almost two weeks wasn’t very smart either. As for the ladies, it’s possible that they may have been forced into committing the crimes if the allegations of them operating under a kingpin are true. But even if so, catching the group of ladies brings the prosecutors one step closer to catching a much more malicious crime group. Either way, the story only proves that trying to rob, scam, or trick a casino rarely results in anything good.