A Mississippi man has become the 36th person entered into Nevada’s casino black book after trying to pull off a roulette cheating scheme at state casinos. [image: Shutterstock.com]

A Mississippi man has travelled the length and breadth of the US allegedly trying to defraud casinos playing roulette. As a result, the Nevada Gaming Commission members voted unanimously on Thursday to add him to the state’s gambling black book.

Shaun Joseph Benward did not appear at the hearing to provide any defense. Senior Deputy Attorney General Michael Semps presented the case against the 36-year-old during a 40-minute meeting. Benward will face arrest and an elevated misdemeanour charge if he enters one of Nevada’s casinos after becoming the 36^th member of the exclusion list.

attempt to convince them that they had placed his chips on the wrong number

The self-proclaimed magician would befriend roulette croupiers and attempt to convince them that they had placed his chips on the wrong number after the ball had come to a finish. An accomplice would usually back up the story, with Benware allegedly making tens of thousands of dollars through the scheme.

He has gaming-related criminal convictions in various states, including Ohio, Missouri, Delaware, and Mississippi. Benward also is already on exclusion lists in Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Michigan.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) started investigating Benward’s activities in July and August 2020 at certain Las Vegas properties. He met all four of the criteria to enter the state’s black book, including violating a court order to not enter casinos and having an unsavory or notorious reputation.