A casino cheating syndicate member in Singapore has pled guilty to his role in the scam that took the house for S$433,730 (US$315,851). [Image: Shutterstock.com]

An organized plan

A member of a syndicate that cheated a Singapore casino out of S$433,730 (US$315,851) has pled guilty to four charges. This group unlawfully recorded cards during games at the Marina Bay Sands. Malaysia native Tan Kian Yi pleaded guilty to four charges on Tuesday related to the Casino Control Act; his sentencing will take place in November.

enter the information on a spreadsheet to run a specific formula

The scam saw a female known as the “Sorcerer” sit at a gaming table with a concealed earphone connected to her phone via Bluetooth. This allowed her to share details of the cards being dealt to an accomplice who would enter the information on a spreadsheet to run a specific formula that would outline the best next move. The court documents did not reveal any specifics of the formula.

Breaking the syndicate

The authorities managed to uncover the cheating after analyzing surveillance footage and becoming suspicious of the behavior of the syndicate members. One of the individuals was gambling at the property on December 24 when police arrested him. This led to the other group members fleeing the country the next day.

The Casino Control Act in Singapore prohibits the recording or counting of cards at casinos, with a maximum possible prison sentence of seven years, as well as a possible S$150,000 (US$109,233) fine/

Two of Tan Kian Yi’s accomplices were charged earlier this year and have pending cases. Another three people are allegedly part of the group, but there are no details about the status of their cases. Defense lawyers have tried to argue that there is no evidence that the Excel formula involved cheating or fraud.

Widespread cheating

The cheating took place over the course of about a week in December 2022 on baccarat games, with the authorities eventually seizing over S$790,000 (US$575,294) in casino chips from the rooms of the syndicate members.

sleight of hand or other moves to try to trick dealers

Cheating at casinos across the world is a common occurrence, including people trying to record cards, use sleight of hand or other moves to try to trick dealers. In one scheme uncovered earlier this year, gamblers in Las Vegas managed to win US$225,000 through a technique called dice sliding when playing electronic craps.