‘Batman and Robin’ Bust Gambling Scam in London

Posted on: April 15, 2025, 08:46h. 

Last updated on: April 15, 2025, 09:40h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.
  • Cosplaying cops corral cons on London’s Westminster Bridge
  • Scotland Yard inspectors used costumes to sting scammers
  • Classic cons like the cup and ball game remain common in London’s tourist areas

Holy gambling violation, Batman! Scam artists fleecing tourists on London’s Westminster Bridge using the age-old cup and ball game recently got the shock of their lives when they were arrested by the iconic crime-fighting duo Batman and Robin.

Westminster Bridge scam, cup-and-ball con, Batman and Robin police, UK undercover sting
Inspector Darren Watson, aka Batman, holds up an evidence bag after arresting two cup and ball game scammers on Westminster Bridge, London, February 16. (London Metropolitan Police)

Video shared by London’s Metropolitan Police showed the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder running through the crowds to apprehend the villains.

In the footage, which was filmed in February, Batman can be seen holding up a sealed evidence bag containing the scammers’ shells.

Undercover Sting

Of course, this wasn’t the real Dynamic Duo, these were two of Scotland Yard’s finest orchestrating a bizarre undercover sting.

Inspector Darren Watson and Constable Abdi Osman cunningly disguised themselves as the Dark Knight and his sidekick to look less conspicuously like policemen. And it worked!

“We know that two repeat offenders have been operating on Westminster Bridge and have come to recognize me and my team from our patrols,” Watson said in a police statement. “I knew that if we were going to catch them, we would have the think outside the box, and then I remembered that I had Batman and Robin costumes to hand which could come in use.”

Ancient Con

Despite dating back to at least the 15th century, the cup/shell and ball game, or three-card Monte, or Find the Lady is still doing a roaring trade in tourist hotspots like Westminster Bridge, which links Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament to the South Bank and the London Eye.

The con sees scammers shuffle cups or cards before luring victims – or “marks” — into betting on the wrong one.

Typically, a member of the gang will pose as a player who wins big to give the impression that the game is beatable. In reality, sleight of hand ensures that the mark cannot win.

The games are operated at tourist attractions throughout Europe, largely by Romanian criminal groups, according to police.

On February 16, Batman and Robin’s two arrestees were charged with providing illegal facilities to gamble.

Costica Barbu was convicted at Croydon Magistrates’ Court on February 17 after being held by police and fined £925 ($1,225). His accomplice, Eugen Stoica, fled the UK after he was bailed at the same court hearing. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.