South Korea Casino’s Suspiciously High Winnings Expose Alleged $72K Cheating Scheme

Two casino dealers on South Korea’s Jeju Island are under investigation for allegedly using marked cards to cheat three Chinese tourists out of around KRW100 million (US$72,000) at a blackjack table.

The two employees of an unidentified hotel casino were booked on suspicion of fraud by the Jeju Provincial Police Agency after provincial gambling regulators detected unusually high profits from blackjack play at the property.

The alleged cheating occurred June 7 and 8, according to South Korea’s News1. The gamblers subsequently left the country apparently unaware they may have been cheated.

Police allege the dealers used specially marked cards whose values could be identified from tiny alterations to their backs or edges.

Casino Won Too Much Won

Jeju provincial authorities and South Korea’s National Forensic Service jointly operate a casino management monitoring system designed to scrutinize gaming activity at the island’s casinos.

The system detected profits from blackjack at the casino that were significantly higher than those generated by other games, prompting officials to investigate.

During an inspection, investigators seized cards suspected of having been altered and obtained surveillance footage they believed showed evidence of game manipulation. The evidence was subsequently handed to police.

The investigation initially focused more broadly on whether cards used by the casino had been altered to give the house an unfair advantage. By July, police had formally booked the two dealers on fraud allegations.

Jeju officials have said they will determine whether to impose administrative sanctions on the casino after the criminal investigation is completed.

Foreigners Only

Jeju is home to several casinos catering exclusively to foreign passport holders, with South Korean nationals generally prohibited from gambling at them.

Jeju’s casino industry has traditionally been heavily dependent on visitors from China and other parts of East Asia.

Police have not publicly said whether they believe the dealers acted independently, whether anyone else at the casino was involved, or what ultimately happened to the money allegedly obtained from the players.

Shades of Daegu

The allegations echo an earlier South Korean casino cheating scandal in which executives, managers, and dealers were prosecuted for conspiring to rig games against tourists.

Twelve former and current employees of Daegu Casino, including senior executives, were accused of using prearranged cards and specially trained “black dealers” to cheat Chinese and Japanese gamblers out of the equivalent of $3.5 million. Prosecutors said senior figures directed subordinates to participate in the scheme.

The defendants were convicted last year, and the Daegu High Court largely upheld their suspended prison sentences on appeal last week.