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IT experts scammed casino out of £33,000

March 12, 2010

Casinos were cheated out of thousands after a pair of computer experts forged winning betting slips by hacking software that controlled betting machines.

The pair made the machines - which were remotely linked to live roulette wheels - print out winning vouchers for up to £600.

The computer contractors stole over £33,000 across four London casinos.

They made the machines print winning vouchers whatever the outcome on the wheel, Croydon Crown Court heard.

A cashier raised the alarm, realising a payout was impossible as only £10 had been wagered at odds of 35-1.

Officials began an inquiry and quickly traced a string of suspicious wins back to the two contractors, who were employed as problem analysts.

Andrew Ashley, 30, and Nimesh Bhagat, 31, were handed 12-month prison sentences, suspended for two years, at court today, the Metropolitan Police said.

Ashley, of Catford, south-east London, and Bhagat, of Balham, south-west London, each admitted an offence under the Theft Act 1968.

The two men were ordered to undertake 200 hours of community service and pay back around £16,000 each, a police spokesman said.

The convictions are believed to be the first where people have been caught mishandling the computer technology behind Britain's gaming industry.

Copyright © Press Association 2010

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