Macau Gambler Accused of Kicking Casino Machine to Erase Losing Bets

Authorities in Macau have arrested a 52-year-old businessman from mainland China who is accused of cheating a casino using perhaps the least sophisticated technique possible.

The gambler, identified only by his surname, Wu, allegedly discovered a way to make his losing bets disappear: kick the machine hard enough to trigger a malfunction.

Wu was playing an electronic version of sic bo, a popular Asian dice game also known locally as tai sai, when he realized that a well-aimed boot would cause the system to cancel his bet and return his stake.

The alleged scam unfolded Tuesday, October 6, at around 8:30 p.m. at an unnamed casino on the Macau peninsula.

What is Sic Bo?

Sic bo is played with three dice, with gamblers wagering on the total rolled or particular dice combinations. A common bet is whether the sum will be “big” or “small.”

Electronic versions allow players to place wagers through a gaming terminal, which records the results and adjusts their balances.

According to Judiciary Police spokesman Ho Ka Weng, Wu would wait until the outcome of a round was unfavorable and then kick the door of the machine’s cabinet, beneath its display.

The impact triggered an error warning that invalidated the round. Instead of losing his wager, Wu had the money credited back to his gaming account, which meant winning bets could stand while losing ones were effectively wiped out, police allege.

Police say he pulled off the trick six times in one hour, costing the casino at least HK$13,000 (US$1,670).

Casino surveillance staff became suspicious when the machine repeatedly displayed error signals. After reviewing security footage, they noticed Wu kicking the cabinet right before the faults appeared.

Re-enter the Wu

Wu left the casino but returned the following afternoon, when he was intercepted by security staff who contacted police.

Officers seized HK$3,500 (about US$450) in cash believed to be proceeds of the alleged scam.

While the casino estimates it lost at least HK$13,000, investigators are yet to establish exactly how much Wu personally profited from the scam. Police said this was the first time they had encountered this particular method of cheating in Macau.

Wu is suspected of fraudulent gambling, and his case has been referred to the Public Prosecutions Office.