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.

Two employees at an unidentified hotel casino on Jeju Island have been referred to prosecutors on fraud charges after provincial gambling regulators detected unusually high player winnings at blackjack tables.

The alleged cheating scheme took place on June 7 and June 8, according to South Korea’s News1. The foreign gamblers involved subsequently left the country, allegedly taking their illicit winnings with them before the scheme was uncovered.

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

Too Much Won, Too Fast

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

The system flagged blackjack payouts at the property that were significantly higher than statistical norms and out of line with other table games, prompting regulators to launch an immediate inspection.

During the audit, investigators seized decks suspected of being marked and secured surveillance footage showing evidence of game manipulation. Regulators subsequently turned the physical and digital evidence over to law enforcement.

The investigation initially focused on whether cards had been altered to give players an illegal edge. By July, police formally referred the two dealers to prosecutors 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.