Part IV: Financial Fraud · Internal Collusion & Employee Fraud

Scam #1: Dealer Intentional Overpayment (The “Overpay”)

How it works

A dealer deliberately pays a winning player more than the correct amount by adding extra chips during the payout, miscounting the stack, or paying at incorrect odds (e.g., paying even money instead of proper blackjack 3:2). The overhead surveillance cameras look straight down and cannot easily see the exact number of chips in a payout stack, making this difficult to detect from above. The dealer and accomplice split the excess later. This is one of the most common and simplest forms of dealer collusion, and can be performed casually without elaborate signaling systems. Dealers may overpay by one chip at a time, or by substituting higher-denomination chips than warranted. Overpayments are most effective when disguised as dealer errors during busy periods or when the pit boss is occupied with other tables.

Where it appears

Primarily blackjack, but applicable to any table game with chip payouts (craps, roulette, baccarat)

On the record

The most common form of dealer-player collusion, frequently referenced in gaming security literature. In January 2006, George Lee and Tien Duc Vu were convicted of defrauding 18 casinos of over $3 million through various collusion methods including overpayment.

Published as a detection reference for surveillance, compliance and gaming-operations professionals. Thresholds and tuning are set by the property. Nothing here is instruction — the method is described so it can be recognised.