Part IV: Financial Fraud · Internal Collusion & Employee Fraud

Scam #33: Craps Late/Call Bet Collusion

How it works

In craps, certain proposition bets (particularly “hop bets”) are not marked on the layout and are placed verbally. A corrupt dealer can pay an accomplice for a hop bet that was never actually placed. The accomplice mumbles an instruction to the dealer that no one else can hear or understand. After the dice come to rest, the dealer pays the player for a winning hop bet regardless of whether the bet was actually made. Because there are no spots on the layout for these bets, there is no physical evidence of whether the bet existed. The Bellagio case involved two craps dealers who allowed friends to place fake bets and made inaudible comments that the dealers paid out on, whether the bets won or not. The scheme operated for almost two years before a fellow dealer became suspicious.

Where it appears

Craps tables, particularly during slow periods with fewer witnesses

On the record

The Bellagio craps case (2014) - two dealers (James Russell Cooper Jr. and Mark William Branco) and two players (Jeffrey D. Martin and Anthony Grant Granito) were indicted on 60 counts. Granito won $700,000, Martin over $800,000. Cooper cooperated with authorities and testified against the others.

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.