Las Vegas Casino Group Accused of $225K Craps Cheating Scheme

Article ByDavid Weir

May 30, 2023

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Posted in: Nevada Gambling News, US Casino News

A group of four men is accused of using a “dice sliding” technique to cheat at craps tables in two Las Vegas casinos. They amassed more than $200,000 in the scheme, which took place across November and December 2021.

“Sliding occurs when the shooter slides one or both dice across the table in order to prevent the cubes from rolling,” said court documents obtained by 8NewsNow last week.

“The dice will be in the same position as they started, allowing the shooter to control the outcome of the game.”

Investigators at the Nevada Gaming Control Board identified the suspects through surveillance footage and their casino club cards. All four defendants deny the criminal charges against them.

Fraudulent Acts

Antcharaporn Kamonlert, Hau Duc Ngo, Max Edward Rappoport, and Oscar Ovidio Rodriguez Alvarado all face various counts of committing a fraudulent act in a gaming establishment and cheating at a gambling game.

The charges are an all-in-one linked criminal case, according to investigator filings. They are all first offenses.

Gaming Control Board investigators accuse the group of manipulating the outcome of rolls on an electronic craps table at the Cosmopolitan over six days, dating from the end of November to the beginning of December in 2021.

All charges levied at the group are Category C offenses carrying potential one-to-six-year prison sentences and/or up to $10,000 in fines.

Signaling Wagers

“Before illegally sliding the dice, [redacted] would signal the other by placing single wagers in a circle motion around the main screen of wagers,” the documents said.

Azure Roll to Win Electronic Craps tables allow casinos to semiautomate some aspects of the craps game while using real and traditional dice.

However, the smoother surface of these tables (as opposed to the usual felt) makes dice sliding easier.

Mitchell S. Bisson is Ngo’s defending attorney. He reaffirmed his client’s innocence, and pointed at his previous lack of criminal record or interaction with the law.

He said he was confident that his client would be cleared of all charges after a thorough investigation.

Lawyers for the other three defendants have so far been unavailable for public comment.

All four defendants posted bail and are awaiting an initial court hearing on June 1 at Las Vegas Justice Court.

Biggest Cheaters

If the allegations are proven, the group is far from the list of the very biggest cheaters in Las Vegas history.

From 1976 to 1998, Dennis Nikrasch fleeced Nevada casinos out of more than $16 million by rigging slot machines and hiring friends to collect on the jackpots when they paid out.

The most infamous system-beaters in Las Vegas, and indeed general casino history, are undoubtedly the MIT Blackjack team. This group of students and technology graduates took card counting to a new level of sophistication.

They won millions off casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and worldwide throughout the ’90s. But without any technical game breaking offenses, none were ever officially charged with cheating.

Related: Best craps casinos for US players, rated and reviewed