Hi-tech gamblers get away with £1.3m

Three Ritz Casino gamblers have been cleared of cheating by UK police and allowed to keep £1.3m they won using a modified mobile phone to predict roulette results.

The trio used a concealed laser scanner linked to a computer. The laser measured the speed of the ball and its arc of descent, and the computer identified a limited number of slots into which the ball could fall. The PC then sent the information back to the phone.

One Hungarian woman and two Serb men won £100,000 on the first night they used the device. The next night they returned and won £1.2m.

Casino staff called the police after examining CCTV tapes of the three in action. Police arrested them at a nearby hotel and seized money and phone equipment, which has not been returned.

It is believed that the police decided not to prosecute because the nature of the scanner was such that it did not interfere with the ball or the wheel. However, all three are likely to find themselves banned from other casinos.

A spokesman for the British Casino Association explained to vnunet.com that the gaming industry is seeking to add provisions to the gambling bill currently going through parliament that will address such issues.