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The 1973 French Roulette Remote Control Scam

Non-smoking girl holding a cigarette in the casino

A lot has been said about casino cheats. Some were successful, and some failed even before the implementation. Let's talk about the cheaters who managed to beat the casino at roulette.

The Famous Fraud

First things first.

It's no secret that beating roulette fairly is impossible.

But these fraudsters were incredibly smart and did it. They used not only their equipment but also casino gear. One of the swindlers created a way to handle the ball with the remote control. Cheaters knew the number the ball was about to hit and the roulette sector. It gave them a massive advantage over the house.

However, to implement this plan, they had to find a way to replace the ball with their remote-controlled one. For this, they involved one of the dealers.

  • Before his shift, the dealer changed the ball and returned it when he left.
  • Another equally important question was how to use the remote control. After all, it had to be no more than 2 meters away from the roulette.
  • The cheaters' team included a gorgeous girl.
  • It was decided that she would hide the remote in a cigarette pack. The girl held it in her arms and, when needed, pressed the button.

You see how simple and brilliant it was. 

Cheat's Details

The cheating was successful. It brought them about 500000 in a week. Casino management saw they had lost money but could not understand why. This cheating took place in France in 1973. PCs and mobile devices were not as common back then, so it was quite difficult to catch the cheaters.

The team thought through the minor nuances.

The only thing they missed was that the girl with a pack of cigarettes never smoked.

At first, nobody paid any attention to this. But one night, she took a fancy to one of the casino owners. Soon, he noticed the cigarettes. He had two answers to that.

  1. The first was that she was quitting smoking.
  2. But he was more inclined to the second version, that this was the reason for the casino losses.

It's easy to guess what happened next.


The End

One night, the casino was quietly looking for cheaters. One of the guards asked the girl for a cigarette, but she did not even have time to open the pack as she was handcuffed. The entire team was caught.

They managed to win over a million at the casino during the cheating. The court ordered the cheaters to return all the money to the casino. Despite this genius idea, the cheaters themselves were left with empty pockets and prohibited from playing in local casinos.

The girl at the table roulette plays well

Frequently asked Questions

🚨 What was the core of the 1973 roulette cheating scheme?

This fraud involved a team of individuals who manipulated the outcome of roulette spins using a remotely controlled ball. They knew which number or sector the ball was programmed to land on, giving them a significant advantage over the casino.

😲 How did they implement the remote-controlled ball?

The team swapped the casino's regular roulette ball with their remote-controlled version before the game and switched it back after their session. This was facilitated by a corrupt dealer exchanging the balls at their shifts' beginning and end.

❔ How did they control the ball remotely?

The remote control device was cleverly concealed within a cigarette pack held by a woman on the team. She would discreetly press a button on the device when they wanted to influence the ball's landing.

👩 Why was a woman with a cigarette pack chosen for the remote control?

This was a strategic decision to keep the remote control within the required proximity (under 2 meters) of the roulette wheel in a seemingly innocuous way. A cigarette pack in a player's hands wouldn't typically arouse suspicion.

🔥 How successful was this cheating operation?

The cheating was quite lucrative in the short term. The team reportedly won approximately 500,000 in a single week. Their total winnings over the entire period of the fraud amounted to over one million. 

🔎 Why didn't the casino immediately realize they were being cheated?

In 1973, casino surveillance technology and data analysis were not as advanced as they are today. The losses were apparent, but the method behind them was not immediately obvious to the casino management.

👨‍🎓 How were the cheaters eventually caught?

The team made a crucial oversight: the woman holding the cigarette pack containing the remote control was a non-smoker. This detail initially went unnoticed. However, the casino owner became suspicious after noticing she always had a cigarette pack but never smoked. His suspicion grew, leading to increased scrutiny. Ultimately, a security guard asked her for a cigarette, and when she couldn't produce one, the team was apprehended.

👮‍♂️ What were the consequences for the cheaters?

The court ordered the cheating team to return all the money they had won to the casino. Additionally, they were left with no financial gain from their scheme and were banned from playing in local casinos.

Denis Anipchenko
Denis Anipchenko
Editor-in-chief and online gambling expert

Denis is a true professional with many years of experience in the gambling industry. His career started back in the late nineties when he worked as a croupier, pit boss, manager and casino manager. This unique experience allowed him to deeply understand the world of gambling from the inside. Since the late noughties Denis has dedicated himself to writing articles and analyses about gambling, and since the early tens he has become a key figure in the Casinoz team. Here he not only writes and edits content, but also creates reviews, shares his expertise and helps readers understand the intricacies of gambling. Denis combines practical experience and in-depth knowledge, making him one of the most respected experts in the industry. His writings are always up-to-date, proven and useful information for anyone interested in the casino world.

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Facts checked Alex Vasilev Scientific editor and fact checker
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