Five Charged in Fake Calgary Casino Winnings Scheme

Calgary police have charged five people in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud a southwest Calgary casino.

Fake Card Winnings

According to investigators, two casino employees are accused of issuing fake winnings to certain patrons over several weeks. The activity was first noticed by casino management, who launched an internal review before notifying the Calgary Police Service.

Police say the scheme took place between October 31 and November 19, during which the two employees allegedly gave unearned payouts to three patrons involved in card games. Officers were called to the casino on November 19 at approximately 3:20 P.M. after reports of theft and fraud. 

Upon arriving, police arrested five individuals, two men and three women, connected to the case.

The accused are Y.Y. (50), L.C.J. (51), R.Q.H. (52), R.K. (57), and C.M. (48). Each faces one charge of fraud over $5,000. In addition, R.K. and C.M. are charged with criminal breach of trust. They will all appear in court on December 22.

“Unified Approach” 

“Addressing financial crime requires a united approach across different agencies,” said Insp. Scott Neilson of the Calgary Police Service.

Neilson went on to explain that the Calgary Police Service closely collaborates with “regulatory bodies and industry partners” to make sure all gaming industry standards are properly followed, and that individuals who try to exploit the regulations in any way “are held accountable”. 

“We thank our investigators and partners for their diligent work in helping us advance this investigation.”, he added. 

Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact Calgary police at 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously through Calgary Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, via their website, or through the P3Tips mobile app.

At the start of the month, we reported on the case of a Kazakh couple who were put under arrest for allegedly using a spycam to defraud an Australian casino. According to officials, the duo used their smartphones to take photos of the gaming tables and received betting instructions via earpieces, which further allowed them to manipulate the outcomes.