Grand casino heists are elaborate and well-planned and take robbers months to execute. Although we would never approve of these crimes, you must admit they take a lot of guts. Here are the top 5 casino heists that will leave you baffled. Small caution, though, let this be all for the name of entertainment, of course! So if you want to take a small break from playing poker and want to have a little fun, read on!
Circus Circus Vegas Heist
Though global poker has been sweeping the world, so have failed attempts at trying to get the upper hand by any means necessary. An armored car driver in 1993 in Las Vegas executed a heist worth over $3 million by waiting for the other two guards to go into the casino, then driving off with the money.
Ten years after the crime, the female driver turned herself in to set an example for her son. She had worked with a male accomplice to gather the money, ditch the truck they’d used, and fly out of the country so they wouldn’t be caught. Though her accomplice and most cash have still not been found, she decided it was time to come forward and end this chapter of her life.
The Stardust
In one of the most shocking poker table robberies, a Stardust casino cashier walked out with half a million dollars in chips and cash grabbed from every poker set he could find stuffed in a trash bag. Bill Brennan disappeared after a $500,000 robbery in 1992 and has never been seen. Some people speculate that he had an accomplice who murdered him and took the money. Others believe he’s living on a beach, enjoying the simple life. Whatever happened to Bill Brennan, his story ended with a daring act.
The Bellagio 1.0
In 2000, three men in body armor holding firearms rushed into the Bellagio.
Before casino security could understand the situation, two men were already inside the cashier’s cage, grabbing all the chips and money they could from the poker table and stuffing it into their bags.
In total, the job only cost $160,000– not terrible for 8 minutes’ worth of work. Unfortunately, this is a chump change compared to other casino robberies. As they escaped, one group member fired a shot at casino security. Luckily, the bullet missed its target. However, authorities weren’t so fortunate when catching up to these thugs later.
The three men were charged and sent to prison for 15 to 27 years. One of the robbers killed themselves just four months into their sentence. If you want to try robbing a casino, be prepared to spend many years in jail.
Treasure Island
If, at first, you don’t succeed, try again. This mantra may work for things like riding a bike or knitting a sweater, but it will only get you into more trouble if you rob a casino. Despite his setbacks, Reginald Johnson was determined to succeed. After two failed robbery attempts at the Treasure Island Casino, Johnson decided to go big or go home.
Johnson fired a shot at the first security guard to intimidate and draw attention away from his empty wallet. After the casino security shot at him, Johnson ran away without money. Johnson thought that maybe the fourth time would be lucky for him when he returned to Treasure Island.
Although he was arrested on the third attempt, Johnson didn’t let that slow him down. The fourth attempt was successful in some ways; Johnson finally left the casino with $30,000. However, moments after the heist, he was caught by authorities.
Because Johnson displayed a severe lack of empathy and respect for human life, the court sentenced him to 130 years in prison. It’s important to remember that any felony conviction can still result in time behind bars, even if no property was stolen.
Crown Perth Caper
This casino heist in Australia would have been incredibly successful if it weren’t for security. The employee trusted with watching the money from all the poker card games coming into the vault got tired of seeing such riches and decided to team up with one of the high-rollers looking to make a quick buck.
The casino employee would study the camera footage and direct the high-roller on how to bet. The crime duo had stolen $32,000,000 from the casino before staff became aware of how lucky the player was getting and chose to investigate.
After the staff discovered the plan, they were fired immediately. The whale was escorted out and banned from returning to the casino. Shockingly, neither of them was prosecuted for the attempted heist.
A Final Word
As the saying goes, “crime doesn’t pay.” However, in some cases, criminals have managed to make off with large sums of money. Here, we discussed some of the most daring casino heists where the perpetrators never recovered the stolen funds. In many instances, greed was a factor–the thieves didn’t know when to quit while they were ahead. Perhaps in a way, they are indeed like gamblers.
The casino heists we’ve shared with you today are prime examples of how even the most experienced and well-planned criminals can fall short. Sometimes, it just takes a bit of bad luck or an observant security guard to thwart a robbery attempt. While these failures may be discouraging, they also provide valuable lessons for would-be thieves.
And remember, the best way to stay safe is never to try anything illegal in the first place! Playing poker is still better if you’re looking for some excitement. If you’re feeling lucky (and brave), head to GGPoker now and see if you can beat the house at its own game. Good luck!
