Casino cheats in 2 separate cases at RWS jailed

SINGAPORE — Casino cheats in two separate cases at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) were sentenced in the State Courts today (Oct 7) to between three months and 12 months’ jail.

In the first case, Singaporean Chua Lai Huat, 66, was sentenced to 12 months’ jail for colluding with three RWS croupiers to cheat the casino of S$12,915. The court heard that Chua befriended a croupier Zhang Zhijiu in May this year and suggested the dealer flash him the last card in the deck so he would have an unfair advantage in the game. In return, Chua promised Zhang 20 per cent of the day’s winnings as a reward.

A month later, Chua asked Zhang to recommend colleagues whom he could collude with. Zhang introduced his roommate Sun Shihong.

On several occasions in June and July this year at RWS’ Three Card Poker tables, Zhang flashed the last card in the deck to Chua. Surveillance footage showed that Sun and another croupier Choo Hui Yong did the same for Chua.

In addition, Chua marked the Ace and King cards during the poker games. He either bent the edges of these cards or used an improvised rheumatism plaster he had pasted on his index finger to make imprints on them. These helped him make a more informed decision on whether to fold his hand.

Zhang and Choo were sentenced on Sept 16 to eight and four months’ jail, respectively. Sun remains at large.

Chua’s lawyer told the court that overall, his client lost money at the casino.

In the second case, four Turkish nationals who cheated RWS’ casino of S$6,075 in 30 minutes were sentenced to between 12 weeks’ and six months’ jail.

The court heard that Suleyman Arik, 31, and Mehmet Mersin, 52, schemed to cheat at the casino before they arrived in Singapore on Aug 21.

They roped in a couple, Firat Teymur, 25, and Asiye Cakmak, 24, for their gambit, also at the Three Card Poker tables.

On Aug 23, Cakmak engaged the dealer in a conversation so Arik and Mersin could swap their cards under the table. Teymur’s role was to shield the illicit card swapping from other patrons by standing behind the two players. They were found out through a routine check on the casino’s surveillance footage the same day.

The couple was today jailed for 12 weeks each, while Arik and Mersin each got six months’ jail.