MarcusA gambler who stole $39 million from casinos worldwide reveals the strategies he used to successfully swindle casinos across the globe.
Richard Marcus is a notorious figure in the gambling world.
He has revealed the secrets behind his incredible success in cheating casinos out of an estimated $39 million.
Known for his clever tactics and quick thinking, Marcus has become a legendary name among those familiar with gambling schemes.
Early beginnings marked Richard Marcus’s rise in gambling.
Marcus’s journey into the world of gambling began at a young age. Growing up in New York, he started betting with his pocket money.
Early cheating experiences in baseball card trades taught him rules aren’t always the best strategy.
This realization ignited his interest in scams, and he quickly learned how to manipulate situations to his advantage.
By the time he was a teenager, Marcus was already honing his skills in bluffing and deception.
He would create small cons, gaining valuable experience that would serve him well later in life.
He viewed these early scams as a form of revenge against those who had wronged him, rather than as theft.
Marcus transitioned from card games to casino scams successfully.
At 17, after winning a significant amount of money on horse racing, Marcus decided to try his luck in Las Vegas.
He had connections that allowed him to gamble despite his age, and he quickly won and lost large sums of money.
After hitting rock bottom, he decided to switch sides and became a dealer, where he learned the inner workings of casino operations.
It was during this time that he met Joe Classon, a professional casino cheat.
Classon invited Marcus to join his team, which marked the beginning of his life as a full-fledged scamer.
Together, they traveled the world, targeting casinos with their elaborate schemes.
“I realised it wasn’t in my best interests to say or do anything to them at that point, but now that I knew, it propelled me to come up with a scam so that I could get money from them,” Marcus said.
Gambler behind global casino scams totaling $39 million reveals his tactics
One of Marcus’s most famous tricks is known as the “Savannah move.”
This technique involves placing a high-value chip underneath a lower-value one on the roulette table.
For example, he would put a $5,000 chip under a $5 chip.
This strategic placement made it difficult for dealers to see the larger chip, allowing Marcus to disguise his true bet.
When the ball landed on his chosen number, Marcus would celebrate loudly, drawing attention to himself.
If the dealer questioned the bet, he would suggest checking the surveillance footage, which usually showed him winning.
In cases where his bet did not win, he had a quick escape plan.
He would create a distraction to swap the high-value chip for a low-value one, ensuring he didn’t lose his stake.
The author sees his actions almost like those of Robin Hood, claiming he only took advantage of others’ greed, not innocent people.
“I am not a thief,” Marcus continued. “I did my kiddie scams for revenge and all that.
But in my adult life, I never stole anything from anybody…except millions of dollars from casinos.
“I don’t consider that thievery. I consider that artwork.”
Life as a cheat involved tricking casinos for profits.
For over 20 years, Marcus successfully swindled casinos around the globe.
He became known for his ability to evade capture and for executing his scams with precision.
Despite the risks involved, he thrived on the adrenaline and excitement of cheating high-stakes games.
Marcus claims that his ability to manipulate casino staff psychologically set him apart from other cheats.
While many cheats were eventually caught, he managed to operate without detection for years.
His simple methods were effective, as no one suspected them.
Retirement and redemption marked the next phase of his life.
After a long run of successful cheating, Marcus sensed that the heat was closing in on him.
He noticed increased surveillance from the FBI and knew it was time to step back.
In 2005, he published a book titled “The Great Casino Heist”, where he detailed his experiences and techniques.
This book shocked many in the gambling industry, revealing just how little they understood about professional cheating.
Now, Marcus has turned his life around. He works as a consultant, teaching casinos how to protect themselves against scams.
He uses his extensive knowledge of cheating methods to help security teams improve their practices and catch fraudsters.