Evolution Gaming employee accused of rigging online casino games, defrauding Draftkings of $47k: authorities investigate the alleged cheating! (Image courtesy of Evolution.com)
An employee at Evolution, a gaming company that provides online casino dealer games, is being investigated for allegedly defrauding DraftKings and FanDuel for approximately $47,000.
The 23-year-old, responsible for shuffling cards during games, is suspected of manipulating card sequences to place advantageous bets using multiple DraftKings and FanDuel accounts. Both online casinos offer Evolution live casino games streamed from the Connecticut live casino studio owned by the world’s number one live dealer brand.
Authorities were alerted to the issue after the discovery of suspicious gaming activity and unusual betting patterns in the suspected accounts.
Evolution’s internal investigation suggests the employee may have exploited his role in at least 26 games. The state police continue to examine the case and the allegations of cheating and fraud.
When I first read this story, I thought there are card games that offer a player with inside access the ability to cheat. Baccarat, as it is a game whereby cards are rarely shuffled. However, Dragon Tiger and Football Studio are also similar card games to baccarat the shuffler could have easily manipulated. Of course, there is also blackjack using weighted decks combined with a card-counting strategy.
If you know a Blackjack shoe is weighted, and you know exactly which portion of the shoe has all high cards, you don’t need a true count. This seems like the easiest game to manipulate.
Which game did the shuffler allegedly cheat in?
After some digging around several news sources from the US state, I found out that the game the alleged cheating took place on was, in fact, Blackjack. Also, he could have weighted the decks of cards going into the shoe on one of the blackjack tables.
According to a CTPost.com report, “Sebastian Echeverri manipulated the decks going into the shoe of one of Evolution’s live blackjack tables. And from my source, NBC Connecticut, Evoution has said he manipulated at least 26 blackjack tables”.
The shuffler memorized cards, but as the reports from these news channels are likely not blackjack savvy, they used the word memorised. A more likely scenario is that he weighted a section of the deck with high cards and used card-counting techniques to bet high and beat the dealer.
Usually, Evolution uses 6-card to 8-decks. Using a marker, such as two red aces, could have signalled to the shuffler. This is part of the deck loaded with 10-value and Ace cards. This would have meant no need to memorise anything other than the markers. Then, he could raise his bets.
Can you card count in live casinos? The answer is generally no. After the shoe is empty, usually a new set of cards is introduced. Card counting back in the day was generally single to double-deck games, while 6-deck to 8-deck games make it much more difficult.
The Famous MIT Blackjack Card Counting Syndicate
If you have watched the famous film ‘21’, then you probably already have an idea of what card counting is. There is also a small section on our blackjack bonuses guide covering card counting.
Essentially, players count low cards 2 to 6 as a +1 and 7 to 9 as a zero. All cards 10 to A count as a -1. This means the higher the ‘True Count’, the higher the number of high-value cards there are remaining in the deck. This is the best time to bet and use basic strategy because the dealer is more likely to bust out over 21. This is especially true if the dealer begins with a 4, 5, or 6 up-card.
This is exactly the strategy used by the MIT team to win millions. Some say the haul was US$ 5 million and others say it was more like US$ 10 million.
Card Counting Values
- 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 = +1
- 7, 8, 9 = 0
- 10, J, Q, K, A = -1
- Dealer busts often on 4, 5 or 6 upcard
The Famous Phil Ivey Punto Banco & Baccarat Scam
Phil Ivey, a world-famous high-stakes poker player, was caught in a fiasco in London’s Crockfords Casino back in 2012, and later found himself in the midst of multiple court battles in the US. He proclaims his innocence still, but nevertheless, he lost to the US and UK casinos accusing him of cheating.
According to the casino, the controversial incident involved a technique called edge sorting. He was able to spot tiny but critical differences in the patterns on the back of the playing cards to gain an advantage. The casino was suspicious when Ivey request that the casino not change the deck.
On top of this, his female accomplice was known in Vegas for the same trick. In the end, he did receive his £7.7 million winnings and the casino simply returned his initial stake. Ivey later took Crockfords Casino to court in 2017 only to lose the case in a UK Supreme Court in 2017.
On top of this, Phil Ivey also found himself in the midst of legal battles versus the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, N.J. for allegedly noticing a defect in the cards playing baccarat. In that session, he walked away with his $9.6 million winnings, which occurred in the same year as his Crockfords’ Casino win.
Should players be penalised? I think Ivey should have kept every penny. If the casinos don’t spot their mistakes, why should players be punished? It’s not illegal to use an advantage in your favour that you yourself did not rig. I feel the same about card counting. If the casino does not use measures to throw card counters off, then it’s fair game if they beat the house!
Summary of Phil Ivey’s Alleged Baccarat Rumble
- Phil Ivey was accused of cheating at Crockfords Casino in 2012.
- The technique was called edge sorting, spotting tiny differences in patterns.
- He lost his case against UK and US casinos.
- Ivey also faced legal battles with Borgata Casino in Atlantic City.
- He won £7.7m from Crockfords Casino but lost a court battle in 2017.
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