Tim Worstall

Cheating at Gambling a Crime?

Given that all of you know a great deal more than I do:

The leader of the gang, Yau Lam, 45, a chef and
experienced poker player, was jailed yesterday for nine months. His
accomplices Fa Tsang, 41, and Bit Wong, 39, were also sentenced to nine
months but their jail terms were suspended. They must complete 150
hours of community work.

Judge Geoffrey Rivlin,
QC, sentencing, said: "Between you, you constructed a sophisticated and
unusual system. The result was a virtually foolproof advantage over the
dealer which enabled you to walk away with thousands of pounds. But you
were not so clever as you thought because eventually you were caught."

When did this change? I thought gambling debts were not justiciable, in fact, that it was entirely up to the casinos to police people cheating and the only possible punishment was blacklisting. Was this crinimal offense of "cheating at gambling" brought in as part of the push for more casinos or something? Or am I simply wrong?

In

5 responses

  1. The Englishman Avatar
    The Englishman

    Ah Sir is not conversant with The Gaming Act of 1845 which voids contracts made by way of gaming and wagering but Section 17 (as amended by the Theft Act of 1968) states:
    17.
    Cheating at play to be punished as obtaining money by false Pretences.
    Every person who shall, by any fraud or unlawful device or ill practice in playing at or with cards, dice, tables, or other game, or in bearing a part in the stakes, wages, or adventures, or in betting on the sides or hands of them that do play, or in wagering on the event of any game, sport, pastime, or exercise, win from any other person to himself, or any other or others, any sum of money or valuable thing, shall—
    [F1 (a)
    on conviction on indictment be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years; or
    (b)
    on summary conviction be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding two hundred pounds or to both]
    http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/legResults.aspx?LegType=All%20Primary&PageNumber=1&BrowseLetter=G&NavFrom=1&activeTextDocId=1036791

    Reply
  2. Winston Smith Avatar
    Winston Smith

    “Between you, you constructed a sophisticated and unusual system. The result was a virtually foolproof advantage over the dealer which enabled you to walk away with thousands of pounds. But you were not so clever as you thought because eventually you were caught.”
    Funny, change the word ‘dealer’ for the word ‘gambler’ and you have the exact system by which casinos have been scamming people for years.
    This all reminds me of Charles Ingram, if big companies go preying on people’s greed as a means to make money through a system they think is foolproof, then frankly it’s tough shit when someone turns the tables and scams them for a load of cash.

    Reply
  3. Kay Tie Avatar
    Kay Tie

    Hmmn. Using a camera to look at the cards: cheating. Using a mobile phone to calculate the spin of a roulette wheel and estimate where the ball will land: not cheating. Using a computer to count card in Blackjack: not cheating.
    Staying within the defined rules of the game using public knowledge: not cheating. Using information that the rules say should be secret: cheating.

    Reply
  4. Martin Avatar
    Martin

    Winston,
    And they weren’t helped by a bloke called Tecwen who coughed a lot.

    Reply
  5. gene berman Avatar
    gene berman

    Englishman:
    It was “Ah Sin.”
    It was August the third and quite soft was the skies.
    Form which it might be inferred that Ah Sin was likewise.
    Yet he played it that day upon me and William in a way I despise.
    Forget the rest.

    Reply

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