Marina Bay Sands Roulette Colluders Get Prison in Singapore

Posted on: October 25, 2023, 03:06h. 

Last updated on: March 19, 2024, 08:52h.

Philip Conneller @casinoorgphilc Read More
Expertise: Gaming Business, Regulation, Tribal Gaming.

A gambler at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands was sentenced to 28 weeks in prison Monday after admitting to conspiring with two dealers to win at roulette, CAN reports.

Marina Bay Sands, roulette cheating, Daniel Koh Tze Zhou
Koh’s lucky numbers were 32, 15, and 19, which are grouped together on a roulette wheel, above. This gave MBS dealer Soh an idea. (Image: Shutterstock)

Daniel Koh Tze Zhou pleaded guilty to two counts of violating Singapore’s Casino Control Act in relation to the scheme, which saw him win S$3,545 (US$2,600) from 192 wheel spins in June 2021.

His main accomplice, dealer Soh Xuan Rong, also received 28 weeks’ imprisonment Monday.

Lucky Numbers

The court heard that Koh was approached by Soh, who noticed that the player would only ever bet on 32, 15, and 19. These were Koh’s lucky numbers, but are also contiguous on a regular roulette wheel.

Soh suggested she could influence the game so that the ball was more likely to land in the wheel region containing Koh’s numbers.

While a roulette dealer can’t land a ball on a single number at will, it’s feasible that, with practice, they could increase the likelihood of a ball landing in a certain section of the wheel. This would give a gambler an edge against the house and a net win over time.

Since Koh would be playing the numbers he always did, the conspirators hoped they would avoid suspicion.

Soh suggested the pair pool their money for the games so that she would get a share of the winnings. But Koh had a different idea. He suggested to Soh that he pay her $70 every time she got the ball to land on one of his lucky numbers. Soh agreed and later brought another dealer in, Ting Zhi Ping Marcus.

Who Led Whom?

The scheme proved profitable, but not undetectable. It was uncovered during a routine check by the Marina Bay Sands surveillance department.

Prosecutors wanted 30 to 40 weeks’ jail for Koh and Soh, branding Koh the mastermind of the operation. But Koh’s lawyer, Navin Naidu, argued that Soh was the originator of the plan to defraud the casino and other roulette players and the one who manipulated the wheel.

Soh is an employee of the casino. Effectively, a gatekeeper has smashed the gates open,” Naidu said, as reported by CAN. “My client is not an employee of the casino.”

Soh’s lawyer asked for a lower prison term, noting that his client was remorseful and had made full restitution.

Ting is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.