The state police in Connecticut have been investigating a cheating scandal that was thought to be occurring in certain casinos. The scam would take place when players would place late bets and the dealers would allow them to win at the craps table. The dealer would later collect payment for allowing the player to place the late bet.

Dealers who were in on the cheat would listen for a player to say the word “strawberry daiquiri” or “hot chocolate” and then would know that the cheat was on. This was occurring at Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Mohegan Sun casino.

The alleged ring leader of the scam was arrested this past Thursday. Richard S. Taylor, age 42, or Memphis, Tennessee was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit cheating at gambling, cheating at gambling and first-degree larceny. Bond was set for Taylor at $500,000 and around twelve more arrests are expected to result from the scam.

It was in December of 2007, that the Stated Police Casino Unit began the investigation. A floor person from Foxwoods casino notified a manager when they suspected a dealer was cheating during the game of craps. At that time, Taylor was charged and Mattie Tarlton, the dealer, was also charged. Now, authorities believe that thirteen people are included in the scam and the two casinos have lost $69,965.

During a craps game, players place chips on parts of the table to indicate their how they would like to bet, or they can call out their bet. If a player places a bet too late then the dealer is supposed to reject it by saying “no bet”. The cheating dealers were allowing players to place bets after the bet should have been rejected. This way the player was able to bet where they knew it would create a win.

Several dealers were interviewed by police and stated that they paid the late betters and then would meet up with them later to collect payment. Some even stated the scam had gone on for years. Richard Bedard, a state police detective, prepared an arrest warrant affidavit for the case. In the warrant it stated that Taylor would recruit dealers and then worked with a Foxwoods employee. That employee would schedule the scam dealers to work on nights that Taylor’s gamblers would be showing up.

Taylor’s players would then use the code words to let the dealer know that they were there for the scam. Taylor is also known as “Mr. Casino, Mr. C, Shorty and Shaft. When he would play the scam, he would place bets for the dealer to give them incentive and also tip big.

Taylor was arrested outside the courthouse when he appeared for the first cheating case.
Taylor denied any wrongdoing and said the casinos were suspicious of him because he always places dealer bets. After his earlier arrest, Taylor stated he was innocent: “The bet is all up to the dealer/employee at the table. If they think it’s a late bet, they don’t accept bet. It’s all on them.”


- 2008-09-08