March 24, 2004
Using cellphones to cheat at roulette
Well this is a novel way to use cellphones, though I don't really understand how it works. According to Engadget, "gamblers were arrested at the Ritz Hotel casino in London on suspicion of cheating at roulette using a laser scanner attached to a cellphone (they'd manage to win 1.3 million pounds, something which quickly aroused the attention of the casino's management). It seems that there is some problem, as no one is even sure that it's possible to cheat at roulette using a laser scanner".
This reminds me of another organized crime story that occured last year, when the Italian Mafia devised an elaborate plan using phones, to influence the outcome of the upcoming regional elections. Voters were to send images of their ballot as they cast it in the polling booth and then claim a 50 Euro award. The plan was thwarted by Italian authorities who got wind of the scheme. cf Mafia considers 3G phones to rigg elections.
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