Accused Cohort in Marina Bay Sands Incident Confesses to Credit Card Theft
In a stunning turn of events, a prominent member of a baccarat cheating syndicate, known as "the Sorcerer," has been unmasked in Singapore. The Sorcerer, whose real identity is Tan Kian Yi, a 35-year-old Malaysian citizen, confessed to being part of a syndicate that defrauded Marina Bay Sands of S$433,730.
Tan, along with two other individuals, Hung Jung-Hao and Chai Hee Keong, were formally charged in connection with the operation. Hung was apprehended in December 2022 due to suspicious behavior captured on security cameras.
The Casino Control Act in Singapore imposes severe penalties for using devices to count or record cards during casino gameplay. Convictions under this act can result in imprisonment for up to seven years, a fine of up to S$150,000, or a combination of both penalties.
The Sorcerer would participate in games of 7 Up Baccarat while wearing an earphone connected to a concealed mobile device. He would relay card information to other members, who were referred to as "marksmen." The marksmen would consult an Excel spreadsheet, containing an enigmatic formula believed to provide a winning edge.
The exact nature of the formula remains undisclosed in the court documents. However, based on general knowledge of baccarat cheating methods and the role of spreadsheets in gambling analysis, such a spreadsheet likely tracks game patterns, calculates probabilities, and models outcomes to find exploitable trends. This can give a cheating syndicate an edge by predicting or influencing bets beyond pure chance.
The system was attributed to an individual known only as "Kelvin." Three other individuals, Wang Yu, Hung Yu-Wen, and Chou Yu-Lun, were implicated but avoided formal charges. Hung hinted at a winning system for baccarat, which Tan claimed he did not understand.
The syndicate utilized covert mobile devices to transmit card values during games of baccarat. The group left behind a cache of $790,000 worth of casino chips in their Marina Bay Sands hotel rooms before attempting to escape. Other syndicate members attempted to escape to Malaysia but were detained.
Tan's legal defense argues that there is no compelling evidence of fraudulent intent or cheating. The case is currently ongoing, and the full extent of the syndicate's operations and the workings of the Excel spreadsheet remain to be seen.
[1] This section is based on general knowledge of baccarat cheating methods and the role of spreadsheets in gambling analysis, as no specific technical details about the spreadsheet are available in the current search results.
- Despite Tan's legal defense, the allegations against him involve a baccarat cheating syndicate that left a cache of casino chips worth $790,000 in their Marina Bay Sands hotel rooms.
- Tan, along with other syndicate members, used covert mobile devices to transmit card values during games of baccarat, which is against the Casino Control Act in Singapore.
- The exact formula in the Excel spreadsheet used by the syndicate remains undisclosed, but it is believed to provide a winning edge in baccarat, exploiting trends in game patterns and probabilities.
- The case, which is currently ongoing, also involves other individuals such as Hung, who hinted at a winning system for baccarat, and Wang, Hung Yu-Wen, and Chou Yu-Lun, who were implicated but avoided formal charges.
