Sydney’s Crown Casino Catches $1M Hidden Camera Scammers

by Roy Brindley, 3 December 2025

A pair of individuals who won $1 million in an Australian casino have been found in possession of cameras and covert communication devices.

Sydney’s Crown Casino discovered a 36-year-old woman wearing a small, discreet camera attached to her clothing. © Getty Images

Key Facts:

• The latest cheating scandal of 2025 has seen Sydney’s Crown Casino stung for $1 million.
• Police have arrested two players from Kazakhstan who were found to have hidden camera equipment.
• The duo applied for casino memberships the day they arrived in Australia.

Detectives from the New South Wales Organised Crime Squad have charged a Kazakhstani couple accused of fraudulently winning more than $1 million at Sydney, Australia’s Crown Casino, using hidden cameras and wireless communications.

Over the course of October and November, New South Wales Police say the pair made multiple visits to the casino, winning a total of $1,179,412 (€667,380), reportedly “raising the suspicion of the Casino.”

When casino staff “noticed a 36-year-old woman wearing a small, discreet camera attached to her clothing,” Police from the State Crime Command’s Organised Crime Squad Casino and Racing Unit were alerted. They attended the venue where they arrested the suspect and her 44-year-old husband.

Mirror Images to Gain an Advantage

In their possession, police found small, magnetised probes, batteries, and a mobile phone with a fitted attachment that allowed the camera function to “discreetly view, capture or record images.” There was also a small custom-made mirror attachment for the same phone.

Both suspects were taken to Day Street Police Station and charged with dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception. The pair, who arrived in Sydney from Kazakhstan in October 2025 and applied for memberships at Crown Casino on the same day, were refused bail.

Police say they will allege that, with their mobile phones capturing images of the table, the pair communicated using deep-seated earpieces through which they received instructions to wager on various card games and ultimately cheat the casino.

Detective Superintendent Peter Faux, Commander of the NSW Organised Crime Squad, said: “Our detectives collaborate closely with casino security to identify and disrupt unlawful activity. This strong partnership is essential to maintaining the integrity of gaming operations and is demonstrated through results like this.”

It’s Been a Big Year for Scandals

2025 has been a busy year for cheating scandals. In June, authorities in Indiana, USA, issued arrest warrants and brought charges against six Chinese nationals believed to be in a scheme to defraud more than ten casinos of $1.5 million using mobile phones and hidden cameras while playing baccarat.

In October, also in the United States, an FBI probe led to 31 people being indicted for cheating at poker and sports betting in what has been described as a ‘high-tech mafia cheating scheme’. Prominent NBA stars are among those charged.

Front Edge Camera Use in Paris

Last summer, in the Enghien-les-Bains Casino north of Paris, two men, a 37-year-old Latvian and a 63-year-old Ukrainian, were detained in custody after a ‘cheat’. It involved a phone with a front-edge camera that read the cards as they were being dealt.

According to France’s Central Service Against Prohibited Gambling, outside the venue a yet to be apprehended accomplice received the images and relayed winning cards to the two players, who were equipped with a tiny earpiece “that can only be removed with a magnet.”

The two suspects were described as “professional gamblers and cheaters” by authorities who said several casino cards from across France and Europe were discovered during property searches. The case has yet to be heard in court.