Croupier cheated top London casino in ‘cool bet’ scam to pay drug debt

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A croupier at one of London’s top casinos helped an accomplice to cheat at roulette in a “cool bet” scam to bankroll his cocaine habit, a court heard.

Stuart Shipp, 36, would touch his hair to signal to player Charlie Bostridge that he was ready for the scam while working the tables at the Grosvenor Casino in Kensington.

Southwark crown court heard that 27-year-old Bostridge repeatedly placed bets without calling out a number on the roulette table, and Shipp paid out winnings regardless of where the ball landed.

Shipp, a £30,000-a-year croupier with 15 years’ experience, masterminded the ruse in June and July 2016 when he ran up debts to his drug dealer. Rupert Kent, prosecuting, said Shipp and Bostridge carried out the swindle on three occasions, walking away with £1,400, £2,100 and £2,975 in winnings.

“He [Shipp] would touch his hair as a signal to Mr Bostridge,” he said.

“Mr Bostridge would see this and approach the table, and he would stand in a position which would be capable of obscuring the view of any inspector.

“Mr Bostridge would hand Mr Shipp some money and at that point as a player should, in order to play, announce a number — but on neither of these occasions did he.”

Table supervisors did not spot the con, but it was picked up by the casino CCTV operators.

The two admitted fraud offences. Sentencing Shipp to an 18-month suspended prison term, Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith told him: “You had an excellent career as a croupier, you were well thought of by your employers and your colleagues. Then you started using class A drugs and they are not supplied by very sympathetic people. You decided to steal from your employer as being the way to pay that debt and recruited somebody else to help you.

“This was your show and it is you who must repay the costs in full.”

Bostridge, from Gravesend, Kent, and Shipp, from Chelmsford, Essex, were each given 100-hour community service orders. Shipp was told to pay £800 in costs, and £6,665 in compensation to the casino.

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