IT contractors net £33,000 in casino con

Two IT contractors used knowledge they gained through working on tech systems at gambling outfits to steal tens of thousands of pounds from casinos in London.



Andrew Ashley, 30, and Nimesh Bhagat, 31, received 12-month suspended sentences in what police said was the first case of computer mishandling in the UK gaming sector.



The duo stole more than £33,000 within three months by infiltrating software which controlled remote betting machines at roulette wheels in four casinos, owned by Gala.



The scam was exposed when a cashier noticed a £600 win had been claimed from having placed only £10 into the machine – an impossible win when odds at roulette are 35/1.



Detectives then uncovered a pattern of similar winning bets traced to the two contractors who, at the time, worked in IT as 'problem-solving' analysts for a British casino group.



Computers seized at the homes of Ashley, of Catford, and Bhagat, of Balham, proved that the men used their knowledge of their client's IT system to mastermind the theft.



Other evidence seized included video and audio footage , which placed both men at the exact casino terminals involved when the offences took place in 2007.



Terminals the pair hit were made to produce tickets for large sums of credit for wins that would not, in fact, have been possible with the odds on the bets placed, police said.



"The £33,000 might easily have rolled into hundreds of thousands," Detective Inspector Ann-Marie Waller added, praising the actions of the sharp-eyed cashier.



"These men not only used their intimate knowledge of two complex systems to break the law and make these fraudulent claims; they also breached the trust of their employers and any semblance of professional integrity."



Both IT contractors pleaded guilty to theft under the Theft Act 1968; were handed 200 hours of community service and were ordered to pay back around £16,000 each.