Two casino cheats have been given suspended sentences and have been barred from entering all Gambling Commission-regulated venues for 18 months.
Francesco Baioni, 64 and Frank Camilleri, 61, received 12-month and nine-month suspended sentences, respectively, after admitting to possessing fake IDs for use in casinos by Southwark Crown Court.
In addition to being banned from gambling establishments, both were also handed an 18-month curfew between the hours of 11 pm and 6 am.
The pair are understood to have operated scams in Macau, Australia and the US, as part of a criminal network earning a living by travelling the world and cheating casinos out of thousands of pounds.
They were caught during an intelligence-led operation by an officer from the Metropolitan Police Service’s Human Exploitation and Organised Crime Command (SCD9). Both were apprehended after being filmed on CCTV attempting to sign up for membership using false identities at various central London casinos.
"It is through the dedication and professionalism of the SCD9 Gaming Unit and strong links with the International Association of Casino Security Industry that the two most prominent members of this organised criminal network have been brought to justice," said Detective Inspector Ann-Marie Waller.
David Livermore, chairman of the International Association for Casino Security, said Baioni and Camelleri have been known as international cheats for over 20 years.
"The International Association for Casino Security has produced evidence in this case showing that they have committed similar such offences around the world for many years," he said. "Casinos, particularly in the UK, are no longer an easy target for these criminals.
"We are more determined than ever to protect our businesses from loss through fraud and to keep crime and criminals out of casinos. We expect that criminal networks will continue to attempt such crimes again and with our worldwide network of professional casino surveillance and investment in fraud prevention measures, I believe that we will continue to have successes such as this."
