Computer expertsin £30,000 casino scam

The pair stole more than 33,000 by infiltrating software controlling remote betting machines covering live roulette wheels at four London casinos.

Croydon Crown Court heard they simply made the machines print out winning vouchers for sums of up to 600, whatever the outcome on the wheel.

But they were caught out when a sharp-eyed cashier realised a payout was impossible as only 10 had been wagered at odds of 35-1.

Officials began an inquiry and quickly traced a string of suspicious wins back to the two contractors, who were employed as problem analysts.

Andrew Ashley, 30, and Nimesh Bhagat, 31, were handed 12-month prison sentences, suspended for two years, at court yesterday, the Metropolitan Police said.

Ashley, of Catford, south-east London, and Bhagat, of Balham, south-west London, each admitted an offence under the Theft Act 1968.

The two men were ordered to undertake 200 hours of community service and pay back around 16,000 each, a police spokesman said.

The convictions are believed to be the first where people have been caught mishandling the computer technology behind Britain’s gaming industry.

They followed an inquiry by officers from Scotland Yard’s clubs and vice unit into a series of transactions between July 2007 and September 2007.

The scam centred on remote betting terminals at casinos that enable customers to place bets without being at the roulette table. Those who make winning bets are given a printed ticket with details of their credit, which can then be cashed.

Police examined computers seized from the men’s homes and looked at closed circuit TV footage that placed the men at the terminals when the offences occurred.

Det Insp Ann-Marie Waller said vigilant staff stopped the fraud before hundreds of thousands of pounds were lost.

She said: “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.”