<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nLike many people who eventually went on to pull off big schemes, Dennis Nikrasch, born Dennis McAndrew, didn\u2019t jump into the business of casino robberies right away. No \u2013 Nikrasch began dabbling in smaller crimes, and also like many others, he found a way to put his natural talents to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Nikrasch, his career as a thief began in Chicago with a harmless job: he became a locksmith. Becoming a skilled locksmith opened up his eyes to the untapped opportunities. With his intimate understanding of locksmith tools, he had the ability to pick almost any kind of lock. In short, he was free to break into whatever people valued most: things like homes, cars, and private safes were all his for the taking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His criminal activity didn\u2019t stop there, though \u2013 his list of \u201cachievements\u201d grew, and he gained a reputation for himself. Soon enough his skills got the attention of an important Chicago crime family, who recruited him to commit crimes on their behalf in exchange for their protection. His crimes were estimated to be in the hundreds. He broke into homes and stole cars until 1961, when he was caught in the act. With Nikrasch\u2019s impressive portfolio, the police had no trouble connecting him with several other burglaries. As a result, he was sentenced to ten years behind bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Viva Las Vegas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n After serving his term, Dennis Nikrasch got out of prison and had nothing. He grew accustomed to a luxurious standard of living previously. It was a lifestyle in which he never wanted for anything. So, trying to live by the law wasn\u2019t going to happen. Like Tommy Glenn Carmichael, Nikrasch was ready for more, a world bigger than neighborhood burglaries: Las Vegas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After Nikrasch moved to Vegas, he got to work. He played slots, the legal way, but with limited success. Before long, he started to put his locksmith problem-solving skills to work. He wondered \u2013 was there a way to trick the machines?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The answer, of course, was yes. With his locksmith skills, Dennis was able to look at the machine\u2019s keyhole, create a key that could open it, and then use magnets to trigger a jackpot. Eight years and $10 million of winnings later, he was caught and given a five-year prison sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finding his calling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Like Carmichael, Nikrasch was undeterred by his stint in jail. The motivation to make a lot of money with little to no work involved was too strong \u2013 irresistible, even. So he served his time and got back into the game. The technology had improved, and his previous tactics were useless. Driven by the same strong motivation, he sought out someone who did understand how the new computer chip technology worked. He got back in touch with Eugene Bulgarino, a member of the crime family from his past. Bulgarino had no criminal background. He bought two slot machines, and they took them apart to try different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After months of work, Nikrasch figured out how to create a microchip that would trigger a jackpot if used instead of a normal chip. The next step was to find a way for him to replace the chip without getting the attention of the casino staff or guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The big moment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Nikrasch and Bulgarino structured a sophisticated system, stepped it up with a whole team of casino cheats. The team members would arrive at the casinos at different hours to avoid being associated with each other, and they never spoke to each other directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their first effort took place at Harrah\u2019s Hotel and Casino, in the summer of 1997. After everyone else got in place, Dennis arrived, identified an ideal slot machine, shut it down, and quickly replaced the chip. Wasting no time, he would then leave the casino entirely. Only after that would another accomplice get on the machine, winning the jackpot. This practice of leaving the casino before the jackpot occurred was vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How it all unraveled<\/h3>\n\n\n\n All too often, these success stories and their endings come down to the conspirators. You would think by now that people who become leaders and begin orchestrating highly illegal activities would have learned from others\u2019 past mistakes. The key to not getting caught can often be choosing to treat your teammates well and to earn their loyalty. Their satisfaction with the arrangement (or lack thereof) is important. Nikrasch was good at thinking of almost everything, but this was one area that he made a mistake in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dennis\u2019 tragic flaw was his greed, and this ultimately led to his downfall. With all of these abundant wins, he wasn\u2019t willing to be generous. Nikrasch was claiming 50-70% of the profits entirely for himself and splitting the rest among the other team members. Although he was the mastermind, these members were putting themselves at significant risk each time, and their participation was essential to each successful operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps their illegal activities could have gone undetected for longer, but as it was, Nikrasch\u2019s refusal to change how winnings were split signaled the beginning of the end. After trying and failing to persuade Nikrasch to redistribute the winnings, a disgruntled accomplice finally turned him in to the FBI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The FBI closes in<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Even with an insider\u2019s assistance, it took the FBI a while to piece evidence together. There was no clearly damning footage, no red flags when they ran background checks on the team, nothing. The FBI finally got lucky when they caught a conversation between Bulgarino and Nikrasch planning to meet in person. As a result, they set up a wiretap in Nikrasch\u2019s home and recorded an incriminating conversation in which the two men discussed past crimes in detail and made plans for fine tuning their strategy. The wiretap provided more than enough for an arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In all, the team visited six Vegas casinos a total of ten times in the same of a year. Nikrasch hoped to hit the $17 million Megabucks jackpot when he was arrested. He and his team brought in millions during the course of his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keith Copher, the chief of the Enforcement Division of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, said after his conviction, \u201cHe had the most sophisticated system we\u2019ve ever seen. We don\u2019t know that he\u2019s passed it along, and if he has, he\u2019d better tell us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the end, the judge sentenced him to 7.5 years in prison after agreeing to cooperate with police and explain his tricks. He left prison in 2004, and died of unknown causes in 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Both Tommy Glenn Carmichael and Dennis Nikrasch were masters of their craft. They were technologically savvy, innovative, and persistent individuals with the motivation and knowledge to overcome the challenges of slot machine technology<\/a> at every turn, allegedly stealing millions over the course of their careers, and both have earned the respect of others in their industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSo what do you think \u2013 who deserves the crown as the world\u2019s greatest slots cheat?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There are a lot of casino scammers out there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1739,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"yoast_head":"\n
World\u2019s greatest slots cheats - Planet 7 Casino<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n