Top 3 Casino Heists in History
1. The Bellagio Chip Caper (2010, Las Vegas)
In December 2010, a man wearing a full-face motorcycle helmet walked into the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and made off with approximately $1.5 million in high-value casino chips. The heist occurred at a craps table in the early morning hours when the casino was less crowded. The thief brandished a gun, scooped chips into a bag, and escaped on a motorcycle waiting outside.
The suspect, later identified as Anthony Carleo, was the son of a Las Vegas municipal judge. Carleo thought he could cash in the chips slowly over time, but Bellagio quickly invalidated the high-denomination chips, making them useless. Desperate and reckless, Carleo began trying to sell the chips online under the alias “Biker Bandit.” Undercover police officers posed as buyers and eventually arrested him at the Bellagio itself, where he was staying in a comped suite.
Carleo pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 3 to 11 years in prison. The case is infamous not only for the boldness of the crime but also for the sheer arrogance and foolishness of the criminal.
2. The Crown Casino Baccarat Scam (2013, Melbourne)
In 2013, the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia, lost nearly $33 million AUD in one of the most sophisticated casino scams in history. A high-rolling gambler—whose name was never officially released—worked with an insider at the casino to exploit the casino’s security surveillance system.
The gambler was invited to a private high-stakes baccarat room. Meanwhile, the accomplice gained access to the casino’s security cameras, allowing them to observe the dealer’s cards before they were dealt. This information was then relayed in real-time to the gambler, giving him an unfair advantage.
The scam unraveled when casino management became suspicious of the player’s unusually consistent wins. They launched an internal investigation and discovered the security breach. Though the Crown Casino managed to recover some of the losses and promptly fired the staff member involved, no criminal charges were filed, and the gambler reportedly fled the country.
The Crown heist remains one of the most shocking examples of how modern technology and insider access can turn a casino’s surveillance system—a tool meant for protection—into a weapon.
3. Circus Circus Armored Car Heist (1993, Las Vegas)
In 1993, Heather Tallchief and her boyfriend Roberto Solis carried out a daring armored truck heist involving Loomis armored services. Tallchief, only 21 years old at the time, worked as a driver for Loomis and had been casing the Circus Circus casino’s cash pickup operations. On the morning of October 1, she drove off with the armored truck filled with $2.95 million in cash while her co-workers were inside making the pickup.
Authorities launched a massive manhunt, but the pair vanished without a trace. Solis was a convicted murderer and poet with a history of criminal behavior, and he masterminded the operation. The couple reportedly fled to Europe, where they lived under false identities. Tallchief later claimed that Solis manipulated and controlled her psychologically.
In 2005, Tallchief surrendered herself to U.S. authorities after 12 years on the run. She served just over five years in prison. Solis, however, was never captured and remains a fugitive. The case captivated the public, not only because of the scale of the theft but also due to the Bonnie-and-Clyde-like dynamics of the couple behind the crime.
These three casino heists stand out for their audacity, creativity, and impact. Whether through brute force, insider tech manipulation, or psychological deception, each of these crimes reveals both the vulnerability and mystique of the high-stakes casino world.
