In the state of Nevada, the Gaming Control Board has a black book, which consists of names of individuals who are no longer allowed at any casinos in the state. Players who are added to the book are those who have acted poorly, in most cases, have scammed venues out of cash. Just this week, it was announced that two players were added to the book, with a total of 34 individuals now listed as completely banned.
Anthony Granito and James Cooper are two individuals that are no longer welcome at the casinos in the state of Nevada. Both were part of a group of four people who scammed the Bellagio Casino over a two year time frame out of $1.2 million. Cooper operated as a craps dealer at the venue and from 2012 to 2014, worked with Granito (the player), to cheat the casino with two other dealers.
Mark Branco and Jeffrey Martin were two craps dealers who were in on the scam. When Branco and Cooper were working at the same table they would see Martin and Granito come in to play. The shooter would roll the dice and the players would say hop bet quietly and the dealers would confirm a win.
The scheme was able to play out for two years before it was found out. The players lost enough to keep the scheme going but eventually, authorities of the casino were able to notice that long-shot payouts were occurring when the two players were at the table.
Because of their wins, the players were also receiving comps. So, not only were the players winning cash in an illegal manner, but were also given tens of thousands of dollars in comps from the casino. Cooper decided to work with the detectives when the investigation began and was sentenced to only a short time in prison for his side of the scheme.
Cooper must serve two to four years in prison while Martin and Granito will serve three to eight. Branco was considered the leader and he will be serving four to ten years behind bars.
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