A SOPHISTICATED gang of roulette cheats fleeced tens of thousands of pounds from top gaming venues.
Three men and at least one woman practised a trick called "top hatting".
Despite being banned from casinos across the country, they evaded detection for years by using fake identities.
The men were convicted of "cheating at play", contrary to the Gaming Act 1845 - the first time the offence has been used in an English court.
Scotland Yard used graphic artists from its design studio to create an animated film to explain how the gang cheated.
The film, which played a part in all three men pleading guilty at Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court, showed "top hatting" - dropping chips on to a roulette table just after the ball has dropped - in slow motion.
The trick involved one of the men acting as a distractor and another as the claimant.
Just as the roulette ball drops, the distractor would lean forward with a cash note to put off the dealer while hiding gaming chips in his hand. As he distracted the dealer, he would spot the winning number and place the chips belonging to his colleague on the same figure on the table. The scam relies on the dealer, casino staff and other players being distracted.
Detective Constable John Wedger said: "The trick relies on incredible timing and the ability to see the ball in a second."
Hong Kong-born Kwong Lee, 42, of Mitcham, Surrey, Martin Fitz, 45, of Hendon, and Shuhal Miah, 36, of Bethnal Green, all pleaded guilty.
Lee was given a 180-hour community punishment order and fined Pounds 170. Fitz was given a rehabilitation order and Miah received a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to forfeit Pounds 880. The men, all unemployed, targeted casinos in the West End.
They were convicted of offences at the Barracuda in Baker Street and the Gala in Russell Square in 2003 and 2004. Police know the group used at least one woman accomplice but have been unable to identify her.
Inspector Ben Bhangoo, head of the Met's gaming unit, said: "We can make it very difficult for them to operate but it is difficult to prosecute them."
The FIVE big tricks to watch out for
Cheats mark the cards. One conman grew his thumbnail to a point so he could make tiny indentations. Caught but never convicted.
Card marking
Similar to card marking but crimpers use tiny folds.
Scanners
The Met's gaming unit arrested three gamblers who stole Pounds 1.3 million at roulette at the Ritz last year using a computerised scanner hidden in a mobile phone. Not enough evidence to prosecute.
Hidden cameras
The unit recently recovered a minute camera hidden in a gambler's cuff.
Information sent to a friend in a nearby car.
Card counting
System of remembering which cards have gone to predict which will come up.
Not illegal.
How 'top hatting' gang drove croupiers to distraction 1 Just as the roulette ball drops, one of the men - the "distractor" - leans forward with a cash note to distract the dealer - but has high- value gaming chips hidden in his hand.
2 With the dealer momentarily put off, the distractor spots the winning number and places the chips belonging to his accomplice on the same number on the table.
3 His accomplice then claims the winnings.
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