Malaysian Tan Kian Yi, 35, pleaded guilty for the illegal gambling activity conducted in the premises of Marina Bay Sands (MBS) casino in Singapore. Accused of four charges under the Casino Control Act, Tan reportedly belonged to the gang of two Malaysians and one Taiwanese who illegally used recording devices during card games played in the casino to win a total of $433,730 at the tables.

Marina Bay Sands Targeted:

According to the Straight Times, the syndicate operated in Singapore from December 16 to 23, 2022 and might have included three other Taiwanese whose cases are not known at the moment. Tan’s criminal group reportedly operated through a female member who had an earphone connected to her mobile phone at a gaming table in the MBS casino. She recorded the cards dealt and transferred the information to another member who entered the information into an Excel spreadsheet formula and reverted to the female member with the playing instruction.

Using Excel Formula To Predict Winning Hands:

The source reports that the Court did not reveal the formula but one may assume that the syndicate used mathematical probability models to predict the cards to be dealt. In any case, Tan‘s alleged companions – Taiwanese Hung Jung-Hao, 27, and Malaysian Chai Hee Keong, 46 – have already been facing charges for offenses committed earlier in 2023. As reported by Straight Times, three other Taiwanese aged 22 to 26 are believed to be the members of the group as well. But all of them are seemingly out of reach of the Singapore prosecution authorities, except Tan.

Winning More Than $430,000 In Seven Days:

He reportedly pleaded guilty for the illegal activity. The group reportedly operated in the MSB casino from December 16 to 23, 2022. According to the source, they used codes in their Bluetooth communication to memorize cards and get the respective feedback from the Excel formula to win money. In this way, they won a total of $433,730 from baccarat games. The offenses were reportedly detected after the casino staff watched the CCTV footage and noticed the unusual conduct of the three syndicate members.

According to the Straight Times, Hung was arrested in the MSB casino on December 24, 2022, while the other members fled from Singapore the following day. Police reportedly seized more than $790,000 in chips from their hotel rooms after the group’s departure. But Tan was reportedly arrested in Kuala Lumpur in February 2023 and transferred back to Singapore to be brought to the court on October 3, 2023.

The prosecutor reportedly said that each member of the entire group of six was involved in the fraud, while defense lawyers Adrian Wee and Lynette Chang said that there was no evidence that the use of the formula represented a fraud or cheating. As reported by the Straight Times, they argued that ”it is thus impossible to determine whether the effect of the formula would have been to change the odds of a game beyond that envisaged by the casino.” The verdict will reportedly be heard in November 2023.