BetOnline has responded to the viral Blackjack Cheating Scandal

[PROFRBcom]

In case you've been living under a rock, a series of YouTube vids has come out in the last few days. They clearly show a blackjack dealer "second dealing." The live casino was that of BetOnline's. However, this was contracted through a third party and BOL has subsequently fired the company. But not before the YouTube cheating vids went viral. 7 figures of views and growing! Not good for their rep or the industry.

They've put out a couple press releases. The first one was announcing they were swapping live-casino vendors. The second addresses the scandal:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BetOnline Notified of Questionable Behavior by Black Jack Dealer from its previous Live Dealer Casino Provider
20 February 2017, BetOnline.ag has been notified of an instance of potentially questionable behavior by a black jack dealer from its previous Live Dealer Casino Provider on the date of January 25th, 2017. The Company removed the previous Provider’s Casino and replaced it with the much improved Visionary iGaming Live Dealer product on February 18th 2017.
BetOnline.ag is currently looking into the issue with help and careful cooperation from the previous Live Dealer provider. BetOnline.ag asks that anyone who feels they may have been affected by this dealer’s actions to contact them by email at Casino[at]BetOnline.ag.
As always, BetOnline.ag takes client feedback seriously. And nothing is more important to BetOnline.ag than the integrity of its gambling offerings and the enjoyment of its players.



I've watched the vids. Hard to think it was accidental, but to cheat on purpose makes very little sense either. Why risk it? And for a measly hundred bucks?

All the links to the vids and press releases are in our article, along with our thoughts: http://professionalrakeback.com/betonline-blackjackgate

 

[casinonewbie]

All done with a smile on his face

 

[TheGooner]

I didn't notice anything on first run through - but the close in reply shows it.

However, it puts a lot of things into question ... quite apart from why cheat on camera.

In order for this cheat to pay off - the dealer needed to know the value and order of the next two cards ..
How? Why? This suggests pre-shuffled cards - and a way to communicate cheat instructions to the dealer ..

WTF ?
Live dealer at offshore casinos is DEAD to me now.

 

[PROFRBcom]

Actually, the dealer only has to know the value of the first card in order to make the play +EV from a gambling standpoint. 8 is a great card for the player, but also a good card for the dealer. There are more cards that suck for the player if he removes the 8 from play than cards that help the player.

Now, the speculation as to whether the dealer knew the next two cards.... he looks off camera, people suspect he could see the cards on a monitor. There's also the speculation of him having some ear piece... all the cards in live-casinos have RFID chips. He could know that way.

Still, my personal opinion is that it was a fuckup of some kind. The incentive to cheat someone out of $100 is so small, and the consequences so big, of getting busted. It just makes no sense whatsoever to do!

 

[AussieDave]

The incentive to cheat someone out of $100 is so small, and the consequences so big, of getting busted. It just makes no sense whatsoever to do!

Agreed... However some affiliate programs screw their partners every day, in some way or other. The industry is crooked. And, whether it's $100 or $1,000,000 (imo) is a moot point. It would seem if someone can try-it-on, they will.

 

[casinonewbie]

The live casino was that of BetOnline's. However, this was contracted through a third party and BOL has subsequently fired the company

Probably this "contractor" was in some way owned by the crooks at Betonline, kept at arms length in case they got caught with their pants around their ankles. So they fired themselves to look like the good guys

 

[PROFRBcom]

Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part, but I don't think they were cheating people on purpose using tactics like this. There are so many opaque ways to cheat that aren't recorded on video, why bother? And for only a few dollars in EV!

 

[DaftDog]

I personally think it was just a bored, rouge dealer doing this intentionally to see how he could mess with players hands. That card pull of his was no error, he did that intentionally. Maybe he thought of it as an extra card shuffle.

 

[PROFRBcom]

It does look intentional. The double tap before making the move to distract. But why would he do it? There's no incentive for him to do so. Nothing but negative consequences. Baffles me.

 

[nwalker]

If you were GGL and you wanted to skim money from your customers (BetOnline) or players, you wouldn't do it in full view of the world where people can see you. You'd go into the back office systems and make adjustments there wouldn't you. ?

Having the odd player lose a hand every now and again is not going to make anyone rich and if indeed this is systematic cheating then why haven't we seen this dealer or other dealers in videos posted on youtube doing this. If is is big time cheating then there should be more examples about, surely.?

What do we know about the guy that discovered this? We know he a convicted Bank Robber, so he's an honest and upstanding member of the public. We also know he has just launched a new website and forum that he needs to promote. He got real lucky stumbling across this didn't he? Does this smell of anything.? I don't know, I'm just musing, none of it makes much sense.

Hopefully the truth will come out soon.

 

[PROFRBcom]

I wasn't aware that he was a convicted bank robber. Link?

I did think it odd that he had a brand new website to promote as well. Coincidence? Absolutely could be. But it is quite odd that no one else reported such issues except someone like this. Furthermore, judging by the website traffic, I don't think this viral video did that much good for him. They posted a link to my site on his forums as it is one of the few places with both press releases together on the same page... but it gets little traffic despite being one of the few links in his forums and the forum is the only thing functional on his website. But I suppose time will tell.

 

[nwalker]

I wasn't aware that he was a convicted bank robber. Link?

He talks openly about it on one of his videos and even shows press cuttings from the time.

If you google "michael morgenstern bank robbery" there are some petitions he made to the court to have his sentence reduced.

It seems I'm not allowed to post links.

 

[AussieDave]

The guy broke the law, got busted and served his time (paid his debt to society). Is this a Doctored (fake) video???!!! I don't think so. He may be using this as an angle for his new site. Who cares!!! It's not like affiliates et al don't use similar stuff to their advantage ever day of the week...

Even the OP posted a link to his site, about this article, why?

Probably for the same reason people here are pointing the finger at this Micheal character. ALL about promotion and traffic.

All the links to the vids and press releases are in our article, along with our thoughts: professionalrakeback.com/betonline-blackjackgate

EDIT: The OP does it, and no one bats an eyelid. Michael does exctly the same thing, but now it's not ok... There's a word for that, and that word is... hypocritical. If the guy hasn't broken the law, let him be ffs!!!

 

[bonustreak]

The guy has even now posted a video using his 7 yr old daughter in this mess. He does not seem to be a very upstanding guy. In other videos he brags about counting cards and being ejected from land-based casinos on the reg.
This whole thing is quite a mess that is for sure. Is the dealer looking up at the monitor above him that is displaying the player? That could be what he is looking at, not sure? Could be an ear piece yes true enough but why cheat
someone for $100? Good thing they fired the live dealer software company tho!

 

[baldidiot]

He talks openly about it on one of his videos and even shows press cuttings from the time.

It's even on the home page of his site:

"National Blackjack Champion Tournament Player, Michael Morgenstern, has been playing and counting cards since 1998. At the age of 20 he was convicted of Armed Bank Robbery and sentenced to 85 months , it is there that he came across publications on blackjack and how to count cards."

An interesting angle to take. Don't think I'd be shouting about it too much myself.

 

[PROFRBcom]

It's even on the home page of his site:

"National Blackjack Champion Tournament Player, Michael Morgenstern, has been playing and counting cards since 1998. At the age of 20 he was convicted of Armed Bank Robbery and sentenced to 85 months , it is there that he came across publications on blackjack and how to count cards."

An interesting angle to take. Don't think I'd be shouting about it too much myself.

The guy is a certifiable nutjob IMO

 

[CygX1]

Here is an updated version of the video for those who have not seen it yet.

This thread should also be moved to the commission.bz forum.

 

[Kadabra]

In other videos he brags about counting cards and being ejected from land-based casinos on the reg.

Well that's part of his job as professional blackjack player and the idea behind his site and forum.

 

[nwalker]

I have an update. As Live Casino is my niche, I travelled to Costa Rica a few weeks ago to meet up with a number of live casino providers there.

I also got the opportunity to speak to the owner of Global Gaming Labs, the live casino provider where the alleged cheating scandal occurred.

I found out a bit more about the challenges of running a live casino.

The dealer lost his job and refused to reveal why he did what he did.

Global Gaming Labs is closing down operations on the 15th of May. (not related to the above but quite a coincidence).

 

[bonustreak]

Global Gaming Labs is closing down operations on the 15th of May. (not related to the above but quite a coincidence).

Get in touch with me on Skype when you have time this week. So have all the casinos that use Global Gaming Labs found a new partner?