Casino cheater given a break
A man accused of cheating at a Kelowna casino has pleaded guilty and must pay back the money he earned, but he will not have a criminal record.
Mingzhe Xu, 25, was charged with intent to defraud a casino and cheat while playing roulette and three-card poker.
On Oct. 23, 2016, Xu was recorded on video cheating five times while playing roulette at Lake City Casino, Crown prosecutor Cory Lo told the court Tuesday.
The majority of the cheating occurred after the dealer announced there were to be no more bets, he said.
“Mr. Xu would wait for the ball to drop and, despite not being allowed to bet, would throw chips onto the table corresponding with the winning numbers,” said Lo.
That night, Xu won $557 as a result of the illegal bets.
On Oct. 28, Xu was again observed making bets after he was no longer allowed to while playing roulette, earning $100.
On Oct. 30, Xu was seen cheating while playing three-card poker.
After seeing he had a good hand, Xu increased his bet when he was no longer allowed to do so, said Lo.
Between Oct. 23 and Oct. 28, Xu won $1,588.
On Nov. 4, 2016, Lake City Casino contacted the gaming policy and enforcement branch regarding cheating as a result of an alleged dealer collusion.
The dealer was suspended by the casino, and his gaming worker registration in B.C. was suspended by the GPEB.
Yun Yang, 21, of Kelowna was charged with one count of intent to defraud a casino and cheat while holding the stakes for a game of roulette.
Xu pleaded guilty to cheating at roulette and three-card poker in court Tuesday.
Defence and Crown both sought an absolute discharge sentence.
Defence counsel Brad Smith told the court Xu was under a lot of stress at the time of the offences, having recently undergone surgery, having been the victim of a $3,000 phone scam and having learned his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Xu is currently a student at Thompson Rivers University on a student visa.
He was arrested at school and taken away in handcuffs in front of classmates and faculty, the court heard Tuesday.
“I hope, Mr. Xu, that the experience does stay with you for the rest of your life, because you never want to put yourself in that position again,” said B.C. provincial court Judge Marguerite Shaw.
Xu plans to immigrate to Canada after completing his studies and pursue a career in investment banking.
“You cannot have any kind of blemishes on your reputation, and certainly no criminal record, particularly dealing with honesty, for any kind of organization to accept you into a position such as that where people are trusting you with their money for investment purposes,” said Shaw. “You have to be scrupulously honest going forward.”
Xu did not say anything in court, but he nodded in agreement.
Shaw granted Xu an absolute discharge, meaning no conviction is registered and no conditions are imposed on him.
Xu was ordered to pay $1,588 in restitution to Lake City Casino, along with a $200 victim surcharge fine.
“The amount being paid back today actually includes the amount he would have won had he been playing properly,” said Lo.
Xu’s co-accused, Yang, is scheduled to go to trial in Kelowna March 26.