Couple from Kazakhstan allegedly used hidden camera and earpieces to win $1.18m from Sydney’s Crown casino | Gambling
A married couple from Kazakhstan allegedly won more than $1 million from Sydney’s Crown casino using a small camera hidden inside a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and “deep-fitting headphones” that allowed them to communicate.
The couple have been charged with dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage after being arrested at the Barangaroo casino, New South Wales police said on Sunday.
“On Thursday, a 36-year-old woman was observed by casino staff wearing a small, separate camera attached to her shirt,” a police spokesman said in a statement.
“Officers were notified and went to the casino, where they arrested the woman and her 44-year-old husband.”
Investigators alleged the couple was carrying “a cell phone with small, magnetized probes, batteries, and an attachment that allowed the phone’s camera function to surreptitiously monitor, capture, or record images.”
The police also seized a small custom-made mirror attachment for the mobile phone, police claimed.
The couple had traveled from Kazakhstan to Sydney in October 2025. The police claimed that they had applied for membership in the Crown on the day they arrived.
Police allege the pair visited the casino multiple times throughout October and November, winning a total of $1.18 million, which aroused suspicion in the Crown.
“While their mobile phones recorded images of the table, the couple communicated using earphones through which they received instructions to place bets on various card games and ultimately cheat at the casino,” NSW police said in a statement on Sunday.
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Officers searched the couple’s accommodation on Sydney’s Kent Street and allegedly found further gambling equipment, luxury jewelery and €2,000.
Organized crime unit commander Det Supt Peter Faux said police and the casino were working together to detect and prevent criminal activity.
“Our detectives work closely with casino security to detect and prevent illegal behavior. This strong collaboration is vital to maintaining the integrity of gaming operations and is reflected in results like this,” said False.
