Monique Laurent – One of The Greatest Casino Cheats Ever
Monique Laurent: Leader of the French Cigarette Pack Scandal
Thanks to being not only incredibly smart but very good looking, Monique Laurent was able to develop a plan that involved manipulating the roulette wheel into giving her favourable results. Using a unique method she was able to cheat the casino of Deauville in northern France, of more than $1 million within just a week. However, she did end up getting caught, though not for the reasons you might imagine.
On any list of famous casino scams and cheaters, she is near the top amongst all the greatest. As one newspaper of the time reported, “Back in 1973, a fatally attractive French woman named Monique Laurent managed to rob the Deauville Casino of $1 million in a week. Although she did not work alone, she was the most emblematic figure of the French Cigarette Pack Scam.”
The French Cigarette Pack Scam
Monique Laurent what’s born near Deauville, in France, on Valentine’s Day in 1948. We know nothing about her childhood. Or any events that might have led her to become one of the most infamous gambling cheats ever. What we do know, however, is that her brother started working in the Deauville casino as a croupier in the summer of 1973. In a relatively short period of time, he rose up through the ranks until he had not just full access to all the roulette wheels, but was given the task of regularly checking the roulette wheels for accuracy.
Whenever the casino experienced any periods without many customers, then her brother would spend his time examining the roulette wheel in order to try and discover if there were any means that would lead to him being able to control the outcomes of where the little ivory ball might land. Knowing that his sister Monique was the big brain, he asked her if she could devise any jackpot winning strategies to help him.
In his spare time, the brother was a keen ham radio enthusiast and had background knowledge of radio receivers. This was the knowledge that Monique Laurent needed. She devised a plan where they could embed a miniature receiver inside an actual roulette ball itself. By using a radio transmitter, the player could choose, within a 90% degree of accuracy, where the actual ball would land. Monique took the idea to hide the actual transmitter inside a pack of cigarettes. These could be casually placed on the roulette jackpot games table itself and would never draw suspicion.
Monique Laurent: Say Hello To Hubby
But in order for that plan to work seamlessly, they would need to recruit another person to the team. So Monique asked her husband and he readily agreed. His job was to act as the gambler making the bets. To that end, he would place separate wagers on 6 different numbers. Monique’s job was to press the hidden button on the pack of cigarettes in order that the ball would fall onto one of those numbers. To hide the fact that Monique Laurent was part of the same team, she would stand at another nearby gaming table. She would have her back turned to give the impression that she was actually preoccupied with a completely different game.
The Perfect Duplicate Ball
As the dealer, Monique’s brother had the rather nerve-wracking job of discreetly changing the casino’s roulette ball for the one he had manufactured. Once the bets were laid, he would give a hidden signal to Monique and she would press the button on the packet of cigarettes. One of the biggest problems was how to place a receiver inside the ball itself. It was essential that the ball weighed the same as other balls, and had the same perfectly smooth finish. It was imperative that no one would recognise that this particular ball had been tampered with. A great deal of time and effort was spent by Monique’s brother to get it right.
Monique Laurent: Confidence is King
Once they had made the perfect ball and the team was in place, it was time to try out their scheme for the first time. As you can imagine, it was nerve-wracking for everyone involved. Yet Monique Laurent was the only one in the team who had confidence in the whole venture. The others thought they would be undone very quickly. But it was her supreme confidence that carried the plan through to fruition and allowed them to be as profitable as they were to become. If you have the same confidence, then playing online at King Billy Casino will see you get some nice winnings.
So now it was time to execute their plan. Betting on their first set of numbers was very nail-biting for everyone in the group. Yet it all worked flawlessly. And just how profitable was that? Well, in the first week they took nearly 5 million francs, which would be equivalent to over $1 million of the time. They split the money between themselves on an even basis. As you can imagine, the casino was becoming increasingly suspicious, as such huge sums of money flying out the door.
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Suspicion Arises
Unsurprisingly, the casino management was incredibly suspicious as to how a regular gambler could have so much luck playing roulette. They hired an outside party to audit the games to see how to win the jackpot. Though the wheels were examined, they could find absolutely nothing wrong with them. Next, they paid attention to Monique’s brother. Once again, he appeared to be playing flawlessly. As a result, the management was stumped. They had to admit that they had no idea as to how Monique’s husband was able to continue winning night after night.
But there was one person they did take note of. That was the beautiful woman who had been regularly coming to the man’s hotel night after night. As you can imagine the management were keen to chat with her. But when the casino manager approached Monique Laurent, she became indignant and aloof. This caused the management to take an even keener interest in her. It did indeed appear strange that this beautiful woman was always alone standing at a roulette table, and yet never placed any bets. After a while, one thing did stand out about her more than any other; the pack of cigarettes. She had them with her constantly. Yet it was noticeable that she never once smoked a cigarette.
Cigarettes Are Bad For Your Wealth
The owner of the casino approached Monique Laurent for a second time and simply asked her for a cigarette. When she refused, he immediately had the casino security take the pack of cigarettes from her. You can imagine their surprise when they examined its contents. Within minutes the whole scheme fell apart and the police were able to determine how the pack of cigarettes had been a vital part of the whole cheating scheme. Monique was arrested and the case blew up. A beautiful woman who had succeeded in cheating the casinos was of great public interest throughout the whole of France. The infamous events surrounding the casino and the subsequent story became known as the “French Cigarette Pack Scam.”
Monique Laurent: “Les Tricheurs”
In 1958, the French filmmaker Marcel Carne made a movie called “Les Tricheurs.” This translates as the “young sinners.” The role of Monique Laurent was played by Pascale Petit. The film is also famous for being one of Jean-Paul Belmondo’s first movie roles. It’s also notable that the costumes were designed by a young Christian Dior. It’s also interesting to note that Pascale Petit looks a lot like Monique, in that they were both very pretty with short black hair. Thanks to the notoriety of the case, the movie became the biggest box-office smash of that year in France.
As for Monique Laurent, she never had to serve any time for her crime. Though she did have to return the money that was won. Little is known about her after these events but she did move to Las Vegas where she still lives today. It’s said that she enjoys being around gamblers and still goes to the casinos to win the jackpot. Being a practical sort, she took a job working in the cloakroom of one. We wish her Bon Chance! If you want to experience a great winning experience, we suggest that you head over to King Billy Casino. They have a massive selection of casino games as well as offering a bonkers welcome bonus of 151% up to €/$500 plus 51 bonus spins to all new players.
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