The footage was reviewed in slow motion and wagering instructions were fed to the inside man via a small ear piece. One of the bandits used a miniature camera hidden in his sleeve to film cards as they were dealt, feeding images to an accomplice in a van outside. Perhaps taking inspiration from the Bond franchise, three Londoners armed themselves with state-of-the-art spy equipment and hit six casinos across Britain’s capital. Both of his accomplices received life in prison. Realising the jig was up Sanchez confessed all, stabbing his colleagues in the back for a lighter sentence. Vigoa’s face was caught on camera, giving the authorities a clear lead. Despite getting their mitts on a substantial take, the would-be thieves bungled the endgame.

Jose Vigoa, Luis Suarez, and Oscar Sanchez made several attempts to fleece the Bellagio Casino in the late ‘90s. This psychopathic klutz was eventually sentenced to 130 years behind bars. Johnson’s general incompetence and habit of returning to the scene of the crime meant he was eventually apprehended in January 2001.

This followed two previous hits on the establishment, during which Johnson failed to nab any dough and wounded a security guard. In October, 2000, Reginald Johnson burst into the Treasure Island Casino wielding a gun, making off with $30,000. This Las Vegas casino was actually subject to multiple robberies at the turn of millennium, though only one was successful. Read our list on the 10 most daring casino robberies in history: 10) Plundering Treasure Island However, history in many cases outstrips the fiction. Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Trilogy, in particular, popularised the idea of the casino heist, presenting its plucky band of thieves as the pinnacle of cool. From 21 Blackjack to Ocean’s Eleven, many screen writers look to modern day casino robberies for script inspiration. Many of the highly popular Hollywood movies are based on real life events and filmed at real land-based casinos.

Movie about casino robbery