Three former employees of the Chaudfontaine Casino are being prosecuted for exploiting a technical flaw to embezzle gaming chips, causing an estimated loss of €40,000.
A demonstration in court
On Friday morning, the Liège Criminal Court saw an unusual scene unfold. The Chaudfontaine Casino, a civil party in the case, had made the spectacular decision to bring in a real gaming table. Green baize, automatic sorting machine, chips and plaques: everything was there to give the judges a concrete understanding of the inner workings of the establishment.
The head croupier, who came to explain the procedures, detailed the difference between classic chips (for bets of 100 or 200 euros) and plates reserved for higher amounts (particularly those worth 1,000 euros). Normally, each item follows a specific circuit: the chips go through the sorter, while the plates are placed in a separate compartment.
According to the evidence presented at the hearing, it all began when a plaque was mistakenly slipped into the sorter along with the chips. Unlike the chips, the plaque did not go through the normal circuit. It remained at the bottom of the machine, invisible during automatic sorting.
How the fraud unfolded
The defendants are Mehdi, 26, from Soumagne, Loïc, 25, from the Verviers region, and Bruno, 33, from Amay. All three had joined the Chaudfontaine casino only two or three months earlier. They had completed the required training and held positions that gave them direct access to the tables and cash flows.
The anomaly in the sorting machine was initially discovered by chance. The three men realised that by deliberately mixing plates and chips, they could leave the plates in the sorter without arousing immediate suspicion. The system was based on a division of roles: one was responsible for feeding the plates into the machine, while another returned later to discreetly retrieve the plates that had remained at the bottom.
The scheme began on 16 August 2024. To sell the chips, the three employees called on an older casino regular who agreed to act as an intermediary. He exchanged the chips for cash. In return, he kept a commission, which was mentioned at the hearing as ranging from £50 to £150 per chip, depending on the version.
The illusion of security lasts only eight days. A technician works on the sorting machine before one of the accomplices can retrieve the hidden plates. He notices their abnormal presence at the bottom of the machine. The alarm is raised. The casino management then decides to check the CCTV footage. Looking back at the images from the previous days, the suspicious movements are clearly visible.
Contested damages
The Chaudfontaine casino estimates its losses at €40,000. This estimate is based on the number of plates allegedly stolen during the period in question. To defend its interests, the establishment has called on the Brussels law firm Chomé. The defence, led by Arnaud Jaminon, disputes this amount. According to the defence, the casino is unable to prove precisely how much money was stolen. According to reports, the fence mentioned only five plates. This is a significant difference that could weigh heavily in the final assessment of the case.
At the hearing, the defence adopted a humane approach. Mr Arnaud Jaminon spoke of young men who were confronted with large sums of money on a daily basis, suggesting that they had been tempted by seeing the money passing before their eyes.
The three employees were dismissed and immediately subjected to social sanctions: three months without unemployment benefits. According to the defence, this punishment is in addition to the ongoing criminal proceedings. The prosecution, taking into account the defendants’ clean criminal records, did not seek a prison sentence. It requested a community service sentence, leaving it to the court to determine the number of hours to be worked.