A woman who allegedly conspired with her casino dealer boyfriend to cheat Las Vegas casino Mandalay Bay out of thousands of dollars was arrested in Sin City earlier this month in reports that emerged this week.
Yuk Wong, 42, had an outstanding warrant issued by the Nevada Gaming Control Board when she was stopped by city police for erratic driving. She faces five felony charges of cheating and conspiring to cheat at a gambling game.
The NGCB says that Wong conspired with a dealer at the Mandalay Bay Resort casino to cheat a poker table over several months in 2023.
She was the subject of an NGCB investigation into the cheating last year. However, there was not sufficient evidence to charge her at the time of her detainment, and police issued a warrant a week later.
Wong was arrested this month after a Las Vegas Police Department conducted a traffic stop and found she did not have a license. Then police also discovered her open arrest warrant and she was booked on the cheating charges.
The Alleged Cheating
The incidents occurred in mid-2023 at the Mandalay Bay on the Las Vegas Strip. The casino resort is owned by VICI Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International.
Security at the venue first identified suspected cheating going on at a poker table via video surveillance.
They briefly detained Wong at the table and questioned her and the dealer. Wong admitted being friendly with the dealer, but only while at the casino. She claimed he occasionally helped her with strategy.
NGCB agents also arrived that day and questioned Wong. However, she was let off without charges at that time. Investigators then checked several weeks of surveillance footage and determined that Wong had been consistently cheating.
Court documents suggest that Wong would conceal combo-breaking cards in her hand, which would have been an obvious attempt at cheating to any trained dealer, and her boyfriend would nevertheless accept the winning wager.
They also discovered a closer relationship between the suspect and the dealer after looking up their profiles on Facebook.
Investigators say Wong and her boyfriend cheated a total of 17 times over two months. At least once, the winning hand was several hundred dollars.
The Charges
It is unclear if the unnamed dealer will be facing criminal charges. Although no statement has been released, it’s fairly certain he no longer works at the Mandalay Bay.
The penalty for a charge of felony cheating at gambling caps at a $10,000 fine and a suspended sentence. However, Wong faces five counts on that front, and also one count of driving without a license, which could be a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail. Wong is due in court on July 18 to face trial.
Prolific suspected cheats who evade criminal punishment may be added to Nevada’s infamous “black book” of banned gamblers.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
