Dennis Nickrash
Kim Evan Nikrasch, age 57, Sun City, CA 92586 Background Check. Known Locations: Menifee CA 92584, Tucson AZ 85748 Possible Relatives: Beverly Jean Clotfelter, Morton H Clotfelter. Susanna O Oholguinnikr, age 60, Rocklin, CA 95677 Background Check. When Dennis Nikrasch was born in 1941 his name was Dennis McAndrew, but rumor has it that he took his mother’s maiden name of Nikrasch after his parents got divorced. Little is known about his childhood, but many people speculate that he dropped out of school before he hit high school. Nikrasch was convicted in 1986 of scamming $10 million from Las Vegas casinos by rigging slot machines between 1976 and 1979. He was released on parole. View the profiles of people named Dennis Nikrasch. Join Facebook to connect with Dennis Nikrasch and others you may know. Facebook gives people the power.
Dennis Nikrasch (September 12, 1941 – 2010) was a Vegas slot cheater and a former locksmith who was responsible for spearheading the biggest casino theft in Las Vegas history, by grabbing $16,000,000 from rigging slot machines over a 22-year period. His career began in Chicago, Illinois as a locksmith. He then found out that he could break into any lock he wished, due to his extensive knowledge of the tools, and became associated with members from a key Chicago crime family until his arrest in 1961. When he was released in 1970, he realized that he could make even bigger profits by manipulating slot machines in Las Vegas. From 1976 until 1983, he obtained $10 million from this method. He was then found in 1986 and sentenced to five years in prison. He was released in 1991, but didn't return to Vegas headlines until 1996, when he returned, this time with a new approach in response to the higher levels of security. He actually managed to keep his cheating secret until November 1998, when one of his accomplices revealed information about his cheating machines. He was arrested and sentenced to 7.5 years in prison, being released in 2004. He died in 2010 from unknown causes.[1]
References[edit]
- ^Vince Beiser (3 May 1999). 'Silicon Crackers Tackle Casinos'. Wired.com. Condé Nast. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
Home > Online Casinos > Casino Articles > Dennis Nikrasch
Casino games are popular for a few reasons. They are a lot of fun, easy to learn for the most part, and the buzz of winning is a great feeling. The most appealing aspect, though, is almost certainly the fact that it is possible for anyone to win big. You don't necessarily need to be a skilled player; you just need a bit of luck on your side at the right time.
Most players are patient enough to keep playing in the hope that they will eventually get their share of good fortune. Some, however, are not. For as long as casinos have existed, there have been people trying to find ways to cheat them. Over the years there have been many reported cases of casino cheats, and there are almost certainly plenty more cheats who have never been caught.
In this new series of articles on GamblingSitesOnline we are going to write about some of the most famous casino cheats throughout history. We're starting with a guy called Dennis Nikrasch, who found a way to cheat slot machines.
About Dennis Nikrasch
Dennis Nikrasch was born in 1941. Also known as Dennis McAndrew, he has been labeled as the greatest slot machine cheater of all time. He was behind several cheating rings that operated mainly in Nevada and Atlantic City, and was so prolific that the Nevada Gaming Control Board stated he was a threat to the whole slot machine industry.
Although there has been a lot written about Nikrasch, there aren't too many solid facts. There has been plenty of speculation, but very little is known for sure. What is known is that he began his working life as a locksmith in Chicago. After mastering his trade, he realized he could break into any lock he wanted to. This ultimately set him on a path that saw him sent to prison on more than one occasion.
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Turning To Crime
It's believed that Nikrasch's skills as a locksmith attracted the attention of a notorious crime family in Chicago, and that he was recruited to help them in various criminal activities. It is not known for sure exactly what activities he engaged in, but he was arrested in 1961 and sentenced to several years in prison.
When he got out, Nikrasch decided to turn his skills to cheating slot machines in Las Vegas. The machines of that time were mechanical devices, and he was able to use his expertise to break into them and manipulate them into paying out jackpots. After several years of doing this, during which time he made millions of dollars, he was caught. In 1968, he was sentenced to another five years in prison.
Moving With The Times
After his second release from prison, Nikrasch found that slot machines were very different. The mechanical machines had mostly been replaced by electronic devices, and they were largely considered to be tamper proof. Nikrasch was not deterred though, and he set about finding new ways to cheat the modern machines.
Sure enough, he devised a new plan. His exact methods are not known, but they involved using high-tech tools to break into the machines without leaving any trace. He would then once again manipulate them into paying out jackpots. Of course, by this time surveillance was everywhere in most casinos. Nikrasch managed to avoid being spotted though, probably by using members of his team to somehow hide his actions from the cameras and security personnel.
In 1998, Nikrasch was once again arrested. It is not known for exactly how long he had been getting away with his latest cheating activities, or how profitable he was, but it would be no surprise if he had made many millions. The rumors are that his demise came about because he was set up by one of his team members, possibly due to a grievance of some kind. It has also been said that the team member who set him up did so in return for reduced punishment on an unrelated crime.
Dennis Nick Rash
Whatever the exact details, Nikrasch was to spend several more years in jail. It is believed that he gave up details of his methods in exchange for a lesser sentence. He was released in 2004, but there was to be no return to his cheating ways as he had been banned from casinos for life. He passed away in 2010.