Three of the four men who were involved in a great scandal because of cheating when playing free poker game and backgammon at the Borgata Casino Hotel in Atlantic City were convicted to a period of 3 to 5 years of probation. Meanwhile, in the suspects room, security guard Steven Forte was released free of charges. This trio has been forbidden entrance to any Atlantic City casino until the sentence is over.

The scandal that agitated the Atlantic City gambling scene about a year ago won’t see any of the culprits going to jail. After the four of them pleaded not guilty of the charges of cheating in backgammon, Chinese poker and chess, Joseph Ingargiola admitted he used surveillance equipments, which included cameras and screens, to ensure the success of his operations, alleging that it was a vendetta.

Ingargiola, who has already spent time in prison and who was condemned to more years of parole than the other two felons, was helped by Steven Phillips who collaborated providing the cameras and the transmitters and James Harrison, who contributed with his technology skills. The plan was discovered by a policeman who investigated the hotel room where they kept the surveillance equipments. The three convicted felons claimed the innocence of Steven Forte, and cleaned the name of the famous gambling cheating expert.

The backgammon game is a game with a long and ancient tradition and has been played by thousands of people throughout history, in different historical moments and in the most distant and different places in the world. It’s a much appreciated game since it doesn’t just depend on chance, but it is also a very exciting game of strategy.

This story about the three men who managed to cheat in the casino has showed that although most casinos in Atlantic City have high tech equipments to prevent cheating, the same technology can be used for fraud. The case has set the alarm in many important casinos that operate in Atlantic City.