Step Into the Lives of High Tech Card Sharks and Slot Swindlers in Destination America's New Series "CHEATING VEGAS"

SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- They say "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," but that's not necessarily true for these cheaters, who have been exposed on casino floor. This August, Destination America slots an all-new series exploring the elaborate new measures casino security employs to beat them at their own game. CHEATING VEGAS, premiering Sunday, August 19 at 10 PM E/P, takes viewers behind the scenes of casinos to reveal real attempts at deception and foul play. Using exclusive surveillance footage and jailhouse interviews with former cheaters, as well as first-person accounts from accomplices, and casino owners, CHEATING VEGAS carefully documents recent scandals that were no ruse for the eye in the sky.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120404/PH82268LOGO )

"Vegas may be the entertainment capital of the world, but it's also a quintessential part of America's character," said Marc Etkind, SVP of Content Strategy for Destination America. "Destination America strives to showcase people and places that embody the American spirit through adventure, innovation, heroism, humor, or riskiness. CHEATING VEGAS goes to show that certainly the only thing riskier than gambling at a casino is trying to cheat at one!"

Each episode of CHEATING VEGAS features cheating attempts that range from double-dealing card players to chip counterfeiters and inside jobs resulting in massive heists. The one thing each situation has in common: the security camera does not lie. And with tens of thousands of cameras stationed around the city itself, nothing slips under the radar.

The episode line-up for CHEATING VEGAS is as follows:

Insiders Premieres Sunday, August 19 at 10pm E/P
Casino employees and other "insiders" give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at gaming crimes, including the head of security at The Aria, where thousands of cameras and high-tech systems are in place to create a cheat-proof casino. Also, investigators crack the crimes of the Tran Organization, who used corrupt card dealers to bilk casinos out of $7 million in a "false shuffle" scheme. And Arizona State basketball star Stevin Smith trades a chance to be considered for the NBA for a quick cash payout in a college basketball point shaving scandal. 

Game Changers Premieres Sunday, August 26 at 10pm E/P
Security must stay one step ahead of the "game changers" – cheats who are devoted to the art of the scam, constantly reinventing casino tricks to counter the latest security measures – with investigators committed to tracking down notorious cons with clever devices. And while technology feeds this game of cat and mouse, sometimes cheats find a way to beat the system, like a former TV repairman who used an arsenal of homemade slot-machine devices to turn Vegas into his personal ATM. Viewers will also learn about a gang robbery that forever changed security measures in the cash cages.

Hall of Fame Premieres Monday, September 3 at 10pm E/P
*PLEASE NOTE NEW NIGHT
Featuring the most brazen cheaters in Vegas, viewers will meet an all-star line-up of cons, from a man who rigged old-school mechanical slot machines for an estimated haul of nearly $10 million, to a daring duo who made casino-cheating history as the first to successfully transform $1 casino chips by "minting" them into any denomination they chose. Then there's the The Biker Bandit, who dressed in full motorcycle garb to rob two different casinos including The Bellagio, where he escaped from with $1.5 million in playing chips. 

CHEATING VEGAS is produced by Destination America and LMNO Cable Group, Inc. For LMNO, Lisa Bourgoujian is executive producer. For Destination America, Caroline Perez is director of development, Jeanie Vink is executive producer, Sara Kozak is SVP of production, Marc Etkind is SVP of content strategy, and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.

ABOUT DESTINATION AMERICA
Destination America is the first network to celebrate the people, places, and stories of the United States. The inclusive network targeting Adults 25-54 will be available in 59.5 million homes, emblazoning television screens with the grit and tenacity, honesty and work ethic, humor and adventurousness that characterize our nation. Destination America will feature travel, food, adventure, home, and natural history, with original series covering such diverse subjects as American food favorites, mysteries like Jesse James' lost fortune and Area 51, American heroes and innovators, as well as iconic landmarks and wonders like Yellowstone National Park and the Everglades. Destination America is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 200 countries and territories.

Please visit the Press Website at press.discovery.com/us/da/programs/cheating-vegas for additional press materials
Follow us on Twitter at @DestAmerica
Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/DestinationAmerica
Visit us online at DestinationAmerica.com

SOURCE Destination America