Daily Mirror - Sydney March 30, 1990

A pocket-sized computer is posing a big threat to Australian casinos and staff have been ordered to be on the lookout.

Called the Scorpion, the hi-tech device predicts the outcome of a game and lets a complete novice consistently win at blackjack.

Ironically, the computer was designed by a company which was approached by Western Australia's Burswood Resort Casino for a device to detect such computers.

Two Austrian gamblers used a similar device a year ago to sting Wrest Point Casino, in Tasmania, for more than $190,000. There are no laws governing the use of the computers so the couple was not charged.

Perth-based Surveillance Technology initially developed a detector for the hi-tech gadget, then made an actual computer so they could show the Burswood casino how effective the detector was. But Surveillance Technology owner Michael Barnett said that when the casino was asked to contribute to the $100,000 development costs, it refused. So he decided to market the device he was initially trying to detect. He said he felt he was doing nothing illegal by selling the Scorpion.

Burswood Resort Casino would not comment on the matter.