• Magician used misdirection to scam casinos across the U.S.
• Claimed dealer errors to secure illicit roulette payouts.
• Evaded capture for years before Iowa conviction and ban.

A Mississippi magician whose use of misdirection techniques helped him become a prolific and much-prosecuted casino cheat has been convicted of scamming the Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, Iowa.

Man of Mistery: Shaun Benward has convictions in multiple states for his casino-cheating trickery, which involves distracting and manipulating dealers. (Image: Instagram/mistery228228)

Shaun Joseph Benward, stage name “Shaun Mistery,” is alleged to have committed a “series of fraudulent acts” at the casino’s roulette tables in 2018.

An investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s (DCI) Special Enforcement Operations Bureau led to Benward being charged, in absentia, with five counts of money laundering, five counts of cheating at gambling games, and one count of conspiracy to commit a felony.

“He manipulated casino staff to secure over $10,000 in improper payouts and avoided IRS reporting requirements by breaking up over $12,000 in transactions, changing his outfit multiple times, and using different tellers to stay undetected,” according to a DCI statement.

Driven to Distraction

According to various law-enforcement accounts, Benward typically befriends or engages roulette dealers in friendly conversation, creating just enough confusion to blur the moment when bets close.

He usually partners with an accomplice positioned nearby, ready to corroborate his story and pressure the dealer into accepting the correction.

This is distinct from the classic “past-posting” technique – when a player places or changes a wager after the outcome is already known, typically after the dealer has called “no more bets” or the ball has landed. Benward’s method is more of a “false correction” con built around social manipulation.

Disappearing Act

The slippery illusionist managed to evade Iowa authorities for seven years before he was arrested in Mississippi last April, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

However, during that time, he reappeared in Pittsburgh, where he and accomplice were nabbed for attempting to relieve the Rivers Casino of more than $10K.

In that case, Benward pleaded guilty to casino cheating in an Allegheny County, Pa. courtroom in 2022. He was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay $10,500 restitution.

In addition to Pennsylvania, over the past decade alone, Benward has been convicted in Delaware, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Rhode Island, and Nevada for offenses involving cheating and fraud.

In September 2023, he was entered into Nevada’s infamous “black book” – a list of persons banned from all the casinos in the state.

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