Slot Machine Hacks

Hacking Slot Machines

These days, manufacturers of slot machines claim that their systems are hack-proof. The modern computerized slot machines are no longer easy targets for players hoping to cheat the casinos. But with every new innovation, there will always be those who try to beat the system by cheating. Years ago when slot machines were mechanical, cheaters would try using devices to trip the machine’s sensors or would find some way inside the machine to jury-rig the motors and gears. Yet today’s slot machines are much more sophisticated. Manufacturers always try to stay a step or two ahead of cheaters. Computer chips for slot machines are thoroughly tested after they are programmed to make sure there are no faults in the programming that would allow a player to take advantage of a machine. Yet despite all the technology, there are still slot machine hacks out there trying to scam the casinos.

Slots Computer Hack

Since slot machines are now almost exclusively computerized, slot machine hacks are trying ways to hack into the software. Depending on whether you talk to hackers or casinos, computerized slot machines are either easy to hack or near impossible. Hackers claim that any slot machine can be hacked into. The computer software in the machine can be reprogrammed just like any program on a personal computer. Casinos and slot manufacturers claim that the computer chips in slot machines are not as communicative as personal computers and that the software is thoroughly tested to make sure that it is tamper-proof. With claims on both sides, it is hard to really determine. However, there have been actual accounts of successful cheating by slot machine hacks.

The most famous case of slot machine hacks occurred back in 1995. A man by the name of Reid Errol McNeal won a keno jackpot in Atlantic City. McNeal hit eight for eight on the keno machines and won $100,000, the most money won off of keno in the history of Atlantic City. He would have gotten his winnings with no problem except for a couple of things. He was carrying no id, he demanded his winnings in cash, and he was reportedly very unemotional about his win. New Jersey gaming laws requires that any jackpot of $35,000 or more be verified by state gaming officials. The casino where the jackpot was won already had some misgivings about McNeal so when the gaming officials arrived, they were accompanied by a couple of state troopers. During the brief questioning, authorities discovered a man in McNeal’s hotel room. The man was a friend of McNeal’s and went by the name Ronald Harris. During the course of the questioning, it was discovered that Ronald Harris was an employee of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. When the authorities went back to the room to question Harris, he was no where to be found. When the room was searched, police found computer equipment, computer chips, and notes on how to beat the keno machines. It turned out that Harris had access to the machine’s source codes which allowed access to the machine’s random number generator. Harris was later arrested in Las Vegas. He worked as a slot tester for the Gaming Control Board. He traveled around to casinos with a portable unit that could be plugged into the slot machine’s computer to test it. By using the unit Harris was able to slip in an exploitive code into the chip’s program that would allow him and his accomplices to later come back and scam the machine. It turned out that he had rigged slot machines all across Nevada. He and McNeal were charged of computer fraud and theft and sentenced to seven years in prison. Since then precautions have been taken to ensure that it never happens again.

Slot Machine Hacking Devices

There have been devices pop up over the years that inventors claim can be used for slot machine hacks. Most are some form of small, personal computer or remote device that can trip the random number generator into producing a big win on the reels. These devices can be easily hidden as I am sure casino employees would be very suspicious of a person winning every time they pressed a button on a mysterious-looking gadget. Other forms of hacking devices can supposedly alter the number of your winning credits or even trip the jackpot. Just about 99.99% of these devices are complete scams advertised by shady individuals who just want your money. Since they can’t scam the casinos, they will scam you. After all, since cheating devices are illegal, if you had one that worked, why would you advertise it?

Faulty Slot Machine Software

There is another form of slot machine hacking that is at the moment considered a gray area. There have been recent documentations of slot machines with faulty programming. These slip-ups in programming are simply glitches that somehow got passed board testing and were installed and shipped to casinos. The glitches can affect the computers random number generator which results in more frequent payouts. There are some players who have innocently played these games and hit a jackpot, only to have those winnings revoked when it was discovered the machine was at fault. Then there are players who search through casinos looking for machines that seem to pay our more than the odds should allow. It is debatable whether this is cheating or just taking advantage of a fault that was accidentally installed. These glitches are very rare but when they do slip by the testing authorities, they can cost the casinos quite a bit.

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