On the globe, there are many casinos. In them lies dazzling slot machines. The eagerness to win the Jackpot can be very tempting even to the most reasonable and logical individual.
You often hear rumors about casinos being able to rig machines in their favor or even manipulating the machines to ensure that gamblers don’t win. These rumors might be a bit exaggerated. Yet, some casino cheats aren’t going to stop using these rumors as their mantra.
However, as a player, what if there was a way to turn the odds in your favor? Maybe it is to crack a code and cheat the system. Can’t quite put my finger on why you’re keen on this post, but I can tell you there are numerous instances of slot cheating that might just make you scowl. Even though these actions are against the law and morally wrong, exploring their specifics can shed light on the complex nature of these machines — their mechanics and algorithms. Mainly, it’s all in the name of entertainment!
Therefore, let’s explore this topic hypothetically, not to encourage dishonesty, but instead to have a better understanding of slot machines.
What are some of the ways people cheat at the casinos?
Disclaimer: Again, this information is purely for informational and educational purposes. It is not to promote or encourage any form of illegal activity, such as cheating at slot machines, as any attempts to cheat at slots can lead to serious consequences.
You look good to go. Okay, continue reading to see some of the naughty tricks used by slot users over the years to cheat casinos out of money. Some of these tricks are historical innovations, and some of them might still work (not that you should try them, though).
Yep, you heard it right, magnets! Back in the day, slot machines were all based on metals and mechanical parts. Here’s how it worked: you’d spin the reels, and when they landed on your winning combo, you’d whip out a powerful magnet from your pocket and slap it on the side of the machine to stop the spinning. And then, well, you can guess what happened next.
Sorry and however, things have changed. Today’s slot machines are now powered by computer programs and computerised parts. They’re not magnetic anymore. The old magnet trick is gone. I bet there are a bunch of old-school cheats out there who look back on those days when it worked and think, “Ah, the good old days, all that money..." It’s a kinda bittersweet feeling.
When you hear “light wand”, Cinderella’s fairy godmother might come to your mind. Nope, the name you should think of is Tommy Glenn Carmichael. Born in the 1950s, right when tech was taking off, Carmichael was a tech whiz from a young age. He made a fortune using a light wand, even boasting, “Give me a slot machine and I’ll beat it.”
Carmichael made this gadget to blind the slot machine's optical sensor, tricking it into not knowing when or how much to pay out.
For instance, you feed the machine a 50-dollar bill and then ask it to cash out the same 50 bucks you just put in. With a light wand in play, that 50 bucks could quickly double, then triple — basically, as much as your stomach can handle. Kinda a money doubler mojo.
Carmichael didn’t stop at one of them. He made more of these devices and sold them to other tricksters. Every casino he hit felt the impact.
Stories of fake stuff and the history of gambling go together: 5 and 6. You’d think a lot of folks might have had the same idea, but the one who really made a splash was a con artist named Louis Colavecchio, also known as “The Coin.” He was a master at creating high-quality fakes. He was the leader of a squad that made copies of a bunch of slot machine coins using hardened steel dies of the real coins.
Quite a gangster. He used these phony coins to dupe casinos for years until he was finally nabbed in 1998. That was just the start. After getting out of the slammer in 2006, he slipped right back into his old habits and was busted again just a few months later. Oopsie. He wouldn’t just give up.
Glitches can make software go haywire, and sometimes, they can be taken advantage of. That's why in many industries, including gambling and more, it’s standard practice to regularly review, catch bugs, fix, and update software. The goal is to get hold of most of the bugs before the bad guys can. However, the truth is that no software can be 100% secure, and that leftover bit from the “most” has been used for years to cheat casinos.
A player could follow a specific pattern of games and bets that could throw off the machine and cause a glitch. When this happens with slot machines, it’s unexpected: “money, money, money”!
Take, for instance, the incident at the Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo, when Pauline Mckee from Illinois hit a $41 million jackpot on a Miss Kitty slot machine, although she was later denied the payment.
You wouldn’t believe how quickly casino management scrambles to fix these glitches when found.
Talk about saving the best for the last! As slot machines are being upgraded, cheats are becoming smarter and always on the lookout for innovative ways to cheat at the machines. Previously it was a fake coin, a glitch, blah blah blah, and now it is a bill validator device. This sneaky trick involves wrapping a bill in the cheating device and feeding it into the machine.
Once this device hits the right spots, the machine reads any bill inserted as a $100 bill, even if it’s just a measly $1 or $5 bill!
Don’t worry; casinos are staying one step ahead. They’re fighting back by installing new bill acceptors in their machines. These high-tech devices can spot and say “No” to counterfeit bills or any attempts to trick the machine into mistaking a smaller bill for a larger one. The only way to pull off this trick nowadays is to find an ancient, forgotten machine with all the cameras on that floor covered in cobwebs.
Regardless of the situation, these cheating methods are a no-go. They might seem glamorous or tempting because others have done it. Don’t let that fool you. Participating in slot cheating or any other kind of gambling fraud is no laughing matter — it’s a dangerous game with severe repercussions.
The essence of gambling is for enjoyment and entertainment. Cheating just spoils the fun, and that is irreversible damage. It won’t be the same for you again. It’s simply not the right path for anyone. No matter how cheats try to justify it, people will always see it for what it is — dishonest and wrong. Do the right thing.
