Since the beginning of the slot machine people have been trying to steal from them. In the olden days this was much easier. The games were purely mechanical and putting a glitch into them externally was not impossible. There were thieves right away who saw an opportunity. Originally it was “slugs” that were used for the games. Thieves whittled fake coins out of wood and then used them for machines. If they got lucky, the machine would pay out and they invested nothing but the slug into the game. Once the games went electronic, this was no longer possible. Games came with sensors to make sure the coin that was going in was really a coin—it checked weight so thieves were no longer able to scam the machines. Next, there were various devices created by scammers. The “monkey paw” being one of them was used to insert into the game and trick it into thinking it should pay out. This worked for a short time, but soon casinos became wise and that was stopped too. Now there are a lot of advances in the world of slots gaming, but some people still think they can take a shot at winning at the games through trickery. It isn’t wise, but they are more bold than smart.

Now, if you try to swindle a game you can be ready for the FBI to step in. Recently two people happened upon a software glitch in slot machines and used the information to try to get big payouts. It didn’t work, and now they are standing trial in a federal court. Of course it wasn’t worth it, but that doesn’t mean that future thieves may not take their own shot at getting undeserved payouts. People are always going to have the brilliant idea of scamming instead of just relying on luck the way they should. Casinos are wiser than that though and are installing million- dollar security systems to fight against theft. They are going to most likely shore up their rules enough to make it impossible for the next wave of thieves to be successful at it.

The thing with fraud is that it only opens the door for problems. Sure Tommy Glenn Carmichael is credited with creating the monkey paw and will go down in history as its inventor, but what was the true result? Not only did he spend time in prison, but he also was put on the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s “black book” and denied entrance to casinos around the country. He is well known in the market and it isn’t hard for casinos to keep track of who is coming in and who is trying to scam them. Let’s face it, slots bring in billions of dollars so casinos are going to spend as much time and money as reasonable possible to protect that money. As a result of gaming thieves, casinos did their best to build security systems that were impenetrable. Just look at a casino today. You are going to see a huge line of security cameras in almost every spot imaginable at a casino. The security systems are now built to make the biggest intimidation factor possible to deter thieves from trying to scam them. Of course if they do, they are going to feel the brunt of the security staff.

So where does that leave the market? In the end, slots parlors are aware of the thievery that is possible. Their biggest weakness though is the fact that there are so many machines to watch. Sure there are thousands of video cameras on a casino floor, but there are a limited number of eyes to go through those tapes and watch the activities of every square foot of the casino. It can open the door for gaming problems with thieves who are determined to walk away with some unearned cash. A recent study showed that thieves are moving together in a group these days. If they can all steal a total of $300 per ten-minutes, that adds up to $1,800 per hour. That is no small amount of change if you add that up for a week or so of five-hour shifts. This is a major concern of casinos today and they are constantly working to shore up their casino floors. Thieves are everywhere and evolving their skills but casino security workers are not far behind. They are making their own changes to thwart thievery.

One of the old tricks in slots gaming at land based casinos is to cheat the slots. For years now people have been trying to cheat the slots. Back when they were mechanical, that wasn’t too difficult. You would see a player come in and instead of putting in coins, he or she would put in “slugs.” A slug is a wooden piece carved down to the size and shape of an actual coil. The mechanics of the machine didn’t know the difference between a slug and a real coin and played the game out like it was an actual coin. This was the most common way for thieves to fool games. Next, the games moved to electronic housings. This changed everything—it was easy to push out the “slug” possibility with these games. The electronic features of the game made sure immediately that the coin coming in was made of metal and the right weight to be accepted. This kind of check at the beginning of the game made it harder for thieves to keep on scamming. They weren’t done yet though.

The thing about gambling is that it inevitably brings in thievery and people trying to beat the system in one way or another. One way or another they were going to take advantage of the millions of dollars that were available at a casino and hope to not get caught. Various tools were used. Some were called “monkey paws” and they were metal objects that fit into the slot machine to trick the machine into believing that a player was putting in real money. Famed cheat Tommy Glenn Carmichael was credited with creating the monkey paw. Of course for his efforts he ended up in prison for quite a few years. Defrauding slot machines then changed when technology started to move. It no longer was possible for monkey paws to work as games became more expansive and advanced. Next, thieves used EPROM-influencing activities. These are machines that use microwaves to interrupt the machines normal gaming session. They also proved to be effective…for a while.

Part two coming next.

If you are looking for a slots strategy, don’t bother. Do a Google search online and you are going to find a long list of products you can purchase that promise to give you a great advantage of gambling. They claim that if you buy their product for $10.99, $49.99 or even $99.99 they can instruct you on how to “win, win, win at slots gaming!” Your immediate response should be, “Thank you, but no thank you!” Remember that ever market has scammers and slots gaming is no different. No matter who tells you that they have a sure fire method for you to learn to win slots games, remember that slots by nature are games of luck and luck alone. There is nothing else you can work with to increase your chances of a good win when it comes to the games.

If you are looking to start slots gaming, remember that you have one thing to employ: luck. There is no strategy to the games. Though “experts” claim there are, you won’t find any sure fire ones that are going to work. Save your money and put it into playing games that have a list of additional bonuses to work with. For example, you can find games online that offer special bonuses that make up for the additional money you have to wager with them. If you find an online casino that offers you a cashback bonus or extra credit, then you are going to be able to recoup any money you would have lost. In addition, a lot of gaming casinos offer you other bonuses. They offer things like VIP programs where you can earn additional bonuses as you game. For example, let’s say for every $10 you wager you get one point. When you earn 50 points, you then can turn those in for free credits. Most VIP programs have levels so as you continue to game, you are going to find more and more bonuses to enjoy. Maybe the casino will offer you two free credits for every 50 points when you get to level two—this is common with any bonus structure an online casino brings to you. It can help you to earn more gaming points and help you to maximize your wins. Forget about “products” that are “100% guaranteed” and just sit back and have fun with slots—that’s what they were created for.

There was also the scam of tying a string to the token and putting it in the machine. Players would them pull it out and “fool” the machine into thinking it was getting more money. The machine would continue to spin the reels. This was a short-lived scam too. Owners got wise to the trick and moved quickly to up security’s vigilant eyes. Of course again, technology put the kabash on one too. Slot machine manufacturers built in “catches” to lock coins into the machine once they were inserted. That prevented anyone from pulling a string to pull the coin back out.

“Sliders” and “monkey wires” were also used by thieves. These preyed on the trigger mechanism a slot machine has. When a slot pays out, it’s triggered and releases the winning amount. Sliders and monkey wires are tools used to jam into the trigger that force the machine to payout. Again, technology stopped this method quickly. Not only did casinos become aware of the scam, but manufacturers moved to make the machines more secure.

In later days, scammers also tried using optics. Once machines went electronic, thieves started using optical systems and lights to shine into the machine. The lights acted like a key to the machines and thieves managed to stop the lights momentarily, thus causing the machines to payout. In the late 80s this method was put to an end. Developers made it more difficult to reach any of the inner-mechanisms of the machine and people were unable to 1) get to the inside and 2) use light as a cheat.

Finally, another popular way of cheating the machine was for groups of people to join together to try to scam the casino. This involved one inside-man working for development companies. He or she would build a subtle “trip” into the machine. Once it was triggered, the outside person playing knew exactly what to do to get the big payout. Though this was a new way to scam a casino, it was quickly found out by casinos. This is one of the main reasons casinos watch winners. They keep track of who is getting big payouts and when. They know what is going on and intricate security protocols work to read patterns in wins.

Overall, anyone who has the idea to cheat a slots game should be forewarned that most likely there aren’t a whole lot of scams a casino hasn’t seen. Since the beginning of gambling people have been trying to win money that wasn’t rightfully theirs. It may sound simple, but the price to pay is years in prison for tampering with machines. It’s best to just enjoy the game and hope for Lady Luck. The price could be too high to pay if you don’t.

There are millions of slots lovers around the world. The games have proven their worth over the years and are highly lucrative in the market. Despite their security, there are still a number of people wondering about being able to scam the machines. So the question remains: can you cheat with a slot machine?

Over the years there have been famous slot machine cheats. Often times they have involved unscrupulous players who have special tools to tamper with the machines. In particular magnets were used to put off the delicate mechanisms within the machines. The best defense casinos have had are the intricate security cameras that catch odd behaviors and send officers immediately to the scene for further inspection. The more intricate ways of robbing slots are things that can’t be seen. Casinos are well versed in the odds of their machines though and if some one continues to beat them, the casino becomes suspicious. Again, the players are immediately met with security.

Casino slot machines are designed to work using a RNG or Random Number Generator. There are various regulations and check-points for every machine that assure it is operating within the parameters set by the casino and by a third-party watchdog. A lot of players think that if a machine hasn’t paid out in a few hours, it is sure to hit next. Or if a machine just paid out, it will do so again shortly. While these are good theories, they are just that. The RNG is the only thing that dictates what happens with the reels and it’s just that—random.

So given that the machines work with RNGs, how is it that people have managed to overcome them and cheat? Almost every casino today uses casino-specific coins and tokens. The slot machine automatically checks to verify that the coin is the right size, weight and density. This was due to the age-old trick of making “slugs”, or fake chips that trigger the machine to spin. Many people tried using them in the early 30s and 40s to fool the machine. Modern technology thwarted their plan though due to the highly sensitive mechanisms that are now built into a machine.

Part two coming next.

If you are a fan of the late-night infomercial then you know the drill. A hyper host brings a new product to the market that you just “can’t live without.” They build up the product’s virtues to the live studio audience who are more than ready to build excitement for the home viewer. Then the host starts with a price of $69.99…the audience doesn’t like that. So the host brings the price down to $59.99…still a no-go. He offers to “throw in” extras and expand the deal…maybe even double it! That’s getting better for the studio audience but they hold out one last time. The host finally agrees to bring the price down to $39.99 plus all the extras included. The audience busts with applause and the 800 number flashes on the screen.  It’s always the same.

There is another product on the market regarding slot machines. It’s called “James Coburn’s Winning Strategies Series: Slots.” There are two other videos in the series and they focus on blackjack and craps. Each one sells for $19.95 without shipping and handling.  Now his book on slots is coming into question. Is there really a “strategy” to slots?

The host of the video James Coburn says, “If you are an intelligent slot player who knows the odds and plays within your means, there are ways to beat the slots at their own game.” If you want a concise version of what this book tells you in 200+ pages, here it is: decide to wager or don’t.  That’s about all the true “knowledge” you’ll get from this book.  There are no tips because the reality is that the writer knows the truth—slots are a game based on random numbers and random can’t be predicted.

Slots games all have a random number generator, or RNG, in them. That RNG is what decides on numbers when you spin. It dictates where each reel falls and decides your win or loss. There is no way to alter or influence that mechanism. It is completely independent of any external tampering. The only thing you do have control over is the machine you choose to play and the amount you choose to put in. Coburn tells you this, over and over, but not much else.

Due to the huge rise on online gaming and online slots play, there are some unscrupulous business people coming out of the woodwork.  They are packaging themselves as “gurus” of the game of slots. For $49.99, or sometimes more, they will give you the true inner-secrets of playing slots and winning big at it.  Although this may sound interesting and you may be tempted to “give them a shot”, don’t be fooled. There is no one who can predict the future, and to have a methodology that could teach you to win at slots every time, that is just about what it would take.

If you are an avid gamer, you probably have come in contact with scam artist. They’ll have an advertisement with a hefty pitch. It will profess to be able to give you some “100% effective” or “guaranteed” slot machine system of play. These advertisers can range from innocent pranksters to bonafide conmen.  They come in all shapes and sizes. Some look like “average” every day Joes and some look like millionaires. Depending on their pitch, they’ll take one stand or another and try to get you to bite. Let’s face it though, if some one really did find a method to winning slots “every time”, why would they share it with the world for $49.99? Wouldn’t it be more lucrative to just travel the globe winning payout after payout?

One woman in Pennsylvania was fooled when a woman of similar stature offered her a “slots winning package.” It included a book, CD and DVD, and folder of paperwork all espousing a new program she herself just purchased. The cost? $129.99. She claimed that she was “trying it out” but would go in 50/50 with the Pennsylvanian woman. What happened was she did go half and half with the woman and then disappeared. When the woman reported her, it was found out that the offender had offered this “deal” to about 25 other slots players. The grand total she received from them combined was well-over $1,600. When they tried to find her, of course, she was long gone. The lesson is, don’t get fooled by anyone who claims to have a system when it comes to playing slots. They are based on luck and the random number generator within the machine. You can’t buy either.