Why you should think twice before using slot machine cheats

Slot machine cheats are as old as the machine itself. These contraptions comprise almost 80% in a casino's gaming floor and millions of dollars of jackpot are possibly waiting inside to be unloaded. Slot machine cheats can do this effortlessly. But using these tricks are illegal; you could be fined, thrown to jail or get blacklisted in casinos so never be tempted to do so. The stories around slot machine cheats, however, are very intriguing.

One person that's become somewhat a legend in cheating is Tommy Glenn Carmichael. He was very good at making personal mechanical instruments which would mess with the system and make it trip, causing it to give multiple payouts. These devices were called a "monkey paw" and a "top-bottom" joint. He was apprehended and spent some time in jail but quickly after his release, he would come back to the casinos and play his tricks once more. Every time his modus operandi was discovered, manufacturers installed safeguards to protect the machines against the fraud. It was impressive how much technology went into this endeavor but it was even more amazing that the tricks became simpler. For example, the mini light - to prevent any object from getting inside and tripping its switch, optical light sensors were installed to prompt when to pay coins. The mini light was flashed inside to puzzle the sensors about how much coins has gone out.

There were also some instances where players tied coins with a string and dangle it onto the machine then pull it back. This makes the system to count multiple credits when in fact only one coin has been dropped. This practice has long been obsolete however, thanks to the numerous cameras monitoring the gaming floor and the vigilance of casino employees. The manufacturers also did their part by putting a safety catch so the coins can't be pulled back.

Fake coins, or slugs, have been a common trick too. Nowadays, the machines are embedded with a system that measures the coin's shape and weight, making it almost impossible to use fakes.

Computer technology is the best hope for the future of safeguarding slots. Since more money is invested in the virtual industry, the cheats have also evolved. Hollywood has introduced a lot of possible scenarios like inside jobs, and some could possibly happen in real life. Before you decide to scam these devices, remember that they have been put through intense quality control tests. On top of that, casino management is very vigilant against scammers, and once they catch con artists, they will surely send them to jail. Even Tommy Carmichael reformed himself and is now working with companies to secure machines against cheating.