Since slot machines first made their debut, those with malicious intent have sought ways to cheat them, leading to millions of pounds/dollars/euros being stolen from casinos as a result of failed attempts at cheating them. Today’s modern machines are highly secure; any attempts at gaming them now would likely be illegal and morally unacceptable, though historically some cheaters managed to outwit or trick their machines and beat the house altogether.
One of the most egregious casino cheats was using fake or counterfeit coins that closely resembled real ones and could be switched out while machines still registered winning combinations. Most commonly seen on mechanical slots but now also seen on some video games – Louis “The Coin” Colavecchio was well known for this scheme and used it successfully against Las Vegas casinos to scam thousands before his arrest in 1998.
Use magnets to ‘lock in’ reels and trigger repeat wins on older machines that weren’t programmed with random number generators – perfect for older mechanical slot machines that didn’t take coins but used coin-in/coin-out systems; nowadays this method cannot be done using most modern slot machines operating via computer software alone – however older mechanical ones could still be tricked using magnets; thus earning this technique the name’slugging’.
More recently, cheaters have turned to hacking the software that runs slot machines in order to increase their odds of winning. This can be accomplished in various ways, such as altering code within the machine or injecting malware that alters its outcome – this type of fraud is illegal and should be prosecuted immediately if discovered.
Tommy Glenn Carmichael made history when he created the light wand, an effective slot cheat device used to stop machines registering winning combinations or payouts. Carmichael became a legendary figure of Vegas casino life and remains widely considered to be the greatest cheater of all time.
Another effective means of gaming slot machines was through using monkey paws – pieces of string placed inside of payout chutes to increase winnings from mechanical one-armed bandits. These were highly sought-after ways of cheating the system.
Cheating tricks should never be used to beat the house; rather they should be seen as ways to steal from it. While some techniques may be legal, others constitute theft that should never be attempted or practiced under any circumstance. Furthermore, most devices used for cheating require extensive skill and practice to operate efficiently – rendering most obsolete today.