How to Cheat Slot Machines
Introduction: How to Cheat Slot Machines
Our personal favorite is the old “coin on a string” routine. It’s so amateurish and at the same time kinda quaint. But there has been any number of methods, from the high tech to the darn-right silly. Some of these include using cheat codes, magnets, your portable phone, cheating with different coins, homemade cheating devices and both software and hardware malfunction cheats. It goes without saying that all of these are illegal. Gaming authorities take cheating very seriously and courts dish out long sentences for those caught.
Cheat Codes for Slot Machines
You’ll be needing to understand exactly how slot machines work in order to try and use any cheat codes. The problem with this method is that even if you had access to the cheat codes or codes used for testing during maintenance, you might have a problem actually using them. This is simply because every single interaction, whether from a player or from an engineer, is reordered.
It’s all part and parcel of the casino’s license. This is because the casino itself has to prove that it’s obeying the rules, so the chances of an “outsider” being able to circumnavigate the casino’s own security are pretty slim. As far as we know, no one has ever used this method and got away with it (though logic dictates, that if they had done so successfully, well, then we wouldn’t know!).
In conclusion, cheat codes are mostly gossips on the internet according to the online jackpot sites.
Fooled with a Magnet
This was an old trick that actually worked and was commonplace in the 1960s. You could use a strong magnet and cause the reels to spin freely, thus avoiding them from stopping where they were meant to. Once the reel symbols lined up, then a winning combo was triggered, allowing the player/cheater to cash out. Today’s slot machines are not only protected from outside influences like magnetism but because they all run on software, using a random number generator, it would no longer function.
How to Cheat Slot Machines with a Cell Phone?
Because almost every land-based casino is happy to let you video yourself playing, some believe that they can use this to their advantage. The general idea is to film yourself playing, making sure the slots machine is in the shot. Then you analyze the footage and try and work out the algorithm used to program the game. Keep going until you have worked out the jackpot-winning combinations. But don’t try this method to win the jackpot online, since these online platforms are well-protected from any hacker attacks.
Cheat Slot Machines with Coins
Years ago, when casino slot machines were more primitive with their security, scammer devised any number of hacks using various methods but all focusing around the actual coins themselves. These included using fake coins and other cheats. We’ve made a list here.
Shaved Coins
During the advancement of slot machine technology, there was a period when these machines used both a light sensor and a physical comparator. Now, normally when you popped in a coin, as it fell, the optic sensor would register the coin. But this sensor was not connected to the comparator into which the coin fell. So, you could use a shaved coin and couple it with a plastic token of the exact same size. The shaved coin would be returned as not fit for purpose and the token would remain in the machine, thus starting a new game.
Fake Coins
Years ago, casino slot machines used a system whereby the coins were weighed as they were inserted. This way the casino could be sure that the coinage was legit. But of course, there were still some players who wanted to game the system. They used fake coins of the same weight and were made of similar metals. Gradually the security technology grew to be more sophisticated and the age of playing with fake coins went the way of the dinosaur. Today, many casinos have slot machines that only accept casino tokens.
Coin on a String
This is another technique for cheating the slot machines and was also known as the “yo-yo cheat”. That’s simply because it used the same principle as the child’s toy. So a coin, with a piece of string glued on, is placed in the slot machine until it activates a game. Once the mechanism has been tricked, then with a hefty tug, the coin is returned to its owner. Rinse and repeat. Of course, there’s no way that such a simple and effective technique could function with today’s machines.
Cheating Devices for Slot Machines
As well as trying to cheat slot machines with coins, there are some players who have devised various cheating devices. Here are some of the more well-known efforts:
Bill Validator Device
This actually worked well for a period. The Bill Validator device worked by having a $1 note fed into the slot machine, but the machine’s own note validator would see this bill as a $100. Very useful indeed.
Light Wand
Again, this was a trick that worked well, but only for a limited period, after which the casino’s tightened their security efforts. The light wand would blind the optical sensor on the slot machine. This would, in turn, prevent the machine from being able to determine the number of coins being deposited in the machine itself. The slot would actually “lose track” on when to make a payout. Did someone say “jackpot!”.
Monkey Paw Device
The Monkey Paw was a simple device which was a bent metal rod that was attached to a guitar string. The general idea was that you pushed the rod into the machine via the air vent. Then a bit of twisting and pushing and pulling until you managed to hit the trigger switch for the coin hopper. Almost embarrassingly simple.
Software and Hardware Cheats
As we’ve moved into the age of computers and software, so have the cheaters. Whether examining the source codes or actually ordering a slots machine to reverse hack it, whatever the casinos introduce to strengthen their security, the cheaters are never far behind. These are some of the better-known efforts with regard to both software and hardware hacks.
Finding a Slot Software Glitch
It has happened that due to a software glitch, certain slot machines have been unable to payout. So some smart players use this knowledge to manipulate the system. Because there are certain patterns of stakes that can be used to “confuse” these glitchy machines, players are able to activate said glitch and be rewarded with a payout. Over the years, many players “in the know” were able to take advantage of this and cheat slot machines out of millions of dollars. It was very difficult for the casinos to be aware of just what was going down.
Computer Chip Replacement
Dennis Nikrasch is probably the most famous slot machine cheater. He bought himself a slot machine and took it apart in his garage. He focused on the computer chip and was able to successfully reprogram them. Nikrasch then sent out a team of technicians who were able to replace the casino’s slot machine chips with his own home-made ones. Over the cause of 20 years, he was able to “win” over $15 million.
Short Circuit
You’d imagine that it would be impossible to cheat slot machines today. But you’d be wrong. A recent case was that of a couple of guys who worked at a casino. One of them was the maintenance engineer. He accidentally discovered that by causing a short circuit in the slot machine’s internal circuit, the machines would payout on command. His downfall was getting his “best” friend involved. After buying fancy cars and property, the two fell out over money with one then going to the police. This trick could have gone unnoticed for years.
Cheat Slot Machines with Piano Wire
Another more primitive effort took place in the late ’80s. A group of guys managed to jam the mechanical clock inside slots machines that were used to measure the rotation of the wheels, using a length of piano wire. Once in place, they could manipulate the machines at will. Though they did hit the jackpot, their whole scam was actually recorded and the winning player was swiftly arrested.
Top-Bottom Joint
While we’re still in the realm of basic techniques to cheat slot machines, then the “top-bottom” scam is one of the best. This consisted of a tool, made up of two parts. On the top, there was a metal rod and on the bottom, a piece of a long wire. The idea was to feed the long wire into the coin chute, whilst simultaneously using the metal rod to go through the coin slot. You could then jam the machine causing it to payout all the coins inside.
Click here to visit our guides to win the jackpot, where you can find legal tips as well
