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Cheating Fruit (Slot) Machines
ebbdr writes "Ever think that fruit machines cheat you? You would be right, at least in the UK. This article provides proof that fruit machine outcomes are predetermined and that the players inputs have little, if anything to do with it. And it lets you download the emulators and machine code required to test the hypothesis for yourself...."
The Random Number Generator (RNG) can be
made to change its percentage by simply changing it's seed number. There
are several ways this cam be done.
1) Change the Eprom Chip with a new program and/or seed number which any
computer technician can change a chip.
2) Use an Eprom that has a cyclic program that will keep changing the
seed number after predetermined numbers of cycles.
3) Posibly change the seed number through a signal from the master
computer or mainframe. There is no doubt that all these machines are
hooked up to the mainframe for monitoring and/or recording data for
expert review. It is known fact that comp cards and players records
are fed back to the mainframe, why not other data.
It is for this reason why I am an advocate for all Gambling to come under
a Federal or State controlled Gambling Commission. All of what I say is
not intended to infer that there is any tampering with slot machine
programs and controls. I can only say from my experience as a computer
programmer, that if the possibility exists, the probability resides.
Therefore only an astute Gaming Commission that can oversee these
computers and their control, will clear up this doubt and mistrust about
slot machines.
I know it's a great /. tradition not to read the articles, but, for once, could you make an attempt?
To summerise the problem, the ROM shows that the outcome of slot machines is predetermined. In the acticle it gives an example:
"The machine has a number reel, with numbers from 1 to 12. On the reel a "10" is showing. Should you go Higher, or Lower?"
Apparently the machine doesn't pick a number at random from 1 to 12 and compares that to your guess of higher or lower. Instead it is predetermined whether you win or lose, so whichever button you press doesn't matter.
An emulator enables you to save and restore previous states, so that you can find out what would have happened. In this case, the author/s of the piece are saying that slot machines are predetermined things, at least in part.
This is probably illegal, as the machine is strongly implying that your guess will affect your chances (higher than 10 is less likely than lower than 10), which is shown to be untrue. It's almost like having a fixed dice game. In a fair game you'd expect to have 1/6 chance of winning when you roll a dice. In the above slot-machine example you'd expect a 1/6 chance of winning if you pressed Higher, and a 3/4 chance of winning if you pressed Lower, and this isn't the case.