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Slot Machine with Bad Software Sends Players To Jail
dcollins writes "Previous discussions here have turned into debates over who is liable for faulty software: the programmers, the publisher, etc. Yahoo has a new option: perhaps the users are criminally liable for using the software. From the AP: 'Prosecutors are considering criminal charges against casino gamblers who won big on a slot machine that had been installed with faulty software ... A decision on whether to bring criminal charges could come in a couple of weeks, said John Colin, chief deputy prosecutor for Harrison County. He said 'criminal intent' may be involved when people play a machine they know is faulty.' Would your average user be able to distinguish 'faulty software' from 'lucky'?"
"Tightness" or "looseness" of the slots is a matter of perception for the customer, even though that is set concretely by the casino. There are payout tables shown by the machine, however most payers disregard these statistics in favor of their own flawed perceptions, observations, and overheard rumors.
Putting a malfunctioning machine into play is the result of sloppy auditing or maintenance by either the casino, the state, the feds, or the machine manufacturer. The fact is that the machine should have never been turned on in the first place. The machine should never have been made available to the customer. The fault here clearly does not lie with that customer. The customer is not financially responsibility for the errors of others.
Further, putting a malfunctioning machine into play is the result of sloppy auditing or maintenance by either the casino, the state, the feds, or the machine manufacturer. The fact is that the machine should never have been turned on in the first place. The machine should never have been made available to the customer. The fault here clearly does not lie with that customer. The customer is not financially responsibility for the errors of others.