Casino Black Jack and Slot Machines

Cheat The Slot Machines

The vast majority of cheating that happens in a casino blackjack takes place in the slot machine areas. This cheating is, for the most part attempted by outside agents against the house. Unlike table games casino surveillance of slot areas is not as rigid. Casinos have a dealer on each table game, a floor person and pit boss to back-up the dealer, a shift boss and casino manager and surveillance. It is obviously not possible or practical to post an employee on each slot machine. The cheaters are aware of this and consequently they go after slot machines more often. (In fairness to casino slot operations many hotels have installed slot control systems. Programs such as Bally's SDS System connect every slot machine in the casino to a master computer. Anytime the door of a slot machine is opened a print out is generated. A legal door opening, when an authorized employee is entering the slot machine, shows up differently from an illegal entry. The SDS and other systems like it, can be equipped with a camera alarm interface. When an illegal entry is made the alarm will interface with the camera and move it to that location.)

Cheating Methods

Cheating at slots takes many forms from the simple Black Jack - Money Management Technique to the high tech. One method known as "Stringing" or "Yo-Yoing" is simply attaching one end of a string to a coin and the other end to a paper clip. The coin on the string Is inserted in the slot machine and the paper clip clips onto the outside of the coin entry preventing the coin from falling into the hopper. The string has been cut to the proper length to allow the coin to come to rest on the coin acceptor switch. By simply lifting the string up and down the cheater is attempting to trigger the machine and register several coins in without any coins actually dropping. In order to combat the "Stringer most slot machines are outfitted with tiny razor blades along the coin entry path. The idea is that when the "Stringer" pulls the coin back the razor blade cuts the string. Another very common cheating method attempted in the slots is "Slugging." Slugging involves the use of counterfeit coins or tokens. In the old days, with the mechanical slot machines there were several kinds of slugs that would be accepted in a slot machine. Foreign coins, washers, the metal pop-out circles from electrical outlet boxes, lead fishing sinkers melted down and molded and tokens from children's arcades have all been used as slugs. Today slot machines are electronic and have Black Jack - Read Craps Rules an electronic coin comparator. One of the casinos tokens or a coin of the realm is placed in the comparator. When a customer puts another coin in the machine the comparator compares the metal alloy content, the diameter and weight before it allows the coin to pass. There are a few clever cheats who have gone to the trouble of minting counterfeit tokens and attempt to match the exact alloy content of the casino tokens.

Surfing

A relatively new casino slot cheating attempt is known as "Surfing." Cheaters will attach a piece of clear Mylar tape to a $20 or $100 bill. The cheat approaches a slot machine or change machine, and inserts the bill while, of course, keeping hold of the Mylar tape. (The cheater may have previously prepared the bill by spreading a thin layer of baby powder on both sides). Just as the machine begins to register and accept the bill, the cheat will pull the bill back out. When timed properly the slot machine registers the amount of the bill and the cheater still has the bill to use again. The slot machine manufacturers have since adjusted the bill acceptors to prevent "Surfing."