They used to, but not any more. With advanced security both on land-based casinos and RNGs online, cheating on fruit machines just isn’t physically possible.
Fruit-themes slots are both a classic staple from the good old days before online casinos and a top pick for current online players. However, as long as these slots were in pubs, arcades and casinos, people wanted to find fruit machine cheat codes. There are so many myths, urban legends and tall tales floating around glorifying cheaters winning hundreds of thousands of pounds.
However, while older machines were slightly less advanced, licensed online games employ sophisticated security measures. In addition, the risk of getting caught makes cheating at fruit machines nearly impossible. In this blog, I will debunk some common myths, highlight the risks involved and uncover some fascinating history about fruit machine cheats along the way. So, let’s pull the lever and get going, shall we?
As long as casinos and gambling have been around, players have tried to flip the table and gain an edge, even in unfair ways. Once slots arrived on the scene at the turn of the 20th century, those eager for jackpots resorted to simple cheating methods for every possible advantage. The first known cheat in slots was a string-attached coin. This allowed players to trigger payouts without actually placing a wager. After the game, cheaters would just pull the coin back and rerun this scam.
Over time, both slot machines and cheaters became more sophisticated. In the 1980s, during the golden era of slots, Tommy Glenn Carmichael, a former TV repairman, rose to infamy. He invented devices like light wands and top-bottom joints that were able to manipulate electronic slot machines. The top-bottom joint a guitar string to interfere with the slot’s electricals while the light wand emitted a specific beam to blind optical sensors in the machine. Both devices allowed Glenn Carmichael to get coins with every spin.
A few years later, Ronald Dale Harris, a computer programmer for the Nevada Gaming Control Board, exploited his access to source codes of slots to program them to payout jackpots when coins were inserted in a specific sequence. He went undetected for years until the cheater was finally caught and convicted.
Attempts at cheating are still seen today. However, what history tells us is that almost every hacker is caught eventually. By knowing the history of fruit machine cheats, modern-day players can better evaluate risks and avoid risks of fines and jail. Since day 1, cheating at casinos has been prohibited, and the danger will always outweigh the potential payout.
Decades passed after Tommy Glenn Carmichael and Ronald Dale Harris ran their schemes. Nowadays, most slot action is online. With many more games available to players around the world, the allure of cheating still exists. However, modern, advanced security measures are so robust that advantage play is seemingly non-existent.
The gaming landscape has transformed with the emergence of online digital slots. While mechanical machines (until the 2010s) were highly susceptible to various forms of cheating, complex online software has made cheating nearly impossible.
Real-time monitoring and rapid deployment of security updates made online gaming much more transparent, fair and cheat-free.
Each slot provider employs a Random Number Generator, or RNG, for short. It‘s a critical software component that works in the background and ensures total randomness of every spin‘s result.
When you press Spin, the RNG is capable of determining the outcome of your spin in a split second based on predetermined RTP and volatility factors.
Thanks to RNGs, it‘s impossible to predict the result of your next spin, and patterns only emerge after millions of tries, making exploitation impossible for human players. RNGs are tested independently, and governing bodies (like UKGC) require casinos to implement, maintain and update them.
In order to bypass RNGs, you need computers with so much calculation power it’s nearly impossible to build one at home (think military-grade, six or seven-figure setups). And even if a machine capable of cheating would exist, advanced monitoring allows for swift detection on the casino’s part. So, however advanced your technique is, cheating on fruit machines won’t fly…
So, equipped with the knowledge of the impossible nature of cheating online, people turn to machines in physical casinos. They are sophisticated but not as much as their online counterparts, leaving a small gap for advantage exploitation. However, there are more myths surrounding cheating on fruit machines than effective cheating technique guides.
So, let’s debunk those common myths one by one.
Myth: A common misconception stems from what Ronald Dale Harris was able to achieve in the early 90s. People believe that making specific bets and button press sequences can boost odds and exploit machines.
Facts: both online and physical machines are governed by RNGs or similar software. This ensures that outcomes for every spin are random, even if the machine has been idle for days. If no one has messed with the source code and the machine itself (which is a punishable offence), button sequences and betting patterns won’t influence outcomes.
Myth: Some players believe that playing a machine at certain times (often – off-peak hours) can increase the likeliness of winning.
Facts: There’s no basis for this claim because fruit machines work consistently. They have a fixed return percentage in their code. It means that the machine will eventually give back 85, 90 or 95% of funds to players. The key word here is ‘eventually,’ describing a very long period. RNGs ensure that the prize distribution is random and can’t be predicted.
Myth: There was a time when a Light Wand or other tool could interfere with the machine’s integrity.
Facts: Modern machines render such attempts impossible due to advanced, multi-layer security. Even if you’re able to bring such devices to a casino, security officers will detect irregular patterns and ask you to leave or call the police.
Myth: Based on the gambler’s fallacy, some players believe that a machine is due for a payout after a player has been using it unsuccessfully for a prize. Additionally, lurkers seek out hot machines that, in their minds, promise better returns. This is heavily tied to Myth #2 from our list.
Facts: Once again, RNGs make sure every spin is independent from past results. Lurking won’t give you an advantage. The only chance for a lurker is just to get lucky…
If, after reading all this, you’re still eager to find a magic cheat to scam all fruit machines, let’s talk legal stuff. I’ll show you what the risks are, and it should definitely deter you from any future attempts. It’s just not worth it because penalties in the UK (and in other locations) are so severe.
Under Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005, It is a criminal offence to cheat at gambling or assist others in doing so.
This includes any form of interference with the game’s integrity or software manipulation. The worst part for cheaters is that a conviction doesn’t require proof of malicious intent. Even interference without dishonest intent constitutes as an offence.
The casino will conduct an internal investigation while the UKGC has governing power to investigate and, together with legal authorities, prosecute offenders in England and Wales. Scotland is a bit different because the UKGC only has recommending power while the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service makes the final decision.
If you’re found guilty, you can receive a financial penalty and(or) jail time. The maximum penalty on conviction is up to 51 weeks imprisonment and/or a fine of up to level 5. On indictment, however, the jail time can jump to 2 years and/or an unlimited fine, taking away all winnings and then some.
Furthermore, players will be blacklisted from casinos around the country and will forever hold a criminal record. So, is cheating worth it? My 2 cents – absolutely not.
Besides Tommy Glenn Carmichael and Ronald Dale Harris, there were many more famous instances of fruit machine cheat code users getting caught.
A former locksmith, Dennis Nikrasch, used his experience and skills to orchestrate one of the biggest slot scams of all time. Over the span of two decades, he and his team exploited various slots around Las Vegas to cash in around $16 million of illicit winnings.
Nikrasch found ways to control and manipulate spin outcomes. The end for him? When an accomplice turned informant, the cunning locksmith was arrested and got a seven-and-a-half-year sentence.
The pair of men discovered a software glitch in IGT‘s Game King video poker machine. They could replay winning hands at higher denominations, massively boosting their payouts. The dangerous duo ran through multiple casinos until they were caught red-handed at the Silverton Casino.
The end game for them was federal charges.
In 1998, Louis Colavecchio was arrested and sentenced to jail time. The talented craftsman made nearly perfect counterfeit slot machine tokens and played risk-free for a long, long time. After his initial release, “The Coin” got back to his dirty work, improving his techniques, but was still caught and returned to prison.
There are ways to improve your odds on fruit machines without cheating. Although it can never guarantee profit, if you look at gambling as a fun pastime, these tips can help you have more fun playing.
Most online casinos offer bonuses and free spins upon signing up or in exchange for being an active player. You can get deposit matches, 200% bonuses, free spins on specific slots and other perks for being active.
After fulfilling the wagering requirements listed in the bonus T&Cs, you can cash out what you win. This isn’t a guaranteed path to profits, but can still reduce losses or even help come out on top after a session or two.
Return to Player (RTP) is a crucial factor in selecting slots. This figure indicates the percentage of total bets that the casino machine will eventually return to players. For example, a slot with a 90% RTP will, on average, return £90 for every £100 wagered. The figure is £96 for a 96% RTP machine, indicating more favourable odds for the player.
It’s advisable to scout for games with higher RTP figures and to spend more time on them rather than just looking at graphics, bonus games and other factors with little impact on your finances.
Some slot machines have the Gamble feature. It‘s risky but fun. You can stake your win to have a chance at doubling it if you guess the colour of the face-down card, that is. In some games, you can Gamble multiple times, having the opportunity to 4x, 8x or even 16x your winnings.
The underlying risk, however, is significant. You only have a 50% chance of guessing right, so the best bet is just to collect what you won and avoid bothering with this feature.
There can be other features (like Bonus Buy, Ante Bet, etc.). Picking them can boost or reduce your chances, depending on the game. So check your odds before committing.
Responsible gambling is paramount to a safe and more enjoyable gaming experience.
You can’t gain an edge in a casino, no matter how hard you try. So, if gaming becomes an issue or you want to have as much fun and avoid stress, utilise these features for your own advantage.
They used to, but not any more. With advanced security both on land-based casinos and RNGs online, cheating on fruit machines just isn’t physically possible.
If you try to cheat and get caught, in the UK, you can be blacklisted from the casino, fined, put to jail (or everything at once), depending on the situation.
Look at the volatility and RNG statistics, bonus feature impact and reviews from experts to find fruit machines with the most favourable odds.
Real-world machines used to be more vulnerable. However, they now also have powerful computers and random number generators built-in, making cheating in-person just as diffcult, as doing so online.
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