How to screw up a slot machine. Secrets of slot machines

Every person interested in gambling is looking for an opportunity to increase their chances of winning. Therefore, any player believes that there must be ways to cheat the system. Searching for a solution to the question “how to deceive slot machine" happen all the time. Information about strategies, certain key combinations, special devices that are connected to the machine, and other illegal manipulations are transmitted from one player to another. But is it really possible to cheat the slot machine?

Ways to beat a slot machine

Both experienced players and beginners are interested in the question of how you can get rich through slot machines. Most people never find a solution to this problem. Others choose their own method to increase the chances of winning.

Among the ways to deceive a machine, the most commonly used is the preparation winning strategy games. To do this, a long and thorough study of the operating algorithm of a particular slot machine takes place and a search for observed patterns occurs. However, this method is time-consuming and expensive. In addition, it is not a fact that you will be able to understand the logic of the machine.

There is a simpler and effective method how to cheat a slot machine. You can hack its software. Of course, this is not a completely honest, and also completely illegal, way of winning. But are you sure that the owners are not cheating their machines?

Special programs for cheating slot machines

However, most often the sale of buggy firmware or special chips is a scam. Firstly, after the appearance of another program that makes it possible to increase the chances of winning, the manufacturer of the machine complicates the operating algorithm of the device in order to prevent fraud. And secondly, would the developers of such chips sell them for pennies? After all, they could earn more if they themselves were engaged in deceiving slot machines using these programs.

Moreover, if such programs really could be freely purchased, then the owners of casinos and online slot machines would already go bankrupt. Agree, the question of how you can deceive a slot machine and whether it can be done at all remains open.

Scamming online slot machine services

Although there are a number of ways to win at the casino, it is worth noting the main misconceptions. A large loss does not provide any guarantee that you will be able to beat this slot machine in the future. Information about this method is specifically disseminated so that players lose as much as possible.

We talked above about selling secret information on how to cheat online slot machines, so we won’t focus on this. One has only to say that the scammers who spread such information are just waiting for players who want to give them their last money.

Slot machines are programmed to give out a certain winnings, and more than this percentage will still not be received. So luck has no influence on winning in online slot machines. To be fair, so does the skill of an individual player.

Algorithm for calculating winnings

To answer the question “is it possible to deceive a slot machine,” let’s look at the principle of its operation. Online slot machines at this moment are the most popular among players. They are specialized computer programs that have various algorithms.

In such programs, a certain percentage is established, which must remain with the owner of the online casino. The slot machine gives out the rest of the money in a completely random order to the players. In addition, winnings will not be issued programmatically until a certain amount is deposited into the machine.

It is precisely this feature of slot machines that is responsible for the fact that casino employees do not have the right to play in their establishment. Therefore, the only answer to the question of how to deceive a slot machine is this: waiting for it to be filled is enough to issue large sum money. However, this can hardly be called a hoax. Rather, it is a strategy that may work in some cases.

How to cheat a food machine

There are various methods to cheat vending machines. However, all these methods really only worked at the time of the birth of such devices. Modern vending machines are reliably protected from such fraud, so hacking attempts only cause smiles from the owners.

It is worth noting that all electronic vending machines have individual codes activity checks that operators use. These codes, as a rule, are known only to the owners of such devices and the operators who service them. It is possible to find such a code: as a rule, these are several buttons indicating drinks or food products sold in the machine. They should be pressed in a certain sequence, individual for each machine. Perhaps this the only way How to trick a food machine, but it doesn’t work in every machine.

Myths about how you can cheat a vending machine

The first myth. This method was used by fans of free soda or telephone calls from a machine in the Soviet Union. In order to get a free coffee or chocolate bar, you need to take a bill and stick strips of tape on its corners. Next you need to bend these strips in half and make straps out of them. You need to insert a stick through the loops that we have made. A bill is inserted into the machine and held by the stick. After the bill passes through the scanner, you can pull it out by the stick and select an item for that amount.

Second myth. Throw a ruble into the machine and press the “refund” button. This action should be done several times. Then the machine will accept the ruble from you, and you will be able to choose any product.

The third myth. A banknote of any denomination must be cut in half. After this, you need to cut out the second half of the bill from thick paper and glue it to the first with tape. Then you can insert it into the machine, which reads only the first half of the banknote. This way you can save half the amount.

IN modern world Taking these myths seriously is at least naive.

Ways to cheat slot machines with toys

Each of us at least once in our lives tried to get soft toy from a machine gun. However, most often a situation arises when the machine has already grabbed the toy and picked it up, but it remains in the machine. This is because it is programmed to give out prizes at a certain percentage. In its settings there is a function that strengthens the tentacles of the mechanism once in a certain number of games. For example, after 5-6 games the machine mechanism does not give out the toy, even if you grabbed it. But once, after a certain number of games, the tentacles of the mechanism tightly grip the prize, and it goes to you.

But how to cheat a toy machine? You should know that to win on such a device you will have to spend a lot of time. You need to stand next to him and calculate how many moves the machine will give the player a prize. After this, you need to enter the game at the moment when the machine should “give back” the toy.

This is perhaps the only way to deceive a toy machine, but it does not work in every case. Modern machines do not have such a consistent operation of the tentacle reinforcement mechanism. They have a regime random selection of one regime or another, so it will not be possible to deceive them.

Is it worth cheating at slot machines?

Even if you are confident in your illegal winning scheme, you should be faced with a reasonable question: “Is it worth using?” The question of how to cheat a slot machine is of interest to any gamer, but is a penny win worth it? possible problems with the owner of the establishment and the law?

In order to increase your chances of winning, it is recommended to play according to one scheme, which has been developed in your own personal experience. This is the only way to somehow influence the outcome of the game. And everyone can win. And it is quite possible that it will be you.

Each machine has an operating principle, which is based on an algorithm established by the developer himself. Installation of additional software on devices is accompanied by system errors. Since it is difficult to beat a slot machine, this task is mainly undertaken by specialists. It was they who found use for such errors, using them as hints.

For example, the mechanism of one game produces detailed information depending on the bets on the lines - you will find out how much (or close to this value) money can be bet on a particular line in order to get the maximum return. We talk about such secrets of slot machines for free here. Sometimes “holes” in the code show up in bonus rounds.

Such knowledge will be very useful if you want not only to relax, but also to make money in the casino. The methods are more suitable for beginners. For those who don’t want to immediately burn out out of the blue and be left with nothing. Use it for free.

Of course, there are other ways to cheat slot machines. But, as a rule, they are not particularly advertised - such valuable information should not be publicly available, otherwise it will reach the developers and stop working.

But don’t worry - over time you will get yours out yourself. perfect formula. In the meantime, you can use ready-made diagrams.

The most important thing is to stop on time

The biggest secret of all is not at all successful strategy. You must stop playing in time. When a series of successes comes, many players get into a frenzy and lose their heads - this mistake is especially common for beginners. They naively place big bets in the hope of becoming a millionaire in a minute. This happens extremely rarely and only to the lucky ones.

How to stop? It’s very simple: pay attention to your earnings. If it is three times the initial capital, it is recommended to stop. At the same time, it is not necessary to leave the online casino at all - try out the secrets of slot machines on other slots.

Another helpful advice- winnings by the number of spins. If after 10 spins you still have not managed to make a profit, switch to another machine. Maybe Lady Luck will smile on you there.

Many people are at a loss as to how to cheat a slot machine? It would seem that there are no ways, but this is not so. There are many ways, but mostly they are illegal and dangerous. In this article we will talk about fabulous and more or less in real ways slot machine cheating.

The methods of cheating slot machines laid out in this material really work. But the casino owners are not asleep. That's why you should treat this information sensibly.

Dangerous and painstaking method

You need to take a regular banknote and a good transparent, but strong enough tape. One side of the bill must be covered with tape. On the opposite side you need to make two strips of approximately 1 cm on each side. Next, we make a strip of tape about 30 centimeters long. One edge is attached to one side of the bill, then it is turned over, the middle is measured and a pencil or any object is placed in this place, which can then be pulled, the second edge is attached to back side bills, the remaining tail is folded in half and becomes half as long - 15 centimeters. All is ready. You can go play. The gaming machine is deceived using the following algorithm. After arriving at the hall, so that no one notices, the prepared bill is charged by the machine; after the credits have been accrued, it is pulled back. The procedure works best with those bill acceptors with two lights, but where three is already heavier. This method is the most dangerous, but at the same time the most effective.

Dangerous and difficult to accomplish(needs a device without protection)

You need to take a lighter with a piezoelectric element and pull it out. Then you can go to the hall. On the main side wall, there are three locks for keys. It happens that they are signed, but if not, then you need to randomly find a slot for the lock and, in case of luck and lack of protection, credits are awarded. One rank will give you fifty credits.

The same manipulations must be carried out with machines installed in so-called “daisies”, but the discharge must be supplied specifically to the coin acceptor. But at present, this method is not guaranteed to work, since, most likely, the required lock will be disabled, or, most likely, it will be installed protection against discharges.

Simply dangerous

The point of the method is to punch through the weakest point of the machine. This is a coin acceptor. You need to take a regular lighter and disassemble it top part. The result will be something similar to a mini stun gun. Then you need to bring this miracle device to the coin acceptor, click and send a spark into it. The machine will perceive each click as a coin being thrown at it.

It often happens that the scoreboard goes out, but the reel still spins and gives out winnings. In ten minutes the machine will give out two or three thousand rubles. Such a system will only work on half of the machines. These are mostly old models. On modern models, the coin acceptor is protected from current discharges.

The biggest problem is that the machines are being watched, so you need to work in a team of two or three people (or, alternatively, distract the watchers).

A safe way to cheat

When playing on a specific GAME MAKER machine (and Blackjack), it must be with a touch screen, i.e. when the game control (change the bet, hold down the cards, etc., if any win occurs, it can be doubled) is carried out by touching the screen of the slot machine. To double your winnings you need to beat the very first card with a larger one by choosing it from the four offered. When the screen is active, you can select it not by pressing a button, but by touching the screen.

The method is simple- with the finger of the left hand we press on the open card that needs to be interrupted, and with the finger of the right hand - on the last closed card in the row, then the largest of the four cards in value will be opened. The method is very simple and safe, but it only works in two or three cases out of five.

Just as safe as the previous one

There are shortcomings in bonus games, and if the machine is warmed up, you can significantly replenish your wallet. Such errors are common on machines such as CRAZY FRUITS. There are two types of such machines:

1) Green colour - giving the opportunity for bonuses free games

2) blue color - offering as a bonus the opportunity for a free additional game

When the bonus game appears, a field with fruit appears on the screen. Each fruit hides a certain amount of credits or free games. It all depends on the rate.

Worms are hidden behind some fruits and if you open them, the bonus will burn out. To prevent this from happening, you need to do the following. Near the field bonus game there is a tomato that says something. You need to wait until he finishes his speech and touch the screen with your finger right hand to the tomato, and with your left hand - to the inscription CREDITS. After this, a bonus will open with a winning combination according to. True, this only works at the very beginning of the bonus game. You can try after this by holding the same tomato, and with your left hand another inscription - MULTIPLAYER. This method is 100% effective only on green machines.

Method for five-ruble slot machines

Now we need to consider slot machines with reels. For example, "Russian Roulette" - Red hot Russian roulette.

The point of this game is to get winning combination. To speed up the appearance of a winning combination, nothing can be done, you just need to wait. The winning amount can only be increased by multiplying the combination. The multiplication scheme looks like this: the machine has 2 lines - one of zeros, and the second of doublings. If the zero line appears, then the winnings are lost, and if with multiplication, then they are doubled. Now is the most important thing. First you need to stand next to the machine and watch other people play. The best option There will not even be observation, but perception of information by ear. The main thing is to be able to select the desired sound from the crowd. But then everything is extremely simple. First you need to exchange money for tokens and put them in your left pocket. Winning tokens must be placed in the right pocket. You need to play until the tokens in the left pocket run out. Then you need to count out as many tokens as were purchased plus half of the winnings, but the rest can be continued with the game. The main thing is to be able to stop in order to leave with a win.

Tricks of electronic roulette

This method is for those who imagine playing electronic roulette, as well as a description of the field layout. If you use the “red-black” progression and after each loss you raise the bet - i.e. , then at first you may be lucky, but then the roulette will stop producing full lines of the desired color. But there is a small pattern: small numbers (1-18) fall less often than large numbers (19-36) on one roulette wheel and, vice versa, on the other. First you just need to watch the game, and then get started. The system works at 95%

When a zero appears, there is no threat, since there is a return. That is why, if you play by sectors (small and large numbers), then with large bets it is better to play it safe and bet a certain amount on zero.

It often happens that one color falls great amount once a person bets on a different color and increases the bet with each loss. There is one little secret How to avoid getting into such a situation, but win consistently. During the game, you need to bet on both colors in turn - red and black and you don’t need to get hung up on one suit. Starting bid should be on the color that came out last. If the bet wins, then you need to bet the same amount, but on a different color, and if you lose, then the bet is doubled, but still bet on the opposite color.

You need to remember that you need to withdraw your winnings periodically so that the loan is not too large. Also, you don’t need to start right away with large bets.

Little secrets of little slots

1) works on machines like Super Jump: As funny as it may seem, the jump must be carried out exactly when the horse raises its front hooves

2) for devices SWAMP LAND: when frogs fall out, you need to have time to jump exactly at the moment when the Jump Land inscription lights up at the top left. Although this method is very dubious and does not work.

3) also for automatic machines Swamp Land: The jump on the water lilies must be made when the crocodile appears. This method is also quite dubious.

Three light bulbs

This method is designed specifically for machines with three lights, but it does not work on all of them, but only on those that do not have money clips and do not fold into a pack. You need to take a bill and attach a thread to it on one side, and then push the bill into the machine (pull the thread). After accepting money from the machine, you need to put any bill folded in four into the bill acceptor, but do not lower it. As soon as the bill acceptor buzzes, the money folded in four can be removed, and the bill that was inserted first will come out on its own.

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How to cheat slot machines

The question of how to cheat slot machines is asked by many players, not only beginners, but also seasoned gamers who have experienced the joy of victories and the bitterness of defeats. It is the constant losses that make you think about how it is still possible to deceive slot machines, and whether it is possible to deceive at all. It turns out that it is possible to deceive, and in some cases it is even necessary to obtain satisfaction for the fact that by acting by dishonest methods (by installing greedy firmware), the administration of a gambling establishment a priori deprives players of a chance to win.
We offer you several ways to help you cheat slot machines, and make your own settings for a more generous return. But let’s immediately make a reservation and emphasize that it’s simply not possible to deceive slot machines without interfering with their software. IN in rare cases you can change the mode by setting a generous return in the machine settings; usually gambling establishments play it safe and install greedy firmware on the machines to eliminate the slightest possibility of changing the game mode.
And so, before you deceive the slot machine, that is, change its firmware, you will need to penetrate the system board. Opening the machine is possible with a universal key, which can be purchased from us. After you get to the motherboard, you will need to replace the original microcircuit (chip) with a buggy one, or replace one or two flash modules with modules with a bug. You can purchase buggy firmware from us by first providing information about the version of the slot machine. Among other things, you can deceive the gaming machine by flashing the original chip, flash module, using special software and a programmer.
Before you cheat a slot machine, we advise you to decide on a method. Regardless of your choice, we will help you always remain a winner, and for this we have everything you need: buggy firmware, programmers, firmware software, universal access keys to the electronic parts of slot machines.

Only a naive person thinks that he can beat a slot machine using long-term strategies and precisely calibrated mathematical combinations. The catch is that while you are making these schemes in the hope of beating the machine, new versions of the software will appear with a more complex algorithm that will negate all your efforts. Believe me, flash it new version Software is not that easy. But don’t be upset, because you can still beat the slot machine! How? We'll have to resort to interfering with its software. To do this, you will need to replace the microcircuit, in some models of slot machines, and the flash module with a similar part, only with a bug. Once you enable the software bug, you will be able to beat the slot machine over and over again. Of course, you can beat the slot machine using less radical methods, for example, changing the game mode to a more generous one. Although, unfortunately, this can be done extremely rarely, since the owners of gambling establishments initially install so-called greedy firmware on the machines.
If you firmly decided beat slot machine, it’s worth going to the end, and believe me, your assertiveness will pay off with interest. Here are the actions you need to take to achieve final result. First, find out the game's firmware version. To install a chip, you will need to get to the system board, and to do this you will need to open the cover. Rough methods of hacking disappear immediately, because they are too noticeable. There is only one way left - opening with a key. This tricky way deception lock system, leaving no traces. Next, you need to get into the slot machine and replace the necessary part. If you need to replace the microcircuit, pay attention to the coincidence of the marks. That is, the mark on the chip must match the mark on the board socket. In the case of replacing the module, make sure that it is installed on the correct side, although there is so-called “fool protection” installed, some people zealously try to insert it, thereby damaging the connector and the flash drive itself.
Such deception is difficult to notice, since buggy firmware is very difficult to detect during various checks, and traces of interference are not reflected in game statistics in any way. In addition, the bug can be turned on and off only at the request of its owner; the rest of the time the video slot functions as usual. As you can see, beating the slot machine is not difficult. To do this, you need to contact us for help. You can also give us the original module or microcircuit for flashing, and we will return it to you with the bug on board. The process will take a minimum of time. Choose the most convenient way and play slot machines today.

Methods for cheating slot machines

Slot machines account for almost 85% of all casino revenues. They are the most popular game in a gambling establishment. It is explainable. Most players can sit and watch the reels spin for hours trying to win big jackpot. Free slots with a high payback percentage will be given by the most good win, but in the long run, any player will lose more than he wins. So it's not surprising that some players are always trying to find new ways to cheat slot machines. Back in the day when they were mechanical, gambling people began to explore various methods of cheating. These searches are still ongoing, as gambling business develops with computer technologies. Of course, the consequences of failure are serious. The casino maintains a blacklist of scammers, but there are types of hacking when the administration is unable to prove the illegality of the winnings.

Why is it difficult to cheat modern gaming machines?

There are stories of players who cheat when counting cards or calculating poker odds. These games have probabilities that can be calculated, thereby giving the player a large advantage. But not in the case of slot machines. In modern devices, everything is computerized. They have a computer chip inside that controls the generator random numbers, which makes the ability to win the game a matter of pure luck and luck. Each reel spin on the monitor is random. In addition, the machines accept banknotes, not coins as before. After all, before there were such tricks as foreign coins of the same size and a much smaller denomination. In other cases, they tried to string a coin together and pull it back out after the credits had been awarded. For machines that accept cash, most only accept paper money and their super-sensitive scanner will not accept torn or counterfeit bills.
In addition, since the computer of a modern slot machine is designed to produce random results, the probability of getting big wins extremely high. And what do you think? The casino is aware of these principles, and as soon as the player begins to consistently use these chances, the casino begins to be suspicious of this player.

Drawing conclusions - the main methods of deception

Sooner or later, all players ask the question - how to cheat a slot machine. Is it possible to do this? The reason for these thoughts is constant defeats and dissatisfaction with small wins. This situation makes you wonder whether it is worth playing honestly? Everyone must answer this question for themselves. But we assure you that such a dilemma never arises among slot machine owners. After all, no one wants to share the money they earn, even if the earnings are illegal. Get to the point. Let's figure out how you can cheat slot machines. There are several ways to deceive. For example, by adjusting the recoil settings. Your goal is to move the slot machine to the maximum payout percentage. But you won’t be able to get a good win without interfering with the software part of the slot machine. In rare cases, it is possible to change the game mode of a slot machine by changing the minimum payout to generous in the settings. Typically, owners eliminate any possibility of doing this by installing greedy firmware in advance.

Another method affects the software part of the machine. He is much better than the first. To perform the necessary manipulations, you will need to penetrate the system board. To open the case gaming machine should use . We offer you to buy such a tool from us. Having penetrated the motherboard, you will need to pull out the original chip and put the chip with the bug in its place. A bug is an artificial error that causes the machine to forcefully issue winnings. This error has an activation code. In some slot machines, instead of a chip, the module must be removed and then replaced with a “magic” module. As you guessed, all these microcomponents can be purchased from us.

The third way to deceive a slot machine is to reflash the original module (chip) using a programmer. To do this, you will need firmware with a bug (file). The action takes place directly next to the slot machine. Therefore, this method is not convenient and requires programming skills from the player.

Time to take stock. First, you will have to decide on a method to cheat the slot machine. We will help with the implementation of any method of deception. We have programmers, universal keys, buggy firmware and many programs at our disposal. Important detail- traces of interference in the software are almost impossible to detect. The presence of a bug in the program does not visually affect the slot machine. Enabling and disabling the bug occurs only at the request of its owner. The rest of the time the slot machine works as on the original firmware.

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The site is not responsible for installing firmware and causing financial harm to third parties. Be careful. Good luck!

• Translation

In early July 2014, accountants at the Lumiere Place casino in St. Louis discovered that several of their slot machines had gone crazy for a couple of days. Software, approved by the government, gives slot machines a fixed head start mathematical methods, so that casinos can be confident in how much they will earn in the long run—let's say 7.129 cents on every dollar. But on July 2 and 3, several machines from the Lumiere casino gave out much more more money, which was accepted, despite the absence of any special jackpots. This deviation is called negative retention in industry jargon. And since software is not subject to bouts of madness, the only explanation was that someone was cheating.

Casino security pulled up the video surveillance files and discovered the culprit, a dark-haired man in his 30s wearing a zip-up polo shirt and carrying a brown rectangular bag. Unlike most scammers, he did not seem to have any effect on the machines he had chosen. He only chose old models made by the Australian company Aristocrat Leisure. He simply played, pressing buttons for games like Star Drifter and Pelican Pete, while sneakily holding his iPhone close to the screen.

After a few minutes, he walked away from the machine, then returned again to try again. And then he was lucky. He bet from $20 to $60 and won about $1,300, then cashed out his winnings and moved on to next car, where I started all over again. In a couple of days he won about $21,000. The only thing that seemed strange about his behavior was the way he held his finger over the “Spin” button for quite long periods of time, and then sharply clicked on it. Ordinary players do not take such breaks between games.

On June 9, Lumiere Place shared its findings with the Missouri Gaming Commission, which issued a statewide warning. After this, several casinos found that they had been scammed in the same way, although in some cases they had other people playing for them. In each case, the attacker held his cell phone close to an Aristocrat Mark VI machine shortly before his luck began to strike.

After reviewing car rental records, Missouri authorities identified the Lumiere Place scammer as Murat Bliev, a 37-year-old Russian. Bliev returned to Moscow on June 6, but the St. Petersburg-based organization, which deploys dozens of its operatives to manipulate slot machines around the world, quickly sent him back to the United States to work with another team. The decision to send Bliev back to the United States would be a rare mistake for an organization that is quietly making millions by hacking the gaming industry's most valuable algorithms.

From Russia with deception

By 2011, casinos in central and Eastern Europe began to record incidents in which machines from the Austrian company Novomatic gave out incredibly large amounts. Novomatic engineers could not find evidence that anything had been done to their machines, and they decided that the scammers had figured out how to predict the behavior of the machines. “Through targeted long-term observation of the progress of individual games, and also, probably, recordings of individual games, it is possible to determine certain “patterns” in the loss game results,” the company told its customers in February 2011.

Recognition of these sequences is expensive. The results of slot games are controlled by generators pseudorandom numbers(PNG), which should produce unpredictable values. Government regulators confirm the functionality of each algorithm before casinos can use it.

But the prefix “pseudo” seems to hint at the not entirely complete randomness of numbers. Because people create them using instructions in code, PNGs remain somewhat deterministic. A truly random number generator must be used in conjunction with some non-man-made phenomenon, such as radioactive decay. The RNG takes a seed and runs it through various functions, mixing it with variables such as the computer's computer time - to produce a seemingly unpredictable result. But if hackers can identify the ingredients of this mathematical stew, they can potentially predict the output of the PRG. The reverse engineering process becomes easier when the hacker has access to the insides of the slot machine.

But simply understanding the arcane arithmetic used by the machine to generate pseudo-random numbers is only half the battle. The input data of the RPG depends on the temporary state of the machine. Initial values V different time different because the data comes from the internal clock. So, even if you understand the operation of the machine’s civil rights processing unit, hackers need to analyze its game in order to calculate the patterns. This takes time and computer power, and working on your laptop in a casino is great way attract the attention of security.

The Lumiere Place hoax showed how Murat Bliev and his accomplices circumvented this obstacle. After learning what happened in Missouri, casino security expert Darrin Hawk, then director of surveillance at the Laberge du la Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana, decided to investigate the scope of the hacking operation. After talking with colleagues who reported strange behavior machines and analyzing surveillance photos, he identified 25 potential operatives working in casinos around the world, from California to Romania and Macau. Hawk examined hotel registry records and learned that two of Bliev's associates from St. Louis remained in the United States and went west to the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California. On July 14, 2014, agents from the California Department of Justice detained one of the operatives in Pechanga and seized four cell phones and $6,000 from him. No charges were brought against the detained Russian citizen, and his current whereabouts are unknown.

Cell phones from Pechanga, along with data from investigations in Missouri and Europe, revealed key details of the case. According to Las Vegas casino security consultant Willie Ellison, who has been tracking Russian hackers for several years, operatives use phones to record a couple dozen runs of the game they want to cheat. They upload the video to technicians in St. Petersburg, who analyze the video and calculate patterns based on data on the operation of the CNG of this machine model. Finally, the team from St. Petersburg transmits a list of time markers for a specially written application on the operative’s phone. The markers, a quarter of a second before the operative must press the button, transmit a signal to him through the vibration of the phone.

“The human reaction speed is about a quarter of a second, so that’s how it’s set up,” says Ellison, founder of the annual International Game Protection Conference. Time markers are not always correct, but you can achieve much more results than usual. Some scammers are winning over $10,000 a day. Ellison notes that operatives try to ensure that the winnings from one machine do not exceed $1,000, so as not to attract attention. Team from four people, working in different casinos, can earn up to $250,000 per week.

Reusable business

Bliev did not need to return. On December 10, shortly after he was spotted at the Hollywood Casino in St. Louis, four scammers were arrested. Because Bliev and his accomplices worked in several states, federal authorities accused them of fraud. Official charges became the first serious obstacle to the work of the St. Petersburg organization. Before this, not a single one of their operatives had ever been put on trial.

Bliev, Gudanov and Larenov, citizens of Russia, agreed with the investigation and were sentenced to two years in prison followed by deportation. Nazarov, a Kazakh citizen who was granted religious asylum in the United States in 2013 and is now a Florida resident, is still awaiting sentencing—which means he is cooperating with authorities. Aristocrat representatives note that one of the four defendants has not yet been sentenced because he “continues to assist the FBI in their investigation.”

The information Nazarov provides may be hopelessly outdated. Two years after the arrests, operatives from the St. Petersburg organization became more cautious. Some of the tricks were exposed last year when Singaporean authorities caught and convicted the team: one of its members, Czech citizen Radoslav Skubnik, revealed details of the organization's financial structure (90% of its income goes to St. Petersburg) and tactics. “They now put the cell phone in the chest pocket and hide it behind the mesh so you don't have to hold it,” Ellison says. Darrin Hawk says he's received messages about sending video to Russia via Skype so they don't have to leave the machines to download the video.

Cheaters appear to have been convicted in only two cases, in Missouri and Singapore, but some have also been caught and kicked out of individual casinos. An organization from St. Petersburg is sending its operatives further and further. IN recent months at least three casinos in Peru reported being duped by Russian gamblers using old Novomatic Coolfire machines.

The economic reality of the gaming industry is such that the organization from St. Petersburg is guaranteed to continue to flourish. No simple way fix slot machines. As Hawke puts it, the manufacturers of Aristocrat, Novomatic, and everyone else whose CNGs have been hacked will have to “recall all the machines and replace them with something else, and they won’t do that.” Aristocrat said it could not "detect any defects in the games affected" and that the machines were "built and approved to strict technical standards." At the same time, most casinos cannot afford to buy updated slot machines that use PPG encryption to protect mathematical secrets. And while old, hacked machines are still popular with customers, it will be more profitable for the casino to continue using them, accepting periodic losses in favor of the scammers.

So, casino security services can only monitor for indirect signs of fraud. A finger hovering over the button for too long may be the only sign that hackers from St. Petersburg are preparing for their next win.