Vegas vid-poker hackjackpot bonanza duo face charges

[hunter]

Source: The Register

One-arm-bandit bandits plundered backdoor for $100ks

By John Leyden

Posted in Crime, 7th January 2011 16:29 GMT

A duo who used a software bug in video poker machines to milk thousands in unearned jackpots have been charged with computer hacking and conspiracy offences.

John Kane, 52, of Las Vegas, allegedly learned that a glitch in the software that meant it was possible to change the stake and multiplier of payouts after first obtaining a low-value winning hand on video poker machines, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. A special button sequence on the Draw Poker machine manufactured by International Game Technology reportedly allowed access to previous winning hands and the payout of a jackpot.

Read more: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/01/07/video_poker_hack_charges/

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And how about those electronic voting machines...

[eowyn_of_rohan]

1. Yes--how ABOUT those electronic voting machines?...

often made by same companies that make slot machines...

Here's an oldie but goodie from just after the *2nd* stolen potus election:

Mississippi goes all Diebold Touch Screen - Secty of State: "great system"
State unveils computerized vote machines
Counties will receive them at no cost
Saturday, July 16, 2005
BILOXI - Mississippi Secretary of State Eric Clark gave circuit clerks across the state a glimpse into the future Thursday, unveiling new computerized voting machines.

Clark presented the machines at the Circuit Clerk's 70th Annual Convention at Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, and said the touch-screen system will do wonders to improve the state's election process.

"This is just going to be a wonderful thing," Clark said. "For the first time ever, we'll be able to have accurate election-night returns from around the state. As information comes in from the counties, they'll be able to transmit in real time over a secure line to our offices. It's a great system."

Diebold Election Systems, which supplies 95 percent of the state's ATMs, won the $15 million contract to upgrade the state's voting systems and will provide training, maintenance, voter education and technical support for the next five years.

The upgrade is part of the the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) signed in October 2002. HAVA requires the replacement of all central scanner machines, lever machines and punch-card machines in the state by Jan. 1, 2006...
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thesunherald/news/local/12136459.htm

[wakemewhenitsover]

6. One word:

:scared:

[Downwinder]

2. Just like any other game.

You have to know the secret codes.

[Gman]

3. Cheat codes

[tomm2thumbs]

4. like his thinking

"If a casino puts a machine on the floor that pays out what is normally expected and a person figures it out and takes advantage of it as long as they don't use devices or counterfeit money of any kind then there is nothing illegal. It is a matter between the casino and the manufacturer of that machine.

[petronius]

5. The fact that the button sequence exists makes me wonder how many

employees of the slot machine manufacturer have been collecting extra jackpots a bit more subtly...

[Thav]

7. I figured out what it was...

up up down down left right left right b a start.

Jackpot.

[unblock]

8. hmm, let's try his logic in other situations:

consider this:

"if a grocery store puts a self-service checkout line in the store and a customer enters the master password and empties the till, using no external devises or counterfeit money, then it's a problem between the grocery store and the manufacturer."

"if a casino operator forgets to lock the door and one normal pull of the one-arm-bandit's lever causes the door to pop open and all the money falls out before the "game" has even been played, well, that's a problem between the casino and the manufacturer."


well, he's right in that it IS a problem between the casino and the manufacturer, but it's still illegal to take money that isn't rightfully yours.

note that it's well established in case law that if a bank mistakenly credits your account (say a deposit from another customer erroneously shows up in your account instead), that money is NOT YOURS. you legally HAVE to return it. if you withdraw it, you can go to prison.