Slot machines are one of the most secure and protected elements within a casino, but they are not entirely flawless in terms of security.
Some people may prefer to rely on luck to make their fortune, while others rely on math and their cards.
However, there is a third type that is more content with hacking slot machines to win the jackpot.
This is actually not an easy task at all, but it is still doable.
Some American casinos have had their slot machines hacked by Russian computer hackers.
Slot machines: how do they work?
RNG or random number generator is, as the name suggests, a random number generator. It is coded in the majority of the machines of a casino. Each time a game is played and the RNG algorithm is run, new numbers will be randomly generated. For example, if you are playing a slot machine, the symbols that appear on the screen are all determined by RNG. In detail, everything is on display with every spin that a slot machine makes. The algorithm already knows whether you will win or not.
There is another element of the slot machine, called RTP or also called return to player. It determines how much the slot machine gets out of the total. For example, if it is an RTP of 95, the slot machine will only get 5%. However, in recent years, a new, less proportionate method of distributing returns to players has been introduced. The practice and theory of the game have many differences, but generally, the RTP requires that the RNG be refined. The accident margin is thus added to specific elements. The player is then in a better position than the one-armed bandit.
Is hacking a slot machine a real possibility?
A large team of experienced people, both in mathematics and computer science is needed, and even then, it is almost impossible to hack a machine. After all, before a new update is added to a slot machine, hundreds of thousands of tests are run on it. During this extensive testing period, the development team will most likely find all the vulnerabilities and fix them. It’s a big assumption to think that you can outsmart people who have been working in this field for years and are hired by million dollar companies. Don’t get me wrong, it is possible to find bugs within the slot machine. It’s just a very small chance, and even then, you’ll need information about how the framework of the machine in question works. Like this story of Russian hackers who hacked into slot machines from the Aristocrat group. The reason they were able to do this is because they were able to access the RNG of the machine.
Hacking a slot machine: how to do it?
If you are a mathematical genius and have access to the RNG algorithm of a slot machine, it is theoretically possible. However, the element of mathematical genius is a serious requirement. You will also need the help of like-minded people who are also skilled in programming to deconstruct the algorithm. Very few people can meet these criteria. In fact, in most cases, only slot machine developers do. There is this saying in programming, if it is done by a human, then it is flawed for sure. If you manage to get your hands on the source code of slot games, you can test different options for vulnerabilities, such as the following:
- The total bet.
- Number of active lines.
- Bet amount.
- The size of the loan.
A good way to find slot machines with feeds is to look for manufacturers that don’t update their catalogs often, as these updates are usually accompanied by vulnerability patches. Keep in mind that you will need to allocate a budget for the machine, as it usually works differently in free mode.