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The tightest slot in the world
by:HP
Monday, May 26, 2003
One of the myths of online gambling is that it’s easy for operators to rig games. Admittedly there have been isolated cases, but in the vast majority of cases, slow payment of winnings is the major problem online. But a recent case involving land-based casinos and a slot machine manufacturer should give food for thought to those who think that online gaming is inherently more open to tampering: The case of Ameristar casino, and their rather tight IGT slots.
Last Wednesday, Ameristar Casinos admitted there is a flawed gaming chip in a slot machine that was withdrawn from the casino floor after a lawsuit was filed alleging the machine was defective. The suit was filed against Ameristar, the Missouri Gaming Commission and International Game Technology (IGT), maker of the machine. It alleges the SPLUS8788 chip has deliberate design elements that let casinos “cheat” punters.
Attorney Steve Small brought the lawsuit alleging that the machine in question had never once paid a jackpot despite being spun millions of times. The machines posted odds indicate it should pay a jackpot once in every 373, 248 spins.
The case could have serious and wide-ranging implications for casinos and slot manufacturers. Small expects the lawsuit ultimately to target most casino operators in Missouri and to lead to similar lawsuits in other states with slot machine operations.
Although IGT Vice President of Marketing Ed Rogich said the company does not comment on pending litigation, he acknowledged the type of slot machine in question is in widespread use in casinos.
The Missouri lawsuit accuses slot makers IGT, Casino Data Systems Inc. and Aristocrat Inc. of fraud stemming from the design of their machines. According to the lawsuit, the company's machines 'provoke continuous and progressive losses to players under the ruse that players missed a very substantial' win or narrowly missed a loss.
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