PureDepth's Multi-Layer Display technology hits casino floors
by Darren Murph 
posted Jun 12th 2008 at 11:41AM
gambling posts
X10 automated Poker / Blackjack table is decidedly drool-worthy
by Darren Murph posted Jun 2nd 2008 at 6:37PM
[Via OhGizmo]
Please do not milk the Robot Goat
by Thomas Ricker posted Nov 2nd 2007 at 8:34AM
Bally bringing Pong to casino floors
by Darren Murph posted Jul 29th 2007 at 2:43AM
We know, you've got a zillion ways to get your Pong on whilst lounging around in your geeked-out crib, but how in the world will you deal with the withdrawals on this year's trip to Vegas? Thanks to Bally, you may not have to suffer at all, as Nevada gambling regulators recently approved the concept behind Bally Pong, a "slot machine that would for the first time allow hand-eye coordination to affect payout." Put simply, the machine would enter a 45-second round of Pong if three bonus icons line up on the five-reel video slot machine, and regardless of one's skill, a minimum award would be doled out simply for reaching the bonus. Oh, it gets better -- Bally also said that this was just "the first in a series of skill games (including Breakout!) it had planned," so those looking to see a hint of vintage when they hit the casino floor should be very pleased if everything goes as planned over the next few months.[Via The Raw Feed]
Diner used arcade cabinets to hide video poker machines
by Evan Blass posted Mar 27th 2007 at 11:10PM
In what sounds like it could have been a scene straight out of a Prohibition-era speakeasy, Tennessee law enforcement officials raided a Sevier County diner last Thursday and discovered that two of the arcade cabinets had been retrofitted to play video poker as well. After receiving several complaints from locals presumably curious about the recent popularity of Sharon Tarwater's Speedway Diner ("Come for the pie, stay for the poker"), sheriff's deputies moved in on the establishment and caught patrons right in the act -- despite the fact that the machines had been rigged with a remote switch to instantly change their functionality a la Moe's Pet Shop. Authorities found a total of just $338 in the pair of machines along with two located elsewhere, which would seem to suggest that Ms. Tarwater could have made almost as much loot just leaving the cabinets unaltered and charging $5-a-pop for the latest title to hit the home county of Dollywood, Street Fighter II.[Via Joystiq]
PureDepth creation gives morphing abilities to slot machines
by Darren Murph posted Mar 18th 2007 at 7:58PM
It looks like the glory days of walking into a casino, hacking a slot machine, and leaving a wealthy individual is over, as not only are "software glitches" leading to rewards being revoked, but now you'll have Konami slot machines pulled for subliminal messaging
by Darren Murph posted Feb 27th 2007 at 9:35AM
While we've seen quite a few instances where shifty gamblers got the boot, this time it's the slot machines participating in a mass exodus of Canadian casinos. In another tale of misguided marketing garnering awful PR, Ontario's provincial gambling operator has "pulled 87 video slot machines out of service or physically removed them from its casinos" after an investigation found some tricky imagery hidden within. Apparently, a number of Konami slot machines flashed "winning jackpot symbols" for a fifth of a second every so often, purportedly giving players "subliminal messages" that would keep them chucking away coins for longer periods of time. Comically, Konami is asserting that the flashing images are simply a "software glitch" that will be fixed shortly, which leaves us wondering what else could be ailing these machines for the betterment of the establishment. Regardless, the Ontario-based discovery has spawned several other investigations in the US, British Columbia, and Quebec, but it has "yet to be determined" if the flashing imagery has effected the gameplay of addicts professional gamblers.
[Via Konami]
Man wins $102,000, casino cries malfunction
by Darren Murph posted Jan 25th 2007 at 5:36PM
We're fully aware that getting too clever while in a casino is likely to land you behind bars, but a Pennsylvania man is now crying foul after he got the short end of the stick in an unfortunate "mishap." The retired carpenter, who had visited the Philadelphia Park casino before, dropped his two quarters into a Wheel of Fortune slot machine only to win $102,000 -- or so he thought. The machine proudly conveyed his winnings right alongside his actual name, sending his emotions into a jovial whirlwind, but apparently the machine wasn't exactly supposed to, you know, let people hit the jackpot, and now he's fighting just to get his due reward. A spokesperson for the venue stated that it "was just an error in the communication system," but added the mistake seems to have originated in the in-house computing system, not within the machine itself. The man was offered "two tickets to the buffet" (saywha?) and advised to read the disclaimer on the machine, nullifying any awards if the machine malfunctions, but he still feels that this "fault" is illegitimate. So if you're the next person to strike it rich in a questionable casino, try not to get your hopes up too high, alright?[Via TechDirt]
British cheaters jailed for illegally beating the odds
by Darren Murph posted Jan 16th 2007 at 1:05PM
Joining the ever-growing list of folks using technology to unlawfully beat the odds is a group of British gurus who claimed nearly £250,000 ($487,400) before being sniffed out by curious officials at the Mint Casino in Cromwell Road. As with so many other high-rolling hijinks, the trio seemed to doing just fine, pulling in £38,000 ($74,084) during a single week at one point, but greed ended up getting the best of them, as you're bound to get scrutinized after winning 34 out of 44 matches in a row. The average joes-turned-poker-sharks utilized sleeve-mounted cameras to beam card deals to a completely wired up van waiting outside, which then rolled the footage in slow motion and passed along the top secret information to the actual table sitter, who listened intently via a hidden speaker. Their method illegally snagged massive chunks of coin from an estimated six of the capital's 25 gambling locales, and now they each face nine months behind bars, coupled with 150 hours of unpaid community service. Of course, one may argue the ethics behind stealing from a venue which thrives on suckering people in that stand little chance at walking out with any profit at all, but regardless, you won't see these folks in any gambling parlor for two full years after their stint, which should be ample time for RFID-infused playing cards to hit the underground market.[Via Fark]
Ryanair planning in-flight bingo, gambling
by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2006 at 4:42PM
[Via CNET]
Roulette-cheating gadget may be legal in the UK?
by Cyrus Farivar posted Sep 17th 2006 at 9:15PM
In case that established career of yours isn't working out so well, you may want to consider a move to the United Kingdom, where a new law deregulating the gambling industry may make it much easier to cheat at roulette. A £1,000 ($1,883) device, consisting of a tiny computer that can be embedded inside other electronics is used to calculate deceleration on a roulette wheel that's perceived to favor one section over another; the computer then sends an audio signal to the wearer alerting him/her where to place a bet. The Guardian reports that the legal change requires casinos to police themselves, and that the Gambling Comission is advising British gaming establishments to refuse making pay outs to gamblers caught with the device, forcing upset clientèle to take their grievances to court. Still, it's unclear whether or not the so-called Gambling Act 2005 which goes into effect next year actually prohibits such devices -- although it does create a "criminal offence for cheating at gambling," Europe's only professor of gambling, Mark Griffiths at Nottingham Trent University, argues that neither the roulette computer nor card counting techniques constitute cheating to begin with because both supposedly use "science to give yourself a better advantage." While we'd have to disagree that using a computer inside a casino is the same thing as using your brain, the fact of the matter is that the gambling community as a whole benefits from a stricter interpretation of the law: i.e. if electronic aids become legal, and everyone starts using them and winning, then the casinos will eventually go out of business and there'll be no more gambling at all -- way to ruin everyone's good time, you lousy non-cheaters.[Via The Guardian]
