The Great Slot Scam
Everyone waits for the next big break: the way to win big against the casinos. It has been a common notion that the only game that can be successfully played and won in a casino is blackjack. Every other game is simply a game of chance. If someone has the proper access and the desire for big cash, however, sometimes they attempt to make their own chances. This was definitely the situation in the case of Ronald Harris.
Ronald Harris had worked for the Nevada Gaming Control Board for twelve years when he was arrested in 1995. Before his arrest he had been a computer programmer for the Gaming Control Board, and part of his duties had included testing various Nevada slot machines. The machines are tested to make sure they are using chips approved by the GCB, which are assigned a certain payout percentage. Harris changed the programming in the chips so that they jackpot would pay out if coins were inserted in a certain order. With the help of accomplices, Harris and friends manipulated nearly 25 Nevada jackpots.
The arrest came after Harris, with accomplice Reid McNeal went to Atlantic City. It seems that Harris had figured out a code that would emulate the random number generator used in the Keno machine, which is one of the most difficult games as far as house advantage is concerned. Due to the amount of the jackpot and suspicious behavior by McNeal, he was escorted by official personnel to retrieve his identification. Upon entering the room, police met Harris, who later disappeared from the hotel. The authorities did find a number of incriminating books and papers, however, thus ending the criminal career of Robert Harris.
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