Jackpot "Glitches"
Quote: firstcoastnews.comFortune Valley Casino Glitch Costs Woman Jackpot
CENTRAL CITY, Colo. -- A Colorado woman thought she won $42 million, but it turns out Lady Luck was just teasing.
Louise Chavez was playing a slot machine at the Fortune Valley Casino in Central City, Colorado Friday when the machine announced she won $42 million. When the attendant arrived, Chavez was told the machine had malfunctioned and she would not receive any payment.
The casino instead gave Chavez a free room for the night, bought her breakfast and gave her $23, the amount she says she had put into the machine.
Joe Behm is the director of marketing for Fortune Valley and said the machine messed up and random numbers appeared on the screen. Behm said the Division of Gaming will look for forensic information in the machine's software.
Chavez could still win some money depending on the Division of Gaming's findings.
This is not the first time I've heard a story about someone thinking they won a big jackpot on a slot machine. I have two questions:
1. How often does something like this happen? Once per year? More? Less?
2. Why does it seem that when a slot machine glitches, it incorrectly shows (of all things) the massive jackpot win? (Granted, I understand we don't see news stories about all of the glitches: "Slot Machine Glitch Robs Player of Single Cherry 2 Credit Win")
Well now, it seems to happen more often on Indian casinos than in Las Vegas where oversight is more strict so I'm not too sure all of these "malfunctions" are indeed malfunctions. You are correct however, we only hear of the glitches that interest an editor on a slow news day.
Perhaps Indian casinos use older slot machines that are more prone to malfunction or perhaps Indian casinos tend to be in more rural areas that have newspapers able to devote space to such a "news" item.?
Or perhaps, in some of the new gambling markets, particularly for new Indian casinos, there is a distrust that is magnified by a malfunction. Such an occurance in Vegas, or AC, or other long established gambling markets, would be considered 'just one of those things' / 'facts of gambling life' etc.Quote: FleaStiffPerhaps Indian casinos use older slot machines that are more prone to malfunction or perhaps Indian casinos tend to be in more rural areas that have newspapers able to devote space to such a "news" item.?
Well, isn't that what a slot machine is supposed to display?
I'm reminded of what we used to say in school whenever someone aced a test: "He cheated. He studied hard."
Oh thats right, slot machines are not ment to actually be random. lmao.
According to this entry, $42 million would have been a new record for slot machines. The largest slot machine jackpot at a land-based casino of $39,713,982. was won on Friday 3/21/03 on an IGT Megabucks machine at the Excalibur in Las Vegas. The winner, who requested anonymity, was a 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles. He said he had played about $100 on the machine when he turned his head away from it for an instant. When he looked at the machine again, the winning symbols had lined up.
Seriously. What were they thinking?Quote: pacomartin / NGCB...when a malfunction occurs, some slot machine manufacturers, for engineering purposes, set the reels to stop briefly in a "jackpot" position.
Quote: DJTeddyBearFrom the "what the hell were they thinking" department
Hear, hear!
I suppose someone suggested the reels briefly stop at three blanks, but someone else feared that would discourage players.
Quote: FleaStiffWell now, it seems to happen more often on Indian casinos than in Las Vegas where oversight is more strict
I think it would be difficult for anyone to say definitively that Nevada is more or less strict than all the various Tribal jurisdictions. There is a pretty common mis-perception that Native casinos can do whatever they want and have little in the way of regulations. This isn't the case in Michigan. I know in Michigan all the games and associated systems require the same certifications and approvals that they do in Nevada or New Jersey. None of the game manufacturers would dare risk their license by supplying "illegal" devices or systems to any gaming operation. On a practical side it would just be bad business to not run an operation that was completely on the square. A single incident that reflects badly on the fairness of the gaming can have a very adverse affect on business as a whole. I know that I have personally paid out thousand or more dollar jackpots when machines have malfunctioned (i.e. reels stop on wrong symbols) just to prevent the potential public perception.
Mark
Quote: NareedHear, hear!
I suppose someone suggested the reels briefly stop at three blanks, but someone else feared that would discourage players.
Actually, I think machines are designed this way for the purpose of having Patrons see the machine with it in the most desirable position. Casinos are going to want people to believe that jackpots are possible, even likely. Seeing a machine lined up in jackpot position will make people think "ah... why not me?" So it stands to reason that anytime a machine is reset, the reels move to the highest jackpot.
Quote: CloudStrife1212Actually, I think machines are designed this way for the purpose of having Patrons see the machine with it in the most desirable position. Casinos are going to want people to believe that jackpots are possible, even likely. Seeing a machine lined up in jackpot position will make people think "ah... why not me?" So it stands to reason that anytime a machine is reset, the reels move to the highest jackpot.
Sure, for a machine that isn't being used that makes sense. But do you want to signal a malfunction by saying "JACKPOT!!!!!"? What kind of thinking leads to that? If you see all blanks, you at once think there's something wrong with the machine.
Of course in the event of a malfunction the machine could easily be programed to flash "MALFUNCTION" on the screen.
You make it sound like there are times when a slot machine is deliberately reset. I kinda doubt that.Quote: CloudStrife1212Actually, I think machines are designed this way for the purpose of having Patrons see the machine with it in the most desirable position. Casinos are going to want people to believe that jackpots are possible, even likely. Seeing a machine lined up in jackpot position will make people think "ah... why not me?" So it stands to reason that anytime a machine is reset, the reels move to the highest jackpot.
But even if it were true, then you'd have the problem of a patron seeing a jackpot indicated and attempting to claim it.
In A.C. (and probably other jurisdictions as well), all hand-paid jackpots require that the patron continue to play the machine at least one more spin, so that the patron can cash out and the machine DOESN'T indicate a jackpot.
Quote: DJTeddyBearYou make it sound like there are times when a slot machine is deliberately reset. I kinda doubt that.
But even if it were true, then you'd have the problem of a patron seeing a jackpot indicated and attempting to claim it.
In A.C. (and probably other jurisdictions as well), all hand-paid jackpots require that the patron continue to play the machine at least one more spin, so that the patron can cash out and the machine DOESN'T indicate a jackpot.
This would make alot better sense because as superstisious (sp) as slot players can be, I think the vast majority would turn thier backs to a machine showing a jackpot thinking its not going to pay that jackpot again any time soon- or maybe not pay at all for a bit. I think its better for the machine to not show a jackpot look
