PLAYERS TALK

HUGE CROWD—WHAT HAPPENED?

All Is Not What It Seems When It Comes To “Big Wins” On The Slots

Iwas just at [a casino] and I came across something weird. A player won $1,425, just over the taxable amount of $1,200, on a Buffalo slot right next to me. First, two slot attendants showed up. I’m not sure what was said, but a few minutes later two employees in suits showed up. Then, the security came and finally a technician who worked for the casino started to open up the game and made the slot replay the bonus leading up to the big win. I couldn’t believe it! All the time, more and more people started to crowd around the game as more and more of the employees showed up. I could hear people talking about the big win, claiming it was tens of thousands of dollars (it wasn’t—it was ”only” $1,425), claiming someone had cheated, claiming the game broke, claiming the casino was setting the game to not pay now that it had, and on and on. Some of it was really crazy to listen to, because it wasn't even true! The player was eventually paid the $1,425 they won and the game was closed and locked back up and the next person was able to play it if they wanted.

I just want to know if you can shed some light as to why the casino opened up the game and made it replay the bonus? I didn’t know they could make a slot do that! Christy Woodford—Phoenix, AZ

Hi Christy, thank you for writing in. Wow, what a story! Based on your description, the player, or possibly the slot attendants while interacting with the player, raised a concern as to how much was won during that bonus. Essentially, this is called a “patron dispute.” Once this process is started, the Tribe has what’s called a Tribal Gaming Office (or Tribal Gaming Agency) which then gets involved. The employees in suits were probably from the TGO. Then security shows up for crowd control and as an extra pair of eyes once the slot is opened. There is, after all, money in the slot’s cash box! A slot technician is needed to access certain features made available to the casino by the manufacturer of the slot machine. Most features are required by Arizona’s gaming regulations. These regulations are standard from one jurisdiction to the next.

What you witnessed was casino employees accessing what is commonly referred to as “Last Game Recall.” This feature (it’s actually a regulated requirement) requires a slot to be able to display what happened during a previous play (or spin). The exact wording of the regulation is as follows: Information on at least the last ten (10) games played on the gaming device shall be retrievable using an external key-switch or other secure method that is not available to the player.

Game recall shall consist of graphical, textual, or video content, or some combination of these options, so long as the full and accurate reconstruction of game outcome is possible. Game recall shall display the following information: a) Date and time stamp; b) The denomination played ... c) The display associated with the final outcome of the game... d) The credit meter value at the start of play and/or at the end of play; ... g) Total amount wagered; h) Total amount won; i) Total amount collected after the end of a game... j) The results of any player choices involved in the game outcome; ... The ten (10) game recall shall reflect at least the last 50 events of completed bonus games. If a bonus game consists of 'x number of events,’ each with separate outcomes, each of the ‘x events,’ up to 50, shall be displayed with its corresponding outcome, regardless of whether the result was a win or loss.

These rules exist to protect the company responsible for making the slot, the casino, and the player in the event there is a disagreement about what happened on a previous spin. Most likely, that is exactly what happened. There was some confusion and everyone decided it would be best to clear up any concerns by doublechecking with Last Game Recall. Then, the correct amount was paid and everyone moved on. And, yes, Last Game Recall is tested by the company, an independent lab, and the Arizona Department of Gaming to make sure it works. There actually are employees at all three places whose sole job is to try and “break” the slot before it gets onto the floor of a casino!

Unfortunately, the crowd that gathered began to spread misinformation based purely on speculation. It’s unfair to the casino and other players when scenarios are invented. This should give insight into what you witnessed and any future events! $