Wired has an article on a slot machine hack that seems to make use of data analytics.
The hack relies on a weakness introduced in the pseudo-random number generator used by the machines from Austrian gaming company Novomatic. Teams in the casino video the machines using their cellphones. The videos are then sent to St Petersburg where they are analyzed—there are no technical details available on the “back room” analysis techniques.
Once the analysis has been performed, the casino team receive a vibration via a custom phone app that prompts them to press the spin button in 0.25 seconds–the normal reaction time of a person.
It’s not a perfect method, but, statistically, it provides enough of an edge for the slot machine players to consistently come out ahead in the long term.
One fix would be to use a true random number generator, such as a device that exploits the true randomness of quantum physics. However, updating all the existing slot machines would clearly be expensive.
