In several hundred cases, a group of perpetrators is said to have manipulated slot machines throughout Germany – with success. Overall, the perpetrators are said to have succeeded in stealing more than half a million euros through the manipulation activities. But in the meantime the police have found out about the perpetrators. The question remains how criminals managed to influence the machines in the gambling halls in such a way that unauthorized payouts of winnings took place.
Gambling – no thanks!
Normally, the success at the slot machine depends solely on the luck of the player. Obviously, however, one criminal gang was reluctant to take this risk. Instead, they resorted to another option. They manipulated the slot machines in several gambling halls in order to obtain an unjustified payout. An arcade operator from Fürstenfeldbruck in Bavaria initiated the extensive police investigation. The conspicuously high number of winnings paid out seemed suspicious to him.
Surf tip: In a somewhat older guidebook, we dealt with the question of whether it is possible to manipulate slots through online casinos.
The group of perpetrators struck across Germany
The police investigations have shown that the group of perpetrators not only struck in Upper Bavaria, but in many different places in Germany. Most of the members of the criminal gang came from North Rhine-Westphalia. In total, the fraudsters are said to have tampered with around 400 gaming machines in Germany.
The fraud only succeeded because the perpetrators had specialist knowledge in the area of device functions. In addition, they had unauthorized confidential access data, some of which they received from third parties in return for a monetary payment. In addition, the police found out that in many cases the arcade staff also gave a lot of help. In some cases, the gaming machines had to be opened by force and cable connections had to be cut in order to be able to carry out the manipulation.
For this reason, it is no surprise that the coup turned out to be a success. Normally, modern slot machines in Germany and other EU countries have sophisticated technical mechanisms that are supposed to ensure that fraud cannot take place.
There are also claims in many places on the Internet that slot machines can be manipulated by users. However, these are dubious promises that are not true. And even if the virtual slot machine games were to be manipulated, everyone involved would be liable to prosecution and risk a fine or imprisonment.
Offender caught in the act
The investigative authorities already had a successful access in September of last year. The criminal investigation department of the police headquarters in Upper Bavaria North arrested three suspects who were busy manipulating a slot machine in Fürstenfeldbruck. Another suspect could also be arrested in his Dortmund apartment. Two of the four suspected men are still in custody.
At the end of February, another search took place, during which the objects were searched by two other suspects allegedly involved in the fraud. The men are accused of providing the arcade fraudsters with inside knowledge and the technical material. In total, the investigations into this crime complex are now being conducted against 14 people. These are managed by the responsible public prosecutor’s office in Munich II.
Conclusion
According to current information from the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the group of perpetrators successfully manipulated gaming machines in 400 cases. To do this, the criminals used the specialist knowledge of insiders, paid the arcade staff to look the other way, and in many cases damaged the machines in order to successfully carry out their fraud. The total damage is estimated at over 500,000 euros. The police investigations are now directed against a total of 14 suspects. So far, no date for a main hearing has been announced.
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