Players Take Advantage of Faulty Saskatchewan Slot Machine

A casino in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan delivered players over $28,000 in profits before casino operators realized the machine was faulty, awarding players more than four times as many credits as normal for the money that was deposited into the game.

The faulty machine was located in a government-operated casino run by the Saskatchewan Gaming Corporation. When players put a $50 bill into the slot machine in question during a period in April, the game awarded them with $216 in credit – an instant profit of $166 each time they put money into the machine. In total, $28,884 was lost due to the glitch, suggesting that the machine was exploited a total of 174 times over the course of several days. The machine operated as normal when bills of other denominations were used.

According to SGC president Twyla Meredith, it was obvious that some players had figured out what was going on, and sought to take advantage.

“They obviously knew that there was an advantage happening here,” Meredith said. “A couple of people figured that out and took us for about $30,000.”

According to Meredith, the Moose Jaw police department has been contacted and given all of the relevant information. It is unclear if any players will be charged with crimes in relation to the malfunctioning machine.

The machine itself is also being subjected to scrutiny. The computer chip that was malfunctioning has been sent to a lab for forensic examination, in order to see what went wrong and if tampering was a possibility. As a precautionary measure, two other slot machines of the same model were also pulled from the casino floor.

Should the testing confirm the error in the machine, the SGC will attempt to recover the money lost. The money would likely come from the manufacturer, however, rather than from players.

“We view it as public money, so we feel an obligation to collect that back,” Meredith said.