Comments on: Gambling no longer a game of chance http://www.nonfamous.com/wp/2007/01/25/gambling-no-longer-a-game-of-chance/ commentary on the world around us, with an effort to keep paranoia at the lowest healthy level Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:21:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: david http://www.nonfamous.com/wp/2007/01/25/gambling-no-longer-a-game-of-chance/#comment-34510 david Mon, 29 Jan 2007 18:33:58 +0000 http://www.nonfamous.com/wp/2007/01/25/gambling-no-longer-a-game-of-chance/#comment-34510 Looks like the guy <a href="http://www.nbc10.com/news/10860544/detail.html" rel="nofollow">got his money</a> in the end. Even though it was human error, it was the right thing for the casino to do. Looks like the guy got his money in the end. Even though it was human error, it was the right thing for the casino to do.

]]> By: david http://www.nonfamous.com/wp/2007/01/25/gambling-no-longer-a-game-of-chance/#comment-32819 david Fri, 26 Jan 2007 21:18:47 +0000 http://www.nonfamous.com/wp/2007/01/25/gambling-no-longer-a-game-of-chance/#comment-32819 From what I've learned of this story from other sites, in this particular instance the punter didn't win a jackpot from a spin. Instead, it's some kind of promotional messaging application, where they can send a message direct to a machine at any time. This system malfunctioned. Sure, it sucks, but it seems like the casino had some semblance of legitimacy here. And by the way, electronic slot machines don't spin the reels randomly -- and certainly not independently -- in any real statistical sense. In fact, there's an internal setting where the owner can specify the target payout percentage: 98% or 95% or 85% or whatever. (100% would mean the machine paid out as much as it took in.) There's logic in the machines that controls the spins to keep the actual payout percentage close to the target in the long run -- which doesn't preclude wins for an individual player in the short run, of course. From what I’ve learned of this story from other sites, in this particular instance the punter didn’t win a jackpot from a spin. Instead, it’s some kind of promotional messaging application, where they can send a message direct to a machine at any time. This system malfunctioned. Sure, it sucks, but it seems like the casino had some semblance of legitimacy here.

And by the way, electronic slot machines don’t spin the reels randomly — and certainly not independently — in any real statistical sense. In fact, there’s an internal setting where the owner can specify the target payout percentage: 98% or 95% or 85% or whatever. (100% would mean the machine paid out as much as it took in.) There’s logic in the machines that controls the spins to keep the actual payout percentage close to the target in the long run — which doesn’t preclude wins for an individual player in the short run, of course.

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