Field guide

Coin on a String (Yo-Yo / Stringer)

How it works

The earliest and simplest slot cheat—attaching a string to a coin, inserting it to register a credit, then pulling it back out to reuse indefinitely. A cheater tapes or drills a string into a coin, drops it into the coin slot, waits for the credit sensor to register, then yanks the coin back out. Also called a “yo-yo” because the coin goes in and out repeatedly.

On the record

James Taylor, a retired Nevada Gaming Control Board Enforcement Division chief, reported his first criminal arrests in 1995 involved individuals using yo-yos and monkey paws. The yo-yo was among the earliest devices to land users in Nevada’s “Black Book.”

Published as a detection reference for surveillance, compliance and gaming-operations professionals. Thresholds and tuning are set by the property. Nothing here is instruction — the method is described so it can be recognised.