Part III: Slot Machine Cheating · Physical Cheating Methods

SCAM #28: False Jackpot Claims (Customer-Side)

How it works

A player falsely claims to have hit a jackpot when they did not. Methods include: claiming a machine displayed a jackpot that “malfunctioned” away; tampering with a machine to create a false jackpot display; claiming a jackpot on a machine they never actually played. While most malfunction claims are legitimate (all machines display “Malfunction Voids All Pays”), some players deliberately attempt to exploit software glitches or create false displays to extort payment. The famous 2015 case of Pauline McKee – a 90-year-old grandmother who won $41 million on a Miss Kitty slot machine due to a software glitch – resulted in courts ruling against her, establishing that malfunction voids all pays.

Where it appears

All slot machines, particularly those with known software vulnerabilities.

On the record

The Pauline McKee case at Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo (2015) became a national story. She won a displayed $41,797,550.80 jackpot, but the casino determined it was a software malfunction. She sued but lost at every level, including the Iowa Supreme Court. This case reinforced the legal standing of “Malfunction Voids All Pays” disclaimers.

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.