True Crime: The story of a Man Who Managed to Beat the Slots

The payoffs of the slot machines are random, but are there any chances to improve a little the payout? If they are, would you use these chances? There was someone - Tommy Glenn Carmichael, who would and who did.

Aged now 53, Tommy Carmichael has passed through a long history of creating the special devices for cheating slot machines. Having been caught with one, which was called a top-bottom joint, Tommy was sentenced to prison. But he didn’t stop working on the problem after his release; he continued the attempts to develop the better device for cheating slot machines. For instance, he created a special tool, which was called a slider and released the coins from the slot hopper; it was made from the guitar wire and was used to put into a slot.

Later on, with the full computerization of slots, he faced up the challenge to create a new device. He faked the manufacturer, made him believe as is he was a customer, and asked to show the inner contents of a slot machine. It helped him to understand, what would be urgent for him to know in order to beat the machine. Thus, Carmichael created a so-called “light wand”. The one with the camera battery and a bright little light, shined into the slot, to blind the sensor and make the hopper give out the coins. And this device was almost undetectable. Carmichael made about $10,000 a day, as he marketed his tools to the other slot cheats. He bought the expensive cars, went for the expensive cruises, bought two houses.

But at last all the Good always comes to an end. Carmichael was caught up in front of the Circus Circus’ slot machine, with the light wand and trying to escape from the security. At that time the charges were dropped, but the situation repeated again in Laughlin and, after that, in Atlantic City. By that time, his phone had already been tapped by the authorities and his talks with the other cheats, using the device, were recorded. Now Carmichael could not avoid charges, he was pled guilty for holding of illegal gambling enterprise. He was sentenced to the 3-years probation and finally lost the both houses. He was forbidden to visit any casino.