“groovy mother...”

Cheating Fruit Machines

As a Geek of Computer Science, I often get curious about the software and algorithms behind things that most people take for granted. For example, I’m fascinated by the logic employed by elevators to decide which lift to send to which floor when a button is pressed. As I understand it, all kinds of factors are taken into account, such as time of day (in the morning, most elevators sit in the ground floor, ready to take people upstairs. In the evening, they’re dotted around the building, so people can get home).

Fruit Machines are another one. What logic is used to decide whether you’re a winner or a loser? Well, the FairPlay Campaign has been doing some research, and noticed that, often, your gambles have zero chance of paying off. And they’re going to do something about it, dagnammit.