Recently, the hacker behind one of the longest running slot-hacking operations gave an interview, revealing some of his secrets. The Russian hacker was the mastermind behind the operation that saw his operatives take millions of dollars from across the world over the course of many years.
Slot Hacker Known as Alex
The hacker, who is based in St. Petersburg in Russia is known only as Alex. He agreed to give an interview to Wired, speaking to their journalist Brendan Koerner. The infamous slot hacker agreed to do the interview provided that his full name was not mentioned. He also demanded that he was free to refuse to answer any questions about his personal life that he thought were too invasive.
Not much is known about the identity of Alex, but his exploits became well known back in 2014. His operation came to the attention of the gambling world when two of his people were caught and arrested at a sting in St Louis, Missouri. They then revealed details about the hacking operation to police.
How the Slot Hack Worked
Alex claimed that he was able to reverse engineer the Random Number Generators used in slot machines. He was able to do this after Russia banned casinos in most of the country and this allowed him to buy old equipment from closed casinos. He then studied the gambling machines and was able to hack the random number generators.
The hacking operation would work with his operators secretly filming a slot machine and sending the footage back to St Petersburg. The video footage would then be analyzed, and Alex was able to determine the best moment to spin the reels. A fraction of a second before the odds were at their best; a signal would be sent to the operator who would spin. A team of four operators were able to make over $200 000 a week by using this method and the operation ran for quite some time.
Hacking Slots and Robin Hood
Alex was also quick to point out that he tried to carry out the operation in countries where it was not illegal. However, it was very much illegal in the United States, where his operatives were arrested. Alex apparently sees himself as a Robin Hood-type figure, being a counterweight to the house always winning. However, he has also attempted to help slot manufacturers improve their security, for a price.
At this time, no major slot manufacturers have agreed to work with Alex.
