Dennis Sean McAndrew, who officially changed his name from Dennis Andrew Nikrasch, but also used at least half a dozen aliases during his lifetime, was the mastermind of the biggest slot machine cheating schemes in history. At the time of his death in 2010, he had the dubious distinction of being in the so-called ‘Black Book’, which lists individuals who are forever banned from casinos, in both Nevada and New Jersey.
In the late seventies and early eighties, when slot machines were electro-mechanical, McAndrew and his accomplices used distraction techniques to take impressions of keys used to open slot machines, fashioned new keys and, later, opened the machines and physically rigged the reels to winning jackpot combinations. Collectively, they stole a reported $25 million a year from Las Vegas casinos.
In 1983, McAndew began an eight-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to using a set of magnets and locksmith tools, dubbed the ‘Nikrasch device’, to illegally manipulate slot machines and defraud Las Vegas casinos. Following his release in 1991, McAndrew adopted more sophisticated methods to cope with the evolution of slot machines in the interim. They still involved opening slot machine cabinets but, rather than physically rigging reels, reprogramming Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. (EPROM) chips, without removing them from the machine and thereby invalidating security measures.
In 1998, McAndrew was convicted for a second time, for swindling over $6 million from various Las Vegas casinos, including nearly $2 million from the Luxor alone, between September 1996 and November 1997. He had also travelled to Atlantic City, with a view to fraudulently winning a $5 million slot jackpot, only to be foiled when the jackpot was won legimately beforehand. A search of his residence revealed an ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ of slot machines, microchips and other incriminating evidence. McAndrew was sentenced to a further seven-and-a-half years’ imprisonment, of which her served six.
Online slots are famous for coming in a wide range of genres. They’re played by such a vast number of people that studios need to create diverse games to appeal to everyone.
Because these instant win classics are so huge in the online bingo sector, they can have an impact on the wider entertainment industry. Slots have already helped the Western resurgence in the mainstream, and now they could have the same effect on the gangster genre.
Various Gangster Games at Online Bingo Sites
There’s something for everyone when it comes to instant win games in the online bingo market. However, from the list of new bingo releases, it’s clear that there’s a gangster resurgence on the cards. Mafia Gold is one of the top-listed slots among other popular titles like The Lost Boys and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, suggesting that there’s a big market out there for games in the genre.
Mafia Gold uses all the classic tropes of the genre, with the thumbnail designed to make players reminisce on iconic pictures like Goodfellas and The Godfather. There are a few other titles that use a similar theme as well, with Mafia Millions and The Stash being the standout offerings. With so many players interested in these titles, it could lead more film and television developers to consider bringing out new gangster content.
Online Casinos Brought Westerns Back
It wouldn’t be surprising to see this online bingo trend influence the wider entertainment industry, as the same thing has happened with other genres. Western-themed titles have always been at the heart of the thriving bingo sector, with options like Wild West Gold among the top options.
The popularity of Western slots may have inspired developers in film and television to create more offerings in the genre, and there have been a few successful titles in recent years. Yellowstone, for instance, is an example of a modern Western, and that has influenced other shows like Territory. Series such as Fallout and The Mandalorian have also featured elements from Westerns that have appealed to viewers.
What Are the Best Recent Gangster Offerings?
There have been a few gangster titles in recent years, suggesting that there could be a resurgence of the genre on the cards. Series could potentially be the way forward for gangster offerings, with The Gentlemen on Netflix receiving a positive response from fans and critics. The series will be back for a second season, and it’s likely to encourage other writers to play with similar themes.
The Penguin is another example of a series that has capitalised on the emerging trend of bringing the gangster genre to television screens. Colin Farrell earned plaudits for his depiction of the notorious Gotham City bad guy, and the HBO offering is likely to lead to future seasons as well.
With gangster themes becoming more prevalent in the slots market, it could lead to a knock-on effect across other areas of entertainment. It appears that this could already be happening, with a few popular new gangster series on streaming services.
Slingo began life as a simple combination of slots and bingo, where players try to complete winning lines to climb up the paytable. It has since become far more popular among online players, as new themes and features are added to this basic starting point. So, what are the key features changing this market currently?
Slingo Journey to Asgard Has Bonus Games
The Norse-themed Slingo game Journey to Asgard can be found among the latest releases in Paddy’s Slingo selection. The idea of matching numbers to get wins remains the same, but some bonus features have been added to make it more varied. Some of the bonus games include Realm of Runes and Trials of Treasure. These games are simple to play and the bonus features add to the Viking theme running through this game.
Golden Rune Reams is another bonus game, where the player chooses four runes from the 24 shown and waits for them to explode, to see if a prize is awarded. With Norse mythology currently riding high, fans who are disappointed that there won’t be a Vikings Valhalla season four might be looking for games like this to try.
The Face Match Process in Slingo Day of the Dab
Day of the Dab utilises colourful features that reflect the Mexican Day of the Dead, an event that has been popularised in modern culture through representations in films, such as in 2015’s Spectre movie with Daniel Craig as James Bond. In terms of bonuses, in the Face Match round, the famous painted skulls from Mexican culture spin around and look to find matches near them.
Slingo Fowl Play Has the Flick a Fox Bonus Egg
Animals have also proved to be a successful theme in Slingo games, just as they are in slot games. Slingo Fowl Play is one of the newest releases, with a farmyard look where chickens and foxes take centre stage. The fox is the wild symbol and the rooster is super wild, which are symbols commonly used in Slingo.
Three or more scatter symbols are needed to enter the Egg Pïck Bonus, where silver, gold and diamond eggs award win multipliers. The Flick a Fox egg is potentially the most valuable, as it launches a jackpot game when you find it.
What Can We Expect to See in Upcoming Slingo Games?
These recent releases show how the Slingo market is changing. One of the most notable trends has been the introduction of themed games that fit with areas of the entertainment industry that are currently popular. However, the developers have taken it further by adding bonus features that reflect the theme.
We can expect to see more Slingo games launched in the future, as the creators look to appeal to a bigger range of players by incorporating different kinds of themes with the Slingo format.
If you’re planning a visit to a casino and want to try your hand at roulette, the first step is understanding how to bet. Roulette wheels are iconic, but there’s a specific way to place bets; which can vary depending on the version of roulette you’re playing.
Inside and Outside Betting
When playing roulette online, or at a physical casino, you can choose between making an inside bet or outside bet. The inside betting area contains individual numbers. The outside betting area has options like odd/even, red/black or different number groups. The numbers on the inside are arranged into twelve rows of three numbers each. This forms three columns, which helps to make it easier to visualise your options.
If you’re playing American roulette, you’ll have zero and double zero in the top column. European roulette only has one zero, so the odds of winning might be higher. Remember that even though the odds of winning on European roulette are higher, the outcome is still random. This is usually made possible by a number generator, which ensures every game is fair.
In a traditional game at a physical casino, each player at the table will have a chip of a different colour. You can only use the chips at the table you are at, and when the game is over, you will cash them in for regular chips. You can’t just cash your roulette chips in for money when playing at a casino. Additionally, each roulette table has minimum and maximum betting limits, which players must observe when placing their bets.
Breaking Down Your Betting Options
Roulette offers various betting options that vary in payout odds and complexity. A straight-up bet, for instance, is a bet on a single number with the highest payout. A split-bet covers two numbers; in a traditional casino, you place the chip on the line between the two chosen numbers. A street-bet covers three numbers in a row, and you place the chip on the line that separates the inside and outside betting areas.
For more options, you could try a six-line bet, where you place a chip on the intersecting point of two rows. A corner bet, on the other hand, covers four numbers, and you place the chip where all four corners meet on the grid.
Placing outside bets is also very easy. You just need to place a chip on the boxes that indicate red/black, or odd/even. Place your chip on 1-12, 13-24 or 25-36 if you’d like to make a dozens bet. Meanwhile, column bets are placed in boxes at the bottom of each column on the grid.
So as you can see, mastering roulette is largely about learning chip placement; this indicates the type of bet you’d like to place and your potential payout. Although roulette involves a mix of strategy and luck, the odds will fluctuate depending on whether you’re playing on an American wheel, or a French or European one. The odds and house edge vary, so it’s helpful to check the casino’s posted odds before you start betting.