IGT reports glitch in keno game

Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2003 | 11:12 a.m.

International Game Technology has notified slot operators statewide that a certain keno game has a glitch that allows gamblers to play the machines for free.

IGT notified the state Gaming Control Board about the games and state regulators ordered the company to notify casinos, convenience stores and other gaming licensees that operate them.

The notification involved at least 200 slot machine-like games called Triple Diamond Keno.

Slot malfunctions don't happen often but do occur because it is nearly impossible to test every possible game outcome in the field before installing devices in casinos, IGT Vice President of Marketing Ed Rogich said.

The Control Board's chief of enforcement, Keith Copher, agreed but said the board hasn't seen any glitch of this kind "in a couple of years."

Glitches are eventually discovered fairly quickly through accounting reports casinos send to the Control Board, Rogich said.

In this case, machines that were programmed to return a certain percentage to players over time were returning more than is normal, he said.

Some operators may still be operating the machines because it's up to them to shut them down or remove them after they have been notified, Rogich said.

IGT and the Control Board confirmed that the glitch somehow returned coins to players. They declined to elaborate.

The games are older machines that accept coins and don't use paper voucher systems that have become popular in recent years.