For those of you thinking you are being robbed by playing a Silver strike machine, remember Motivation!!! The strike machine receives a minor amount of play and a casino could replace it with a higher earning machine.Additionally there is more than hold % to figure...there is also Hit frequency!!!! (the % of time over a theoretial cycle that a machine returns SOMETHING to the player.) No, I do not remember this figure!

The old timers that tought me the business also taught me...NO WINNERS=NO PLAYERS!!! Good lesson for those corporate guys to think on. THE BAD PART IS THAT NOW I AM CONSIDERED ONE OF THE OLD TIMERS!!

A CASINO MAY NOT ALTER IN ANY WAY, SOFTWARE PROVIDED!!!! They may switch to another approved program, but that is it.If they do switch programs, They are required to make a new machine number and new accounting records for that machine. Many gamblers think the casino is able to just tighten down an will....see the next paragraph!

A casino upon putting a game on the floor must choose the program(s) they wish to run and document them thouroughly!! Also for those thinking a casino can just flip a switch...Not true. The games have their program stored in EEPROM....Modifying a program is considered cause to lose your gaming license for good!!!In fact just having an EEPROM programmer on the premises requires permission from the Chairman's office. A casino would use such a device to copy eeproms such as for a bill validator, when the new currency appears!! To enforce this, the GCB Lab guys pay periodic random (there is that word again) visits to casinos to check a sampling of games against known programs from the manufacturers! yes, the industry is tightly controlled!!

Now we have the new Video games that basically have a BUNCH of different casino selectable programs built in!!! If the casino switches to a new program in any case, the are REQUIRED to change the machine number (House Number)....not doing so is a serious violation of the MICS (minimum internal control standard!!) and would result in a serious written warning (violation) and more frequent visits from the Audit division of the GCB.

There is also a regulation (reg 14) that prohibits ANYONE from attaching any device (even a coin acceptor) that is Not approved by the GCB lab!!!! AS FAR AS I REMEMBER...you would be correct in assuming that any strike machine (except the caesars one mentioned and the VERY old IGT strike machines(think they are gone) will have the same program in them...thus...YES, THEY SHOULD ALL BE THE SAME (UNLESS THERE IS A PROGRAM THAT i DO NOT RECALL AROUND).

This info is only meant to help you all understand what you are dealing with when gambling....remember that word..... GAMBLE!
jeff