Münich: Gang tampers with slot machines

A criminal gang must appear and answer in front of the District Court of Munich. The men are being accused of having tampered the slot machines in different gambling halls in the area of Fürstenfeldbruck. This led to considerable damages. But how did the men manage to do this, and which fine are they facing?

At the end of March, we had reported that a gang in Dresden had tampered with the slot machines and thereupon won. In a recent case, five men of Turkish origin are also being accused of having tampered with the slot machines. Now the men must reply for their actions at the Second District Court of Munich.

Loot of over 500,000 Euro

Within a year the accused seem to have tampered with different slot machines in different ways and all this happened within the area of Fürstenfeldbruck. According to the prosecution, three of the five men had already committed their first deed on the 25th. May 2019. They were arrested much later, nearly more than a year later, on the 18th. September 2020. During this time, they seemed to have caused damage amounting to more than half a million Euro by cracking the slot machines. The men seem to have tampered with the machines in a gambling hall in Bruck for more than 189 times and seem to have acquired more than 280,000 Euro. The other locations were the men committed the crime were in a gambling hall in Munich (Damages: 5770 Euro), as well as in a locality in Olching (Damages: 28,000 Euro).

The criminal gang seems to have had access to insider knowledge. Thus, the men apparently made use of a combination of several electronic, mechanical, and magnetic effects to trigger the control software of the slot machines to give out an unjustified cash amount every time. The two technically experienced men in the group made use of self-built tools to do this. Among these tools we find screwdrivers, wires, drillers, and wedges.

Besides this, the men made use of the individual PIN-Numbers of the vending machines, when they were not authorised to do this. Consequently, they were not playing at the machines and taking their chance but were simply defrauding the game halls. In April of this year we had reported about another case of a pensioner trio, who had manipulated the roulette balls and could also have acquired a substantial loot. 

Criminal charge: Computer fraud

The prosecution is charging the criminal quintet with computer fraud. The accused are all men, aged 28, 30, 47, 50 and 55 years respectively. In the beginning they were only a group of three, but by time they increased to five. The gang seems to have even offered money to t e employees of the gaming halls so that they could provide them with rosters and so that they did not interfere in their actions. In fact, the employees are being investigated in a separate proceeding. The gang was busted when a game hall operator suspected something and reported them in summer 2020.

Conclusion

Till now the Second District Court of Munich has not pronounced judgement. However possible penalties for the men were discussed during the hearings. The two older men aged 50 and 55 years respectively may face a prison sentence of four years. The 30-year-old seems to face a suspended sentence of two years. Further trial days and proceedings are scheduled for the case.

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