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Tommy was able to develop some advanced con tools that secured an immediate victory.
To keep up with the adjustments made to slot machines as time goes on and technology develops, Tommy should purposefully adapt his con technique. Along with working together, he formed a group of con artists that cost the Las Vegas casinos millions of dollars.
How it All Began
Exactly when technology started to advance, Tommy Glenn Carmichael was born in the 1950s.
Tommy’s interest in technology’s workings dates back to his early years, which may have led him to create a business selling goods and fixing TVs in the 1980s.
Oklahoma’s Tulsa was home to “Ace TV Sales and Service.” Tommy’s business expanded fast and profitably since it was Tulsa’s first.
But as more businesses are established in the area, Tommy is struggling to make ends meet and is losing money. The fact that his divorce is still pending is hurting his business.
Before that, Tommy had been charged with narcotics possession and was additionally required to complete community service. Despite the unpleasantness of his life, he was intent on making a difference.
Ray Ming, a friend from high school that Tommy had, then showed up and seemed to save the day.
Tommy was shown how to use a top-down joint, a miniature slot machine used to trick casinos, by Ray.
To learn how to utilize the top-down joint tool, Tommy “objected to” the slot machine and started to comprehend its mechanical system. After much practice, Tommy is finally prepared to use his new strategy for gaming machine fraud in Las Vegas.
Tommy decided to try out his strategy on a simple machine first as it was his debut time, and he quickly won about $35.
He continued playing other machines across many casinos in Las Vegas, where he eventually won tens of thousands of dollars in a couple of weekends.
For the First Time, Arrested
Tommy employed this strategy for several years, collecting millions of dollars from casinos in significant Las Vegas locations. The equipment Tommy used to hack slots eventually caused the casinos to become more and more sensitive.
The casinos decided to upgrade their equipment with the most latest technology available as a result. Then, slot machines are run by the Random Number Generator or RNG.
Tommy was consequently compelled to frequent smaller casinos that could not manage to use this state-of-the-art technology. However, Tommy was more exposed because the casinos he went to were smaller.
The police had been keeping an eye on him for nearly a week except for his knowledge and were well conscious of his cunning tendencies. When Tommy was arrested, he made an effort to appear innocent, but police found a top-bottom joint tool in his pocket.
On account of drug possession, Tommy was given a five-year prison term while also being placed on probation. Inside the facility, Tommy met Michael Balsamo, who was incarcerated for the same crime.
As soon as they were freed, they started looking for ways to work together and con casinos. But as the day drew near, they both realized that the increasingly sophisticated slot machine technology had rendered their previous technique ineffective.
Getting Caught at Last
Before Tommy and his other members of the group went to the Circus Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas at the end of 1996, the group had been at the height of their frauds for more than four years.
Tommy’s new unnamed surveillance cameras can see beyond criminals who hide from other cameras.
After Tommy used a Light Wand gadget to operate the machine, security personnel sprinted towards him and grabbed him.