The Security of Gambling and Gambling with Security: Hacking, Law Enforcement and Public Policy—A South African Response

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Notes

1. In America, the intention was that only state licensed casinos were to have slot machines, but a clause allowing for ‘Technical aids to Class II devices’, which was originally intended to assist with the game of Bingo (Class II) have enabled Indian casinos to generate billions in revenue from gaming devices that display the results of a bingo game as a slot machine.

2. In the UK, wagering companies are able to have technological aids to fixed odds betting. Given that a ‘game of chance’ is a game where the odds are fixed, a billion pound industry now exists where slot machines and simulations of fixed-odd table games (fixed-odd betting terminals or FOBT) appear in betting shops throughout the UK.

3. Only when we understand the objectives, the scope and stakeholder requirements, are we in a position to commence establishing meaningful practical policy. Once we have specific policy, we can analyse the risks to that policy and from there we can establish key controls.

4. US Federal law recognises that state laws vary and seeks to ensure that neither interstate nor foreign commerce is used to circumvent them.