Meet Alex, the Russian Casino Hacker Who Makes Millions Targeting

Amazing article about a Russian hacker who is able of reverse engineering the algorithms—known as pseudorandom number generators, or PRNGs that govern how slot machines behave. With a team he has apparently been able to make as much as 250k per week. Worth the time to read the article.

Article on Wired Magazine

2 Comments
 

I'm inclined to believe that the guy is legit but...how does recording video of a slot machine help in actually understanding its algorithm?

It would mean that he either had access to similar or previous models, the casinos did not tweak the machines at all (which is very unlikely) or some information is not given.

Sure, he had the necessary skills and knowledge but it would still mean that his people have to check every single slot machine until they stumbled upon a vulnerable one. Otherwise they would just have to pull the slots over and over again. I also doubt that they can forecast how many pulls they would need before hitting the jackpot as well.

Maybe I didn't skim the text properly but I hope someone can explain if i'm wrong.

 

Numquam repellat est eum. Quidem asperiores qui odit dicta laboriosam placeat laboriosam.

Est incidunt voluptatem quo fugit. Molestiae itaque aperiam nihil mollitia facilis. Quibusdam aut nemo non culpa.

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 04 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (17) $409
  • Associates (58) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”