Glitch Grants Players Massive Sums Following Hack of Slot Provider Amatic’s Servers

(AsiaGameHub) –   Servers operated by Austrian slot game provider Amatic Industries, a supplier to Slotegrator, were compromised in a hack on April 17, leading some Russian-speaking players to receive significantly larger payouts than intended.

Amatic Industries Gets Hacked

The cyberattack impacted several of the company’s games, including Book of Aztec, Lucky Joker 10, Lucky Joker 10 Extra Gifts, Lucky Joker 10 Cashspins, and Lucky Joker 20. Consequently, these games began generating wins at a far higher frequency than normal.

Slotegrator clarified that the problem was entirely on Amatic’s end, originating from the server infrastructure hosting the games. In a LinkedIn post, the aggregator emphasized its commitment to transparency and close partnership, stating it would offer full technical support and aid in investigations. However, it noted that definitive conclusions require a detailed analysis by the game’s owner.

Reports indicate the games began awarding a prize on every third spin. This allowed certain players to rapidly accumulate considerable sums, which they then tried to withdraw with mixed results, as discussed on Russian-language forums.

Simultaneously, while some players successfully cashed out their earnings, others found their accounts suspended or banned by online casinos. Highlighting the severity of the incident, one gambler allegedly transformed a $3.50 wager into $1,200 in a brief timeframe.

Hacks are not the sole method for players to obtain unearned money, as technical glitches can have the same effect. A recent example involves William Hill, where a system malfunction credited users with substantial amounts they did not win. The firm is now attempting to recover millions after numerous players withdrew the erroneously credited funds.

Cybersecurity Issues In the Gambling Industry Are on the Rise, Expert Says

According to cybersecurity expert Joseph Steinberg, the breach of Amatic’s servers points to a wider trend in cybercrime. Steinberg contends that offshore casinos functioning in legal grey zones are especially appealing targets, calling them “almost ideal targets” because of the large amounts of easily movable funds they manage.

Steinberg further noted that the complex jurisdictions governing sites like Vodka.Bet and Vavada offer hackers considerable protection. He stated that attacking entities already viewed with skepticism in the West significantly raises the chance of the culprits avoiding punishment. In these scenarios, victims frequently have no reliable access to law enforcement to stop such attacks or seek redress afterwards.

Naturally, not all cybercriminals escape justice, as evidenced by the recent sentencing of a DraftKings hacker to 30 months for participating in a plot to steal over $600,000 from the company.