[Gusfoo_2]

> (of course I have no certainty that it was truly a random process)

You do, as it happens. In order to operate, all machines must pass fairness and randomness testing. They are also under a spot-check regime to ensure there are no post-manufacture changes or defects.

> It is sad that the average American citizen does not have a sufficient grasp of basic probabilities to even consider putting money in such a machine, because it means that the school system essentially fails at preparing kids for the real world.

You're not playing as an investment/to win, you're playing because it's fun. The probability of winning is a factor that affects the 'fun' element.

>And it is sad that governments are encouraging those temples for theft to prosper the way they do. Because it really is theft

No, it is entertainment. It's not at all theft in any way, shape or form. You may not enjoy it, and that's fine. But other people do enjoy it.

[NotAtWork]

> You do, as it happens. In order to operate, all machines must pass fairness and randomness testing. They are also under a spot-check regime to ensure there are no post-manufacture changes or defects.

Many of the machines actually aren't random. Rather, large batches of results are (semi)randomly chosen such that there's a particular distribution of results in the next several thousand (or a million) results.

[shiven]

No, it is entertainment. It's not at all theft in any way, shape or form. You may not enjoy it, and that's fine. But other people do enjoy it.

Can be said for many other things too. Including things that are outright illegal, heinous and criminal. Slippery slope and all that.

[thisjepisje]

Wouldn't it be fairly easy to have a machine operate in "fair mode" during testing, and in "unfair mode" after that? Timers, secret commands and what have you.

[sp332]

Yes, but the regulator takes their job seriously and the penalties are quite high.

[MereInterest]

The entire source code and hardware must be disclosed. If the binary does not completely match the official binary, then the machine is not compliant.

It is more than just black box testing.

[seanflyon]

This isn't something unimportant like voting machines; The inspectors do their due diligence.