Episode
01 July 2018 Official episode · Official transcript
cybercrime
The episode describes the discovery and exploitation of a software bug in IGT Game King video poker machines, the resulting casino investigations and prosecutions, and the eventual dismissal of federal charges.
Topics: Software vulnerability in casino gaming machines, Game-state and wager manipulation, Abuse of the Game King Double Up feature, Repeated payout triggering, Offline patching and maintenance of distributed machines, Physical slot-machine tampering using the Monkey Paw, Electromagnetic-pulse interference with slot machines, Computer Fraud and Abuse Act applicability to software-feature abuse, Casino surveillance and forensic duplication of a machine bug
Links published on the Darknet Diaries episode page. Not LLM output.
No Sources heading on this episode page.
Qualified statements from this episode, not graph facts.
Monkey Paw AFFECTS slot machine
The Monkey Paw tricks a slot machine into dispensing additional coins by making it think a payout coin did not fall.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“This tricks the machine to think that when the payout occurred, the coin never fell, thus making another coin fall.”
electromagnetic pulse AFFECTS slot machine
An electromagnetic pulse can cause certain slot machines to behave abnormally, including issuing instant credits or excessive payouts.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“By placing an electromagnetic pulse around certain slot machines it can cause the machine to behave abnormally”
Game King is described as a video poker game made by IGT.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“a video poker game called Game King made by IGT”
The Game King games include and rely on the Double Up feature as an in-game option.
Explicit Confidence 90% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“The Double Up feature on these games had been turned off”
Game King Double Up bug AFFECTS Game King
The Double Up bug affects Game King video poker machines.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“The bug they found would let them change their bet after the win”
“This would be the first bug like this found on Game King.”
Game King Double Up exploit EXPLOITS Game King Double Up bug
The Game King Double Up exploit takes advantage of the Game King Double Up bug.
Derived Confidence 98% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“they found they could trigger the payout twice with the same hand”
“The exploit worked like this; step one, find a Game King video poker machine”
Game King Double Up exploit USES Double Up
The exploit requires the Double Up option to be enabled and uses it to increase the payout.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“With it on, the exploit worked and with it off, it didn’t.”
“ask the slot attendant to enable the Double Up option”
John Kane USES Game King Double Up exploit
John Kane repeatedly used the Game King exploit to obtain inflated jackpots.
Explicit Confidence 97% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“John went back to the Freemont and sat under the neon signs ... and he continued playing poker. He kept winning”
“John ... began hitting jackpot after jackpot.”
Andre Nestor USES Game King Double Up exploit
Andre Nestor used the exploit at casinos to obtain inflated jackpots and continued doing so after John warned him.
Explicit Confidence 98% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“Andre continued visiting his local casino and was able to win more than $480,000.”
“Andre didn’t listen, thinking John was just trying to keep the bug to himself so he continued to visit his local casino with his entourage and kept winning.”
John played Game King video poker machines while carrying out the exploit.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“John spent a large amount of time playing a video poker game called Game King”
Andre Nestor USES Game King
Andre played Game King video poker machines while testing and using the exploit.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“John picked Andre up at McCarran airport, grabbed breakfast, and they went right back to the Freemont and sat side-by-side on the two Game King video poker machines.”
Game King Double Up bug DISCOVERED_BY John Kane
John discovered the bug after accidentally receiving a payout without placing a bet and trying to reproduce the behavior.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“John called Andre and told him about this bug he found in the video poker machine”
Game King Double Up bug DISCOVERED_BY Nevada Gaming Control Board
The Nevada Gaming Control Board examined the machine, extracted its memory, reviewed surveillance, and duplicated the bug.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“They went back to the lab with the surveillance tapes and they were able to duplicate the bug.”
Game King Double Up bug DISCOVERED_BY IGT
IGT discovered, during further review, that the bug had existed for seven years on thousands of games.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“After further review IGT had discovered this bug was present for seven years”
Nevada Gaming Control Board ASSOCIATED_WITH IGT
The Nevada Gaming Control Board notified IGT after duplicating the Game King bug.
Explicit Confidence 98% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“The Gaming Control Board immediately notified IGT, the makers of Game King.”
John Kane ASSOCIATED_WITH Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986
John was charged with conspiracy and violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986; the applicability of the law to his conduct was disputed.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“John and Andre were charged with conspiracy and violation of The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986.”
Andre Nestor ASSOCIATED_WITH Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986
Andre was charged with conspiracy and violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986; the applicability of the law to his conduct was disputed.
Explicit Confidence 99% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“John and Andre were charged with conspiracy and violation of The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986.”
Aaron Swartz ASSOCIATED_WITH Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986
The episode cites Aaron Swartz's case as another case involving alleged CFAA violations.
Explicit Confidence 96% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“One was Aaron Swartz, who was arrested for downloading academic articles without permission.”
Darknet Diaries DEVELOPED_BY Jack Rhysider
Jack says that he made the episode and identifies himself as the maker of Darknet Diaries.
Explicit Confidence 90% · Jack Rhysider EP 18 Details
“This episode is made by me, Jack Rhysider.”
Works mentioned in the transcript. Distinct from show-note sources.
Model gpt-5.6-luna · prompt 1.5.19 · schema 1.5.19 · 2026-09-13T04:12:51.267743+00:00