KONOMI SLOT MACHINES PULLED

Las Vegas-based slot manufacturer
Konami Gaming had 87 selected
slot machines removed from the
floor of Ontario casinos after a bug
was found that occasionally flashed
jackpot wins across the reel symbols.

The four themes removed were
Billionaires, Most Wanted,
Sgt. Fritters, and Sticks and Stones.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission
of Ontario, which regulates Canadian
gaming, found something suspicious
on these games while watching them
run in slow motion.

While playing the games, a 5-of-a-kind
of the jackpot symbol would flash for
a fifth of a second right before the reels
began to spin.

Such a flash would be invisible upon
regular viewing but could be picked
up subconsciously, subliminally
inducing the player into feeling as if
he's won or is winning.

The regulatory commission tests
each machine before sending it
to market, but it does not test for
subliminal messages.

The Canadian Broadcasting Co.
aired the report on "The National,"
causing casinos in other jurisdictions
and countries (including the U.S.)
to also pull the machines.

Subliminal marketing is controversial
and unproven, with psychologists
unable to come up with evidence
that it works in controlled testing.
Konami states that the machines
removed were developed in 2001
and are among the lowest-performing
in their entire library.

Konami denies it intentionally
placed messages in the machines
and is creating a patch to fix the bug.
Konami also plans to sue the Canadian
Broadcasting Co. for the inaccurate
and damaging report to their company
that could have long-lasting effects on
their integrity.