Independent test challenges Amigotechs gambling software

The independent software certification company Certified Fair Gambling has flagged a game supplied by Panama-based Amigotechs of questionable fairness following a player complaint that led to a detailed examination of the Flash instant-play product.

Amigotechs software is used on more than 12 online casinos.

At the beginning of this year a complaint was received regarding the fairness of Amigotechs’ 50-play Jacks or Better being offered at the YouWager online casino. The casino cooperated in CFG’s subsequent enquiries, conducted by CFC owner Dr. Eliot Jacobson

“Based on my examination of the log files, I determined that the complaint had merit and that the software operated in a manner that was unfair to the player,” Jacobson, a widely experienced expert in software certification, concluded after his examination and tests.

Jacobson detailed his findings:

• During the period December 16, 2011 to December 27, 2011, if the player had a drawing hand then he did not improve to Jacks or better in any of the hands given in the log file. Thus the player’s claim that draw hands did not improve was found to be true.

• During the period December 16, 2011 to December 27, 2011, the player’s claim that made hands did not improve was found to be false.

• Based on a random sampling of hands, the software operated correctly during the period August 4, 2011 to December 15, 2011.

Jacobson further observed: “To put this in perspective, it is more likely to win the United States Powerball lottery 14 times in a row, buying a single ticket, than that the results of this game happened purely by chance. It is more likely, playing blackjack, to be dealt a blackjack 90 times in a row than that the results of the game happened purely by chance.

“My opinion is that this software was programmed to allow it to make the player lose. In the past, software providers have argued that such behavior was the fault of a bad random number generator or simply bad luck by the player.

“In my opinion, the game was programmed by someone who had access to the source code and acted in a malicious manner devised to make the player lose. The easiest way to write a program in this way is to have it randomly deal cards to complete the hand, and if the hand becomes a winner, simply repeat the deal until the completed hand is less than a pair of Jacks. Then go on to the next hand.

“Based on my investigation, I determined that Youwager did not have access to the source code and could not have made any changes to the Amigotechs software operating on their website. Youwager appears to have no culpability in this matter and in every way cooperated. For this reason I conclude that Youwager had neither fault nor intent in this matter.

“I conclude that Amigotechs, the vendor who supplied the casino software to Youwager, is responsible for providing a product that was programmed to act in a malicious fashion to the detriment of the player and that this software did act in a malicious fashion on 19 occasions.”

Jacobson notes that fellow expert, the widely respected Michael ‘the wizard of odds’ Shackleford, conducted a secondary analysis and concurred with the finding.

Amigotechs had not responded to an invitation to comment at the time we went to press.