Insider cheating — where a current or former employee is involved — is one of the most damaging forms of arcade cheating because the insider has legitimate access to the machines and understands the venue’s procedures and security measures. I have investigated 25+ cases of insider cheating across different venue types. The methods vary, but the patterns are consistent.
How Insiders Cheat
The most common insider method is manual credit addition. During off-hours or when unsupervised, the employee opens the machine’s diagnostic menu and adds credits to a player account or to the machine’s reserve credit pool. The credits can then be used by the employee, given to friends, or sold to regular players. The machine logs show a configuration change, but in a busy venue with multiple staff members, a single log entry is rarely questioned.
The second most common method is the fake coin pulse. The employee carries a small pulse generator — small enough to conceal in a pocket — and uses it to generate free credits for friends while working. The pulse is triggered while the employee is near the machine, pretending to clean it or check on it. The machine registers a normal coin acceptance, and the friend gets free play.
The third method is information sharing. The employee does not cheat directly. Instead, they provide machine passwords, diagnostic menu codes, or security timing information to external cheaters. The external cheaters pay the employee a percentage of the stolen value. This method is the hardest to detect because the employee never touches the machines during the cheating incident.
How to Catch Insiders
The Gen2 anti-cheat device’s logging capability is the most effective tool for catching insider cheating. The device logs every blocked attack attempt, machine access event, and configuration change. When an insider uses a pulse generator or accesses the diagnostic menu, the device records the event. Cross-referencing the log timestamps with staff schedules reveals which employee was on duty during each event.
If your game machine is showing signs of insider cheating or employee-related revenue loss, send me a message with your machine model and a photo of your setup. I will do a quick remote check for free. Every device comes with a money-back guarantee, official invoice, express shipping, and 1-on-1 technical support.
WhatsApp / WeChat / Phone: +86 158 1582 1587 — Engineer Wang
To discuss the best anti-cheat strategy for your specific arcade setup, message me directly. I offer a free remote diagnostic session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I know if the cheating is from an insider versus an external cheater?
A: Insider cheating often happens outside of regular operating hours or when the employee has unsupervised access. The Gen2 device logs every event by timestamp, which helps distinguish between the two.
Q: Should I confront an employee I suspect of insider cheating?
A: No. Gather evidence first — log data, CCTV footage, and cash reconciliation records. Confront without evidence risks a wrongful accusation and legal issues.
Q: Can the Gen2 device detect an employee who is sharing information with external cheaters?
A: The device cannot detect information sharing directly, but it provides the data trail you need. If external cheating incidents coincide with a specific employee’s shifts, the logs will show the correlation.
Q: Does installing anti-cheat devices deter insider cheating?
A: Yes. When employees know that the machines are monitored and that all access events are logged, the risk of being caught increases significantly. Many insiders stop when they realize the machines are protected.