You can add fake video lottery tickets to the list of problems facing South Dakota at the moment.

Lately, there's been a sudden increase in fake video lottery tickets in Sioux Falls, and a company that makes the video lottery machines is looking to make some changes to help solve the problem. Until that happens, the company says businesses are going to have to be more cautious.

The company is called MonKota Gaming out of Watertown, they are the only company that makes the lottery machines for the state. They provide operators with parts and also distribute the paper that the machines spit out.

MonKota owner, Brian Harms knows a fake ticket when he sees one. According Harms, the fake tickets being produced "Are very good."

Photo courtesy of KDLT
Photo courtesy of KDLT
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Here's what's happening, scammers are cashing out at video lottery machines for a small amount. Only to return later with receipts worth hundreds of dollars.

Harms said, "To have $600 taken out of your pocket, $500, it's a lot of money,"

Harms admits the phony lottery tickets are hard to catch with the naked eye, but there are still some flaws.

According to Harms, "You can tell from the texture of the paper. The 'win' is off to the side, they're not cut exactly right so it's not centered and also the sequence number of the ticket is going to be off."

Those discrepancies is what will save businesses for now. Employees can also validate tickets on both the older and new machines by putting the code into the machine.

Harms said the plan to rectify the problem is to change the type of paper that they supply to the casinos. The new type of paper will feature the business' logo. It will also feature different designs, printed with ink that will only be visible under a black light.

Harms says they're working on the new type of paper right now, it should be available within a month or two.

The changes in the tickets are already being used at some bigger casinos across the state.

Source: KDLT TV

 

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