From: db@Tadpole.COM (Doug Barnes)
Date: Sun, 4 Dec 94 17:18:03 PST
To: M.Gream@uts.EDU.AU (Matthew Gream)
Subject: Re: gambling machines
In-Reply-To: <199412050040.AA03362@sequoia.itd.uts.EDU.AU>
Message-ID: <9412050117.AA15654@tadpole>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



The underlying problem is that in the DigiCash system money goes
through the shop into the bank, but there is currently no automatic
way for a shop to withdraw money (we might be able to hack one on
top of the text client, but haven't gotten around to it). So, what 
happens, is that the shop runs out of cash (or out of the right
size coins), even though it has a good-size bank balance. We've been 
trying to stay "cashed up", but interest in the poker game has been 
sporadic.

You are absolutely correct that various steps would need to be taken
in terms of error handling and dispute resolution if the e-cash was 
out of beta.

We are currently nicely cashed up, please try it again and see if
it is still not paying out (I'm stuck in a text-only environment 
at the moment.) Please send any error reports to me at: 
dab@tadpole.com

> 
> To exercise my ecash software I had a few goes at this and found at
> least one problem; payments not honoured. In ten games I obtained two
> four of a kinds, the first on a 0.25 bet which should have resulted in
> a payment of 6.25. No payment as received. The second time it was on a
> wager of 1.00,
> 
> -->
>  You have won!
> 
>   Your final hand was a Four of a Kind. The winnings for this hand was
>   $25. This sum is being deposited in your CyberWallet right now.
> <--
> 
> again --- no payment received. Admittedly, four other small payments
> succeeded, with values of less than and equal to 2.00 (for two of a
> kinds and so on). I assume this is caused by some kind of bug, not any
> deception on behalf of the operator; but it does illustrate a potental
> problem as I really don't have any `proof' with which to challenge.
> 
> Not that I'm worried; it being a beta and all that. But one would
> expect a `real' system to provide better assurances (wrt. payments
> being honoured and guaranteed rates of return). Clearly we're
> experimenting here.
> 
>