Ever since the original “Law and Order” went off the air, we’ve been waiting for the arrival of its true heir apparent. And now it has finally arrived: Law and Order: Las Vegas – the Slot Machine Episode.

We admit, this does sound pretty silly out of context. But if your name is John Kane or Andre Nestor, then you have just about all the context you’re going to need – although you may not find it that silly.

On an otherwise normal Las Vegas day in July 2009, Kane did something considered quite extraordinary: he won five jackpots to the tune of $8,200 at a slot machine at the Silverton Casino Lodge. Just so we’re clear — that’s $8,200 for each jackpot.

Kane’s “lucky” run came on International Game Technology (IGT)’s Game King video poker slot, where he was playing Triple Play Triple Double Bonus Poker. Kane and his friend Nestor had identified a glitch in the game, which they then manipulated to rake in the big bucks.

Key to this story is the fact that the duo perpetuated their scheme by splitting up and visiting various casinos in Nevada and Pennsylvania. It was the Silverton, however, that finally saw them busted.

The glitch involves pushing a complex series of buttons, the full details of which are explained in a piece for “Wired” magazine. The complexity of that sequence is now at the core of a case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. Prosecutors, along with IGT and Silverton Casino, are pursuing charges in accordance with the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (1986).

If they are found guilty the pair could face jail time. At present, however, many are disputing whether or not exploiting an error within the rules of the game, as opposed to using an illegal device such as a “kickstand”, should be punishable under the law.

What do you think of the case of John Kane and Andre Nestor? Tell us in the comments section below.