Arcade machines employ sophisticated tilt and slam detection systems to prevent players from gaining unfair advantages through physical manipulation. Traditional arcade cabinets utilized mercury tilt switches containing liquid metal that would complete an electrical circuit when tilted beyond acceptable angles, triggering a "TILT" warning and often disabling controls temporarily. Modern machines incorporate pendulum-based sensors that swing freely within a conductive ring - any violent movement causes contact between the pendulum and ring, registering as abuse. For slam detection, piezoelectric sensors and accelerometers measure sudden impact forces from kicking or hitting the cabinet. These sensors connect directly to the game's main processor and can trigger graduated responses from warning messages to game resets. Some advanced systems even track repeated violations, potentially locking the machine for operator intervention. Manufacturers carefully calibrate these mechanisms to distinguish between normal gameplay movements and deliberate abuse, ensuring they don't activate during legitimate enthusiastic play while still protecting the expensive internal components from damage. The sensitivity settings are often adjustable by operators via dip switches or digital menus to accommodate different installation environments. This multi-layered approach to physical security has been essential in preserving arcade equipment longevity since the golden age of coin-op gaming.