Several articles in trade magazines or Atari newsletters back in the 1970s days of how to upgrade components in cabs to prevent kids or teenagers from pulling such stunts. I don't recall personally seeing anyone having success of being able to do such moves of generating enough static electricity to shock a cab into allowing a free game to be credited. My younger cousins may have tried it without success. iirc the Electronic Corral arcade at Lakewood center mall (Lakewood, CA) had carpeted rugs on upper level floor and my cousins likely tried that trick on a couple early 1970s Atari games but no success.
>At least now I know no one can get a free game on my laptop
That laptop better be a state-of-the-art laptop to run Breakout.