- When playing online slots, many people wonder: how do they work? The peculiarities of the functioning of slot machines on the Internet are shrouded in many myths, so only a few know the unequivocal answer. Some players are sure that the principle of online slots is based on the time spent playing.
- Now, the slot machine must also know which symbol combinations are winners and how much they pay. For this, slot machines use EPROM chips. They tell the slot machine winning combinations and define the paytable. When a casino wants to change the payback of a machine, they change the EPROM chip (or the settings of the chip).
Slots are amongst the most popular casino games throughout the world, both in land-based and online casinos. Slots are almost entirely down to chance, meaning there is very little strategy.
Today, I’m going to answer another reader question which I received recently by email. It comes from Sarah in Scotland who wants to know “Are slot machines rigged?” I’ve copied the email directly below with her permission.
Dear GamblingSites.org team,
I’m Sarah McKeown, and I’ve been a long-time reader of your blog. I’ve found lots of interesting content over the years. I even won a healthy jackpot after playing one of your recommended jackpot slots.
However, I’ve been keeping a record of my bets versus my wins, and I’ve noticed that no matter how many big wins I have, I always end up losing it all again over the long term. Can you tell me if slot machines are rigged? Can casinos fix slot machines to make sure players lose?
Any insights you can share with me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Sarah McKeown
Sarah, I’m going to answer your questions directly. Yes, slot machines are rigged. However, they’re not rigged in the way you think they are
In this post, I’ll explain how slot machines work, why you lose in the long-term, and I’ll give you some useful tips for beating slot machines more often. Let’s begin!
Are Casino Slot Machines Rigged?
I guarantee you that if you walk through any Vegas casino, or any casino in the world for that matter, and ask every slots player if they won, the vast majority of them will tell you no.
It’s difficult to understand how this could be the case unless slot machines are rigged. And if they are, how in the heck is that legal? Are casinos actively keeping slot machines rigged so that you can’t win? If so, what about all those stories of players who won huge jackpots?
This can all seem rather confusing, but it’s not. The simple answer is that the vast majority of players lose, and a few lucky players win. Each machine is programmed to pay out less than what’s put into it, ensuring that the casino makes a continuous profit over the long run. This could be anything from a 2% advantage on the best slot machines, to a 10% or greater advantage on some of the big-money jackpot slots.
So, in a nutshell, casino slots are rigged to make sure the casino makes a profit, but that does not mean you can’t win on any given gaming session.
Gaming commissions would never allow casinos to run games you can’t win, nor would it be good for business. Players would soon figure out that the games were unwinnable and would stop playing.
Let’s take a closer look at how slot machines work. This will help you understand that while the house always wins, you can win, too.
How Slot Machines Are Rigged
Understanding how slot machines are rigged requires you to understand how they work. Each slot has its game odds, but they all use a similar method of paying out jackpots. Here are some important things to know about slot machines.
Understand Slot Machine RTP
RTP is an acronym for “return to player.” If you read slot machine reviews, you’ll usually find each game has a specific RTP published by the developer. For example, on NetEnt.com, you can find the RTP of Starburst and other games.
RTP is a percentage.
For Example:Based on Starburst from above, the RTP is 96.09%. What does this mean in terms of money, jackpots, and wins and losses? It means that, for every £100 bet on these games, players win back £96.09.
It’s important to remember that this does not mean you’ll make back £96.09 for every £100 you bet on Starburst. It means that the casino returns £96.09 to all players spinning the reels at every casino which offers Starburst. This includes all of the small wins and losses each player wins on every spin. In the long run, the casino will make £3.91 on every £100 bet on that game, regardless of what happens in the short term.
Hopefully, this concept of RTP helps you understand how slot machines are rigged in favor of the game developers and casinos but are not rigged in absolute terms. You can win when playing slots, but you can’t win in the long run.
Understand Random Number Generators
Even though the house has a built-in advantage on slot machines, it’s clear that some players do win massive jackpots. Just take a look at this story about a British soldier winning a record-breaking jackpot from a £0.25 spin.
Lots of players wonder when the best time to play slot machines is, which slots are “loose,” and all sorts of other questions. They hope that figuring out the answers will help them win slots more often, but the truth is that this is all a waste of time.
Slot machines decide when to pay out in accordance with a Random Number Generator (RNG). Believe it or not, it’s possible for a slot machine to pay out a jackpot on two spins in a row, although it is unlikely. A Random Number Generator is a piece of software which spits out billions of numbers per second, and if it happens to spit out a number associated with a jackpot, you’ll see the high-value symbols line up across a payline and you win.
There’s no way to manipulate RNGs. You can’t cheat online slot machines no matter how hard you try. Some smart players note that RNGs can’t be truly random since humans create them, but for all reasonable and practical purposes, you can’t manipulate them.
Perhaps, someone will someday spot a pattern in the apparent randomness by using a quantum computer to crunch numbers. But until then, just assume they’re random.
While the slots developer can control the RTP via programming, it can’t control the RNG. There are third-party games testing organizations such as eCogra which test RNGs and verify that they are fair. This doesn’t mean all slots developers play fair, but big names like Microgaming and NetEnt do.
How to Win at Slots — Tips and Tricks
Now that you understand how slot machines work, and how they are rigged without being unfair, it’s time to turn the tables on the casinos. I’ve learned a lot about slot machines throughout my career as a player, and I’m going to share my best tips on how to win slots more often.
Pick Slot Machines With a High RTP
One of the first and most obvious tips is to select high RTP slot machines. These games pay back the most to players in the long run, so you’re better off playing them even if the jackpots are smaller.
Very often, the jackpots are smaller. Since the casinos have less risk to deal with when a smaller jackpot is involved, they can afford a higher payback percentage to players. It makes sense, doesn’t it?
So, which slot machines have the highest RTP? Here are five to get you started.
- Blood Suckers by NetEnt – 98%
- Rags to Riches by Cryptologic – 98%
- Good Girl, Bad Girl by Betsoft – 97.8%
- Kings of Chicago by NetEnt – 97.8%
- Wolfpack Pays by NextGen – 97.8%
Those slots have a variety of excellent bonus features, decent jackpots, and higher than average RTPs. If you want to get the most bang for your buck as a long-term player, it’s wise to play them.
Online Slot Machines How They Work Kids
Pick the Right Volatility for Your Bankroll
There’s a top-notch article on slot machine variance and volatility here. If you want a more detailed breakdown of what they are, check that out.
Slot machine volatility is important to understand because it will tell you which slots are suitable for your bankroll. Volatility indicates both how often a slot should pay and the average size of the payouts.
- Low volatility slots pay smaller amounts more often.
- Medium volatility slots pay decent amounts fairly often.
- High volatility slots pay less frequently, but wins are more explosive.
If I had a smaller bankroll, say £20, I’d start by playing a low volatility slot such as Starburst. I find that it’s a good slot to build your bankroll with. Once I double up, I usually switch to a higher volatility slot with bigger payouts which occur less frequently.
Managing your bankroll effectively is about the only slot machine strategy which works. Therefore, knowing the volatility of a game is useful information.
How Do Slot Machines Work
Use Free Spins With Low Wagering Requirements
Most online casinos offer free spins bonuses for new players. Lots of them also offer free spins to loyal players who spin slots daily or weekly.
I’ve learned the hard way that not all free spins bonuses give me an advantage. Sometimes, the wagering requirements are so high that the bonus is a liability. This is especially true if it comes with predatory terms such as that I can’t withdraw my deposit until I meet the wagering requirements. Yes, such bonuses exist, I’ve seen it all over the years I’ve been playing!
There are other free spins bonuses you will want to take. They’ll give you a chance to beat the house with its own money and have these characteristics.
- They won’t require excessive minimum deposits.
- The wagering requirements will be low, around 20x or less.
- You’ll be able to keep all of what you win when you wager the bonus.
Free spins with low wagering requirements are available at lots of top UK casinos. There are even casinos with no wagering requirements, and they’re especially popular in the UK market.
Final Words
Thanks for writing to me with this question, Sarah. It’s given me a chance to cover lots of ground with regards to slot machines, and I hope that it answers your question. Are slot machines rigged? Yes, the house has a mathematical advantage which you can’t alter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win.
Beating slot machines is a case of picking the right games, managing your bankroll effectively, and getting lucky. Don’t forget the last part! Luck is essential. There’s no effective way to beat the slots every time. Happy spinning, and don’t forget to pick up a casino bonus before you begin!
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.When playing online slots, many people wonder: how do they work? The peculiarities of the functioning of slot machines on the Internet are shrouded in many myths, so only a few know the unequivocal answer. Some players are sure that the principle of online slots is based on the time spent playing. That is, the longer a person plays slot machines, the higher his chances of winning. But this is far from the case. Let’s see how the “one-armed bandits” really work on the network. The description of the work relates to both, free slots with bonus rounds no download no registration, and to regular online slots.
A bit of history: how did online slots appear?
Previously, slot machines were electromechanical and were bulky devices that required a thoughtful place to install them. Such units were equipped with a braking system and sensors that “read” the combinations which fell to the player after Spinning the drums. To start the drums, the player had to turn the knob on the body of the devices, for which they were called “one-armed bandits”.
In the second stage of development, slot machines became electric. Their structure was based on an electric motor, although the combination recognition system remained the same. Modern slot machines are software programs which has similar principles of operation as any other program on your PC or phone. Combinations dropped out when the reels are started and determined by a random number generator (RNG). If you want to learn more about the RNG or slots in general we recommend you to read interesting articles on Bgaoc.com.
How the random number generator works
RNG is a special program with a specific work algorithm. RNG forms the combinations that appear on the screen. Moreover, this happens by chance, so no one can predict the appearance of winning combinations of symbols: neither the player, nor the casino employees, nor the slot developers themselves.
The random number generator is a constant component of modern slot machines. There is no more efficient way to combine symbols in slot machines in a random way. The only changes made to the operation of the generator relate to its combination with constantly improving software.
RNG was developed by mathematicians, programmers, and psychologists. All this made it possible to create a program with a reliable algorithm, the quality of which has been tested for decades.
The modern RNG, which is used in all online casinos, is the 128-bit md5 algorithm. Its author was a professor from the University of Massachusetts of Technology. The scope of such a random number generator is not limited to slot machines. It is widely used in PCs and automated security systems.
How reliable are RNGs?
Bypassing the RNG and learning how to identify winning combinations is the dream of every player. This is what many scammers are guided by, offering to download programs that are supposedly able to calculate the order of the dropped-out symbols and numbers. But, by pecking at such an announcement, the player can install a virus on his computer and open access to his data to people who are not clean on hand.
The software of modern online slots is regularly tested by independent laboratories. It is tested by laboratories such as iTech Labs, eCOGRA, GLI, and NMi. A serious approach to business eliminates the risk of any manipulation of the RNG, making the game as fair and transparent as possible for online slot users.
How does the RNG combine symbols?
The random number generator is a program without memory. It does not take into account the duration of the player’s stay at the slot, does not record his wins and losses. Mathematical algorithms are used to form combinations. There is no logic in the work of the RNG, so it is impossible to calculate which combinations of characters will appear on the screen right now, in a minute or in an hour. The number of possible combinations is simply enormous, therefore, if the player managed to hit the jackpot, the repeated win can take place either in a minute or after a couple of days of continuous play. Each combination consists of 32 hexadecimal characters. Therefore, it is definitely unrealistic to predict the outcome of the game.
When the online slot is launched, the RNG generates 1000 random numbers every second. These numbers determine the combinations that appear on the screen. It is not known which numbers will come across at the moment of pressing the button. Such a system is relevant not only during the main gameplay but also in bonus modes.
Conclusion
Online Slot Machines How They Work On Tv
The random number generator eliminates the possibility of predicting the outcome of the game. The chances of winning depend only on the luck of the player himself or on the position of the stars in the solar system – everything depends on the beliefs of a particular person.