What I Need To Know About Slot Machines
Slot machines are the most popular gambling game in most United States casinos, but the number of players who really understand how they work is terribly small.
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The purpose of this post is to explain what slot machines are and how they work in language anyone can understand.
Frankly, I think most people who understand how slot machines really work avoid playing them. And I think some of the people who play slot machines and think those games are cheating are daft in their reasoning, too.
If you pay attention to what I’ve written in this post, you’ll know the truth about slot machines.
And when you know the truth, you can make a decision about whether to play as an educated person instead of as a rube.
Modern slot machines are powered by computers and electronic devices, but that wasn’t always so. Understanding how those computers and electronics produce results requires some understanding of the history of slot machines and how they worked in the past.
What makes a slot machine a slot machine is the presence of spinning reels with symbols on them. Early version of slot machines used actual physical reels, springs, and gears to create random results.
On the front of these machines was a window with a horizontal line across it. This represented the “payline.” If symbols lined up and matched on the payline, you won a prize amount.
At first this was money, but eventually, slots were outlawed. Many bar and pub owners replaced the monetary prizes with fruit-flavored candy and sticks of candy to get around the new laws.
The traditional, classic symbols on slot machine reels are still based on those older machines. This is why you find so many slot machines with cherries, apples, and bars on them. (The bars represent sticks of gum.)
The early slot machines used the same strategy to make money in the long run that modern slot machines do. They gave you odds of winning that weren’t commensurate with the payout amount.
This is best explained using some mathematical examples.
Let’s say you have a simple 3-reel slot machine game with 10 symbols on each reel. This slot machine only has 1 winning combination, too, and it costs $1 per spin to play.There are 1000 possible combinations of symbols on a 3-reel slot machine of that description, but only one of them is a possible winner.
If that winning combination pays off 950 for 1, the casino has a clear advantage, right?
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Over 1000 spins, you’ll lose $1000, but on that single winning spin, you’ll win $950 of it back. You’ll lose $50.
That is, of course, a theoretical result based on long-term mathematical expectations. In the short run, anything can and often will happen when you’re playing slots.
And real slot machines are more robust than that. They have more winning combinations with lower prize amounts, but all the prize amounts multiplied by all the probabilities of winning always result in a number less than 100%.
That number is called the payback percentage.
Modern slot machines use the same kind of math and game-play, but instead of using a complicated system of gears and stops, they use computer programs to create the same kind of odds. This has perks for the player, but it has drawbacks, too.
On a traditional mechanical slot machine, the probabilities are straightforward. If you have 10 different symbols, the probability of that symbol showing up on a payline in a spot is 1/10.
With a computerized slot machine, the designers can use any kind of weighting that they want to. One symbol might be programmed to show up 1/20 of the time, while another might be programmed to show up 1/5 of the time.
You have no way of knowing or estimating what the probability is, either.
To make things even more interesting, 2 identical slot machines might have different programming “under the hood.”
You might be playing The Price Is Right slot machines at a casino and be facing a 95% payback percentage.
You might switch to the same game at the same stakes at the machine next to it and be facing a payback percentage of 85%. There’s no way to tell the difference.
This change in the way the games work enables casinos to offer larger jackpots than they would be able to offer otherwise.
But you trade transparency for that.
I prefer to play games where I can figure out how much of a mathematical disadvantage I have.
That’s impossible with most modern slot machine games.
Random Number Generator Programs and Why Slot Machines Don’t Cheat
The computer program that powers these results is called a random number generator. That’s almost always referred to by an acronym of “RNG.”
It’s a simple enough computer program. It’s just a program that continually thinks of numbers—thousands of them per second. When you press the spin or stop button on a slot machine, the computer program stops on one of those numbers.
That number corresponds to a combination on the reels of the machine.
The outcome has been determined by the computer program before the reels stop spinning.
This doesn’t mean that the machine is cheating. You’re not more likely to lose after a winning streak, and you’re not more likely to win after a losing streak. Every spin of the reels is an independent event.
The difference between the odds of winning and the payout odds for each bet is what creates an edge for the house. Cheating isn’t necessary for the casinos or the slot machine designers.
The math takes care of that for them.
I have a paranoid friend who literally believes the world is flat. He also thinks slot machines are rigged.
He’s wrong about both, but he’s less wrong about the slot machines.
They ARE rigged, mathematically, by providing payouts that are lower than the odds of winning.
But they work honestly in terms of providing completely random results and independent trials. In fact, in any jurisdiction where such games are legal, they’re heavily regulated, inspected, and audited.
Casinos make more money from slot machines than they’d probably make with a printing press that printed new money in that same amount of floor space.
The Difference between Short Term Results and Long Term Expectations
The mathematical examples I’ve used assume you’re interested in predicting results in the long run. That’s the entire point of gambling math as it relates to probability.
But long term expectations have little to do with what happens in the short run.
The long run can be defined as an infinite number of bets. Every bet you place brings you closer to the long run, but you’ll never get there.
The Law of Large Numbers is a mathematical principle that says the more independent trials you run, the closer you’ll get to the theoretical expectation.
In the short term, though, you’re possibly going to win. I’ve seen surveys that showed that roughly 20% of the gamblers at a casino leave with some winnings in their pocket on any given visit. The casinos don’t mind. In fact, they’re counting on it.
If no one ever won, people wouldn’t play. And without gamblers, casinos make no money and can’t stay in business.
My best advice to someone who’s playing slot machines is to not spend much time in front of them. If you get a reasonable sized win when you sit down, be willing to quit and walk away.
The longer you play, the more likely you are to see results that mirror the long term expectation.
Your goal should be to take advantage of those short term aberrations called luck or deviation. You can’t count on that in any given situation,
The longer you play, the more your results are going to resemble the mathematically expected results.
And with a negative expectation game like a slot machine, you’re going to lose all your money if you play long enough. That’s how a negative expectation gambling game works.
What about the Other Bells and Whistles on Modern Slot Machine Games?
When I use the expression “bells and whistles,” I’m talking about features of slot machine games other than the standard 3 spinning reels. Some of these additions and changes are complicated, but some of them are simplicity itself to understand.
One example of a bell and whistle is the number of reels on a slot machine game. Traditional slot machines just had 3 reels, and one of the reasons for that was the size of the reels and the machine that housed them.
The number of symbols also used to depend on the size of the reels—the smaller the reels, the fewer symbols you can print on them.
Additional paylines are another bell and whistle on most modern slot machines. The traditional machine just has a payline horizontally across the center, but modern slot machines have various patterns similar to the various patterns you might use on bingo cards.
They might run diagonally, or they might run in a zig zag pattern.
To activate multiple paylines, you must make multiple bets. Each payline gets activated by a wager, and the payout is based on the combination that appears on that line and the wager on that line only.
On larger machines with lots of paylines, you can win on multiple paylines but still be a net loser. For example, if you bet a nickel on each of 20 paylines, you’ll have put an entire dollar in action. If one of those paylines wins for 50 cents, you’ve still lost 50 cents on the game.
But the slot machine still lights up and shows you the payout as if you were a net winner.
Wild symbols are another example of a bell and whistle on a modern slot machine. If you’ve played cards, especially poker, you are probably already familiar with the concept of a wild symbol.
It’s a symbol that can be used to complete any winning combination. It acts as a replacement for the symbol that you needed to make that combination.
Scatter symbols are a little more confusing, but they’re similar to wild symbols. A scatter symbol is one that doesn’t have to be on a payline to trigger a payoff. You just need enough of those scatter symbols to show up somewhere on the screen at once.
Many times, on a 5-reel machine, you’ll get a payoff if 3 scatter symbols or more show up from left to right. They don’t need to be along a payline or anything like that. They can literally be “scattered” across the screen.
Sometimes scatter symbols and/or wild symbols trigger bonus games or free spins. Free spins are a simple enough concept to understand—they’re just extra spins on the reels that you don’t have to pay for.
On some machines, they’re always winning spins—the only thing in question is how much you’re going to win on each spin.
Bonus games can be more interesting, but they’re almost always entirely random. Often the bonus games involve choosing from a video display of multiple boxes or treasure chests. Depending on which one you choose, you get a prize amount.
There’s no skill involved in these kinds of bonus games.
Slot machine designers are now experimenting with design elements that borrow from video games like Space Invaders, though. If you get a certain number of symbols, you can trigger a bonus game, and the amount you win from that bonus game might depend on how many aliens you can shoot from the skies overhead.
Slot Machine Strategies and Systems Don’t Work, So Don’t Even Bother
If I could teach you only one thing about slot machine games, it’s this:
They’re entirely random. Each spin is an independent event. This means that what’s happened on previous spins has no effect on what’s going to happen on a subsequent spin. Most strategies and systems assume that the previous spins have some relationship to subsequent spins.
I once read an entire book of slot machine systems that were supposed to help you win at slots. The guy who wrote it was a total cornball. I’m not even going to mention the name of the book or the author here.
I will describe what he suggested, though. His first piece of advice was to track how many “naked pulls” you’ve had in a row.
A naked pull on a slot machine is one that results in no winnings at all.
His advice was to switch machines any time you get 5 or 7 naked pulls in a row. (I don’t remember the exact number, but it was something arbitrary like that.)
The idea behind this advice is that any machine which hasn’t paid out in the last 5 or 7 spins must be running cold, so you should find a machine that’s NOT running cold.
He also offered advice about setting loss limits and win goals. This idea has some merit, but not much.
A loss limit is the amount of your session bankroll that you’re willing to lose before walking away from a game. 20% is a commonly suggested number. So if you put $100 in a slot machine game and lost $20, you’d cash out and walk away for that session.
A win goal is just the opposite. It’s an amount that you will win which will signal that it’s time to quit playing. You might have a 20% win goal, too, which means that once you’re up to $120, you’ll call it a day for that playing session.
This can help you avoid having huge losing sessions. It can also help you have book occasional winning sessions.
What it doesn’t do is change the odds in your favor in any way. In the long run, you should think of playing slot machine games as one long game that lasts for the rest of your life.
Eventually the odds are going to even out to a point where you see the kind of results the math would predict, regardless of what happens during those individual sessions.
I’ll confess that when I play slot machines, I do use a variation of this strategy. My loss limit, though, is always 100% of the amount I put in the machine. I either want to hit my win goal or lose all my money trying.
That’s as effective as any other loss limit, but people never suggest that.
Raising and lowering the sizes of your bets don’t change the odds on the machines, either. Don’t pay attention to any advice which suggests otherwise.
Other Lame Pieces of Slot Machine Strategy Advice You’ve Probably Heard (Or Will Hear)
One of my favorite pieces of advice from slot machine gurus is to try to find loose slot machines on the ends of the rows of slots at the casinos.
The idea is that the casino managers put the loose machines there to attract more customers.
You’ll find superstitious types who believe that playing with you slot machine card inserted is also a mistake. They think having the card inserted makes it impossible to win.
They don’t understand how the computer programs in question work at all. They’re not connected. The random number generator determines the results of each spin. The card reader just tracks how much money you’ve put into action.
The 2 have no relation to each other.
In fact, it makes no sense that a casino would want to discourage you from using the card reader. They have a slots club for a reason—they want to encourage people to play at their casino.
In the long run, the math behind their games ensures them a healthy profit. They count on a percentage of their gamblers going home a winner.
They also want their gamblers to take advantage of the free stuff they’re earning with their slot machine club cards, because that means it’s working. It’s motivating them to play more.
Why Almost Every Other Game in the Casino Is Better than Slot Machines
The traditional way that gambling experts measure one casino game against the other is by comparing the house edge. The higher the house edge, the more the casino expects to win over time on average for each bet you place.
Slot machines generally have the highest house edge in the casino. Some of them might be exceptional, but you have no means of comparing them, because a slot machine is like a black box. You put money in and get money back.
Compare that to a video poker game, where you can calculate the payback percentage based on the probability of getting specific poker hands against the payout for those hands.
Since those games use a 52-card deck to determine your probabilities, it’s a simple enough matter to compare one video poker game to another.
Table games make it even easier to compare house edge figures.
But even if a slot machine had the same house edge as all the other games (or lower), it’s still one of the fastest-playing games in the casino. An average slot machine gambler makes 600 spins per hour.
This means slots players are putting more money into action and losing more money over time as a result.
Finally, slot machines are proven to have an addictive effect on the human brain. Addiction is bad. Alcohol can be fun. Some drugs can be fun, too.
But addiction takes something that would otherwise be fun and turns it into something that’s NOT fun.
What I Need To Know About Slot Machines Without
Slot machines are the most popular games in the casinos, but that’s only because most gamblers are stunningly ignorant of how they work. You don’t have that excuse any more.
Since slot machines make up the overwhelming amount of most casinos’ revenue, it’s a safe bet to say that you’re probably going to play them if you visit any top real money casinos.
When you walk in, you’ll probably notice how much of the casino is actually taken up by these ringing and spinning machines.
But you shouldn’t play slot machines at all until you know what you’re getting into. This post provides you with everything you need to know before putting your money into a slot machine.
You Can Play Free Slot Machines and Save a LOT of Money
I don’t know how you’re going to feel about this, but you might want to take a look at the variety of free slot machines available online. Sure, it’s difficult and borderline impossible to win money at these games.
But if you’re on a budget, or care a lot about your bankroll, playing free slots might be a good place to start.
Think of it like playing poker for pennies or for toothpicks. It’s just a way to keep score.
If you’re someone who plays slots and loses an average of just $50 per week, you’re blowing $2600 a year on slot machines. You might be better off putting that money into a bank account and playing free slots instead.
Most Modern Slot Machines Are “Video” Slots
I don’t think you should play any kind of game without understanding the rules.
Everyone knows that a slot machine has spinning reels with symbols on them, and the goal is to line up symbols across a pay line. Early slot machines used springs and gears to randomize the spinning of these reels.
Modern slot machines, though, use a computer program called a random number generator to provide results. Many of these games don’t even have physical reels anymore; they just have videos of reels on a computer monitor or TV screen.
But even the games which still have physical reels use that same random number generator to determine their results.
It’s important that you understand this, because it makes it almost impossible to estimate your payback percentage or likelihood of winning when you don’t know what the probability of hitting a specific symbol is.
Some symbols come up once every 10 spins, on average. Others might only come up once every 30 or even every 100 spins, which leads me to my next topic…
The Payout Percentage and the Pay Table
The pay table is the guide to how much each set of matched symbols pays off at.
For example, if you get sevens across all three reels, you might win 100 to 1 on your money, or if you get three Megabucks symbols in a row, you might win $10 million.
The payout percentage for the game is a function of the probability of winning a prize compared to the prize amount. Over time, you should get payouts that are commensurate with the payout percentage.
You’d lose most of the time, but if you played long enough, you’d most likely break even. But that you had 1100 possible outcomes, and only one of those outcomes paid off at 1000 to 1, the payout percentage would be significantly lower than 100%.
In fact, it would be 1000/1100, or 91%. On average, you’d win 91 cents for every dollar you wagered on the game.
Since a game that only pays off once in every 1000 spins, you wind up with slot machine games where the prizes are smaller but more frequent. You still have a jackpot, but you also have all these other smaller prizes.
But the payout percentage for the game is still less than 100%. Which means that over time, if you keep playing, you’ll eventually lose all your money.
Are Slot Machines Legal Where You Live?
If you’re playing in a land-based casino with a sign that’s visible from the street, slot machines are probably legal there. Yes, underground, illegal casinos exist in the United States, but they’re not well-publicized.
Most states, though, have strict laws regarding who can own slot machines and which kinds of slot machines you can own.
In states that allow ownership of slot machines, you can usually count on them being illegal if they’re not antiques, unless you’re operating a legal, licensed casino. But what counts as an “antique” slot machine varies from state to state.
The states have these laws in place to prevent places like bars and gas stations from offering illegal gambling. But if you live in Texas, you probably already know that many businesses ignore such laws.
How Likely Are You to Become Addicted to Slot Machines?
You’re probably more likely to become addicted to slot machines than you think. No, you’re not ingesting a substance that interferes with your ability to think clearly. But you are engaging in an activity that causes significant changes in your brain chemistry.
In fact, on many multi-payline, multi-reel slot machine games, a winning spin can actually result in a net loss for the player. The brain responds the same way.
How does that happen? Well, imagine that you’re playing on a game with 15 paylines, and you bet $1 on each payline, putting $15 into action.
You get a winning combination on two of those paylines, and one of those pays off at 2 to 1, and the other pays off at 3 to 1. You win $5, but you’d put $15 into action, so you actually lose $10.
But your brain responses as if you just had a win. Slot machine manufacturers have also used the concept of a near-miss to reinforce your desire to keep playing. Gambling addiction is a big problem in some people’s lives.
Enjoy slot machines if you wish, but when it stops being fun, stop playing. If you can’t stop playing, even though you’re no longer having fun, you may have a problem and should seek professional help.
Online Slot Machines Are Similar to Land-Based Casino Slots
The mechanisms behind online slot machines and the mechanisms behind land-based casinos are the same. All the results are determined by the same kind of computer program – a random number generator.
How does a random number generator work? It’s not that hard to understand. A random number generator cycles through hundreds or thousands of numbers per second. When you hit the “spin” button on a slot machine, it stops on whatever number it’s “thinking of” at that instant.
You have no way of watching or following this cycle to predict when the game is ready to pay off either. You don’t have to worry about online casinos or land-based casinos cheating at slot machines. They have literally no incentive to do so.
What You Need To Know About Slot Machines
The games are designed so that the casino has a mathematical edge that can’t be overcome unless you cheat in some extraordinary way.
Consider Video Poker or Table Games Instead
I discussed payout percentage earlier, but I want to compare that to the house edge. That’s the amount of each bet that the casino expects to keep based on the math behind the game. If you subtract the payback percentage of a game from 100%, you get the house edge for the game.
Why does the house edge matter? If you multiply the house edge by the amount you wager per hour, you’ll get an estimate of how much money you’re expected to lose.
The average slot machine player makes 600 spins per hour. If you’re betting $3 per spin, you’re putting $1800 per hour into action.
Here’s the good news! Video poker games generally have a much lower edge. The house edge varies from one game to another, but you’ll rarely find a video poker game with a house edge much higher than 4%.
This means your expected loss on that same amount of action is only $72. If you do your homework, you can find video poker games where the house edge is only 0.5%, which reduces your average loss per hour to $9 per hour.
Table games are great, too. Much of the time, you can find a game with a house edge of between 1% and 2%. But you’ll also make far fewer bets per hour at a table game. If you assume an average of 50 bets per hour at a table, even if you’re betting $10 per game, you’re only putting $500 per hour into action.
This means your average hourly loss on table games is between $5 and $10. And you’ll have just as much fun as you would playing slots.
What I Need To Know About Slot Machines Free Play
Conclusion
Slot machines can be fun, but I don’t recommend making them the center of your gambling activity. Try to find games where you face a lower house edge and place fewer bets per hour.
If you just enjoy the sights and sounds of such games, try some of the free slots games you can play online. A few free spins might earn you some coin.
What I Need To Know About Slot Machines Machine
Playing table games or video poker are great ways to employ an actual strategy while gambling online. If slots aren’t your thing, then these alternatives might do the trick!