While a lot of people love playing slot machines in casinos, a vast majority of the gambling public don’t know about their inner workings. There are actually quite a few misconceptions about slot machines that you should be aware of.
What Determines a Slot Machine’s Payout?
The Return to Player or RTP is what ultimately determines the amount that a given slot machine will pay out. For example, a slot machine that has an RTP of 95% will pay out $95 for every $100 that players gamble.
You will be hard pressed to find any slot machines in modern casinos that with an RTP of more than 97%. Many casinos do not provide players with this information for their slots. This means that most slots will pay out only a few dollars for every one hundred players gamble on them.
Random Number Generators
All modern slot machines that are found in casinos use random number generators. The combination of symbols that appear when you pull a slot machine’s lever (or push a button) is determined by computer software. This technology or software ensures that the outcome of each pull is totally random.
Despite what some people believe, slot machines don’t work based on cycles. This means that none of these machines are ever more or less likely to pay out at any given time. There is simply no way to predict what the result is going to be.
The House Edge
While the outcome of slot machines is completely random, there is definitely still a house edge to consider. This means that you will always be more likely to walk away with less than you gambled when using these machines. There is, however, still the potential to win some serious money.
Not All Slot Machines Have Three Reels
A majority of slot machines in today’s casinos have three reels, but there are some that have five reels. The reel is essentially just the graphics that spin on the slot machine’s display. When the symbols line up in the right way, the machine will pay out. The more unlikely it is that the symbols are going to line up, the larger the potential payout is.
Slot Machines Use Weighting Systems
The computer technology that slot machines use feature weighting systems, which affects your chances of getting certain symbols. Some slot machines are programmed so that a certain symbol will come up half the time, while others only come up 1 in 100 spins.
The less likely a symbol is to come up, the lower your chances will be of winning with it. There are a lot of attractive slot jackpots, but winning one is extremely uncommon.
The par sheet of a certain slot machine will determine what your odds are of winning. Casinos never make this information available to players so they never really know what their odds of winning are. This certainly benefits the casino, but it also provides players with the thrill of the unknown.