Slot Machines Explained

Slot machines are currently the most popular casino video games. The basic guidelines of this game have not changed since 1899, when Charles Fay put together the first slots. A player bets and spins a set of reels with characters. Each of these spinning reels stops at a random position. If the reels stop in such a way that they form a line with the same characters, the player wins. The rarer the winning characters are, the higher the amount of the win. The amount of the win for each winning combination is shown in the paytable.

Nowadays, the randomness of mechanically stopped reels has been replaced by random numbers generated by a computer, but the concepts remain very much the same. These concepts of randomness are observed by every certified gaming operator. The randomness of slot machines has several extremely fascinating consequences, and it is necessary for any smart slot player to understand them.

How Slots Work

The majority of online slots still use reels to represent the outcome of each spin. Despite the fact that the reels are rendered by a computer, the video game math under the hood still has 3 to 5 sets of characters (virtual reels) that stop at random positions. Why change something that has worked well for years?

Modern online slots have many new features that would not be possible with mechanical reels. Expansion wilds, scatters, totally free spins, perk rounds and others.

Random Number Generator (RNG)

There is something that all fair slot video games have in common: The outcome of every round is based specifically on a random number offered by a random number generator (RNG). The random number generated by the RNG “informs” the reels when to stop, thus deciding the outcome of the video game. This means that the same video game with the same random number must always give the same result.

The higher the stakes, the higher (usually) the RTP of the betting system. We assume that all other guidelines of the betting system remain exactly the same.

How random numbers are created and used in slots.

1. RNG generates a random number.
2. The game’s mathematical module calculates and takes the random number at which the reels should stop.
3. The game stops the reels at the determined positions and determines the outcome of the spin.
4. The result of the spin is then displayed to the player who initiated the spin.

Your win (or loss) in each spin is determined purely by your luck. The outcome is not affected by your previous wins/losses, the wins/losses of other players, or anything predictable. It’s all about you and the electromagnetic sound in the RNG – just pure betting.

The outcome of a video game is not affected by your previous wins/losses, other players’ wins/losses, or anything predictable.

This suggests to me that I need to describe how RNGs work. Modern RNGs used in online casinos are special hardware devices that generate random numbers from electromagnetic noise. It’s like an old TV with no signal – a lot of white and black dots. A black pixel is 0, a white pixel is 1. Take a photo of a small part of the TV screen, convert the pixels to ones and 0s, write them into a text file and you have a random number.

RNG hardware generates thousands of random numbers every second. On the one hand, you change the result of the next round when you press the start button one second later.

How do casinos generate income?

Now you may ask yourself: if slots are not controlled, how do gambling establishments make money from them?

The answer is simple: slot machines are designed to pay out less than players have wagered in the long run.

• Symbol sets on virtual reels.
• Winning quantities in the paytable.
• Rules and probabilities of all winning functions.
• The settings of all winning functions.

Video game math integrated with reasonable random numbers gives the gambling establishment a long-term advantage over players. And that’s how casinos make money.

“Gaming math integrated with reasonable random numbers provides the casino with a lasting advantage over players.”.

Slots Misconceptions.

Now that I have actually explained how sensible slots really work, it is time to destroy numerous popular misconceptions about slots.

Misconception 1: “Slots have cycles of winning combinations. You can win by watching these cycles and getting in during a winning part of the cycle.”

This is a myth, as slot machines actually work based on fair random numbers. The casino advantage is hidden in the mathematics of the video game, and there is absolutely no need to make the entire system complex with any type of cycle.

In reality, you can observe hot streaks and cold streaks. This is just a result of natural chance and these streaks are definitely not predictable.

Misconception 2: “Slot machines are configured to not pay out after a big win and pay out more when completely full.”

This is a misconception that probably dates back to the days of standalone slot machines that paid directly to the winning player. It was as much a myth as it is now. You got the rest from the gambling establishment staff if you won more money than the slot machine could pay out.

Modern slot machines are connected to a central server and all winnings are paid out by the gambling establishment staff, so there is no need to keep track of how much money is in a slot machine. Random numbers just work great and this myth is invalid.

Misconception 3 & 4: “Autoplay features pay out less than manually pressing the spin button” & “Pulling the ledger on one-armed bandits gives you better odds than pressing the spin button.”

These two misconceptions make no sense to those who know how online slots work. The math of the video game remains exactly the same, and the random numbers remain fair whether you use the autoplay function, the journal, or the spin button.

How slots are programmed.

This is my favorite part, as I have actually personally set up software application options for a video game provider in the past.

Running an online casino and creating great games requires different skills. This is also why you can play the Starburst slot in so many gambling establishments.

This is how it works:.

1. The casino initiates your video gaming session.
2. Your browser communicates with the video game provider’s servers, not the casino.
3. The random numbers and round results are also generated by an independent company (the video game company).
4. The casino merely confirms your bets and is notified of your winnings by the gaming company.

This leads to a very significant consequence: if you lose excessively while playing a video game from a trusted gaming provider, you can be pretty sure it’s just your bad luck. Even if you’re playing your favorite game at an unknown gambling provider, you’re pretty safe about the fairness of the game (although you may not be sure about the payout of your money – use our casino reviews to discover a reputable gambling provider that actually pays out the money even if you win big). I’ve seen video games with RTP below 50% in the past.

How slots are structured.

1. Player presses the “Spin” button in a slots video game in their browser.
2. Game sends “spin” message to game provider’s server.
3. Game provider’s server calculates the required bet. Video game provider’s server asks the gambling establishment to deduct the amount of money required for the spin.
4. Gaming establishment server validates.
5. Gaming provider server requests a random number from the RNG.
6. RNG responds with an appropriate random number.
7. Game provider server uses the random number to spin the virtual reels and determines the outcome of the game round.
8. Video game provider’s server asks casino’s server to post jackpots to player’s account.
9. Casino’s server records and verifies the win.
10. The result of the round is returned to the game running in the player’s internet browser.
11. The result of the round is animated and displayed to the player.

And all this usually happens within less than 200 milliseconds:-RRB-.

Slots RTP and Volatility

RTP and volatility are the 2 crucial mathematical properties of a slots game. They essentially affect how much and how often you win. It’s a bit more complex than that, so I will try to describe them to you.

Return to Player (RTP)

RTP (Return to Player, also payout ratio or payout percentage) is the long-term statistical rate of total money won divided by total money wagered. The term “long-term statistical rate” may sound complicated, so here is the more human-friendly explanation:

The typical RTP of online slots is around 96%. Some slots like Blood Suckers have an RTP of up to 98%.

“The typical RTP of online slots is 96%.”

Since it can be expressed as a single number, RTP is a really popular specification for online slots. It’s easy to compare, and one of most of the popular gambling providers gives the RTP of each slot video game. Then it is easy to write short articles like “Top 10 finest paying slots”.

RTP can be used for various streamlined estimations, such as how much you can expect to lose from a bonus while flipping it.

Volatility

These simplified estimates are good for impressing your friends while drinking beer. But for more extensive calculations (like the one we did in our post about chasing bonus offers), you’ll also need to take volatility into account.

Slot machine volatility is a pretty complex concept, so I’ll start with a description of live roulette volatility:.

• If you bet on color, you can win 2 times your bet and you win quite often (18 out of 37 rounds).
• If you bet on numbers, you can win 36 times your bet, but you win only 1 out of 37 rounds.

The volatility of roulette can easily be expressed in numbers from 2 to 36, depending on what type of bet you take. A higher volatility means that your specific winnings will be higher. You will win less often and it is more likely that you will lose your entire budget plan much faster.

Volatility of slots

This is how you determine volatility.

Since volatility cannot be specified as a single number, gaming operators usually only classify slots into “low”, “medium” or “high” volatility categories. These categories cannot be successfully compared or used for calculations, but they can at least offer you a basic idea about the volatility of the video game you will be playing.

Discovering the real slot volatility (in the form of the graph given above) is a very difficult task. Basically, you need to reverse engineer the roller set of a game and state the possibilities of other specific video game features accordingly. Even for me, this is a task that would take a day or more (depending on the complexity of the slot).

The volatility of a slot can be roughly estimated from the paytable and the set of rolls. How much will you win?

I personally like video games with high volatility because you can win larger amounts, so you can have the same thrill with lower stakes. And lower stakes mean you will statistically lose less. This effect can easily compensate for a slightly lower RTP.

Slots are the most volatile type of video game you can play in a casino, not including the lottery game. The advantage of high volatility can beat the high RTP of video games like blackjack or roulette. To learn more about volatility and RTP and how they affect your chances of winning, read this post.

How to increase the volatility of a slot machine

Here are some tricks you can use if you want to increase the volatility of a slot machine:

• Use the double up button (black/red). The RTP remains the same and you can easily increase the game’s volatility to the desired value by simply betting until you win a large enough amount.
• Change the number of paylines to 1 and increase the bet per line. The odds of winning on that particular line are lower, but you can expect much bigger wins. If you don’t believe me;-RRB-, try this with our online totally free slots in demo mode.

These are basic tips that can help you. If you really want to know how to get the most out of playing slots, read the following article.