Someone is questioning the fairness of slot machines, huh? They know themself.
It’s 08:30 PM, and you hit the jackpot. Then again at 08:45 PM, and once more at 08:55 PM! You were already feeling invincible, only to be caught off guard by a sudden change in luck. By 09:30 PM, you’re not winning anymore, and this continues for days and weeks. It’s an Uber ride we’ve all rode in; the exhilarating highs followed by painful lows that make us question if the casino is chewing up the slot wires in their control room.
Hold on a second; no need to dwell on those losses or feel down. We’re here to clear things up and ease that frustration. This post is here for you, breaking down how slot machines actually work. It will explain all the crazy terms and strip the truth behind those sneaky reels. All of this will help us tackle that burning question: “Can Casinos Rig Slot Machines?”
Probably far from what you believe (and what I once did). When you’re hitting up a slot machine, winning is all taken charge of by this thing that’s constantly spitting out random numbers, whether you’re spinning or not. And no, it’s not a Mozambique Spitting Cobra; it’s a techy thing called a Random Number Generator (RNG).
The simplest thing similar to it would be rolling dice, but instead of 36 outcomes, the RNG is cranking out outcomes between 0 and 4 billion. These numbers get translated into the symbols you see on the reels. When you hit that “spin” button, it’s the precisely latest generated number that gets picked for the outcome.
Why does this RNG matter? It’s the randomness! As it’s constantly throwing out numbers, no one, not even the casinos, can predict what’s coming next. Unless they want to sort of bypass it, which would cost them more than they’d gain.
The RNG makes sure each spin is totally independent and not affected by past or future spins, keeping the games fair and square. On “bypass it,” people would notice, including you. The game would become weirdly predictable. And if someone reported it, the casino could lose its license. But they don’t even need to go to that length because the authorities already require RNGs and regularly check they’re working properly.
Another thing that scares casinos from rigging is the Return to Player (RTP) percentage. This is usually public info. This lets players pick games with the best odds and stops casinos from messing with the odds in their favour. Will tell you how in a jiffy.
RTP is just the percentage of your stakes that’ll be returned to you over time. This percentage is a big deal in gambling as it shows the payout potential of a specific game.
Let’s say a casino advertises a 96% RTP for a specific slot game. This means, in theory, you could get back $96 for every $100 you bet. The casinos keep a bit (4%) for themselves. And while the RTP doesn’t guarantee you’ll win every time, you can generally expect more frequent but smaller wins with high RTP games and less frequent but bigger wins with low RTP games.
You see, if the RTP and other info don’t match how the slot is behaving, you’d definitely notice. And the casino would be busted.
Here is a mind-blowing fact: You can beat casinos now and then, as the game’s volatility can sometimes temporarily and “randomly” switch things up for you. Again, that “randomness”. It is deep-rooted in casino games.
There’s this whole idea floating around the gambling community that slot machines are rigged, especially by people stuck on a losing streak. In an attempt to absolve themselves of responsibility for their losses, they often convince themselves that the slot has been tampered with.
Funny thing, though you don’t hear these thoughts when someone is on a winning streak. The fact is, folks sometimes forget that gambling is just a form of entertainment. We get the whole psychology of it; win or lose, with a higher chance of losing — but we still hold on to the belief that we’re gonna hit that jackpot, even if everyone else is tanking.
Going through a losing streak doesn’t automatically mean the slot machines are rigged. As previously explained, everything is random.
Do you know why some players think this way? Some casinos are sly with their marketing. They always show off players winning but conveniently forget to mention those times when someone’s ready to punch the wall after a losing streak, haha.
The whole idea that slot machines are rigged is just a bunch of baloney. It comes from not getting randomness and from those occasional losing streaks we all go through.
Don’t forget, casinos are just another type of biz, you know? They’re also in it to make some dough. Nonetheless, they’re not all bad. They give you a chance to grab a slice of the big-money pie they’re baking.
RTP (discussed before) and house edge are the two things that’ll help you understand what’s going on between the casino and the folks playing the games.
Sure, they are very related concepts in casino games. The house edge is the casino’s built-in advantage — it’s how they make a profit on every game. It’s the average amount the casino expects to win from each bet. And you know that RTP is usually less than 100%, yeah? The difference between 100% and the RTP — that’s the House Edge.
To put it simply, let’s use our example from the earlier RTP explanation. Since that game has an RTP of 96%, the House Edge is 4%. This means that over a long period, the game is designed to return 96% of all wagered money to you, while the casino expects to keep 4%. All good?
Even though casinos can’t control the outcome of your spins, should they just let everything else be free and easy, as if it were some kind of utopia? Nah, they do have some control over slot machines, including:
First off, casinos can pick and choose the games they want to offer from different game developers. Each of these games comes with its own RTP already set. As they can pick the games they want, casinos indirectly control the RTPs that players can get. Also, some game developers let casinos pick from a range of RTPs for their games. This means the casino can pick a specific RTP from the options given for each game.
In addition, in a lot of places, there are laws that set a minimum RTP that casinos have to stick to. Therefore, regardless of the fact that casinos do have some control over the RTP, they can’t go below this legal limit.
Beyond these, casinos have no control over slot machines, and no casino will risk losing its license to operate. Regulatory bodies, such as the Nevada Gaming Control Board in the United States or the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, enforce strict rules to ensure that casinos operate fairly. These regulations cover everything from the integrity of the games to the security of your funds.
It's great to see that you’ve now got a handle on how fair slot machines are; it’s time to upgrade your game. Here are some tips to crank up the fun factor in your next slot session!
Even though you don’t need to be a genius to play slots, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get to know the game. Knowing the paytable and bonus rounds can help you place smarter bets.
The last thing you want to do is try to recover your losses by blowing your budget. You made that budget because it’s the amount you’re okay with spending for a fun time at the casino.
The sooner you realise that you can’t win back your bet, the happier you’ll be, and you’ll be less likely to overspend.
You’re playing slots because it’s fun. If you’re playing thinking you’re gonna hit the jackpot and walk away rich, you’re in for a rough time. Just chill.
It seems you and other people are taking this gambling and spinning thing somewhat too seriously nowadays. You’re asking if casinos can rig slot machines as if you’re cooking up some secret thesis or something. Come on, it doesn’t have to be so serious.
When you score a win, just kick back and enjoy it. And if you hit a losing streak, don’t sweat it. Grab a cup of tea, maybe pick up a few strategies to up your game. If you want to keep taking it this seriously, okay, “spin around and find out.”
