How do Slot Machines Work

Everyone who has visited a casino at least once in their life must have wondered, “How does a slot machine work?” Bright machines, usually with 3 or 5 reels and a lot of different symbols, are created to attract players, accumulate in them excitement and craving for the game. And of course, any popular device is shrouded in slot machine myths about grandiose jackpots that every gambler dreams of getting. To evaluate the chances of winning at a casino, let’s reveal the secrets of slot technologies.

All about Slot Machines

Gambling skeptics have long believed that if you want to win at the casino, buy it. Proponents, on the other hand, believe in luck or are looking for all sorts of tricks and methods to understand slot machine logic. Both are mistaken. So, the question remains, “How does a slot machine really work?” To understand this, let’s start with the basics.

RNG

Everyone remembers the game of “heads or tails”, where by tossing a coin you tried to guess which side it will fall on. The red / black roulette game is based on the same principle. A slot is a more complex system, in fact, it is based on a similar principle, but with a much larger number of combinations. The slot is based on a random number generator, which guarantees that each next spin will have a different result from the previous one. Ultimately, however, the player’s chances are split 50×50, just like in a coin toss game. That is, each next spin will bring either a loss or a win. Moreover, the random number generator guarantees the absolute randomness of the result.

Are slot machines really random? A gambler is unlikely to succeed to make sure in this, since he will look for patterns in everything, believe in omens and hope for luck. But if you are dealing with a reliable licensed casino, you can safely answer the question, “Are slot machines rigged?” in the negative right away, and do not doubt their randomness. Since any slot from a well-known trusted provider is guaranteed to generate from several hundred thousand to tens of millions of combinations.

“How do slots work?” We figured out the basic principles and now can move on to the subtleties.

RTP and Volatility

Based on the 50×50 principle, you might think that the player stays break even in the long run, one way or another. Where do jackpots or large drawdowns come from then? How do casino slot machines work?

The thing is that each slot has an RTP, which is the percentage of return on the amount invested in it. In modern slots, especially online, it ranges from 88 to 99%. And that’s okay. After all, if the return was 100% or higher, then the casino would be at a loss. However, finding a slot with 99% return does not mean that by investing 100 pounds in it, you will return 99. This is where volatility comes into play – namely, the frequency of winnings.

Often, avid gamblers face a situation where, having left a decent amount in the slot, they made room for another gambler, who, after three or four spins, picked up a big jackpot. This is a prime example of a high-volatility slot that “rarely gives wins, but does this accurately.” As a rule, such machines are preferred by people who have enough time, patience and an impressive bankroll to wait for a big win. The volatility of a slot can be determined only by experience or by studying the statistics of payments, which should usually be publicly available at the casino. Therefore, are you still exclaiming, “Slot machines – how do they work?”

Our tip is: knowing the RTP and volatility of slot machines, it is easier to understand how slots work and how best to build the game.

And of course it’s worth getting to know slot machines terminology. The variety of the world of slots introduces the player to many interesting concepts and chips, understanding the meaning of which, you can expand the gambler’s horizons and the question “How do slot machines work?” will not bother you any more.