How do casino slots work
New casino sites to play real money
The classic slot machine design works on an elaborate configuration of gears and levers. The central element is a metal shaft, which supports the reels. This shaft is connected to a handle mechanism that gets things moving. A braking system brings the spinning reels to a stop, and sensors communicate the position of the reels to the payout system. A coin detector initially registers that a coin has been inserted and unlocks a brake so the handle can move. This idea proved to be a monstrous success -- slot machines eventually moved off the sidelines to become the most popular and the most profitable game in town, bringing in more than 60 percent of the annual gaming profits in the united states.
How slot machines work
Originally, casinos installed slot machines as a diversion for casual gamers. Unlike traditional table games (such as blackjack or craps), slot machines don't require any gambling knowledge, and anyone can get in the game with a very small bet.
This idea proved to be a monstrous success -- slot machines eventually moved off the sidelines to become the most popular and the most profitable game in town, bringing in more than 60 percent of the annual gaming profits in the united states.
The technology of slot machines has also changed a lot over the years. The classic mechanical designs have been almost completely replaced by computer-controlled machines. But the game has remained the same. The player pulls a handle to rotate a series of reels (typically three) that have pictures printed on them. Winning or losing is determined by which pictures line up with the pay line, a line in the middle of a viewing window. If each reel shows the same winning picture along the pay line, you win (certain single images are sometimes winners as well). The amount you win -- the payout -- depends on which pictures land along the pay line.
In this article, we'll find out what sets the reels in motion in modern slot machines as well as in the old mechanical models. We'll also see what determines the odds of winning on a slot machine and look at some popular variations on the traditional game.
The classic slot machine design works on an elaborate configuration of gears and levers. The central element is a metal shaft, which supports the reels. This shaft is connected to a handle mechanism that gets things moving. A braking system brings the spinning reels to a stop, and sensors communicate the position of the reels to the payout system. A coin detector initially registers that a coin has been inserted and unlocks a brake so the handle can move.
There are any number of ways to arrange these elements, and manufacturers have tried dozens of approaches over the years, so we'll focus on one representative design. The basic design includes three reels mounted on a central shaft. The central shaft also supports three notched discs, which are connected to the three reels. A second shaft below the central shaft supports a kicker, a piece of metal comprising three paddles. The kicker paddles are lined up so they can push against the notches on the three discs. The second shaft also supports a series of connected stoppers, teeth that lock into the notches on the discs.
The kicker and the stoppers are both connected to springs, which hold them in a standby position. The kicker is held in place behind the discs, while the stoppers are held up against the discs, locking them into place.
When you pull the handle on a slot machine, these parts do a lot of work. We'll look at exactly what happens in the next section.
How slot machines & coin slots work
Slot machines are the most popular games in any casino, but a lot of people don’t have a clear understanding of how they work. In fact, some people have an out-and-out misunderstanding of how they work, while others are more than willing to take advantage of the gambling public’s ignorance in such matters. See our page about slot machine myths for about what we think of those people.
The purpose of this page is to explain in some detail how a slot machine actually works. Once you have an understanding of the actual inner workings of the game, you might find yourself less (or more) attracted to this type of game, depending on your temperament. Slots can be a lot of fun, but they’re extraordinarily profitable for the casino for several reasons, not least of which is how they actually operate.
Are online slots rigged? If online slots were rigged, then you can guarantee that almost all of them would be closed down by now. It’s one of the biggest concerns people have when playing online, and it’s why we only recommend reputable casinos here at VSO. The top gaming jurisdictions such as UK, malta and gibraltar ensure that fair and secure gaming requirements are in place, and this gives each person the same percentage chance of winning.
Return to player (RTP) is the factor that decides how much the slot pays out. If the slot has an RTP of 96%, then for every $100 that is gambled, the slot will payout out $96. This is regulated and independently tested to make sure you have a safe environment to play it.
We want all of our readers to make the right decisions when it comes to playing games online, so follow our recommendations and eliminate any risk of encountering rigged slots.
Slot machines use a random number generator. Early slot machines were mechanical (think coin slots), but they still used a random number generator, in the same sense that a roulette wheel, a deck of cards, or a pair of dice are also random number generators. Modern slot machines use a computer to generate random numbers, and these determine the outcomes of the game.
The important thing to remember is that the results are truly random. The game doesn’t work on any kind of cyclical basis, and slot machine jackpots don’t become due. Slots don’t get hot or cold, either. They only seem to, and only then in retrospect. It’s not something you can predict, any more than you can predict with any degree of certainty what the next card will be when dealing a deck of cards.
The casino does have an edge over the player. This is true of every casino game, in fact. The casino gets its edge using math and large numbers. Every bet on every casino game offers a lower payout than the actual odds of winning.
For example, in roulette, the odds of hitting a specific number are 37 to 1. But a bet on a specific number only pays off at 35 to 1. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how the casino makes its profit in that situation, does it?
Slot machines work the same way.
Slots usually have three reels but sometimes also have five reels. The reel is the image that spins in the front of the machine. It has multiple symbols on it, and if you line up certain combinations of symbols, you win money. The less likely it is to line up a particular set of symbols, the higher the payout on that particular combination.
For decades, these reels were literally large metal hoops, but now that slot machines are powered by computers, they’re more often just images on a video screen. Even in the case of slot machines with actual reels, the outcome is determined by the random number generator inside the computer.
Where those reels stop are called, naturally, “stops”. Reels can stop on a symbol or on a blank space between those symbols. On early slot machine games, each symbol would have an equal chance of coming up, but now that computers are running the show, the odds can be convoluted. You might have a cherry on a reel that comes up on average once every 50 spins, while an orange might come up on average once every 5 spins, or any other combination you can think of.
Early slot machines might have only had 10 stops per reel, but now it’s common to have between 30 and 50 stops per reel. The more stops you have on a reel, the easier it is to offer really large jackpots. For example, if you have a game with 10 stops on each reel, with an equal chance of landing on each stop, then your chances of winning any particular combination are 1/10 X 1/10 X 1/10, or 1/1000. If you have a payout larger than 1000 units, you’re losing money on that game.
Modern computers can adjust those odds using a weighting system.
The weighting is what determines how likely a particular stop is to be picked. Suppose you have a slot machine game with 10 symbols, but one of those symbols is special and only comes up once every 100 spins. The odds of getting 3 of that symbol are 1/100 X 1/100 X 1/100, or 1/1,000,000. You could theoretically offer a payout of $1 million on that combination and still break even over the long run. Casinos love that kind of action, and so do players.
Another symbol might be programmed to come up half the time, so your chances of hitting that symbol might be as low as ½ X ½ X ½, or 1/6. If that pays out at 2 to 1, the casino still makes a significant profit, but the player feels like she’s winning on a pretty regular basis.
The par sheet determines the odds. Every modern slot machine is designed with a par sheet which specifies the weightings for each stop on the reel, including the blanks. That par sheet makes the odds and the house edge for a slot machine game a known quantity—for the casino. Gambling companies keep these par sheets under wraps, though, so players never really get a clear idea of what the odds, the house edge, or the payback percentage is.
One final term you should understand is “payback percentage”. This is a mathematical prediction of how much money the machine will “pay back” over an infinite number of spins. For example, if a machine is programmed to have a 97% payback, over enough spins, the average should come close to winning $3 out of every $100 put into the machine. Casinos distinguish between the theoretical payback percentage and the actual return on the machine, but you can count on one thing. Slots are immensely profitable for the casinos.
How do slot machines work?
Players love slots machines because they are easy to play and casinos love them because they are much more profitable than any other game in their establishment. Their profitability comes from the way they work as well as the sheer volume of players who play on them. What is fascinating is, even if lots of players love online slots, most of them do not understand how they work, and not a single reputable casino will give you this information as it is a trade secret.
So, how do casino slots actually work?
Well, as you may know, all casino slots have reels that spin during each round unless you play on autospin, which is a topic for another day. Most slots come with three reels although more and more new casinos now come with up to five reels. These five-reel video slots are marketed as giving you better odds of winning but that is not right due to the way the machines are set up.
Each of the symbols on the reels is “weighted”. Weighting simply determines how likely a symbol is to be picked. Symbols that are heavily weighted, usually those of a higher value, appear less often making the odds of landing them very low. What this means is that due to the amount of time it would take someone to win, a casino can place a huge jackpot on landing the weighted symbol on lots of video slots and break even before it is won.
No, casinos are not ripping you off
Some players, when they go for too long without winning might start thinking the casino is ripping them off. This is not true (as long as you’re not playing on a unlicensed casino, which then might be rogue). Every single game in a casino has its odds with some of them having worse odds than others. It is therefore important that you understand the odds of a video slots game before you commit to playing for the jackpot. There is one tip you could follow to achieve this.
One rule of thumb is, the bigger the jackpot or price, the lower the chances of you winning it. Although most slot machines have smaller prices, they pay out more frequently. It, therefore, makes sense for you to play at these machines, win small amounts a lot of times and slowly work your way up. Doing this is better than trying for the big price, losing lots of money and leaving before hitting the jackpot.
Understanding how slots work is beneficial
Every player who wants to make some money playing slots has to understand how they work. Having this information will help you choose the best slot games and ensure you do not lose too much money. If you cannot find this information by looking at the machines, an internet search should let you know what games are less likely to eat up all your money. Lastly, remember playing is all about fun so do not take it too seriously. And while you’re at it, why don’t you start gambling with someone else’s money? A no deposit casino will give you a few £ to play for free, and slotsia is the place to find the best offers!
How do casino slots work
Reliable casino information
How do casino slots work?
Many online casino players are currently reluctant to play poker or blackjack. And it does not matter for what reason. They choose slot machines. But they may not even know how the slots work. Some users have a misconception about the device of such slot machines, and others do not think about it at all. Explain what is slots, this small article will help. In it we have tried to describe in detail the internal organization of slots. This will also help players to understand how attracted they are to slot machines. Many people just love to play them even without a desire to win. After reading this article you can go to casino frank and play not just for fun, but to win real money.
How the game slots are arranged
To understand the slots’ algorithm, you must first learn about their common device. Each of them has a fairly complex system. It consists of different components. “the one-armed bandits worked on the principles of electromechanics. They activated the rotation of the built-in drums after the user pulled a special lever. After a couple of seconds, the drums would stop, giving out a specific combination. The built-in sensors analysed it and, if successful, immediately issued the desired coins.
Over time, fully electric slots were created. The drums started moving in them thanks to a special electric motor. But their time had passed. Currently, the most popular are electronic game slots with a processor. It has a random number generator. Thanks to this slot machines and operate in the casino. Each time the random number generator produces a different combination, so guessing the result is incredibly difficult.
What is RNG
Many people, having learned how the slots in the casino on the internet, believe that there is no interesting feature in it. But they’re wrong. The main highlight of today’s s slot machines is directly a random number generator. How do you understand the principle of its operation? First you need to consider in detail the work of the slots themselves. All of them have RNG, reliably protected by a crypto-resistant algorithm md5. This unique system was created twenty years ago under the guidance of a professor. Nowadays, this system is also used in electronic security systems and personal computers.
Of course, the random number generator is an old mechanism. However, its algorithm is only improving every year. This makes it virtually impossible to hack into the machine. Yes, today you can easily find special software for this on the internet, but its use is not hidden. That’s why the players who used it, are immediately blocked and do not get the winnings. Casino can not affect the results of the game, because this is the device online slots. Built-in algorithm md5 there ensures complete randomness of all possible combinations. Regular checks by independent organizations only prove it.
How to cheat RNG
It is impossible to calculate the actions or somehow cheat RNG in a slot today. However, more experienced players have come up with a way to slightly increase your chances of winning. What do you need to do for that? First of all, the following actions:
- Choose slots only with high returns.
- Risk small and medium winnings by switching to a special game mode for doubling.
- Enter the largest number of lines in the slots.
- In your game be sure to apply a variety of strategies.
How slot machines work
Aka, how a specific payback is achieved
Вђњmichael bluejay's comprehensive explanation of how slot machines work [is], in my opinion, the best one out there.Вђќ вђ”gaming the odds
NOTES:
(1) this page covers normal slot machines (aka "class III"). Many native american casinos instead use "class II" slots based on bingo or the lottery because local laws don't allow regular slots. Class II machines look pretty much the same on the outside as regular slots, and you still get a random result, the machine just arrives at that random result a bit differently from what's described below.
(2) this page covers traditional slot machines. The new skill-based slots are covered on a separate page.
No popups, no download, no registration, no B.S., just the game. One click and you're in.
Slots are random
Before you see how slots work, you simply have to understand that the outcome of each spin is random. This is a pretty easy concept, but many people just refuse to believe it. If you're not convinced that slots are random, then see my article on how slot machines are random first, then come back here. Don't worry, I'll wait.
Picking the symbols
On a slot machine, a random number generator (RNG) picks a random number for each reel, which each number matching a stop on its reel. Then the machine directs the reels to stop on the spots selected by the RNG.
Note that by the time the reels are spinning, the game is already over. The RNG has already selected the stops, and the reels spin sort of as a courtesy to the player. Slot machines don't even need visible reelsвђ”you could just put your money in and the machine could tell you whether you how much (if any) you won. Wrap your head around that one for a minute. The presence of the visible reels makes no difference in the gameвђ”they're just there to show you what the computer already picked.
How the stops are selected
A typical non-progressive video slot has dozens of stops per reel. An electro-mechanical slot uses an (invisible) "virtual reel" of 64 to 256 stops, which are mapped to the 22 stops on the physical reel. The physical reel isn't big enough to hold all the stops that are needed, so it's the big one that's used in the computer program. (example source)
If you saw a worker open up an electro-mechanical slot machine you might see a reel like the one on the right, if it were unfolded. There are various symbols spread across 22 stops. Yes, the blanks count as stops. You might think that since there are 11 blanks you have a 50% chance of hitting one, and since there's only one jackpot symbol you have a 1-in-22 chance of getting it. But it doesn't work that way, because we're not really working with a 22-stop reel. We're really working with an invisible reel of like 128 or so stops, controlled by the computer. The computer will pick a number from 1-128, each of which is mapped to a specific symbol. Here's a hypothetical map for the reel shown at right:
Selected number symbol picked total no.
Of symbols 1-73 blank 73 74-78 cherry 5 79-94 bar 16 95-107 double bar 13 108-118 triple bar 11 119-126 red 7 8 127-128 jackpot 2
Say the computer picks #53. That's a blank, and it tells the reel to stop on a blank. If it picks #75, then it tells the reel to stop on a cherry. If it picks #127, then the reel tops on the jackpot symbol.
Most of the numbers are for the lower-paying symbols, so that's what's more likely to get chosen. That's what we mean when we say the reel is weighted. Some symbols are more likely to be chosen than others, even if they appear the same number of times on the physical reel.
So you don't really have a 1 in 22 chance of hitting the jackpot symbol on this reel. Your odds are actually 2 in 128, or 1 in 64.
And of course, the most likely symbol is a blank. On our sample machine, you have a 73 in 128 chance (57%) of drawing one of those.
Speaking of blanks, when the computer picks a blank, it actually picks a specific blank. Same for the other symbols that appear on the reel multiple times, like cherries and certain bars. The table above was simplified to make things easier to understand, but now that we've come this far, let's now look at how every single position on the reel might be weighted.
number
of chances
The fourth column (number of chances) shows the weighting. We've got a 2 in 128 chance of landing on the first stop (a cherry), and an 8 in 127 chance of hitting stop #5, the red 7. Notice how the blanks surrounding the jackpot symbol, #20 and #22, are heavily weighted. They're more likely to be selected, resulting in the "near-miss" effect. You think you just almost got the jackpot symbol, but it's really an illusion. You weren't close at all. It's like the blanks above and below the jackpot have little magnets on them.
So far we've talked about only one reel, though most slots have three or five, and each reel is actually weighted differently. As you go from reel to reel the weighting gets heavier, so you're more likely to hit higher paying symbols early on. By the third reel the higher-paying symbols are even less likely. This results in another kind of near-miss effect: how many times have you gotten JACKPOT, then another JACKPOT, and then. A blank? After the first two hits you're holding your breath for the third reel, but in reality your odds are poorer for getting that third jackpot symbol than they were for getting either of the first two symbols. However, for the rest of this discussion, we're going to assume that each reel is in fact identical in order to make the math easier.
Hitting the jackpot
So now that we know the weighting of the reels, we can answer that elusive question: what are the odds of hitting the jackpot? Here's the answer. Assuming we have three identical reels as listed above, then the odds of getting the jackpot symbol on any reel is 2/128. The probability of hitting the jackpot on all three reels is 2/128 x 2/128 x 2/128 = 1 in 262,144. (if you played fast at 800 spins for 8 hours a day, you'd hit the jackpot on average once every 41 days.) this in fact is the odds of hitting the jackpot on red white & blue. (see more on jackpot odds.)
Calculating the payback
Now that we know the weighting of the reels, we can calculate the payback for this machine, which the percentage of money the machine would pay back over an infinite number of spins. Of course you can't play for an infinite amount of time, but the point is, the longer you play, the closer your return will come to what the payback suggests.
Our slot has the following paytable.
| Bluejay bonanza slot machine paytable | |
| symbols | payout |
| jackpot (3 JP symbols) | 1666 |
| 7 7 7 | 300 |
| оћ оћ оћ | 100 |
| = = = | 50 |
| вђ” вђ” вђ” | 25 |
| 3 of any bar | 12 |
| 3 cherries | 12 |
| 2 cherries | 6 |
| 1 cherry | 3 |
To find the payback of the machine, we multiply the probability of each winning hit times the payout for that hit, then add them all up, as shown in the following table. I included a "how calculated" column if you're interested in seeing how I derived the probabilities. The numbers I use there came from the first table, above ("total no. Of symbols" column).
| Bluejay bonanza slot machine | ||||
| symbols | probability | how calculated | payout | prob. X payout |
| jackpot (3 JP symbols) | 0.000004 | 2/128 x 2/128 x 2/128 | 1666 | 0.7% |
| 7 7 7 | 0.000244 | 8/128 x 8/128 x 8/128 | 300 | 7.3% |
| оћ оћ оћ | 0.000635 | 11/128 x 11/128 x 11/128 | 100 | 6.4% |
| = = = | 0.001048 | 13/128 x 13/128 x 13/128 | 50 | 5.2% |
| вђ” вђ” вђ” | 0.001953 | 16/128 x 16/128 x 16/128 | 25 | 4.9% |
| 3 of any bar | 0.030518 | (16+13+11)/128 x (16+13+11)/128 x (16+13+11)/128 | 12 | 36.6% |
| 3 cherries | 0.000060 | 5/128 x 5/128 x 5/128 | 12 | 0.1% |
| 2 cherries | 0.004399 | ((5/128)x(5/128)x(128-5)/128)x3 (prob. 1st reel x prob. 2nd reel x prob. NOT 3rd reel; then multiply all by 3, to account for the 2 cherries appearing in any of 3 different positions -- 1,2 or 2,3 or 1,3) | 6 | 2.6% |
| 1 cherry | 0.108211 | (5/128x(128-5)/128x(128-5)/128)*3 prob. 1st reel x prob. NOT 2nd reel x prob. NOT 3rd reel; then multiply all by 3, to account for our single cherry appearing on any one of the three reels | 3 | 32.5% |
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