Slot Machines Game Guide

Understanding payout rates at slot machines

Slot Machine Payout Rates – Understanding Payout Rates at Slot Machines

What are slot machine payout rates, the importance of the RNG in slot machines and the truth behind slot machine payout rates.

Why random number generators are important

All slot machines nowadays contain "random number generators." These RNG are micro computers that constantly spits out numbers, even when it's not being used. The random numbers that are chosen each time correspond to the machine reels' positions. When you push the spin button or pull the handle, nothing actually happens except that the reels spin, which happens merely for your entertainment. The push of the button simply tells the slot machine to show you the random number generated reel positions.

The RNG computer chips are all programmed to pay out at a certain legal rate. For example, the legal rate might be a minimum payout of eighty-five percent. A casino can then set their slot machines to pay out at 85 per cent or any rate above that. Most casinos will beat the minimum percentage by a few points, and the payout percentage often proves to be larger when you wager multiple coins. For example, when you play on a nickel machine, and the machine's payout rate is 93 percent, a quarter machine's payout rate could be 94.6%. The casino can change the chip that controls the payout rate, but they are required by law to report any of these types of changes to their country or state's Gaming Commission.

The above is important to understand as it de-bunks some old fashioned assumptions about slots. It is as random as the roulette wheel, each play being independent. All the action is decided by the precise moment that you push the spin button or pull the handle that selects a set of random numbers. If you would have pushed the button or pulled the handle a split second later, it would have produced a totally different result.

When the person that plays a machine after you get a huge payout, don't feel terrible because you "missed" out on a payout. You were not entitled to the payout and wouldn't have received the payout even if you did continue. The only way you would have won is if you were to have pulled the slot machine at exactly the same minute fraction of a second that the winner did.

Slot machine payout truths

A slot machine, including online slots, is never "due to hit". The payback % and win frequency can only be calculated in the long term.

A machine, including online slot machines can sometimes go for days on end without one single decent payout. On the other hand, there is no reason why it can't have 2 big payouts in a short period of time.

It is not true that playing faster will increase your winning chances. The random number generator will keep producing hundreds or thousands of numbers in between the spins of even the quickest gamer. The only reason that faster players seem to win more, is that they have spinned more combinations for the set amount of time.

You cannot affect the number generation by the amount of coins you play.

It is not true that there is any difference in the results, whether you press the "Spin" button or pull the handle.

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