The Probabilty Of Wining Slot Machine Is 8

1. Slot Machine Probability Mathematics
2. The Probability Of Winning On A Slot Machine Is 8
3. The Probability Of Winning Slot Machine Is 88
4. The Probability Of Winning Slot Machine Is 8%
5. Odds Of Winning Slots

Slots machines, as games of chance (rather than skill), are generally more about having fun than they are about making money. However, there are things you can do to maximize your wins and minimize your losses. For example, by calculating a slot machine’s payout percentage, you can obtain a larger picture idea of how much money you stand to win back.

• Appendices
• Slots Analysis
• Miscellaneous

Introduction

When it comes to gambling, the easier a game is to understand the worse the odds usually are. This is certainly the case with slot machines. Playing them is as easy as pressing a button. However, between the high house edge and fast rate of play, there is no quicker way to lose your money in a casino.

Before going further, let me make clear that this page addresses the way slot machines work in most parts of the United States and the world. However, some parts of this page do not apply everywhere. For example, I state that slot machines have a memory-less property, where the odds of every spin are the same. In some places, like the UK, some machines in bars, called 'fruit machines,' have a mechanism that guarantees a certain profit over the short run, which causes the game to go through loose and tight cycles. These games do not have the usual independence property of the major slot makers.

How They Work

Whether you're playing a 3-reel single-line game or a 5-reel 25-line game, the outcome of every bet is ultimately determined by random numbers. The game will choose one random number for each reel, map that number onto a position on the reel, stop the reel in the appointed place, and score whatever the outcome is. In other words, the outcome is predestined the moment you press the button; the rest is just for show. There are no hot and cold cycles; your odds are the same for every spin on a given machine.

Slot machines are just about the only game in the casino where the odds are not quantifiable. In other words, the player doesn't know how the game was designed, so it is difficult to look at an actual game to use as an example. So, to help explain how they work, I created the Atkins Diet slot machine (link). It is a simple, five-reel game with a free spin bonus round, much like IGT's Cleopatra game.

For information on how it works and all the odds, please visit my Atkins Diet par sheet.

For a more complicated example, featuring sticky wilds in the bonus, please try my Vamos a Las Vegas slot machine.

For information on how it works and all the odds, please visit my Vamos a Las Vegas par sheet (PDF).

Odds

The following table shows the casino win for Clark County Nevada (where Las Vegas is) for all slots for calendar year 2012. They define 'slot' as any electronic game, including video poker and video keno. I've found video keno to be about equally as tight as reeled slots, but video poker has a much higher return. So, the return for reeled slots should be higher than these figures.

Clark County Slot Win 2012

Source: Nevada Gaming Control Board, Gaming Revenue Report for December 2012 (PDF, see page 6).

Most players play penny video slots. Based on past research, I find the house edge on those to usually be set from 6% to 15%. In general, the nicer the casino, the tighter the slots.

Advice

While there is no skill to playing slots, there is some skill in selecting which machine to play and ways you can maximize your return. What follows is my advice, if you must play slots at all.

• Always use a player card. Slots may be a lousy bet, but the casinos treat slot players very well. A $1 slot player will probably get comped better than a $100 blackjack player. Of course, don't play for the reason of getting comps. You'll give them a lot more than they'll give you.
• The simpler the game, the better the odds. The fancy games with big signs and video screens tend to not pay as well as the simple games. However, slot players always tell me the fancy games are more fun.
• The higher the denomination, the better the odds. For that reason, it is better to play one coin per line on a 5-cent game than five coins per line on a 1-cent game.
• Don't forget to cash out and take your ticket when you leave. It is easy to forget after hitting a jackpot.
• Try to play slowly and as little as possible to get your fix.
• In some games there is a skill feature, like Top Dollar. In such games, advice is usually offered, which you should take.

Myths and Facts

Just about everything that players believe about slots is untrue. Here are the most common myths and facts. As a reminder, this page is based on slot machines commonly found in the United States. Some machines, like 'fruit machines' found in the United Kingdom work differently.

• Myth: Slot machines are programmed to go through a cycle of payoffs. Although the cycle can span thousands of spins, once it reaches the end the outcomes will repeat themselves in exactly the same order as the last cycle.

  Fact: This is not true at all. Every spin is random and independent of all past spins.

• Myth: Slot machines are programmed to pay off a particular percentage of money bet. Thus, after a jackpot is hit the machine will tighten up to get back in balance. On the other hand, when a jackpot has not been hit for a long time it is overdue and more likely to hit.

  Fact: As just mentioned, each spin is independent of all past spins. That means that for a given machine game, the odds are always the same. It makes no difference when the last jackpot was hit or how much the game paid out in the last hour, day, week, or any period of time.

• Myth: Machines pay more if a player card is not used.

  Fact: The mechanism that determines the outcome of each play does not consider whether a card is used or not. The odds are the same with or without one.

• Myth: Using a player card enables the casino to report my winnings to the IRS.

  Fact: That makes no difference. If you win $1,200 or more they will report it either way. If you have a net losing year, which you probably will, at least the casino will have evidence of it. Such annual win/loss statements may be used as evidence to declare offsetting loses to jackpot wins.

• Myth: The slot department can tighten my game with the press of a button remotely. Thus, you better be nice to the staff and tip them well, or they will use a remote control to have the machine take you down in a hurry.

  Fact: There is now some truth to the myth that the odds of a machine can be changed remotely. Such 'server-based slots' are still experimental and in a minority. Even with server-based slots, there are regulations in place to protect the player from the perceived abuses that could accompany them. For example, in Nevada a machine can not be altered remotely unless it has been idle for at least four minutes. Even then, the game will display a notice that it is being serviced during such changes. (source) Meanwhile, for the vast majority of slots, somebody would physically need to open the machine and change a computer chip, known as an EPROM chip, to make any changes.

• Myth: The machines by the doors and heavy traffic flow areas tend to be loose while those hidden in quiet corners tend to be tight.

  Fact: I've studied the relationship between slot placement and return and found no correlation. Every slot director I've asked about this laughs it off as just another player myth.

• Myth: Slots tend to be looser during slow hours on slow days of the week. However, when the casino is busy they tighten them up.

  Fact: Nobody would take the trouble to do this, even if he could. The fact of the matter is the casinos are trying to find a good balance between winning some money while letting the player leave happy. That is best achieved by slots loose enough to give the player a sufficiently long 'time on device,' as they call it in the industry, with a reasonable chance of winning so he will return to the same casino next time. If the slots are too tight, the players will sense it and be unlikely to return.

  The kind of place you're likely to find tight slots are those with a captive audience, like the Las Vegas airport. So, if the slot manager feels that 92% is the right return for a penny game, for example, he is likely to set every penny game all that way, and keep them that way for years.

Play

Reviews

• Dazzle Me (NetEnt)
• Mr. Vegas (Betsoft)
• Sparks (NetEnt)

Internal Links

• Appendix 1 shows the details and analysis of almost 4000 actual spins on a Reno slot machine.
• Appendix 2 shows an example of the virtual reels behind a hypothetical slot machine and how the average return is calculated.
• Appendix 3A: 2003 Las Vegas slot machine rankings.
• Appendix 3B: 2002 Jean/Primm slot machine rankings.
• Appendix 3C: 2002 Tunica slot machine rankings.
• Appendix 3D: 2002 Henderson/Lake Mead slot machine rankings.
• Appendix 3E: 2002 Quarter and dollar returns for Las Vegas slots
• Appendix 4 shows how the return is calculated for my Wizard's Fruit Slot Machine.
• Appendix 5 analysis of the 21 Bell Slot Machine.
• Appendix 6 Analysis of Red, White, & Blue Slot Machine.
• Lock and Roll analysis of the skill-based slot machine found in North Carolina.
• Deconstructing Jackpot Party analysis of the video slot machine.
• Deconstructing Lion's Share analysis of the classic MGM progressive game.
• Deconstructing Cleopatra analysis of the popular IGT game.
• Deconstructing Lionfish analysis of the slot game found on many Game Maker machines.
• Deconstructing Megabucks.
• Deconstructing the Atkins Diet slot machine.
• Deconstructing Lucky Larry's Lobstermania.
• Deconstructing Hexbreaker.
• Deconstructing Blazing Sevens.
• Deconstructing Hot Roll.
• Mystery progressives on Ainsworth slots.
• Mystery progressives on WMS slots.
• Baltimore Sun article, in which I am quoted.
• 100% Rebate on Slot Losses Promotions: When to quit playing when all losses are refunded.

External Links

• For a simplified explanation of slots, please see my companion site Wizard of Vegas
• German translation of this page is available at richtigspielen.com
• Another decent overview of how slots work and some practical advice for playing them is How Slot Machines Work at VegasClick.com.
• PAR Sheets, probabilities, and slot machine play: Implications for problem and non-problem gambling by Kevin A. Harrigan and Mike Dixon, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. This is an outstanding academic paper that details how some popular slot machines were designed.
• PAR Sheets, probabilities, and slot machine play: Implications for problem and non-problem gambling - Academic paper based on the par sheets for some modern slot machines

I’ve been playing slots for over a decade now, and when it comes to casino slot machine secrets, I’ve heard it all twice.

I put little stock in most ‘slots secrets,’ but that’s not to say they should all be dismissed. Over the years, I’ve found a few diamonds in the dirt, and I’d like to share those with you here.

As you might expect, the winning slot machine secrets which really work are based on common sense and logic, and not magical fixes or cheat codes.

Ready to find out 8 slots secrets which will help you win more often? Read on, young grasshopper…

The ‘Loose Slot’ Is a Myth

Have you ever heard people talking about ‘loose slots,’ or slots which are ready to pop at any minute because they haven’t been won for a long time?

Once you understand Random Number Generators and how they work, you’ll understand that such notions are a myth. Slots players are a superstitious bunch, I know, but the facts remain the facts, and every single spin of the reels has just as much a chance of being a winner as any other.

To be clear, it doesn’t matter if it’s the first spin of the day or the 1,000th. It doesn’t matter if $0.20 or $20,000 has already been played – you have just as much chance of winning on every spin. Game outcomes are determined by Random Number Generators, and there’s no telling when they may pay.

There’s just as much chance of landing a progressive jackpot after your third $0.10 spin as there is of landing it after pumping $10k through the machine. Don’t waste your time trying to find loose slots, no matter what experienced hands may tell you.

Loose slots are often talked about in articles titled ‘Slot Machine Secrets Exposed’ and other such things. Truthfully, I’m convinced it’s the casino marketing departments which are writing and promoting these articles, to begin with.

You Have Less Chance of Winning Progressive Slots

We’ve all seen the massive multi-million dollar progressive jackpot slots at some point. Games like Mega Moolah by Microgaming, Jackpot Giant by Playtech, and Hall of Gods by NetEnt tease us with the exciting possibilities of taking care of the bills forever. And it does happen for some lucky players – there’s no doubt about that!

However, all business is a game of risk vs. reward, and to be able to offer such massive jackpots, casinos have to do something to offset the risk. They manage the risk these huge progressive jackpots pose to their bankrolls by often offering a lower RTP on these slots.

In case you don’t already know, RTP stands for Return To Player, and is expressed as a percentage. Each slot has a set RTP which tells us how much of every $1 bet will be returned to players in the long term.

For example, Hall of Gods slot has an RTP 95.5%, which means that for every $100 bet on the game, $95.50 will be returned to players. Compare that to a high RTP non-progressive slot like Ugga Bugga by Playtech, which has an RTP of 99.07%, and it’s easy to see the difference.

While the chance to win a life-changing jackpot is tempting, you have to be realistic about the fact that it’s not likely. So, you’ll likely be better off playing the high RTP slot games instead.

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and not all regular slots have higher RTPs than progressive games. You’ll have to do some hunting to find the best payout slots.

When It Comes to Most Free Spins Bonuses the Odds Are Against You

I enjoy free spins on slots as much as you do, but when you actually sit down and analyze the small print, the truth is that you have very little chance of winning large payouts through free spins offers.

You see, most casinos control the risk these offers represent by adding in wagering requirements and conversion limits. Both of these stack the odds against you as a player. Let me explain.

Wagering requirements (also called playthrough requirements) are the number of times you’ll have to bet the bonus offers and sometimes anything you win, too. For example, let’s say you get 10 no deposit free spins with x30 and win $100. You’ll have to bet that $100 30x, a whopping $3,000 in bets, before you can withdraw it.

When conversion limits are added into the mix, things get even harder. These are hard limits on what you can withdraw no matter how much you win. For example, if a free spins bonus has a conversion limit of $1,000 and you win a $10,000 jackpot, you’ll only be able to withdraw $1,000 as cash.

I’m not saying it’s impossible to beat wagering requirements, and I’m not saying these bonus offers aren’t worth taking anyway. What I am saying is that you should adjust your expectations. Don’t see these free spins as tricks to winning on slot machines, because they aren’t – they’re promo offers to let you try the casino.

However, players are catching onto wagering requirements fast, and a new breed of casino is offering a new type of offer which can seriously improve your odds of winning slots. Let’s look at that next.

Free Spins With No Wagering Requirements CAN Help You Win More Often

While regular free spins bonus offers give you little to no chance of walking away with what you win, there are free spins with no wagering requirements, and you should grab them whenever you find them.

Casinos are always looking for a competitive edge over their rivals, and they’re also always living in fear of regulators. As of last year, many started offering free spins without wagering requirements for both of these reasons.

Now, these deals are worth taking! You’ll almost always have to make a deposit to activate them, but they significantly boost your chances of winning, and you’ll be able to keep anything you win.

For example, some casinos are offering 1 free spin for every $1 you deposit up to $50. The spins might only be worth $0.10-$0.25 per spin, but heck, a free spin is a free spin, and without wagering requirements to worry about, it’s all profit.

There are few bonus offers which actually work in the interests of players once analyzed closely. No wager free spins bonuses are one of them.

Check out our PlayOjo casino review if you’re interested in knowing more about slots without wagering requirements.

Bonus Features Can & Do Make a Huge Difference

One of the things I like best about online slots as compared to land-based ones is the features they offer. Free spins rounds, bonus wheels, picking games, expanding and sticky wilds, and mini-games of all kinds make online slots more interesting and potentially more lucrative.

Yet, there are also games which don’t have many features. A quick spin on many of the classic slots which are designed to replicate fruit machines will show you that first-hand.

Despite this, many of these ‘featureless’ games cost the same to play per spin. I’ve never understood why anyone would play a three-line game with one wild symbol versus an interactive game with multiple bonus rounds and special symbols for the same price.

Bonus rounds are designed to both entertain and help you win. I rarely emerge from bonus wheels and free spins rounds without at least something extra. Even if it’s just recouping previous losses, it’s still extra money in your pocket.

My advice is to take your time find slots with lots of cool bonus rounds and go for those with as much winning potential as possible. For example, if one game has a free spins round with 2x multipliers, and another game has a free spins round with 5x multipliers, I know which one I’m playing, provided all other things are equal.

Understanding Volatility Can Help You Win More Often

Slot Machine Probability Mathematics

One of the biggest slot machine facts is that casinos make money on players who don’t have a clue about slots and how they work. If you understand concepts like RTP and volatility, congratulations, you’re already out ahead of the pack.

The concept of volatility can best be described as how often a slot pays. Low volatility slots pay a steady stream of smaller wins, whereas high volatility slots don’t pay as often, but tend to pay bigger amounts when they do. Medium volatility slots fall somewhere in the middle.

Understand the volatility of the game you’re playing is one of the best tricks to winning on slot machines. For example, if you’re playing a high volatility slot and haven’t won much in 20 or 30 spins, it might be a good idea to increase your bet size in anticipation of the inevitable payout, or cluster of payouts, that will come.

Remember what I said above about Random Number Generators controlling outcomes? You still can’t predict when a game will pay, but by understanding slot volatility you can get a feel for how often big wins might come, and what size the payouts are likely to be when they do come. You can then formulate your betting strategy based on this information.

You Can’t Cheat Slot Machines, So Forget About It

If I had a dollar for every time I’d clicked a page titled ‘How to trick a slot machine’ or ‘Beat the slots every time’ and laughed, I’d be a rich man. Without fail, all of these systems and slots cheats fail.

Do you really think multi-million, and sometimes multi-billion dollar companies hire amateur programmers who create games with bugs and flaws in them? I don’t, and if you think some random guy on the internet with a PDF for sale can outsmart Playtech or Microgaming, I’d advise you to think again.

The only people getting rich from such systems are the swindlers selling them. While there are bona fide casino secrets which you can use to improve your odds of winning, such as by better understanding how slots work, there are no sure-fire slots cheat codes or anything of the sort.

Don’t waste your time trying to find bugs in programs and ways to manipulate slots. Instead, learn more about how the games work, how you can manage your bankroll to maximize your chances, and which slots have the best odds. This information will help you win far more often than any black-hat slot machine secrets or tricks ever will.

Provably Fair Slot Machines Can Ensure You Don’t Get Screwed Over

The Probability Of Winning On A Slot Machine Is 8

This is one the best kept slot machine secrets, at least by the casinos which don’t use Provably Fair Technology.

Have you ever played a slot machine and felt that it was somehow rigged or that the game learned your betting patterns and adapted to them? I’ve been there, and I can’t say for sure that it isn’t the case at some casinos. While most are fair and game payouts are indeed random, there are some rogue casinos which fiddle with the settings and cheat you.

Yet, you can take control of this situation and eliminate the possibility of cheating by playing ‘Provably Fair’ slots. You’ll have to be willing to play with Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency, but that’s a small price to pay for a guaranteed fair game which you can verify on the spot.

I’ve written about Provably Fair Gambling here, so if you’re curious to know more about how it works, this is well worth a read.

If you do opt for these slots, you’ll be able to take some control of the game outcomes by feeding your own number into the algorithm which determines game outcomes and will be able to verify game outcomes haven’t been tampered with.

The Probability Of Winning Slot Machine Is 88

If ever there was a tip for winning slots more often which I’d be 100% on board with, it would be this. After all, your chances of winning are exactly zero if the games are rigged from the outset. I fully endorse Provably Fair Slots and suggest you make it a priority to find out more about them and how to use them. You’ll be glad you did.

Summary

So, there you have it – 8 ways you can dramatically increase your chances of winning slots with no voodoo required. And I didn’t ask you for a dime to reveal my secrets, either.

Don’t fall for the scams which promise you the moon and deliver only disappointment. Stick to these sensible slots tips and tricks, and you’ll be in the green in no time.

The Probability Of Winning Slot Machine Is 8%

Oh, and if you do score a progressive jackpot, our editor is happy to forward checks to me!

Odds Of Winning Slots

Did you enjoy this piece? Why not share it with your friends on social media or your favorite gambling forums?