A slot machine is a game of luck that offers easy entry for anyone getting into casino gaming. They are popular in both land-based and online casinos, but they can quickly drain your bankroll if you play them without understanding how they work. To get you up to speed, this guide explains how slot machines work, features to note, and tips for winning.
Understanding slot machines and how they work
To quickly understand fruit machines, you should learn about the technology behind these games and how random number generators influence their operation, as detailed below:
- Slot machine technology
A slot machine is a casino game that requires players to spin a set of reels by pulling a handle. For the online option, the reels are still present, but instead of a handle, players need to click a button to spin the reels.
Once hit the spin button, the reels will rotate till they come to rest. To win the round, the reels must come to rest with matching images appearing on predetermined paylines on the screen.
Each slot has a built-in paytable that determines what you receive for a symbol combination. Some machines also come with bonus features that you can trigger by landing special symbols.
To determine the symbols that appear after each spin, machines utilize a random number generator.
- Random Number Generator
The random number generator (RNG) is a software or tool that dictates the outcome of each spin. Thanks to the RNG, there is no possibility of a casino operator manipulating the results of a slot to their advantage.
In the design of slot machines, the RNG is essential for maintaining randomness and fairness, ensuring that it’s impossible for anyone to predict the outcome of a spin.
Slot machine odds
Casino machines don’t come with information indicating your odds of winning. However, with the right information, you can improve your chances of getting steady payouts on any online casino.
To determine if a slot machine has favourable odds, you must focus on the volatility and return to player (RTP). For the best outcome, a slot that combines a high RTP with a low or medium volatility is your best bet.
Return to the player of a slot indicates how much a machine will payout over a long term period. For example, a slot with a 97% RTP will payout $97 for every $100 wagered. You should note this over a long period, so don’t expect to get the same payout during a 10-minute session.
The volatility indicates how often a slot will payout. It can have high, medium, or low volatility. With the high volatility slots, payouts are rare, but usually large if you hit.
Low volatility payout more often, but the wins are smaller than in other games. However, the medium volatility slots at review sites like StoneVegas provide a great balance that rewards you with decent payouts regularly.
Casino advantage or house edge on slot machines
The casino advantage is typically referred to as the house edge by most players. House edge refers to the advantage the casino has over you, the player, on that particular game.
Game developers usually provide information on the return to player (RTP) as a percentage. From this RTP, players can calculate the house edge (100% - RTP).
For any gambling operator, the casino advantage indicates the amount the operator will make as profit over a long-term period. So, if you’re playing a slot with 96% RTP, the casino has a 4% advantage or house edge. This means that over time, the casino will make a $4 profit for every $100 wager.
Since the casino is running a business and providing a service, the advantage is like a type of commission it takes to remain functional. The advantage isn’t fixed for all slots, so you must carefully select a game with the lowest advantage to play.
The probability of winning for players
Games are purely luck-based, making it difficult to calculate the probability of winning. However, you can determine the number of possible combinations on a slot based on the number of reels and symbols that can appear.
For instance, if you're playing a 3-reel slot with 10 possible symbols on each reel, you can have 1,000 possible combinations. Now, you need to know the number of paying combinations available on the slot.
So, if we assume the slot has 10 winning combinations, it means you have a 1 in 100 chance to win (remember this is purely theoretical).
Tips to win
- Stick to a budget: Setting and following a budget is an excellent way to minimize your losses when playing slots. Players who adhere to a budget can avoid issues such as chasing losses.
- Use your bonuses: Online casinos offer bonuses to players, but you must go through the terms and conditions to be sure it’s worth claiming. You can read the CasinoCanada guide for the best free spins bonus deals to lower your initial investment, where experts only recommend reliable platforms with fair terms and conditions attached to the free spins bonuses.
- Go for high RTP: As we already explained, high RTP slots pay out more over a long period, so they’re the best option for you. If the slot also has a low-medium volatility, you can get decent payouts over time.
- Know when to stop: This is a crucial tip you must remember. With slot machines, winning is easy, but you can lose it all in a minute. Always remember this quote by Bret Harte:
“The only sure thing about luck is that it will change.”
Conclusion
“Gambling is not about how well you play the games, it’s really about how well you handle your money.” — V.P. Pappy
Slot machines are fun and exciting casino games that are simple to play even for beginners. They offer a decent chance for anyone to walk away as a winner, but they can also lead you to financial ruin if you fail to manage your risk.
To ensure you’re not losing all your money playing slots, understanding everything about this casino game is crucial. Once you have the relevant knowledge of the game, learning how to protect your bankroll is all that really matters.