Are Slots Really Random?

In any casino, be it traditional or online, slots are the most popular game that is played. These machines have been around in one form or the other for a little more than a century, but the vast majority of gamblers are still unclear about how they work. As a result, some might believe that the results as the reels are spun are not actually random and that the casino determines the outcome. This cannot be farther from the truth.

Listed below are a few facts about how slots work that will enable you to understand that they are beautifully crafted creations with totally randomized outcomes!

Use Of RNG

All slots from the earliest and clunky mechanical ones to the newfangled video slot games make use of a Random Number Generator. These work at making the outcome as random as can be. As a result, slot games are cannot actually be hot or cold at any point of time, wins don’t come in a cyclical basis and the chances of wins and losses remain the same no matter how many times the reels are spun.

The House Edge

The house edge is how casinos make their money and stay in business. It is a feature in all casino games, slots included and is skimmed from all bets.

3 Reels, 5- Reels

These refer to the image matrix shown at the front between which the symbols spin. These have more than one icons on them and when lined up by players a predetermined amount is won. Higher payouts are usually offered in games where icons require greater difficulty lining up.

Stops Are Where The Reels Stop

The reels found in online slot games normally stop on an icon or a space located between icons. On slot machines of the previous era, the chances of icons coming up were about equal. This has however changed with the advent of video slots, where icons come up differently from each other.

From 10 Stops Per Reel To 50 Stops!

The earliest slot machines had around 10 stops, with the latter ones boasting from 30 to 50 stops. This is important, as the more the stops the easier it is for hefty jackpots to be offered to players.

Weighting Decides The Odds Of A Stop Getting Hit

Take a slot game with 10 icons. One of these icons is rather special and is set to come up only once per 100 spins. As a result, the odds that players will get 3 of these icons lined up can be determined as 1/100 x 1/100 x 1/100 or 1/1,000,000. With such impossible odds, a casino can still offer a jackpot prize of around ₤1 million whenever a trio of such icons are landed and make a profit in the long run.

The Par Sheet Holds Lots Of Secrets!

All modern slots have a par sheet. This lists the weightings on all stops featured on the slot reel, even the blanks. This sheet lists the house edge and odds in stark detail and for confidentiality purposes is never released to the public.

The Payout Percentage

This refers to how much a slot pays back in the form of wins during a virtually endless number of spins. It is rendered in percentages that vary from 94% to 98%. For example, a slot with a payout percentage of 96% over the long term essentially pays out ₤96 out of every ₤100 that is deposited into it.

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