The Mechanics of a Slot Machine (in Brief)
Casinos get nearly 70% of their profits from slot machines, and devote an equal percentage of floor space to these “One Arm Bandits”. They are all over the place (in fact, land in a Vegas airport, and a slot machine will be one of the first things you see upon exiting the plane).
Yet despite them being the most popular form of casino gaming, most gamblers have no idea how a slot machine works. Today we’ll dispel the slot machine rumors and find out how a slot machine really works.
Ok, first understand that the wheels spin, and have notches, which are pre-programmed to stop the wheel at a certain point. Old style machines had the programming built into the mechanism – the odds on a payout were largely determined by the amount of symbols present. In some machines, “skill stops” were introduced, where the player could stop the wheels (this satisfied certain gaming laws that required some skill be involved.) However, those machines are now few and far between.
Instead of relying on mechanics to run the whole show, modern slot machines use a random number generator (called a RNG) to create sequences. This is a computer program inside the machine that makes all outcomes truly random. A row of bars, two bars and a cherry, a row of lemons, and so on are all randomly created by the RNG. Even the mini games above the reels use the RNG. So while there are still wheels and stops on many machines (although even these are slowly being phased out by computer displays), they are largely for nostalgic and aesthetic purposes.
Now here’s where some people get confused about the slot machine’s workings. A slot machine does not decide the winners and losers in advance. If you leave and someone takes your spot and wins, they didn’t win your jackpot. First, you left so it’s not your spot anymore. Second, a slot machine sits and goes though winning (and losing) combinations even when not in play. The difference of a millisecond pulling the handle can make you a winner or loser. So please don’t attack the poor (soon to be rich) grandmother who won the Mega Millions jackpot after you left!
What about those advertisements for percentage payouts on slot machines? An offer of: “98% Payouts” means the slot machine will take $2.00 out of every $100.00 played on average. Keep in mind that’s the average over a long time, and it’s based on the combinations possible. You could easily lose your entire amount and someone could win it (and more) with a quarter! There is no such thing as a machine that is “ready” to pay (please note - the older slot machines mentioned earlier didn’t user computer programs. Earlier models used a complex method of spinners, notched disks and springs to spin the reels to make payouts random. Later models use electric motors that functioned similar. Those machines had to be programmed to win or lose.)
Hopefully, the next time you sit in front of a slot machine, the randomness will work in your favor. Good luck!
