How to Win at the Slots

Slot machines are strictly games of “chance”, based on the “luck of the draw” and whose outcome varies over one hundred times a second. How is that possible? Unless a gambler is playing a game on a vintage or “retro” slot machine still driven by gears and reels, they will be relying on something called Random Number Generation, or RNG.

In all modern slot machines RNG computer software determines the outcome of every single “pull”. This means that before a gambler sits down at a machine to play, the RNG software is churning out over one hundred numbers each minute. At the fraction of a second it takes for the player to hit or pull the lever to play, the software locks into the correct set of numbers.

While the process of how the numbers chosen are used is a bit complicated, and can best be described using a chart, the end result is a series of signals sent to the reels telling them where to stop. Experts agree that RNG is a safe and effective method of delivering a fair and even chance at winning to every player who plays the game.

The first suggestion is to work with a budget. Slot machines are addictive to even the most self-controlled people, so set aside a limited pool of funds and stick with it.

A second suggestion is to investigate exactly how “tight” or “loose” any casino’s slot machines actually are. This means finding out what their payback percentage is; information that can usually be found printed on each machine. Payback amounts are the percentage of bets that a casino returns to their players, taken as an average. Most casinos are obliged to set machines at nothing less than seventy five percent payback to a player. However, the gambling industry is very competitive and most casinos set their machines significantly higher as a way of keeping clientele.
