It’s very common for people to state that slot machines are “rigged”. If your definition of “rigged” is that the casino is guaranteed to make money off of slot machines over a long period of time then you’re right. However, slot machines from reputable casinos that use random number generators (RNG) are not “rigged” so that you will lose.
Can Casinos Control Slot Machine Payouts
Many times when we are losing at a slot we envision someone at the controls making us loose. We get angry and imagine that the casino has flipped a switch that makes it impossible to win. This is where the misconceptions take place. Slot machines are completely random and if you are having a string of bad luck it has nothing to do with anybody “rigging” the machine.
“Time on Device” (TOD) is the #1 metric that casinos and slot machine manufacturers are.
The slot machine has a computer program that dictates the overall payback percentage of that machine. That means if the machine is set to payback 95% then the casino will receive 5% of every dollar that is played in a particular machine. This is when some people become confused. In no way does that mean you will lose 5% of each dollar you play in a machine. In fact, a slot machine may payback more than it takes in over a day, a week, or even a month. The preset percentages don’t come about until the long term.
What is the long term? There is a bit of ambiguity as to what constitutes the long term, but usually it means there must be thousands if not millions of spins. What does this mean to the average player? Basically, it means that you are not being cheated. Unless you play everyday day, year after year, on one slot machine, you will probably not receive the same rate of payback that the machine is set at. Granted, there will be more losers than winners at slots, but there are winners and you have the same chance to win as anyone else.
Players have two major things that they can control when playing slots. What machines they play and how long they play. Those two powers can’t be taken very lightly because they may be the difference between whether you win or lose.
Slot Machine Casino Games
The first power you have as a slot player is choosing what games you will play and at what casinos. Slot machines can range from a payback of 70%-99.5%. Does that mean if you play the 70% payback you are going to lose? No, but statistically speaking you have a much greater chance of winning on a slot with a payback of 95%+. That means you should only play slots that have a higher payback percentage. Again, this doesn’t guarantee success but it can improve your chances of success dramatically.
You are more likely to find higher payback slot machines online than you are in land-based casinos. Online casinos have a huge advantage over land-based casinos because the cost of over-head is so much lower. This enables them to offer higher payback machines because they can achieve a profit much easier. There are some high payback slots in land-based casinos, but in general online casinos offer better paybacks. If you’d like to learn more about payback percentages, you may want to read the article on how online casinos offer better paybacks written by my friend Jared Bates who runs the website casinobonusandfreechip.com
As a slot player, it is your job to research and find out which online casinos offer the best payback machines. All reputable online casinos are independently audited and tested to verify the payback percentages that they advertise. Only play slots that offer high paybacks to insure you are giving yourself the best chance to win.
The second power slot players have is the ability to dictate how long they play and how much they are betting. It is very important for slot players to use a money management system that will enable them to walk away when they win and limit their losses. Do not let emotions dictate your rate of play. Utilize preset limits to let you know when to walk away.
If you play slots at a reputable casino you can be sure that the machines are not “rigged” to make you lose. Yes, they are programmed to take in more than they payout over the long term, but that in no way means you are being cheated. You have exactly the same chance of winning as anyone else, and yes there are people that win playing slot machines. Find high payback slots and utilize a strict money management system and you may just walk away a winner. Most importantly enjoy yourself while you play because if you’re not having a good time then there is no sense in playing.