• When To Leave A Slot Machine
• How To Know When To Leave A Slot Machine

History – How To Play – Rules – Odds – Strategy – Pro’s Perspective

Slot machines are referred to as slots, pokies, 1-arm bandits, fruit machines and poker machines. Players will place wagers in the form of coins (or virtual coins if it is an online slot) in order to spin the reels of the game. Any slot machine will have a minimum of 3 reels and players can start spinning these reels by pulling a lever (or clicking on Spin). The symbols on the reels will start to spin until they stop. When they stop, players will be rewarded according to the combination of symbols they achieve on the payline. The payline is a virtual line on which players must get certain symbols in order to get paid.

Players will be paid based on the bet they have placed, the combination of symbols, and the paytable of the game. The paytable is a table that shows players the different combinations and their respective rewards. This paytable is usually found at the top above the reels of the slot machine or on the game screen itself – whether land or online-based. The symbols appearing on these reels are usually bars, cherries, bells, watermelon, and sevens, this is why they were called fruit machines. Other advanced slots might have a certain theme. For these games, the symbols will be inspired by that theme. For example, Thunderstruck is an online slot which is themed around Thor and the Norse gods. On this game’s reels, players will see symbols that include Thor, Thor’s Hammer, and Odin among other related symbols.

Slots History

Many people have their own special tips and tricks when it comes to winning while playing a slot. The first tip that will help you to increase your chances of hitting a jackpot is to time the machines. It is good to always win at casino slot machines. Winning in these games will give many individuals the pleasure of playing. To win in slot games has a lot to do about knowing when to leave at the right moment. For some slot players, the right time to leave is when they reached their loss or win limit.

The history of the first slot machine dates back to 1895. The father of the first slot machine was Charles Fey, whose original slot machine had poker symbols on its three spinning reels. The symbols also included hearts, horseshoe, bells, and spades. Since the game only had 3 reels automatically, it was easy to make the game payout for the winning combinations. The game paytable was available at the top and it showed players the different winning combinations. The highest combination paid 50 cents when players got 3 bells on the win line.

In 1891, Sittman and Pitt invented another form of slot machine. This new machine looked a lot like the early version of slots that can still be found to this day. The game included five reels and 50 cards with a poker game theme since players were paid according to the poker hand they formed. This is why they were called poker machines. Players would start the game by putting a nickel into the game’s slot and by pulling the lever in order for the reels to spin so they could get a poker hand. Most of these machines used to pay players in the form of gifts such as cigars, drinks, or food or other things that were sold at the pub or bar where it was being offered. In order to increase the odds of the house and make it hard to get a poker hand like a Royal Flush, the game did not have a 10 of Spades or a Jack of Hearts.

In 1907, Herbert Mills invented another machine that was called Operator Bell and by 1908 these slots were installed in every bowling alley, cigar store, or salon. One of these original “Liberty Bell” slots can still be found in a Reno Restaurant in Liberty Bells Saloon.

Another great development occurred in 1963 when Bally invented the 1st electromechanical slot machine called The Money Honey. This was the first slot to have a bottomless hopper and it offered automatic payouts as well. The biggest reward that could be claimed was 500 coins. This machine was one of the reasons behind the skyrocketing rise of electronic gambling. Reel Em was the first-ever video slot that offered players bonus rounds.

In the 1990’s multi-line slots made an entrance to the scene. These games had more than one winning line. This meant that players could claim payouts according to combinations on more than one line aligned on the game’s screen. With the emergence of online gambling, slots were one of the first games to be adopted and transformed into online games. They developed quickly and can now offer up to 100 lines and 1024 ways to win. They also offer players a lot of bonuses in the form of wilds, scatters, and progressive jackpots.

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How to Play Slots

Slot machines can be found at every gambling venue, whether online or land-based. The online gambling world has fewer restrictions in terms of technology and development, therefore players will find a wider array of slot machines than those found at land-based gambling venues. We are going to discuss the gaming procedure for both online slot machines and land-based slots:

For Land-Based Slots:

For land-based slots, players will have to buy bar-coded coins, quarters or other cash values the game accepts. Usually, players will see the cash value the game accepts written on the game itself. After players enter the coin or cash in the game’s slot, they will pull down the lever or press the spin button, causing the reels of the slot to spin. The symbols on these reels are usually themed around fruits that are accompanied by bells, sevens, and the usual one bar, two bar, and three bar symbols.

After the reels stop spinning, players will be rewarded if they have a winning combination on the game’s win line. Players can find out the combinations that would make them eligible for a win at the game’s paytable. This paytable can be found at the top of the reels, or these days on the game screen itself. It will show the different combos and their rewards.

There are also slot machines that resemble video slots that can be found online. (Some can even be found with the same features online.) These video slots usually have a touch screen that players will use in order to control the game like in video poker.

For Online Slots:

Players who want to enjoy this game at an online casino will have to follow another gaming procedure. For online slots, players will first choose the game, then they will choose their wagers. Choosing the wagers, whether a classical or a multi-line video slot, includes 3 options:

• Choose the number of lines that players want to activate by placing their stakes on.
• Choose the coin value that players want to use to place wagers and get rewards.
• Choose the number of coins they wish to place on every activated line. All of this creates the wager. The total amount of their bet will be seen under the Bet Cell.

After placing the wager, players will be able to start the game by clicking on Spin. It is usually found under the reels in the game’s control panel in between or next to the wagering options that were mentioned above. The symbols will spin and, after they stop spinning, players will be paid according to the paytable, their bet, and the winning combination. The paytable can also be viewed at the top or as players click on “View Pays” or Paytable that is found somewhere on the game’s screen.

Slots Rules

The rules differ from one slot machine to another. Each slot machine will have its own set of rules printed on the game itself or, in the case of online slots, players can view them by clicking on “Game Rules.”

Max Bet Only Triggered Bonuses:

Some bonuses and jackpots will not be triggered or activated unless players have placed the maximum wager.

Wild Symbols:

Wild symbols differ from one game to another and can substitute for any other symbol the slot machine has. These wild symbols will not replace other bonus or scatter symbols.

Triggering the Jackpot:

The jackpot is triggered when players get a certain combination of symbols on any of the winning lines of the game. It can be found at the paytable.

Scatter Symbols:

Scatter symbols are special symbols that reward players generously in the form of scatter payouts. They can also trigger free spins. Free spins mean players will get a number of spins on the slot for game free. They are usually triggered when players get three scatters on the reels or three of the bonus symbols on the payline.

Apart from these rules, there are also some rules of etiquette that players should follow when playing at a land-based casino or a venue that is offering these slots.

Players can play on two slot machines side by side provided that the gambling venue or the casino is not crowded. If it is crowded and there are players waiting to be seated, the attendant will ask players who are playing on two slots to end one of the sessions.

Some players prefer to keep rapidly clicking on the buttons thinking that it gives them better luck. This is usually frowned upon because it causes the buttons to wear out quickly and causes a lot of disturbance to other players in the casino or the gambling venue.

Players who want to watch another player spinning the reels should leave one chair between them and the players unless they plan to play on the slot machine right next to that person. If they do not do that, an attendant will approach them and ask them to move away.

It is ok to celebrate when you get a big win or hit the jackpot, provided that you do not celebrate for too long. Also, when you get a big win, it is customary in certain parts of the world to tip the attendant who is getting the payout for you. It’s common etiquette.

Lastly, if you spot a slot machine that has a leaning chair on it, it is advised to leave that slot machine alone. It signals someone is still playing at the slot machine and he had to go to the bathroom or get something to drink and will be back shortly, it is courteous to leave it for a maximum of 10 minutes before you move the chair and take a seat.

Slots Odds

Slots are usually programmed to payout 82 to 98 percent of what was wagered in the form of winnings. This percentage is known as RPT (Return to Player) or the Theoretical Payout Percentage. The minimum RTP for every slot machine depends on the regulations and laws of the state or country. In Nevada, for example, the minimum percentage is 75 percent, in New Jersey it is 83 percent and in Mississippi, it’s 80 percent.

The winning combinations and patterns on a slot machine, the amount it pays, and the frequency of these payouts are carefully calculated and selected so they pay a specific fraction of money to the casino or the house while giving back the rest to the players. For example, a spin on a slot machine costs one dollar and it has an RTP percentage of 95. It can be calculated that over the long term, for example after one million spins, the game is going to give back $950,000 to players from the 1,000,000 dollars they have put into the slot. The house or the operator will keep the remaining $50,000.

The RTP is not the only important statistic in slots as the percentage of every payout on the game’s paytable is also important. For example, in any slot machine that has 12 different rewards in the paytable, the probability of every reward equaling 0 percent except the jackpot can be quite deceptive. If the jackpot win is 4000 times the wager, then it would happen 1 time every 4000 spins and would make the game have an RTP of 100 percent, despite being a very dull game.

The table of the probabilities for any slot machine is called the Paytable & Reel Strips sheer, also known as PARS. PARS helps players understand the psychology of the slot machine. For instance, if the game has 13 payouts that range from 1:10 up to 2400:1 it will show that the 1:1 payout would happen once every 8 spins, the 5:1 would happen once every 33 spins while the 2:1 payout will happen once every 600 spins. The PARS sheet is usually confidential and developers and manufacturers never post them; however, it is possible to find the PARS sheet of any of your favorite games posted online. Despite this, they are not of any real value to players as slot machines usually have 8 to 12 different programs that have varying payouts.

Slot machines are also known for the “Taste.” The Taste refers to a small amount of money the game pays every few spins to those who are seated at a slot machine to keep them engaged in the game. The logic is simple: if players keep losing their bets without winning any back, they will eventually grow bored and leave the game. The taste is usually the 1:1 or the 2:1 payout.

Slots Strategy

Slot machines are games of luck, so there are no strategies or techniques to implement. On the other hand, there are some tips and suggestions that may be quite useful for any player who is looking forward to spinning the slots:

Stick With Slots With a Low Jackpot:

If you are a land-based casino player, you will notice that the slot machines that offer millions in jackpots are not that popular because the chances of hitting the jackpot are very slim. This is why you should stick to slot machines that have a jackpot in the $1,000 range since you have a better chance of triggering it. These smaller jackpot slots are known for paying out better rewards and more frequently, too.

Know When You Should Move On:

Like any other casino game, you might find yourself on a losing streak. When that happens you should just move on or stop playing or perhaps go to another slot to change your luck.

When To Leave A Slot Machine

Quit While You Are Ahead:

If you have been on a winning streak or have just hit a jackpot, it is a good idea to cash in your winnings and leave. The more you play the bigger the chance you might lose what you won (or at least a big chunk of it). Like any casino game, you should quit while ahead.

Work According to a Betting Pattern:

You should always follow a wagering pattern that will help you earn rewards. For example, always start with the minimum wager possible and, if you lose, up it up a notch and keep increasing the bet after each spin. When you win, do the opposite. The + / – betting pattern is not guaranteed as there are no guaranteed betting patterns for slots because it is 100 percent random, but this can help increase your odds.

Placing the Maximum Wager:

Although this contradicts the last tip, it is another way of playing. The aim is to place the highest wager so you can earn high rewards. This is essential in online video slots as some bonuses cannot be triggered if players do not place the max bet.

There are also some misconceptions we have to clarify:

• Playing the game faster will not increase the chances of winning.
• Clicking on the spin or pulling the lever rapidly will not affect the outcome of the slot. They are all the same.
• Each spin is independent, so the game will never be “due to hit”.
• When someone wins a great payout on a slot machine that you left does not mean that you missed that payout. There is a big chance that you wouldn’t have hit the same payout because you would not have pulled the lever at the same fraction of a second that the player did.

Pro’s Perspective: Slot Strategies and Tips

With John Grochowski

Modern slot machines are multimedia technological marvels complete with animation, sound effects, and sometimes even video clips from movies and television shows.

While three-reel slots still exist, the majority in both live casinos and online casinos have five reels, and sometimes have six, seven, or more. Instead of one payline, modern video and online slots usually have 20, 30, 40, or more pay lines. Some don’t even use pay lines at all, making any combination of the same symbols connecting from left to right a potential winner, even if they’re not on a line as such.

During regular play, you may win a trip to a bonus event during which you have a chance to win money without making any additional wagers. Here are a few of the most common bonus types.

Free spins

You could win a specified number of free reel spins. Many free spin bonuses are played on the same reels as the main game and it’s possible to win any of the usually available prizes. Sometimes, the main reels fade from the screen and are replaced by bonus reels with different symbols and different winning potential.

For example, in the last few years, games have been introduced in which the lowest-paying symbols are removed from the bonus reels. It’s still possible to win nothing on a bonus spin, but the frequency of big winnings are increased.

Wheelspins

The original wheel spin game, Wheel of Gold, was introduced in the mid-1990s and it led to the ever-popular Wheel of Fortune slots. Since then most slot manufacturers have incorporated wheel spins.

In a wheel spin bonus, you see a wheel divided into prize segments. On some, all prizes are credit amounts, but some wheels offer credit multipliers, progressive jackpots, and trips to other bonus events. You start the wheel spinning, then hope it lands on a big-paying space.

Pick’em events

The reels are replaced by a different scene. Some have included aliens in hiding spaces, dancing gift-wrapped boxes, dishes on a Chinese menu, fishermen on a pond, and much more.

You touch the screen to choose an icon, and the item then reveals a credit reward for you to collect. On some pick’em events, you make just one choice. On others, you keep picking until you choose a bonus-stopper symbol.

Personal preference

All these bonus events are designed to make the games interactive and fun to play. How much they contribute to the overall payback differs from game to game and manufacturer to manufacturer, but as much as 40 percent of the overall return may come from bonuses.

Free spin games tend to be more volatile with the potential for bigger wins offset by the possibility of spins that bring no credits. Pick’ ems are used in what the slot industry calls “entertainment” games in which it’s larger goal is to add fun and extend your play rather than to offer big wins.

Ultimately, which is best for you comes down to personal preference. Do you like pick’em entertainment or do you want to keep those reels spinning?

Ask any retiree who visits Las Vegas regularly about their favorite casino game, and you’ll invariably hear about the fabled penny slots.

These slot machines take their name from their low coin denomination, ditching the nickels and quarters typically wagered on each spin for a single penny. Or so the story goes anyhow…

In reality, the advent of payline-based slot gameplay ensures you’ll almost always be playing for more than a penny per spin. That’s because you need to pay one penny for each payline in play, so a standard 30-payline machine would charge $0.30 each time you let the reels fly. Despite this deceptive misnomer, however, the penny slots reign supreme in Sin City.

And that discrepancy occurred even though Nevada is home to far less penny slots (54,754 machines) than multi-denominational games (70,658 machines).

Indeed, just like your grandparents have reported, the penny slots are by far the most popular game on any casino floor. A major casino might spread a dozen blackjack tables in the pit, but the penny slot parlor will be chocked full with hundreds of machines from dozens of manufacturers. And when you run the numbers, it’s easy to see why.

That equates to an average expected loss of between $0.36 and $0.96 per hour, amounts which won’t threaten to bust your bankroll anytime soon. But when you up the stakes to $1 per spin, those 300 to 800 spins per hour can cost between $24 and $64 every 60 minutes.

With these figures fresh in your mind, it’s easy to see why so many players are flocking to the penny slots – especially folks working with a limited bankroll. When you only have a small stake to gamble with, the ability to play – and hopefully win – for a few pennies at a time is invaluable.

Nobody likes to lose, but there’s something about blowing through a few hundred bucks in a matter of minutes that stings just a little bit more. By sticking to the penny slots, casual players can limit their losses, all while chasing that elusive jackpot dream.

The casinos bank on casual players ignoring this fact while focusing on the inexpensive cost of entry. And sure enough, as the NGCB data mentioned earlier makes clear, most players don’t bother thinking about the nuances of penny slot play.

If you’re a slot player nursing a smaller-sized bankroll who is searching for ways to improve their penny ante action, look no further. The guide below will cover four essential tips and tricks for successfully navigating the world of penny slots.

You’ll learn why the old maxim about always betting the max doesn’t apply, the value to be gained by leaving tourist hotspots behind, the modern systems casinos use to deploy their machines, the importance of payback and hold percentages, and how to avoid the most common myths and misconceptions about slot gameplay. When its all said and done, this page should leave you better prepared to maximize your limited bankroll while minimizing your liabilities and losses.

The first strategy tip most slot players learn offers the following advice – always bet the maximum number of paylines and coins.

On a typical quarter slot, the machine offers anywhere between 1 and 5 coins per spin. That equates to $0.25 for minimum bettors, and $1.25 for folks playing the maximum.

And on a quarter machine which includes bonus rounds, free spin rewards, and a progressive jackpot, that strategy makes perfect sense. After all, most games are designed to provide those perks only if the player has bet the max, so playing for anything less removes much of the game’s inherent value.

As the old saying goes, “why play for a progressive jackpot you can’t even win?” But for penny slot enthusiasts, that bit of wisdom can be tossed out the window.

For one thing, these games usually ditch the massive progressive jackpots for fixed awards – and these can be won at any wagering level.

Secondly, even the more modern penny slots usually eschew in-game bonuses and side games for standard spinning. That is to say, you’ll be competing for the game’s primary pay table prizes, rather than a chance to spin the wheel, play memory games, or earn free spins.

Jean Scott – a veteran casino player and author of the popular “Frugal Gambler” series of strategy books – captured this sentiment perfectly in a blog post for the Las Vegas Advisor:

“Now I well know the problem with slots. The negative EV (the house edge) will eventually put players in the loser category and sometimes very quickly. The fun factor can disappear very quickly if you are losing more money than you can afford.

Players with small bankrolls know that they need to play minimum bets so they can extend their fun time.

Hit those buttons with higher level bets and, yes, your bonuses may be more frequent and jackpots bigger, but you will very likely go broke before you can gain this advantage!”

And using a simple table devised by John Grochowski – a longtime professional gambler and strategy writer – you can see exactly how upping the ante increases your bankroll requirements:

This table is especially informative, because it shows just how differently maximum stake players must approach penny slots. When you’re working with a smaller bankroll than most, $125 is probably a sensible amount at which to limit your losses. Thankfully, that’s the exact amount you’d need to play a 50 payline game for one penny per line. But if you found the same machine and decide to bet the max with five pennies per line, you’d need to bring a whopping $625 with you to survive three hours of action.

Unless you’re stuck on the idea of playing for progressive jackpots, the penny slots simply don’t require a maximum bet to have fun – and hopefully, collect a steady stream of smaller payouts while you do.

This piece of advice is counterintuitive to most recreational players, especially those who haven’t yet experienced the sights and sounds of famous Las Vegas Strip.

But while The Strip can be quite the entertaining experience for tourists, gamblers are preyed upon like sheep by the wolf-like casinos.

Take a look at the data below, which was compiled by the NGCB as part of the regulator’s annual statewide slot machine survey:

Las Vegas Slot Machine Payback Percentages by Location

1¢ Slot Machines

• The Strip – 88.45 percent
• Downtown – 88.66 percent
• Boulder Strip – 90.42 percent
• N. Las Vegas – 90.71 percent

5¢ Slot Machines

• The Strip – 91.84 percent
• Downtown – 92.08 percent
• Boulder Strip – 95.73 percent
• N. Las Vegas – 95.38 percent

25¢ Slot Machines

• The Strip – 90.59 percent
• Downtown – 94.48 percent
• Boulder Strip – 96.39 percent
• N. Las Vegas – 96.58 percent

No matter which slot games you prefer, playing on The Strip inherently increases the odds against you. The percentage figure listed next to each location reflects the average payback rate – also known as the return to player (RTP) rate – offered on average by all slot machines in that area.

And as you can see, playing on The Strip always provides players with the worst possible payback rates. As a penny slot specialist, you’ll be up against an 88.45 percent payback rate while playing on The Strip. That equates to a house edge of 11.55 percent, making penny machines in the heart of Sin City a moneymaking monster for the casinos.

But take your action to the Boulder Strip or North Las Vegas, and that payback rate bumps up all the way over 90 percent. That may not seem like all that much of an improvement, but when you factor in the rapid pace of play found on slot games, padding your expected return by a full 2 percentage points is a massive improvement.

And it doesn’t matter if you’re playing true penny slots, or the nickel and quarter variety, as the pattern holds true across the board.

Another benefit of playing off the beaten path is the discounts and perks off-Strip casinos tend to lavish on their players. For the big boys like MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment – two casino conglomerates that control almost all properties on The Strip – enormous profits are practically ensured. They have a steady stream of tourists walking in the doors, so these venues can offer lower paying games and skimp out on the comps and perks.

But as Lucas Peterson – author of the “Frugal Traveler” column in the New York Times – recently discovered, venturing outside of the tourist traps offers a vastly different experience. Peterson visited the tiny Ellis Island Casino, located just east of Las Vegas Boulevard on Flamingo Road.

While the Ellis Island may lack the amenities and ambiance of a Strip establishment, this joint sure does know how to treat its customers.

Here’s how Peterson described his experience playing penny slots at Ellis Island:

“All casinos have rewards programs. You sign up, get a little card with a magnetic strip, and as you spend money you collect coupons for freebies and discounts.

At Ellis Island, they’ll give you that cheap steak dinner (normally $12.99) if you play just $5 worth of slots. But isn’t that just breaking even?

Well, in addition to it just being a little mindless Vegas fun, you can push it further: If you play $10 worth of slots instead of $5, not only do you get that discount on the steak dinner, Ellis Island also rewards you with bonus play money – a random amount between $10 and $500.”

In his case, Peterson’s initial $10 play on the penny machines produced a $66 free-play reward. He used that to play for a little while longer, cashed out for $30 profit, all while enjoying a free steak dinner on the side.

In his words, the casino paid him to play (and win), while throwing in a comped meal to boot.

You just won’t find customer appreciation like that on The Strip, which is why penny slot players on a lower bankroll should always get out of dodge to explore Las Vegas’ outlying areas.

Spend enough time around the slot parlor and you’ll inevitably hear players whispering about “loose” machines.

While the concept has faded into the realm of myth in the modern age, the notion that some slots are programmed to be loose – paying out more winners more often than the baseline – used to be based somewhat in reality.

Back in the day, when the average casino only carried a few hundred slot machines rather than a few thousand, casino managers could carefully tailor the arrangement of their games. No, they couldn’t control the actual outcomes (more on this to come in the Myths and Misconceptions section), but they could purchase a certain selection of higher paying machines before placing them in choice locations on the floor.

At the time, the idea was to get people standing in the lobby or by the buffet interested in playing slots because they kept hearing jackpot payouts and celebrations.

Today, however, the big casinos have thousands of slot machines under a single roof, making this level of management impractical. Rather than place certain games known to pay more often in select locations, casino managers simply stock their entire venue with games offering varied payback rates.

Here’s how John Robison, author of“The Slot Expert’s Guide to Playing Slots,” summed the placement situation up in a post for the American Casino Guide:

“The last change in the slot floor that I want to mention is perhaps the biggest change of all.

Casinos used to have hundreds of slot machines. Now they have thousands. One slot director in Las Vegas said in an interview a few years ago that with so many machines on his floor, he didn’t have time to micro-manage them.

He and his management decided the hold percentage they wanted for each denomination and he ordered payback programs close to that percentage for his machines. Furthermore, he said this was the common practice in Las Vegas.”

I’ve made mention of payback percentages many times now, and for good reason.

What the house edge metric is for table game players, payback percentage – and its inverse, the casino’s hold percentage – means for slot enthusiasts. Manufacturers and designers like International Game Technology (IGT), Scientific Games, Konami Gaming, Bally, and Aristocrat are all bound by strict gaming regulations which require games to have predetermined payback rates.

A popular themed game like The Walking Dead by IGT, for example, offers a generous 96 percent payback rate – good for a 4 percent house edge. But when you bring your bankroll to an older game like Mr. Cashman by Aristocrat, the payback percentage falls to 91 percent.

As it turns out, casinos rely on players not knowing their way around payback rates, as Steve Walther – senior director of marketing & product management for Konami Gaming – wrote in a 2017 column for the Las Vegas Sun:

“There are multiple schools of thought with regard to hold percentage and players’ ability to determine the hold in an individual session.

As games become more complex, the types of winning combinations have grown exponentially. When old games only had a certain number of slots on a wheel, maybe it was easier. Now, being able to feel the hold in a single session could be very difficult.

However, other schools of thought are different for repeat gamblers and those schools say maybe they can notice.”

Fortunately, these companies are bound by law to publish their payback percentages, so you can run a quick Google search for your favorite games to check up. If the game is offering anything less than 90 percent, you should avoid it like the plague. Low to mid 90s are the norm for penny slots, while anything higher is a gift from the heavens.

On a final note, of all the gambling games under the sun, slots seem to give rise to mistaken beliefs more than most.

How To Know When To Leave A Slot Machine

Maybe it’s because players can’t make decisions to influence the outcome, but superstition runs rampant in the slot world.

Olaf Vancura- who serves as vice president of game development for slot maker Mikohn Gaming, a subsidiary of IGT – offered his take on the most pervasive slot myths during an interview with the Las Vegas Sun:

“I guess the No. 1 myth is that slot machines keep track of wins and losses and will compensate to get to a win.

But in the U.S., this is is illegal. Slots aren’t allowed to make adjustments.

They cannot and do not. Each win is a separate event.”

And Konami Gaming’s higher-up Walther echoed those sentiments, warning players to steer clear of fallacies and misinformation about the casino’s ability to control payouts from on high:

“There is all sorts of lore out there.

If you push buttons in a certain combination, if animals look at you funny, there are all sorts of myths.

And one is that there is a magical control center that can update games at a touch of a button.”

As the major myth associated with slots, many people will swear up and down that the casino’s “control room” has direct access to the reels spinning on their screen. Fortunately for players who enjoy fair play, Vancura clarified that this is simply an impossibility:

“Some people believe a slot director off in a back room somewhere is sitting at a computer and can change the machine right out from under you.

So if you are playing a good machine that you were doing well at, someone can tighten it down and you will run into a cold streak.

It’s not possible for the casino to pull the rug out from under you.”

And according to Vancura, another commonly heard myth – that players can “vulture” jackpots by waiting for a machine to be primed by previous play – just doesn’t hold up to technological scrutiny:

“Today’s slot machines don’t work that way. They are based on RNGs or random number generators.

Different manufacturers have different rates. But a good rule of thumb is that the RNGs are running hundreds of times per second.

So unless you had initiated that same spin at precisely the same instant, you would not have won the jackpot. If you’re even a tenth of a second off, you will get a completely different outcome.”

Penny slots can be a great way to enjoy the casino experience on the cheap, but only when you know how the game is really played. Using these five tips, you should be able to get your coins behind the best bets only, while avoiding the pitfalls that ensnare uninformed players.