Are Slot Machines Rigged and How You Can Know For Sure?
8 minutes
Last Updated: August 9, 2021
Are Slot Machines Rigged and How You Can Know For Sure?
Slot machines are some of the most exciting and rewarding games you can play in a casino. There’s not much to do gameplay-wise, but the thrilling part of the game is watching the reels spin on the screen in front of you as you wait in full anticipation.
One spin can bring you a monumental win and set you for life.
But, we more often hear about players losing massive amounts of money on slot machines and never coming up with a rewarding win. Statistically speaking, these situations sure can be suspicious, but are they anything more than improbable?
Are slot machines rigged, and you are set up to fail from the get-go? Or are these just stories from sore losers who left their paychecks in these electrifying games?
Read on to find out are slot machines rigged and if there is more to your losses than just bad luck.
How Slot Machines Are Rigged, or Aren’t They?
The unfortunate fact is the vast majority of slot players are losing players. This is the inherent nature of most gambling games, where the vast majority loses, while a lucky few players win the largest percentage of all bets.
Not only this, but you should know that all slots are programmed to pay out a few percentages less in total than what goes into the game. This is perfectly legal and is the way casinos make money over time.
That said, this doesn’t mean you’re entirely out of chances of winning on a slot. To understand how slot machines work and how they can be rigged to lower your chances, we need to understand two terms closely related to every game’s core mechanisms. These are:
RTP
If you’re a regular slot game player, you’ve likely read some slot reviews in the past. And, in every credible review, you’ll find the abbreviation RTP (Return to Player). In short, this marks how much money you get for the amount of money you wager.
For example, if we look at the popular Book of Dead slot, we can see that it has a listed RTP of 96.21%. This means that from every $100 you wager in the game, you win back $96.21. While 96% RTP sounds pretty decent, it’s pretty low compared to table games like blackjack, where the house edge is just 0.5%.
However, it’s important to remember that you’re not guaranteed to win this much, regardless of how you play. Instead, this number marks how much the game pays out to all players overall and that it takes $3.79 from every $100 for the house.
It means that it will pay $96.21 to all players long-term. This can entail a few big wins for one lucky player and a losing streak for many unlucky ones before and after them.
RNG
Even though every slot game has an RTP and a built-in house edge, it also comes with another important mechanic, the RNG (Random Number Generator).
There’s no way to manipulate RNG mechanisms in your favor. They are entirely based on random numbers that are the outcome of billions of combinations going through the game’s software every second.
Every combination stands on its own and is entirely independent of any previous outcome.
With this in mind, RNG software debunks the myth of “loose slots” or that you will trigger the big win just by pushing through a long session. In truth, with virtually endless possible outcomes processed by RNG software, there’s no telling when the next win will trigger.
Having said that, there are ways to increase your winning chances, which brings us to the next crucial point.
How to Give Yourself the Best Winning Chances
Now that we’ve discussed how slot machines are rigged while still being fair and completely random, it’s time to turn this knowledge into profit. So here are a few valuable tips that will help maximize your chances of winning at slot games:
Pay Attention to the RTP
An obvious but often overlooked tactic is choosing only slot games with high RTP percentages. This will guarantee you the best payouts in the long run. Ideally, look for slot games above 97% or even above 98% in terms of RTP.
Take Advantage of Bonuses
If you’re playing online or at a land-based casino that offers comp points to players, make sure to take advantage of this benefit. In addition, many online casino sites offer bonus money or even free spins you can use to try out new games or practice your favorite slots without making a dent in your bankroll.
Choose the Right Volatility for Your Bankroll
Lastly, we should highlight the importance of properly managing your gaming bankroll. If you have a reasonably small bankroll, you should stick to low volatility slots. They are cheaper to play and pay smaller amounts, but more frequently. Oppositely to this, if you have a large bankroll and are chasing big wins, you can play high volatility slots.
Are Slot Machines Rigged or Not: Summing It Up
So, are slot machines rigged? In a way, yes. They are set up to always give the house the advantage over you. However, at the same time, this doesn’t mean you’re set up to fail and can never win.
Being a winning slot player is tough and challenging and involves a mixture of several different factors.
You need proper bankroll management and should know how to play the game properly. Most importantly, when it comes to slots, you need to have a lot of luck to pick the right game on the right day.
There’s no foolproof strategy to constantly win at a slot machine. But, conversely, you shouldn’t believe that you’re being set up to lose. If you’re playing in a reputable and trustworthy online casino or one of the largest live casinos, you don’t have to wonder are slot machines rigged – they’re not.
Ultimately, don’t let all of this get in your head and put you off the game. Remember, you’re playing slots for fun, not to get rich. So, enjoy the game and relish any wins that come your way during the experience.
One day, you’ll perhaps be lucky to trigger that life-changing win, but there are no guarantees, so only play with what you can afford to win and treat gambling as entertainment!
