Slots have been around for ages, with millions of players enjoying the action and thrills of these games. They can be found in all casino locations and online, with new titles being invented each year to capture the imagination of a new generation of players.
1. The Pay Table
When you open a slot machine, you’ll see a pay table detailing the symbols and how much you can win for landing three or more of them. It’s important to read this, as it can help you plan your strategy. It’ll tell you if the bonus symbols will trigger a feature or jackpot round, and it might even include details of how to win the big prize.
2. The Random Number Generator
Slot games use a random number generator to ensure that each spin has an equal chance of hitting a winning combination. This ensures fairness and transparency between the casino and its players, while also potentially allowing for every spin to have an equal chance of hitting a progressive jackpot.
3. The Return to Player percentage
A slot’s RTP% is a measure of how likely it is to pay out on average over time, and is displayed on the game’s paytable. It varies between 90% and 97%, so it’s worth taking note of this figure before you start playing.
4. The Variance of a Slot
A low volatility slot is less likely to pay out large amounts in a short period of time, but it will be more likely to give you small wins that nudge your bank balance. Often, these small wins aren’t worth your while to withdraw, so it’s better to play a high volatility slot, which gives you bigger prizes more frequently.
5. The Payout Schedule
When a slot game is designed to pay out a jackpot, it’s usually programmed to do so at a specific time. This is determined by the software that powers it, and it’s designed to ensure that the jackpot will eventually drop down to a certain amount.
The jackpot won’t always reach this level, however; there are averages, and some will be more likely to fall than others. Typically, the jackpot won’t drop to below 10% of the value of the total staked by all players across all slots, but it might still fall slightly lower than that.
6. The Jackpot Payout Schedule
Almost all progressive jackpots have an average payout time that they will hit. This is calculated by the software that runs them, and it’s based on statistics of how often they’ve hit and what the probability is of them dropping below this amount.
7. The Statistical Probability of a Streak
This is a common misconception, but it’s actually very unlikely to happen in real life. This is because jackpots in slot machines are set at a percentage that doesn’t change, and the number of slots must be sufficient to make it happen.
The only way to beat a streak is by getting lucky, and that’s why US law prohibits slot machines from cheating. It’s also why many people think it’s impossible to win a progressive jackpot.