Payout winnings

Typically, slot machines are programmed to pay out winnings in the range from 82 to 98 percent of the money wagered by the players during the game, which is called the “theoretical payout percentage”. The minimum theoretical payout percentage varies across jurisdictions and is usually set by law or official regulation. For example, the minimum payout percentage in Nevada is 75% and in New Jersey is 83%. How to beat the slot machines can be found on WinSlotsOnline.info.

The structure of the slot machine wins, the amount of money paid on them, and the frequency with which winning combinations appear, are carefully worked out to provide a certain percentage of funds from the game in favor of the “home” (slot machine operator), and return the rest to the player in game time. Suppose a certain slot machine costs $ 1 per spin. It can be calculated that for a sufficiently long period, for example, for 1 million spins, this machine will return an average of $ 950,000, to players who drop $ 1 million into it during this time. In this (simplified) example, the slot machine pays 95%. The operator leaves $ 50,000 for himself. Slot machine manufacturers call this the standard.

The theoretical payout percentage of slot machines is set at a software company. Changing the percentage of payments after installing the gaming machine in the hall requires a physical replacement of the software product, which is usually installed on permanent programmable memory devices (ROM), but can also be downloaded to Flash-memory (non-volatile memory) or even to a CD-ROM or DVD, in depending on the technological capabilities of the machine and the regulations in force in this jurisdiction. This takes considerable time and is not often done. In some jurisdictions, such as New Jersey, EPROMs are sealed and can only be opened in the presence of official representatives of the Gambling Commission. In other jurisdictions, including Nevada, slot machines are randomly checked for the content of only the authorized software product.

In large venues with thousands of gaming machines connected by a central monitoring and control system, the payout percentage can usually be changed from a central computer. Various prize tables are pre-programmed and then only selected remotely.

In 2006, the Nevada Gambling Commission began working with Las Vegas Casinos on technology that will allow the casino manager to change games, win odds, and payout percent remotely. These changes cannot be made instantly, the selected machine must not be used for at least 4 minutes. After making changes, the machine should be unavailable to new players for 4 minutes, and a message should appear on the display that the game is being changed.

Combination Probabilities

It is widely believed that the likelihood of combinations occurring on a slot machine is related to the number of images of each symbol on each reel, but this is not so on modern slot machines, because by their “stuffing” they are infinitely far from the very first slot machine created in 1891 Mr. Sittman and Pete on the basis of poker. Modern slot machines are computerized, so the probabilities are the way they are programmed. In modern slot machines, drums and levers are present only due to the preservation of historical continuity and for the entertainment of the public. The positions at which the reels stop are selected by a random number generator, which is contained in the software of the gaming machine. This is called “virtual drum” technology.

The random number generator constantly generates random numbers, with a speed of several thousand to millions per second. As soon as the client pulled the lever, or pressed the “Play” button, the result of this action is determined by the latest of these random numbers. This means that the outcome of the game depends on exactly when the game is taking place. Just a split second sooner or later, and the result would be different.

Slot Machine Networks

Slot machines are increasingly being combined into networks, which makes it possible to offer a particularly large prize, or Jackpot. Each slot machine in the network makes a small contribution to this progressive jackpot, which goes to the player who received, for example, a royal flush on video poker, or a special combination of symbols on a regular 9-line slot machine. The amount paid as a progressive jackpot is usually much larger than the amount that one machine can pay on its own.

In some cases, machines from many casinos are networked. In such cases, these slot machines may belong to the manufacturer of the gaming machines, which is responsible for paying the jackpot. Casinos take machines on lease, but do not purchase them. The most famous machine of this type is Megabucks. P