The odds

The result of each spin of the wheels is determined by a computer program that generates random results. This is true for both online slots games and slot machines found in hotel casinos. The machines can easily be set by the casino to generate whatever payout they choose. For example, they may set it to 95%. That means for every 100 dollars bet, the machine will, on average, pay out 95 dollars. The other five dollars goes to the casino and that's how they make their profit. Of course, that's just on average. It's possible, if Lady Luck is on your side, to make hundreds or even thousands of dollars with just one spin.

Common myths

It's a common myth that slot machines are the worst gamble in a casino. The truth is that making bad bets at the craps table or blackjack table can give far worse odds than any slot machine. In fact, the odds you get when playing slots are similar to those for roulette.

while. Actually, statistically speaking, the odds are the same for every spin and every spin is completely random and independent of all past spins. So there's no way to predict the next spin and a jackpot is just as likely to be hit right after the last one was hit as it is after a thousand dry spins.

Winning strategies

Most slot machines reward you for playing the maximum number of coins. For example the jackpot may pay 2000 coins with 2 coins played, but 4000 coins when 3 coins are played. If you don't feel comfortable playing the maximum coins you might consider moving down to a machine that accepts lower-value coins so you can play the maximum. For example instead of playing one coin at a dollar machine, play the maximum number of coins at a quarter machine. Some online casinos let you play for nickels.

Play at casinos that advertise the best payback percentages. These casinos are eager for your business are willing to reward you with better payouts.

If you're playing a progressive machine, remember that you'll probably have to bet the maximum number of coins to be eligible to win the big jackpot.

Most slot players have seen the advertisements or billboards proclaiming that the XYZ casino has the loosest slots in town. These ads may even say that the machines have a 98 percent payback percentage. In the casino you may see a sign reading that machines in a certain carousel have a guaranteed return of 99 percent. While all these claims may be truthful, they can be deceptive to the average player.

Payback is the overall percentage that a machine will return to the player in the long run. These figures are programmed into the machines computer chip and are set by the manufacturer to the specifications that the casino wishes to use for that machine. This may be anywhere from 75 to 99 percent. Some states regulate the minimum payback that a machine can return.

Many players believe they will win more on a machine that pays out 99 percent compared to a machine that pays out 94 percent but this is not necessarily true.

The payback percentage is the profit that the casinos can expect to earn over the lifetime of the machine. The average player will never play long enough to see the overall return. Just because a machine has a payback of 99 percent that does not mean you will win back $98 for every $100 you play through the machine.

You might play $100 through a slot machine with a 94 percent payback and win $5,000 and then sit down and play $100 through a machine with a 99 percent return and lose it all in a few hours. There is no way of gauging the overall return if you only play a machine for a few hours or even a few days a year. The casinos can do have a way of checking the long term payback because they have access to the coin meters in the machines.

All of the slot machines have meters that record every coin put in and every coin paid out. In the new coinless with machines with bill receptors they would count the “credits” played through the machine. It all works out the same. If you receive a hand paid jackpot these meter reading are recorded on the pay voucher that the attendant takes to the cage when they get your money. Most casinos now have automated computerized systems that track all of this information from the machines into a central database. They can look any machine and determine the payback for any given period of time but you as the player will never be privy to this information.

Play Within Your Means

As a general rule the higher denomination slot machines have a greater overall payback percentage that the lower ones. Many players have heard that it is better to play the higher denomination machines because of the higher payback. If you can afford it by all means you should play the slots with the highest payback.

While this may be true if you visit the casino often and play a lot of slots it might not be the best advice for most players. If you have a limited bankroll and want to make your gambling dollars last longer you might be much better off playing a lower denomination machine. The worst thing a player can do is to play any game for more money than the can afford to lose or at a higher denomination than their bankroll will handle.

I am often asked if it would be better to play a single coin in a dollar machine instead of three coins or four coins in a quarter slot machines because of the higher payback in the dollar machine. This sounds good in theory and will work if you can be content playing a single coin per spin. However, many of the new video slots offer games with multiple pay lines. Most players will want to play more than one line on these types of games so you have to consider the overall cost of a spin will be much higher than the base denomination of the machine. That is why you are seeing more and more of these machines in lower denominations such as nickels or even pennies.

The Best Advice

The best advice I can give you is to play the games you enjoy most at the highest denomination you can afford. As a recreational player your first goal is to have fun. If you only visit the casino occasionally the overall payback of the machine will not be much concern to you as you will probably never play long enough to see the long term affects of the payback percentages.