Every minute of the day a slot machine is being played somewhere in the world. This can be at a regular casino or by someone sitting at home on their couch spinning the reels. Slot machines are by far some of the most sought after casino games. However, have you ever wondered, “How does a casino slot machine work?” These slot machines can have payouts that range from a few cents to thousands, and for some of the special progressive jackpots, they can be as much as $1 million dollars. They are fun inventions, but there is quite a lot of technology that goes into creating them.
Random Number Generators
Regardless of the theme, colors or overall aesthetics of a slot machine, it will be run using what is called a Random Number Generator. The random number generator or RNG is a type of computer software that is used to make sure that the spins on the slot machine are random. So if you spin a simple classic slot and receive two bell symbols and one bar symbol, then the next spin after this independent of this spin. Randomness is needed to ensure fair gameplay so that casino players are able to win payouts. This is why the casino software providers work to develop games that will have random outcomes based on the number of symbol combinations in the game. Slot machines were developed with two main characteristics - the combinations are achieved randomly and the payout less than the odds of winning in the game.
Playing Slot Games
As you will see in casinos, there are two ways to play slot machines. One type of play is called free play in which you are given spins either through comp points or a promotion. The other type of gameplay is real money wagers. You will only have to make a deposit into your account, and then can wager on the slots. After you have selected a slot game, you will need to place a credit wager on the lines. Some slot games start at $0.01 and can have wagers of up to $100. It is just a matter of choosing how much to spin based on what your budget will allow. The next step is to press the Spin or Spin Reels button depending on the game. The slot games of old had a long lever that you would pull down to move the reels. The reels will spin and then stop. The slot machine will then detect how many symbols appear on the reels, and pay out according to your symbol combinations,
Return To Player
Slot games also have what is known as a Return To Player or RTP. This is often made known, and slot players would do well to look for games with a higher return to them as a player over a time. This is not 100% for a slot game, because this would result in all of the money the players put into the machine being returned to them. The casino would go out of business. However slots RTP can be, for example, 98% which means that 98% of the money slot players wager will be returned back over a period of time. This will also mean that the amount of money the casino will keep for itself is 2%. Slot players will look for games that have a higher RTP.
Slot Hit Frequency
Another important thing to understand about how does a slot machine work is the hit frequency. The number of “hits” can also be discovered about a game. This is a measurement of how often a “win” is released by the slot. The hit frequency can vary from 5% to 40% and it is determined by the number of spins and the number of spins in which the player wins. Casino players can sometimes describe a slot machine as being “loose” or tight. A “loose” mention would have more wins occurring often, but they are usually smaller wins. However, a tight machine would have much less wins occurring, but when a win does happen, it is a larger amount. It is up to you to decide if smaller wins happening more or less frequently larger wins are best for you, and then choose the slot machine accordingly.
