Each year, US casinos rake in billions with their slot machines. But how can they guarantee that the maths doesn’t work out in the player’s favour? And what are they doing to manipulate slot machines like rtp slot tertinggi hari ini and situs judi online? We break it down. Casinos go to great lengths to ensure that their slots stay profitable. We’ll share some of these methods and give you a chance to learn more about how casino owners do whatever it takes for their machines to make money — even if this means cutting players short when a jackpot is hit or imposing arcane restrictions on play.
How are slot machines rigged? It’s difficult to figure out how each machine is rigged. But there are usually a few tricks that casinos use to make sure that your odds of winning don’t quite add up. Here are 10 ways casinos manipulate slot machines:
- Harder-to-pull handle equals lower payout (slower payout)
The amount you win from a slot machine is based on the probability of landing on a certain combination of symbols in the game and the number of times you’ve played. Casinos make it harder for you to pull the handle (which activates the reels), which means lower payouts and more money in their pockets.
- Hidden jackpot feature (set, stop, reset or free play)
This occurs when nothing is displayed on the screen but the game continues to run. It’s called a “stacking” of coins and could be set so that you can continue to play even if you haven’t won. Some casinos hide the jackpot feature on their games so that players are unaware they’re playing with a hidden prize. In some cases, they will also hide if you’ve hit the jackpot or if someone has won it.
- The house always wins (low return percentage)
There’s no guarantee that your win will increase at all — or that it will increase at all soon. The return percentage on these machines is usually lower than with other slot games — which means they’re not in it to win it.
- Taking money before hitting a jackpot (pre-set payouts)
This is when a game has an assigned payout limit and is unable to give out anything higher. This can be done by “police” that trigger when you’ve hit the maximum amounts available or by simply not paying out, no matter what the results of the reels are. Casinos know when people have won, which allows them to take their money before they even get a chance to play again.
- “Spin to win” function
Some machines are programmed so that you’ll lose as many times as you win. The game alternates between wins and losses in a way that benefits the casino, but not you.
- Slower payout speeds (EZ play)
If you want faster payouts, there may be a fee. Slot machines with faster speeds cost extra per transaction. You may also be required to play more coins than usual and get lower payouts than normal if you don’t use the fast features available on the machine.
- Selective payout options (bonus rounds)
On some machines you can only choose either single or multiple line wins — not both. No matter what you choose, the payout will remain the same.
- Cool-off periods (restrictions on play)
Some casinos have restrictions on how many payouts you can redeem in a certain time frame — usually 90 minutes or less. This helps to keep your winnings at its peak value for as long as possible so they can maximise their profit potential.
- Machine usability (pre-set odds)
The software on these machines are often highly complex and programmed with a specific purpose that benefits the casino more than the player. This can lead to a skewed payoff ratio, which means that the odds are not in your favour.
- Game restrictions (restrictions on how much you can play)
Some slots allow you to play as long as you want and win any amount of money. This is great if you’re a high-spending chaser. However, it’s not so great if you intend to play for the rewards and earn money over time. For example, you can have a goal of playing $5 and play until you win $20 in a machine with no time limit. However, if your goal is to only play for 10 minutes and win $25, you’re not able to do so.
- Time limits on play
Some machines will only allow you to play between one and 30 minutes. However, this is not a hard limit — you can still keep hitting the reels as long as you want during that time. It’s simply designed for players who don’t want to wait for a certain amount of time between plays, the type of person who would like to keep playing after a big win.
- Change pay spins (change payouts)
If you don’t like a certain payout, be prepared to change it after every win or loss. You may also have to pay additional fees, or simply play fewer coins per spin than usual.
- Slower reels (lower expected returns)
When the reels are unable to spin fast enough, overall return percentages will be lower. When you combine this with other factors mentioned here, the payout can be significantly reduced.
- Lower payback percentage (lack of full return on investment)
Slot machines use unique programming features so that overall payback percentages will be lower than other slot games. The exact difference depends on the casino and how they manipulate their games — but they tend to make more money than slots that are programmed with higher percentages of returns to players.
There are no easy answers on how to stop casino games from being rigged. But by learning about the tricks that casinos use, we can make smart decisions when we go to the casino. And by understanding the maths involved, we can make informed decisions about which games are best suited for us (and our bank accounts).