Slot Machine Secrets

It is nearly impossible to walk through a glitzy Las Vegas casino without trying a pull or two on a slot machine. The lights and sounds that ring out call you like moths to fire.

It seems everyone has an opinion on how and when to play a particular slot within the casino. However most of the myths are founded in outdated slot machines that aren't found in most Vegas casinos today.

In the modern world, all slots are computer controlled. This is to ensure the casino always makes money. But it also means you have an equal chance of hitting the jackpot as anyone else, regardless of the last time the slot paid out.

A slot machine does have a certain "tightness" or "looseness" to it. The term "loose" is used to describe a slot which pays out often. "Tight" means it pays out less often.

'Payback Percentage" is the term casinos are concerned with. The higher the payback percentage, the more the slots pays out. For example...if the payback percentage was 93%, the casino would keep 7% of the money put into the slot, and the other 93% would get paid out. As long as the percentage is below 100% the casino is going to make money. Most slot machines have a payback percentage in the 90-95 percent range. Since there is so much competition out there, the casinos usually stay close to each other in this regard. If someone would drop their payout percentage to say 80%, the word would travel quickly and gamblers would take their money elsewhere.

The odds for a particular slot machine are built into the program on the machine's computer chip. In most cases, the casino cannot change the odds on a machine without replacing this chip. Despite popular opinion, there is no way for the casino to instantly "tighten up" a machine.

Many people feel that if a slot machine just hit, the chance of it hitting again are slim. Because of the computer controlled nature of today's slot machine, this simply is not true. Everything is based on a random number generator formula embedding into the slot machines chips. These random numbers determine which symbol appears when the handle is pulled or the button is pushed. Your chances of hitting any particular pattern of random numbers stays the same each pull....regardless if the machine just hit 2 minutes earlier or not. Although common logic dictates that if a machine has not hit for a long time, that baby has to be due...right?

Another myth from the old days is that casinos always place their "loose" machines near the entrance of the casino to lure people in. It sounds like a good strategy, but the payout numbers show that casinos are now distributing their loose and tight machines more evenly.

Keep and eye out for those "loose" machines!