Are slot machines rigged
But if you believe that there are online casinos without rigged slots, why not trust the ones that are willing to let auditors publish their results for everyone to see?
Only new casino sites for play on real money
Are online slots rigged?
By james carter on february 19th, 2015. Updated on january 2, 2020.
Many of us have been excited about playing slots at some point, only to find the excitement quickly turning into disappointment. Nothing seems to work. Only small wins and not even a single bonus game. You feel cheated.
Was the slot machine rigged?
In all honesty, it could have been. If you played at one of the reputable real-money online casinos, however, it probably wasn't. You just happened to be on the bad side of variance (in the long run, you should lose a lot of money at slot machines anyway).
And we'll never truly know. Since you're supposed to lose at slot machines and online casinos have no obligations to share their payback percentages, they could run their machines at ridiculously low returns and we wouldn't have the slightest clue about it.
Many people will tell you that rigged online slots are rare because online casinos have no reason to cheat; they make so much money from slot machines already simply by offering fair games.
That's far from a convicing argument - as if there were no greedy people in the world. But there's some logic behind the argument as well. Since the casino already has an edge over the player, the only thing they need is to get more players. Cheating slot machine players out of their money is hardly a good way to get new sign-ups.
In a sense it's hard to define "rigged online slots" since technically an online casino doesn't cheat if it has ridiculously low payout percentages set to its slot machines.
But we should treat them the same as if they were cheating.
How to find safe online casinos
The solution I've come-up with is to play at reputable sites that have reputable private auditors testing their rngs and payout percentages. Even better if the private auditor has been allowed to publish how much the online casino has paid out monthly.
Still, one could argue that you never know if online casinos bribe private auditors to creating good reports. True. We'll never know for sure.
But if you believe that there are online casinos without rigged slots, why not trust the ones that are willing to let auditors publish their results for everyone to see? The ones that seemingly have nothing to be ashamed of?
If I were to run an honest online casino with no rigged slot machines, why wouldn't I publish payout reports? Why would I let anyone think that I could have rigged online slots at my casino?
Are slot machine rigged or fixed?
There is no getting away from the very simple fact, that when you do start playing slot machines in any playing environment, sometimes you will win and sometimes you will lose, as all slots are random in their design.
Having said that though, fortunately as gaming commissions and gaming authorities have become much more proactive regarding licensing online and mobile casino sites, players do have many additional protections afforded to them these days that they ever did in the past regarding accessing 100% fair and random slots.
So if you are about to start playing slot machines either online on your computer or even via a mobile device please read on as I will enlighten you how you can always ensure that you are going to be accessing slot machines that are completely fair and random and are not rigged or fixed in any way.
Playing fair and random slot machines
Players these days are going to be playing slot machines that have a fully certified random number generators and it is as the point in time that players click onto the spin button that the slot machine will then use the random number selected by the RNG to determine whether that spin is going to be a winning spin or a losing spin.
It is the gambling commission or the gaming authority that has issued each casino site, venue or app with their license to operate that are tasked with ensuring the casino games and slot machines available are fair and random, and they do that by demanding that all slot machine providers gets their games tested and verified as being random by a third party casino game testing company.
That information will be displayed somewhere on the slot machine pay tables, the help files attached to every single slot machine or they could simply be published on a casino site or apps website instead.
Be aware of the fact however that when you play slot machines in a land-based casino, the operators of those slot machines do have the option of altering and adjusting the long term expect pay-out percentages on each of their slot machines.
It can often be the case that they will increase the value to the pay-out percentages on the slot machines that have higher coin denominations values, and that is something that they can do perfectly legally.
As such if you do decide to play slot machines in a land based casino then it can often be the case that the slot machines for example that have 1.00 coin denominations are going to be offering players much higher pay-out percentages than the slot machines that can be played for pennies.
You will find that there are many additional ways that slot machines are regulated, and many gambling commissions will always have some strict rules in the way that some slot machines are designed, which ensure players not only get a completely fair and random outcome but they are also able to put in place some ways of limiting their potential losses too.
Some of those ways include giving players access to gambling limit settings and tools so that they can set for themselves their own personal loss limits and some gambling commissions also have very strict rules on things like how many spins a player can configure an auto play setting to play off for them on any one slot playing session too.
Certified fair and random slot machines
Please do spend as much time as you require researching just which slot machines are available to you at any online, mobile or even land-based casino sites and venue, as that way you will benefit from each of the following aspects of playing those slots at the top rated and fully licensed and regulated casinos.
- 100% random outcome on each spin
- Approved by a reputable gambling commission
- Published slot machine RTP’s
- Low and high stakes options
- Certified random number generators
When you play online or mobile slot machines, the best sites at which to play at are those that now only offer you real money playing options, but those that also offer a demo mode version of each slot machine too, as that way you can play several different slots to help you locate the ones you enjoy playing the most but at no risk initially.
Resources
There are several gambling commissions that do have some very robust rules regarding how slot machines should be designed at each of their licensed casino sites and venues, and as such make a point of only playing slot machines that have been certified by a slot machine and casino game testing company approved by those gambling commissions.
Are land-based machines or online slots rigged?
Today, I’m going to answer another reader question which I received recently by email. It comes from sarah in scotland who wants to know “are slot machines rigged?” I’ve copied the email directly below with her permission.
I’m sarah mckeown, and I’ve been a long-time reader of your blog. I’ve found lots of interesting content over the years. I even won a healthy jackpot after playing one of your recommended jackpot slots.
However, I’ve been keeping a record of my bets versus my wins, and I’ve noticed that no matter how many big wins I have, I always end up losing it all again over the long term. Can you tell me if slot machines are rigged? Can casinos fix slot machines to make sure players lose?
Any insights you can share with me would be greatly appreciated.
Sarah, I’m going to answer your questions directly. Yes, slot machines are rigged. However, they’re not rigged in the way you think they are
In this post, I’ll explain how slot machines work, why you lose in the long-term, and I’ll give you some useful tips for beating slot machines more often. Let’s begin!
Are casino slot machines rigged?
I guarantee you that if you walk through any vegas casino, or any casino in the world for that matter, and ask every slots player if they won, the vast majority of them will tell you no.
It’s difficult to understand how this could be the case unless slot machines are rigged. And if they are, how in the heck is that legal? Are casinos actively keeping slot machines rigged so that you can’t win? If so, what about all those stories of players who won huge jackpots?
This can all seem rather confusing, but it’s not. The simple answer is that the vast majority of players lose, and a few lucky players win. Each machine is programmed to pay out less than what’s put into it, ensuring that the casino makes a continuous profit over the long run. This could be anything from a 2% advantage on the best slot machines, to a 10% or greater advantage on some of the big-money jackpot slots.
So, in a nutshell, casino slots are rigged to make sure the casino makes a profit, but that does not mean you can’t win on any given gaming session.
Gaming commissions would never allow casinos to run games you can’t win, nor would it be good for business. Players would soon figure out that the games were unwinnable and would stop playing.
Let’s take a closer look at how slot machines work. This will help you understand that while the house always wins, you can win, too.
How slot machines are rigged
Understanding how slot machines are rigged requires you to understand how they work. Each slot has its game odds, but they all use a similar method of paying out jackpots. Here are some important things to know about slot machines.
Understand slot machine RTP
RTP is an acronym for “return to player.” if you read slot machine reviews, you’ll usually find each game has a specific RTP published by the developer. For example, on netent.Com, you can find the RTP of starburst and other games.
RTP is a percentage.
Based on starburst from above, the RTP is 96.09%. What does this mean in terms of money, jackpots, and wins and losses? It means that, for every £100 bet on these games, players win back £96.09.
It’s important to remember that this does not mean you’ll make back £96.09 for every £100 you bet on starburst. It means that the casino returns £96.09 to all players spinning the reels at every casino which offers starburst. This includes all of the small wins and losses each player wins on every spin. In the long run, the casino will make £3.91 on every £100 bet on that game, regardless of what happens in the short term.
Hopefully, this concept of RTP helps you understand how slot machines are rigged in favor of the game developers and casinos but are not rigged in absolute terms. You can win when playing slots, but you can’t win in the long run.
Understand random number generators
Even though the house has a built-in advantage on slot machines, it’s clear that some players do win massive jackpots. Just take a look at this story about a british soldier winning a record-breaking jackpot from a £0.25 spin.
Lots of players wonder when the best time to play slot machines is, which slots are “loose,” and all sorts of other questions. They hope that figuring out the answers will help them win slots more often, but the truth is that this is all a waste of time.
Slot machines decide when to pay out in accordance with a random number generator (RNG). Believe it or not, it’s possible for a slot machine to pay out a jackpot on two spins in a row, although it is unlikely. A random number generator is a piece of software which spits out billions of numbers per second, and if it happens to spit out a number associated with a jackpot, you’ll see the high-value symbols line up across a payline and you win.
There’s no way to manipulate rngs. You can’t cheat online slot machines no matter how hard you try. Some smart players note that rngs can’t be truly random since humans create them, but for all reasonable and practical purposes, you can’t manipulate them.
Perhaps, someone will someday spot a pattern in the apparent randomness by using a quantum computer to crunch numbers. But until then, just assume they’re random.
While the slots developer can control the RTP via programming, it can’t control the RNG. There are third-party games testing organizations such as ecogra which test rngs and verify that they are fair. This doesn’t mean all slots developers play fair, but big names like microgaming and netent do.
How to win at slots — tips and tricks
Now that you understand how slot machines work, and how they are rigged without being unfair, it’s time to turn the tables on the casinos. I’ve learned a lot about slot machines throughout my career as a player, and I’m going to share my best tips on how to win slots more often.
Pick slot machines with a high RTP
One of the first and most obvious tips is to select high RTP slot machines. These games pay back the most to players in the long run, so you’re better off playing them even if the jackpots are smaller.
Very often, the jackpots are smaller. Since the casinos have less risk to deal with when a smaller jackpot is involved, they can afford a higher payback percentage to players. It makes sense, doesn’t it?
So, which slot machines have the highest RTP? Here are five to get you started.
- Blood suckers by netent – 98%
- Rags to riches by cryptologic – 98%
- Good girl, bad girl by betsoft – 97.8%
- Kings of chicago by netent – 97.8%
- Wolfpack pays by nextgen – 97.8%
Those slots have a variety of excellent bonus features, decent jackpots, and higher than average rtps. If you want to get the most bang for your buck as a long-term player, it’s wise to play them.
Pick the right volatility for your bankroll
There’s a top-notch article on slot machine variance and volatility here. If you want a more detailed breakdown of what they are, check that out.
Slot machine volatility is important to understand because it will tell you which slots are suitable for your bankroll. Volatility indicates both how often a slot should pay and the average size of the payouts.
- Low volatility slots pay smaller amounts more often.
- Medium volatility slots pay decent amounts fairly often.
- High volatility slots pay less frequently, but wins are more explosive.
If I had a smaller bankroll, say £20, I’d start by playing a low volatility slot such as starburst. I find that it’s a good slot to build your bankroll with. Once I double up, I usually switch to a higher volatility slot with bigger payouts which occur less frequently.
Managing your bankroll effectively is about the only slot machine strategy which works. Therefore, knowing the volatility of a game is useful information.
Use free spins with low wagering requirements
Most online casinos offer free spins bonuses for new players. Lots of them also offer free spins to loyal players who spin slots daily or weekly.
I’ve learned the hard way that not all free spins bonuses give me an advantage. Sometimes, the wagering requirements are so high that the bonus is a liability. This is especially true if it comes with predatory terms such as that I can’t withdraw my deposit until I meet the wagering requirements. Yes, such bonuses exist, I’ve seen it all over the years I’ve been playing!
There are other free spins bonuses you will want to take. They’ll give you a chance to beat the house with its own money and have these characteristics.
- They won’t require excessive minimum deposits.
- The wagering requirements will be low, around 20x or less.
- You’ll be able to keep all of what you win when you wager the bonus.
Free spins with low wagering requirements are available at lots of top UK casinos. There are even casinos with no wagering requirements, and they’re especially popular in the UK market.
Final words
Thanks for writing to me with this question, sarah. It’s given me a chance to cover lots of ground with regards to slot machines, and I hope that it answers your question. Are slot machines rigged? Yes, the house has a mathematical advantage which you can’t alter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win.
Beating slot machines is a case of picking the right games, managing your bankroll effectively, and getting lucky. Don’t forget the last part! Luck is essential. There’s no effective way to beat the slots every time. Happy spinning, and don’t forget to pick up a casino bonus before you begin!
Are slot machines rigged?
Playing a game on a slot machine is a great way to spend your leisure time if you love to gamble. In the past, people had to go all the way to a landbased casino when they wanted to use slot machines. Thanks to the advancement of mobile technology and the internet, you can now enjoy slot machine games from the comfort of your home. They work the same way standard slot machines worked and pay you when you’re fortunate enough to win. There has been a long debate regarding this form of gambling and it doesn’t just apply to physical machines in a landbased casino. People often wonder if slot machines are rigged in favor of the house or the manufacturers. This is a valid argument when you consider the fact that hitting the slot machine jackpot is difficult and sometimes impossible for people no matter how many times they play.
What does it mean for a slot machine to be rigged?
A slot machine is said to be rigged when the casino manipulates the probabilities of the symbols of the machine to influence the payoffs and guarantee long-term profit-making for themselves. When they do this, players might think they are profiting from the occasional jackpots but they are losing in the long run if they continue spinning. This is how most random events work but the slot machines are not as random as they are meant to be when they are rigged. Each time the player loses, the money they have invested in playing goes to the casino. With over 100 million people playing slot games daily, and just a small portion of them cashing out, it’s not a surprise that 70% of the profit casinos make come from slot machine games.
Many slot machines are indeed manipulated by the casinos but not all of them are rigged. Some slot machines are strictly based on random odds. What you see is what you get. If you want to avoid rigged machines, consider playing only in well-known reputable casinos whether it is online or landbased. Most reputable casinos like to maintain their great reputation. So, they do everything they can to prevent bad PR. Many of the lesser-known casinos rig their landbased and online slot machines. Sometimes, they make it difficult for people to win jackpots and other times they manipulate it in such a way that winning will not give the right amount. This is why the gaming industry monitors the activities of these online casinos to make sure they are being fair to players.
How do you know which slot machines haven’t been rigged?
The first thing you need to do before you start playing a slot machine game, especially online, is to find out as much as you can about the programming method running the slot machine. Every slot machine is created using a unique programing language. The best slot machines out there are the ones that use the random number generator software, also called the RNG. This is the best software for slot machines because they calculate payouts randomly as the name implies. If there isn’t any clear information about the software on the website, feel free to ask the customer support agents for more information about it. If you’re in a landbased casino, consider asking one of the workers for more information about the slot machine software.
To increase your chances of winning, it is better to spend more time on landbased casinos rather than online ones. These landbased casinos offer more favorable payouts for slot games. These casinos use RNG software. If you must use an online casino, consider using the online version of a trustworthy landbased casino. This way, you will be sure that the landbased and online versions use the same technology. Apart from the fact that the RNG is good for ensuring random odds, the machine can’t identify profiles and make adjustments to the payouts accordingly. Every single player is on an equal playing field with the same chance of winning or losing during each spin. It all boils down to picking the right casino. So, how can you be sure that the casino you’re picking is the right one?
Choosing the best online casino
Read reviews
Reviews from strangers are often the most reliable. When you people you have never met say something about a certain product or service, they are usually right. The more people who say bad things about it, the higher the chances that you’re going to have a bad experience and vice versa. Does this mean that a reputable casino isn’t going to get even a single negative review? Not at all. It’s difficult for a business, no matter how successful, to satisfy every single client. So, there will be someone or a few people who will leave bad reviews. A couple of negative reviews aren’t unusual. Also, keep in mind that some casino owners pay people to give them positive reviews online to attract customers. These reviews are usually generic and always positive. They should be easy to identify so don’t let them full you.
Check their payment methods
The best casinos offer a variety of payment methods rather than just one or two. They partner with as many payment service providers as they can find to give their clients the best experience. If a casino can get into business with these many payment service providers, they are most likely legit. Some scam casinos only offer debit and credit card payment options and this isn’t always ideal for security reasons. It is better to go for casinos that offer payment options that don’t require vital information that can be used against you. Landbased casinos also accept cash deposits from clients along with other great options.
Look out for transparency
Transparency is paramount when it comes to casinos or any other establishment that involves money. Good casinos are always transparent about their practices. There should be enough information about the casino readily available for customers to read. If it a landbased casino, this information should be ready on demand. When you don’t understand a clause or phrase in the casino’s terms, you can ask a representative and they should be willing to provide you with the assistance you need before you proceed. If the website has scanty information or the customer care agents are shady when it’s time to answer your questions, you should be wary. Apart from customer service, there should be a section on the website for frequently asked questions where you can help yourself with the answers you may need. It should be made up of answers to the most common questions in the space.
Find out the return to player (RTP) rate
Since your primary goal of visiting a casino is to play a slot machine game, you should make sure that the game you choose has a high RTP rate. The return to player rate refers to the percentage of money that has been paid out compared to what was wagered overtime. The higher the RTP rate of a slot machine, the higher your chances of winning. Look for machines with RTP rates of 95% and above if you want to enjoy your game. If you can’t find one with an RTP rate of up to 95%, you can go for the ones with a 90% – 95% RTP rate. However, try not to go for machines with RTP rates that fall lower than 90%. You will most likely lose more money than you will gain.
Find out if the casino is licensed
The last thing you want to do as a gambler is to use a slot machine from a casino that is not licensed by any authorized body. If you’re in the united states, make sure that the casino is regulated by the united states government. If you’re in other parts of the world that require more oversight, make sure you find out which bodies regulate casinos in that region and stick to the casinos that are regulated by them. These regulated casinos have to follow certain rules laid down by regulators and they are also accountable to these regulators. This way, if you are scammed or you have any other issue with the casino, you can hold them accountable.
In conclusion, you have seen that slot machines can be rigged by the casino owners. However, not every slot machine out there is rigged whether it is landbased or online. If you want to minimize your chances of playing on a rigged casino, you should make sure you gamble on a reputable website. The website should be licensed by the required regulatory body and the customer care agents should always be willing to provide you with the assistance you need. Don’t forget to check the software and the RTP rate of the slot machine before you use it. If you follow these tips, you’ll increase your chances of enjoying random games on a slot machine.
Are most electronic slot machines rigged?
Probably one of the most common questions asked by gamblers “are most electronic slot machines rigged” the answer is yes and no. Depends on your definition of the term “rigged.”
If your definition of “rigged” is that the casino is guaranteed to make money off electronic slot machines over a long period, then yes. There’s always a house edge and a percentage payout for all slot machines. But this doesn’t mean the slot machine controls the outcome of a game.
All licensed and regulated casinos use random number generators (RNG), which make all results random and unpredictable. So, in case you are having a string of bad lucks, it has nothing to do with the slot machine.
What is the random number generator?
Random number generator is a complex computer program designed to provide strings of random results which are displayed on the slot machine. There are different types of rngs available today; however, online casino games make use of the pseudo-random number generators.
Unlike other rngs, the pseudo-random number generators don’t require any input (a number of data entries) to produce a result. It only requires an algorithm and a seed number.
From the moment the game starts, the pseudo-random generators begin creating random numbers behind the scenes. This process continues until the player hits the spin button. At this point, the sequence is stopped, and a result is produced.
But since rngs are computerised algorithms, they can be hacked. Though it is pretty much hard to do so, it is possible.
Funny enough, in 2008, ronald harris, who happened to be a computer programmer, rigged a random number generator. He developed a computer program that predicts the numbers the RNG would choose beforehand. As such, he managed to win cash for some time before authorities caught him. He’s currently banned from entering a casino and spent two years behind bars.
How to recognise safe casino sites
There are numerous ways to determine if a casino website is safe for use. The key to finding trusted casinos is by observing the following factors:
License
This is an essential factor to consider before choosing a casino. Irrespective of how enticing the bonus spins, jackpot slots, and free spins are, playing at slots in an online casino without a license is a bad thing to do. The chances are that their slot machines are fully rigged to prevent players from winning. And if you eventually win, what’s the assurance that you’d receive payment? All safe casino sites are rigorously tested and regulated by different bodies.
Here are some popular licensing and regulatory bodies to look out for:
- Malta gaming authority.
- Kahnawake gaming commission.
- UK gambling commission.
- Gibraltar licensing authority.
- ACT gambling and racing commission.
- Curacao internet gambling association
Contact information
All safe casinos these days leave information about their company, a phone number, address, email address, and probably their social network handles. If you can’t find any of these details on their website, then it is not safe to play there. Find another casino! Some popular online gambling companies even create wikipedia pages for their website. However, this is rare and reserved for only a few.
Reviews
Casino reviews are another great way to determine whether a casino is safe or not. There are several trusted review sites online where real experiences of players are shared. Through these reviews, you can easily find the casinos that are worth a shot. A casino highly rated is a clear indication of its safety.
Conclusion
All casinos, whether safe or not, are designed to have a house edge. This is how the casino makes money. But just because they have a house edge, doesn’t mean the game is rigged. If all slot machines are rigged, there won’t be many people playing it today.
So, let's see, what we have: are online slots rigged? How to find honest and safe online casinos? At are slot machines rigged
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