Can Casinos Tighten Up Slot Machines

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“Say someone wins $500,000 on a slot machine jackpot,” says Derk. “We’re going to review it but we’re just going to make sure everything’s okay — that they didn’t open the machine. Casinos can and will tighten machines from time to time, but the decision to do so is not taken lightly, and it’s certainly not done with any type of regularity. Unfortunately, it is far more. Many slot machines are networked in groups. This means that the payouts can be monitored and casinos can tighten up a machine or machines that are paying out a lot. Remember they only have to meet the overall payout rate required by law, not for every individual machine. For years slot players have believed a myth that the casinos could change the payback of a machine with the flip of a switch. They worried that the casino could tighten the machines during busy times such as weekends and then loosen them up to pay more during the week.

Can casinos tighten up slot machines to play

Slots: The Great Myths

Move over, you monsters. Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and the Abominable Snowman are merely minor real-world myths that canâ??t hold an RNG to the myriad reel-world myths that have developed about slot machines. Here is a slew of the myths coupled with their truths â?? to disabuse any of you who are true believers in this falseness.

The Myth: There will be no more jackpots after a big one has been hit so the machine can make sure it meets payback percentage.

The Truth: The hitting of the jackpot is not determined by a recent hitting of the jackpot. The machine does not say to itself, â??Oh, that player just hit a jackpot. I better stop all future jackpots until I make back the money!â? The statistics of the machine include jackpot hits, and should randomness hit a second jackpot right after another jackpot, that is no big deal. The reason people think the machines tighten up after a jackpot is simple: Jackpots are long shots, and hitting them in close succession is highly improbable, yes, but not impossible.

The Myth: Older slot machines are much tighter than newer machines, because players in the past were far stupider than they are today.

The Truth: The old Las Vegas probably had looser machines than it does today, because it was far less expensive to operate a casino in those days. Table games brought in so much more money that casinos didnâ??t have to worry about charging for rooms and meals. Comps were far more generous. Were players stupider than they are now? I doubt that, too. The casinos cater to a wide range of human intelligence â?? from ploppies to geniuses. It just seems like many of the players are stupid because of the gambling decisions they make.

Can Casinos Tighten Up Slot Machines

The Myth: Slot-machine symbols each have an equal chance of being hit.

The Truth: No. The RNG determines what comes up, and the symbols do not have an equal chance of coming up; some come up more, and some come up less.

Can Casinos Tighten Up Slot Machines Free Play

The Myth: Someone just hit a jackpot on the machine you just left. If you had stayed, you would have hit that jackpot instead of that rat who replaced you.

The Truth: Since the RNG is working in tenths of seconds, where it picks this or that sequence of numbers, which relate to the symbols you see, even a split-second difference in hitting the play button between you and that rodent will change what combinations come up. So between you getting up and that rat sitting down, the RNG has gone through thousands of symbols. In short, the rat didnâ??t steal your cheese.

The Myth: Casinos can loosen or tighten the slot machines by flipping a switch, which is either inside the cover or in back of the machine. If you can locate the switch in the back, you can make the machine get much hotter.

The Truth: Slot machines work on computer chips, and these chips are put in the machines at the factory. They are expensive to replace and require all sorts of paperwork in most jurisdictions to do this. So it isnâ??t just flipping a switch. When slot-machine companies sell their products to casinos, they offer the casinos various payback percentages, and the casinos pick which ones they want.

The Myth: The IRS is everywhere hunting people down to take their money. If you use a playerâ??s club card, the IRS is sent all the information about how much youâ??ve won on the machines. That is a prime reason not to use a playerâ??s club card when you play on the machines.

The Truth: The slot club card doesnâ??t report anything to the IRS. However, if you win $1,200 or more in a single spin, then the casino will report that amount to the IRS. It doesnâ??t mater whether you used a playerâ??s card or not. Now, the casino does not report smaller wins to the government agency. Players must do this themselves, and I am sure there must be a couple of players out there who would actually do such a thing. By the way, in some countries, gambling wins are not taxable. It used to be this way in the United States, but no more.

The Myth: The more I play a machine, the more likely I am to win.

The Truth: Just the opposite. This myth only looks at the idea that with more decisions being played, the better the playerâ??s chances for hitting a jackpot. This is true â?? to an extent. Keep in mind that each individual decision is random. Yes, the statistics of the game show how often a jackpot is supposed to hit, but those statistics canâ??t tell us when the jackpot will hit. Unfortunately, with more decisions, the more the house edge is grinding and hammering away at your money. While doing hundreds of thousands of spins might allow you to hit a jackpot, the fact is that your overall losses will not be changed by such a hit. This fact is inescapable: The longer you play, the better the chance that you will be behind. The longer you play, the better the chance that the casino will be ahead â?? whether you hit a jackpot or not. The only exception to this rule is the advantage-play slot machines where the more you play, the better your chances are of being ahead.

For more free slots tips, visit www.gaminganddestinations.com/slotsÂ

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Frank Scobleteâ??s newest books are â??Slots Conquest: How to Beat the Slot Machineâ? featuring advantage-play slots that give the players the edge; â??Casino Craps: Shoot to Winâ? that comes with a DVD showing unedited controlled throws; â??Cutting Edge Craps: Advanced Strategies for Serious Playersâ?; and â??Beat Blackjack Now: The Easiest Way to Get the Edge.â? All books are available at bookstores, from Amazon.com or by calling 1-800-944-0406. If you would like a free monthâ??s subscription to Frank Scobleteâ??s private site and/or a free brochure, e-mail fscobe@optonline.net or call 1-800-944-0406.

Dispelling Slot Myths


By Henry Tamburin


Here are some popular misconceptions about slot machines and why they are false.

Can Casinos Tighten Up Slot Machines Machine

'Casinos can tighten or loosen the payback on a slot machine at will'
Many slot players believe that casinos can get more money from players by decreasing their paybacks on slot machines (tighten them) before a busy holiday weekend when the casino is crowded with players. The fact of the matter is that in most gaming jurisdictions they can't change a machines payback without first notifying the state regulatory agency with a lot of paperwork. In some states the local gaming commission must be present when the change is made. It's literally too much of a pain for casinos to lower the paybacks for a short period of time and then turn around and raise them.

'She stole my jackpot'
You've either read the stories or seen it happen in person. A player is playing a machine then decides to take a break and some other player jumps in, plays, and hits the jackpot. If the first player would have played a little while longer that jackpot would have been hers. Right? Nope. The reason is that the likelihood that the first player would have hit that jackpot if she played longer is slim to none. A Random Number generator that the computer chip uses to determine the results of each spin is constantly running even if the machine is idle. The RGN spits out a sequence of random numbers hundred of times each second (remember each sequence of numbers corresponds to the symbols that you see on the reels). Whatever the RGN number was at the split second that you hit the spin button or pull the handle is used to determine the symbols on each reel. Therefore the likelihood that the first player if she stayed and played would have hit the spin button at the same exact time as the second player did is highly unlikely.

'A Machine that just hit the jackpot won't hit again soon'
The RNG determines the results of your spin. It doesn't know or care what happened in the past. Your chance of hitting the jackpot on the next spin is the same regardless of when the jackpot was hit.

'You'll get a better payback if you alternate pulling the handle and hitting the spin button'
When you do either it tells the computer in the slot machine to get the number that was generated by the RNG, which will determine the symbols you see on each reel after they stoop spinning. The results will be the same regardless of whether you hit the spin button or pull the handle.

Can Casinos Tighten Up Slot Machines Without

'Looser machines are placed near entrance ways to casinos to attract more players '
Back in the old days when slot machines were not as popular as they are today, that may have been the case. But nowadays slot managers order slots machines with nearly the same paybacks as their competitors for each denomination of machine and group slot machines by denomination and types on the casino floor.

Can Casinos Tighten Up Slot Machines Near Me

'Always ask the slot attendant where the better paying machined are located'
Slot attendants are hard working folks but they don't have any more knowledge then you or I as to which machine will pay off next. They'll offer advice on which machines to play if asked by players because if the player gets lucky and hits a jackpot they know they will receive a tip.