Slot Machine Gambling Tips
I don’t usually recommend slots for new gamblers, but I also know that many amateur gamblers love to play these one-armed bandits. Slot machines are usually some of the worst games for gamblers in the casino. And if you’re not careful, these fun distractions are going to take all of your money.
1 – Avoid the Slot Machine Trance. The next time you’re in a live casino, take a walk around some of the slot machine areas. The odds are good that you’re going to see many slots players in what looks like a trance. They sit staring blankly at the screen and automatically hit the spin button every few seconds. Doing these tasks will get you prepared when you do gambling online for the first time. Another tip is that never play a game which you are unsure of winning at. If you don’t like a game, switch to another one and try that instead. Choose Cash over Card. It is always a good thing to be aware of the amount of money you are spending in a slot machine. Top Tips for Playing Slots Play Online. The best way to enjoy slot games these days is undoubtedly to play them online. There are several. Ignore “Systems”. There are no systems that will help you win money from slot machines. Anyone who tries to sell you a. Manage Your Money. Introduction: Slot Machine Rules: Tips For Playing On Casino Slots. Slot machine rules are a thing and they can really help you. Of course, if you talk to any gambling expert, they’ll all give the same advice to you. Namely, that playing on casino slots is a bad idea because they have a terrible Return To Player. All in all, it’s a total.
I’ve put together a list of 11 tips and tactics for new slots players. These 11 quick tips aren’t going to help you win in the long run, but they are going to help you have more fun when playing slots for real money.
1 – Avoid the Slot Machine Trance
The next time you’re in a live casino, take a walk around some of the slot machine areas. The odds are good that you’re going to see many slots players in what looks like a trance. They sit staring blankly at the screen and automatically hit the spin button every few seconds.
The slot machine trance is costly, and amateur slots players need to be aware of it so they can avoid it. Take a break from the machines frequently so you don’t fall into this trap.
2 – Understand Return to Player
Every slot machine has a software program that runs the machine. This isn’t how old-fashioned slot machines worked, but it’s how all slot machines work today. And this is true whether you play live slots or on your computer or mobile device.
This software program has instructions that dictate how much the slot machine keeps and how much it gives back to gamblers. The amount the machine is programmed to give back is called return to player.
The easiest way to understand return to player is to consider it as a percentage. A slot machine with a 93% return to player pays out 93% of all the wagers it takes back to players.
Return to player is a long range or overall percentage, so in the short run, it goes up and down. But over thousands of spins, the return to player percentage is always realized. This is important to know as a slots player because if you bet $100 on a machine with a 93% return to player you’re only going to get back $93 on average.
It’s not easy to find return to player percentages for slot machines, but you should try to find it for as many machines as possible. And then you should only play on the machines with the highest returns.
3 – Understand How Casino Bonuses Work
One of the few good things about playing slots is that you can get some nice casino bonuses if you’re willing to play mobile or online slots. If you can double your bankroll, or triple it, you can play a lot longer before you run out of money.
The next thing you need to know is what you have to do to meet the requirements of the bonus. This is usually a minimum amount you must risk based on the amount of your deposit and bonus. This is usually a multiple.
A 30x requirement on the deposit and bonus amount means you have to make wagers totaling at least 30 times the total amount of your deposit and bonus.
4 – Investigate the Casino Slots Club
Many casinos have a slots club available. It might be called something else, but they all work basically the same. You sign up for the club and earn some type of compensation when you play.
This is usually a small percentage of what you risk, but it’s better to get something back when you play slots than not getting anything.
Find out if the casino where you play has a VIP program and sign up.
5 – Coin Size Considerations
If you bet $3 on a spin playing slots you’re going to lose more than if you risk $1 on a spin. Remember how the return to player percentage works. The higher your coin or bet amount, the more you lose on average.
This means that one of the best ways to be able to play longer on your bankroll is to play on machines that let you risk less on every spin. Find a slot machine that has a small bet size and you can save money in the long run.
6 – Playing Speed Implications
Another thing that directly influences how much you lose playing slots is how many spins you play. If you play 600 spins every hour you’re going to lose more than when you take 300 or 400 spins every hour.
The nice thing about slot machines is you control how many spins you take every hour. You don’t get kicked off the machine for not taking enough spins. Train yourself to play slots slower to extend your playing time and limit your losses.
7 – Why Games Within Games Exist
Many newer slot machines have games inside of the main game or bonus rounds that you can unlock. These all seem like good things when you’re playing slot machines, but the truth is that these features are in the games to get you to play longer.
And anything that keeps you playing slots longer is good for the casino. Remember, the longer you play slots, the more you lose.
You can enjoy the games within the game and bonus rounds and story slots, but always remember that these things are there to make you play slots longer.
8 – The Difference Between a Jackpot and a Progressive
Some slot machines have jackpots. And some machines have progressive jackpots. These are both jackpots, but progressive jackpots are slightly different than regular jackpots.
A regular jackpot always stays the same amount. A progressive jackpot grows as more gamblers play the machine until a lucky gambler wins it. Then, the progressive jackpot resets to a lower amount and starts growing again.
9 – Limiting Your Slots Gambling Losses
You can use some of the strategies that I’ve already covered to limit your slots losses, but there’s another simple step you can take that works perfectly.
Decide exactly how much you’re willing to lose before you start playing and only use this amount to play. If you run out of money you have to stop playing.
10 – The Best Slot Machine to Play
This is just my opinion, but over the years, I’ve come to realize that the best slot machines for me to play have two things in common.
I know I’m not going to win in the long run playing slots, so I want the chance to win a big jackpot while keeping my cost per spin as low as possible.
11 – There’s an Even Better Option
Instead of playing slot machines there’s a better option in most casinos. You can usually find real money video poker machines that have a much higher return to player than slot machines. And the return to player percentage is much easier to find for video poker machines.
If you’re losing too much playing slots, take a look at video poker. You need to learn a little bit about pay tables and strategy, but this is easy to do.
Conclusion
If you’re still convinced you want to play slots after reading this article, make sure you use the information you just learned to limit your losses. You can even try out the free online slot machines to see if you can have the same level of fun without losing money.
The best slots option is usually a progressive machine with a low cost per spin, but an even better choice is a different type of machine. No matter what you do, make sure you know exactly how much you’re willing to lose playing slots, and never go over this amount.
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.
Dear GamblingSites.org team,
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.
Thanks,
Sarah McKeown
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
Slot Machine Gambling Tips
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.
For Example: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.
Slot Machine Gambling Tips
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.
Slot Machine Casino Tips
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!
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.