A lot has been written about the honesty of land-based slot machines. An excellent article by Steve Bourie is titled, "Are Slot Machines Honest?" and originally appeared in the 1999 American Casino Guide. (It can be found online by searching for the title in Google or Yahoo!.) Physical, land-based slot machines have a lot of "variations" (being polite) than can deceive the player. Of course, they are all illegal and do not happen. But read the article, closely.
On the other hand, online casino slots use an electronic "random number generator" or RNG, operating inside a very large computer program that manages the game graphics, the player accounts of those who join the game, the statistics of every hand played, and much more. The random number generator is hard-coded software instructions that do not change. There is no "sense switch" (see the Bourie article) that can be flipped to give players worse odds. Regarding control parameters, each use of the RNG is the same as the last use, and will be the same as the next use. The numbers will come out randomly, but the pattern of randomness never changes. This is a true advantage of software-based online casino slots.
Land-based slot machines can also have payout percentages as low as 83%, which is not true with online casino slots. In online gaming, each machine has the same winning percentage as the other machines. You can see the payout percentages for many online gaming sites, and you will see that it rarely drops below 95% - that is, the house makes a 5% profit, on the average. In fact, most casinos can document that their payout percentages are in the 97% - 98% range. This means that you can spend an hour, gamble your $100 stake about 3 times, and on the average it will cost you $7.50. But players don't gamble to be average: the true reward is the high-paying win. And the high-paying win is balanced, of course, by a number of players who lose and finance that win.
So are online casino slots fair? Yes, they clearly are. The software that operates the games is tested regularly by independent testing laboratories (look for logos at the bottom of the casino website), and no game is individually controllable to be biased. That is a far cry from the situation with land-based slot machines, appropriately called "one-armed bandits".
Players get better odds, they get absolute consistency across all games - but no one can guarantee a win every time. That's just the nature of gambling, and that's part of the thrill.
So the next time you want to play a slot machine, even if there's a land-based casino right next door, you are better advised to go to your computer and play the online casino slots. They are a far better bet.
Slot machines are the most popular casino game in the world, both at land-based casinos and on Internet gambling sites. This article reveals some little-known facts about online slot machines.
Generally, slot machines account for about agen18 70% of an online casino's income.
The main categories of online slot machines include classic 3-reel slots, video slots, fruit machines, and progressive slots.
Classic 3-reel slots are computerized versions of the slot machines that were invented by Charles Fey in 1887.
Classic 3-reel slots are perfect games for the beginning slots player because of their easy and straightforward format.
Video slots are modern 5-reel slot machines. Many of the newer video slots games have bonus features, such as free spins.
Fruit machines, also known as Amusement with Prizes games, are UK-style slot machines. They are very common in British pubs.
Online progressive slots accumulate deposits from their players from a number of online casinos to create jackpots that grow by the minute.
Online progressive slots can be 3-reel or 5-reel, have bonus features, and have multiple pay-lines. For example, Major Millions was a 3-reel, 3 pay-line slot game when it was first launched. Now there is also a 5-reel, 15 pay-line version.
Cash Splash was the first online progressive jackpot. It was launched in 1998 by Microgaming software.
Mega Millions, a Microgaming progressive slot machine, is the only progressive jackpot that has ever paid out jackpots exceeding $1,000,000.
There are now over 150 companies that provide software solutions for online gambling casinos.
The major software providers for the online gambling industry include Microgaming, Playtech, Realtime Gaming, Boss Media, Rival, Vegas Technology, Parlay, and Cryptologic.
Microgaming developed the first "genuine" online casino software in 1994. Cryptologic and Boss Media were established in 1996, Parlay and Realtime Gaming were launched in 1998, Playtech was founded in 1999, Vegas Technology was established in 2005, and Rival was launched in 2006.
The majority of online slot machines have a unique theme, such as success and old money, secret potions and jewels, Indians and squaws, bees and honey, pirates and ships, hillbillies, American diners, science fiction, chocolate, Las Vegas showgirls, witches, romance, mythology, and Christmas.
It is estimated that Microgaming casinos account for about 70% of online gambling revenue.
Pay-lines at online slot machines range from 1 to 100. Single pay-line slots have been around since slot machines were invented back in 1887. Microgaming introduced Cashapillar, its first 100 pay-line slot machine, in May, 2008.
The average payout percentage is defined as the percentage of winnings to wagered amounts. For example, if there are $97.69 in winnings for every $100 wagered, the payout percentage is 97.69%. Likewise, if there are $93.45 in winnings for every $100 wagered, the payout percentage is 93.45%. Payout percentages for online slots range from 89% to 99.5%.
Online slots come in both download and no download versions. The download versions are more popular because there is a wider selection of games to choose from.
Online slots games have better odds than those at land-based casinos.
Tomb Raider is probably the most successful online slot machine game to date. Tomb Raider's success is partly due to its association with the popular computer game, The Tomb Raider Series. A sequel to the game, Tomb Raider - Secret of the Sword, was introduced April, 2008.
So there you have it, 20 little-known facts about online slot machines. Whether you play slots online or at a land-based casino, remember to gamble only with the money you can afford to lose. Decide beforehand how much you wish to spend, and don't exceed your spending limit should you lose. Finally, have fun and quit while you are ahead.