Like most other subject matters, the internet is full of weird and wonderful facts about casinos and gaming, some of which aren’t remotely true. Playing slots, whether it’s in a brick-and-mortar casino or online, somewhere like games.paddypower, is ultimately a game of luck. Your chances of winning are random, there’s no such thing as having a methodology or being a professional slots player, and there’s nothing you can do to affect the outcome of a game. Here are some of our favorite myths about slots – debunked.
Myth: slots are due a pay-out if they’ve not hit the jackpot in a while
Truth – This one simply isn’t true, largely because slot machines use a random number generator (RNG). Inside each machine is a micro-chip that generates numbers, at a rate of thousands of numbers per second, even when the machine isn’t being played. These numbers, in turn, relate to reel combinations, so when you press spin (or pull the lever), the computer stops on a number that generates your result. The RNG won’t know how many spins it’s been since the last jackpot and similarly, is unable to predict when the winning (or losing) streak will begin or end.
Myth: you’re more likely to win if you press ‘spin’, as opposed to pulling the lever
Truth – Once again, the RNG won’t know how you went about spinning the reels and everything is random. Although pulling the lever slows down gameplay, in comparison to pressing spin (or even setting a game to autoplay), it makes no difference to which sorts of combinations the games will throw up. Making a profit or loss though could be down to how quickly you play – on average, a slots player could make up to 600 spins an hour but of course, if you’re slower, you’re giving yourself the same amount of time to put in less money.
Myth: the time of day affects your chances of success
Truth – Some believe the time of day affects your chance of winning, with peak times supposedly the worst times of the day. This is incorrect. Similarly, whether or not a game has been well-played doesn’t affect your chances, either. If this was the case, it would be so easy to predict when pay-outs were due and the casinos wouldn’t make money. Because the slots are controlled by the RNG, everything is random – and of course, a microchip isn’t going to know what time of the day it is.
Myth: there are systems to beat the odds
Truth – In short, there aren’t. Games will show you an RTP (return to player) before you begin to play. This is based on an average system to show you what you could potentially win. For example, Fruit Stack Deluxe has an RTP of 94.00%, which means if you were to make 100 bets of £1 each, you can expect to win £94. All games have a house edge, which doesn’t specifically dictate that you will lose on any one spin, but does suggest the more you play, the more likely you are to lose.
