Slot games are the most played casino games around the world both in land based casinos and online. The first slot machines originated in the 1800’s and even though the basis of the game is much the same, the technology of the slot machine game has advanced tremendously over the years.
The original slot machines were mechanical and when the lever was pulled the reels would spin and whenever the reels stopped spinning would define the outcome and possible winning combination. Modern day slot machines use a micro-computer called a random number generator. This generates numbers continually and typically manages to generate numbers from one to several billion times per second. When the modern day lever or spin button is pulled or pushed the slot machine displays the very last number that was generated.
This then essentially means that even if the next player wins a jackpot it does not mean that the previous player would have won on the next spin since the random number generator generates such a vast amount of numbers in such a short period of time.
How the Random Number Generator Works
The random number generator runs continuously right up until the spin or play button is clicked on. At this point the decision is made about where the reels will stop. The results rely in the exact moment that the play button is clicked as a fraction of a second makes a difference which emphasises the randomness of winning a jackpot.
Slot pay outs are generally programmed to pay around 92% to 98% of the overall bets made by players. The winning combinations, their pay outs and how often they land are determined so a specific percentage can be given to the house and the remaining amount is returned to players. The pay out percentage is pre-determined but since they are determined over a long period there is still no slot game that is ever due to pay out. It is important to consider the pay out percentage at the sites to ascertain the overall chances but the existence of the random number generator, especially a trusted one, means that landing a winning combination on a slot game relies entirely on luck.
Fair and Random Chances of Winning
The older mechanical slot machines are considered the better machines so modern slot games have been fashioned to mimic them when it comes to how the game looks but the inner workings of the slot games are now much different. The outcome is now determined by the random number generator and not by the motion of the spinning reels.
Even though the random number generator controls where the reels will stop, the slot games are not programmed to pay out at specific times. They are in fact used to give players equal opportunity at winning jackpots. It is the generators that make online slot games fair and random.
Online casinos and software providers have their random number generators tested regularly, by third party auditors, to ensure that they do in fact offer fair chances and continue to do so.