Can Casinos Tighten Slot Machines
One of the most common ones is the belief that a casino can raise and lower a machine's payback with the flip of a switch. This is not true because the slot machines have a computer chip in them that determines the pay back percentage. These are set at the factory. In order for a casino to change the pay back, they would have to change the chip. Maryland casinos are asking permission to lower the average payouts of their slot machines by as much as 3 percent. Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission formally approved the proposed change in. And in “Dennis 2,” I’m betting the loose casino in the market would greatly outperform the tighter competitors in slot win metrics. But here’s the real surprise. I actually AGREE with the (otherwise misguided) slot researches who say a player can’t really tell a tight slot from a loose slot after an extended period of time. 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. In jurisdictions that report individual percentages, you can also compare one casino to another. Slot or video poker machines that have higher payback percentages are referred to as “loose” while those with lower returns are “tight.”.
Dispelling Slot Myths
By Henry Tamburin
Here are some popular misconceptions about slot machines and why they are false.
'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.
'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.
'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.
Tight slot machines exist, both online and on land. But legal online casinos cannot push a button to tighten slot machine payouts.
Throughout the decades, many gamblers have been under a common, false impression. They believe live and online casinos have this immaculate ability to press a button to instantly tighten slots pays. For the most part, this is a grievous misconception. It’s not entirely implausible, though.
Mathematical wizard and gambling strategy guru Michael Shackleford, affectionately known as the Wizard of Odds, has commented frequently on the matter. While he admits it is “theoretically” possible to change a slot machine’s payouts with the simple click of a remote control, it is not practical, or legal, to do so.
All regulated land-based casinos are required to report the programmed payout percentages of every slot machine. If they wish to change a machine’s payout, they must first submit documentation to the regulator for approval. With that done, a technician has to physically open the back panel of the machine and replace the computer chip that controls the payback percentage. This chip is known as an EPROM, short for ‘Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory‘.
But as we all know, internet-based slot machines work a bit differently.
Can Online Casinos Tighten Slot Machine Payouts?
Much like land-based casinos, it’s the upright nature of the operator – or in most cases, the software developer – that determines the answer to this question. Again, theoretically, yes, the developer of a slot machine can change the payback percentage with the press of a few buttons. However, no legal online casinos would allow this to happen without due process.
A legal gambling website is one under the regulation of a responsible authority which mandates all games be fair and transparent. Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Malta, the UK – these are all perfect examples. They do not permit their licensees to suddenly change the payout ratio of any game.
It’s actually rare that a software company or casino would even want to change the RTP. But if they do, there is a process that must take place first. Generally, two things have to happen. The first is mandatory, but only some jurisdictions require the second:
- Prior submission of intent to the regulator, and its subsequent approval
- Transparency of RTP; the current return to player (payout percentage) must be accurately displayed within the game rules.
Only the Software Supplier can Tighten Slots Pays
Except in such cases where the operator of an online casino is also the proprietor of the software, the casino has no control over a machine’s RTP. Only the software developer is capable of altering a game’s programming.
These companies are under the same strict regulation as the casino operators themselves. Thus players can trust that the RTP won’t change without notice, and/or consent of the regulatory body.
Stating the Obvious: Play at Legal Online Casinos
Any online casino and software brand that is not under properly regulation can do whatever they want. If the games aren’t certified by an independent auditing firm, and there’s no authority to punish an operator for altering their RTPs to overly tight slot machines, then there’s no good reason you should trust your wagers with such websites.
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