Slot gaming is a very popular activity but there are still a lot of false myths around it.
Is it true that slot machines are rigged? Is it true that all slots work the same?
To help players understand how slot gaming really works, we have made a short list of common myths. We’ll explain why these are false.
Slot machine myths that are false
Here are some of the most common slot machine myths and why they are false.
1. All slot machines work the same way
There are many different types of slot machines and slot games.
First of all, there are land-based and online slots.
With a physical slot machine, players usually pull a lever or press on a real button which activates the machine’s reels.
With an online slot machine, players press or click on a virtual button.
Let’s dive a bit deeper and look at the most popular types of slots:
- classic slots
- video slots
- progressive jackpot slots
- multi-line slots (e.g. Megaways)
When someone thinks of slots, they usually picture classic slots. These slots are pretty minimalistic.
They are very common in land-based venues, even though video slots are now starting to replace them.
Classic slots are usually made up of 3 reels and 5 or less paylines. They are great slots for purists who prefer more traditional slots.
They are also ideal slots for new gamers. They help you ease into the game and understand free spins and wild symbols.
Classic slots are also great for gamers who feel overwhelmed by newer slots’ high number of reels and paylines. Its minimalistic mechanism is usually beloved by these types of players.
Video slots are another type of slots. They are extremely popular.
Video slots can be online slots or physical slots. If they are played on physical machines, they will include a screen instead of mechanical reels.
Players will still press on a physical button or pull a lever but the reels will be digital or ‘video’.
Video slots tend to have more reels and paylines than classic slots. They usually have around 5 reels and 10 or more paylines.
As mentioned above, these slots are quickly replacing classic slots in land-based venues. They are also very popular online where they are fully digital.
Progressive jackpot slots are relatively new slots. As their name suggests, these slots do not have a set jackpot prize.
In other words, unlike with fixed jackpot slots, the amount of the jackpot can vary with progressive jackpot slots.
These types of jackpot slots are very unpredictable. The jackpot is just randomly unlocked by a player at some point.
Because they are progressive jackpot slots, the amount of the jackpot can be bigger than with fixed jackpot slots.
Multi-line slots are slots with a constantly changing number of reels and paylines. The most famous multi-line slots are Megaways slots.
Megaways slots are very popular games. They use a random reel modifier which can change the number of reels during the game.
This means that a player can start with 6 reels in a spin but suddenly see 8 reels in the next spin. The game constantly changes and evolves as each spin brings a new number of reels.
As the reels change, so do the paylines. In other words, the number of paylines can increase from one spin to the next.
For example, you can have up to 117,649 paylines with a Megaways slot.
2. Slots are rigged and controlled by casino operators
If you are playing on a regulated slot machine managed by a licensed gaming operator, then this is false.
Slots cannot be rigged or controlled by casino operators if they are legally licensed.
They are being monitored and checked by the national gaming authority to ensure that they are transparent and fair.
On top of that, providers would not benefit from ‘rigging’ their slots. They want players to trust their machines and come back to play.
They know that any illegal behavior would get them in serious trouble. As mentioned above, they are also closely monitored by authorities to make sure that they are not lying to their customers.
For example, slot machines use RNG, or a Random Number Generator. A provider or game developer cannot advertise that a game uses RNG if it does not.
As for those who claim that casino operators control RNGs, that is false. It’s just another myth.
RNGs are not controlled by casino operators. They are installed into the game by developers.
In other words, casino operators have no control over them. RNGs are used to make sure that game outcomes are completely random.
