Gaming Guru, can casinos adjust slot machine payouts.

Can casinos adjust slot machine payouts

Online casino sites to play on real money

Near misses may be great "fish that got away" stories, but thinking that a near miss means a machine is close is, as you rightly point out, nonsense.

I have a question that I don’t recall ever being addressed.

G aming G uru

Ask the slot expert: what can casinos change on a slot machine?

Can you tell me what a casino can do to a newly acquired slot machine?

Does the slot machine come with a preset payout percentage? Can the casino change the payout percentage?

I assume the slot machine has a preset time period for the payout percentage. Can a casino change the preset time for the payout?

Can a casino change some of the minor bonus features for the better or worse?

What can the casino do to a new slot machine? Put it on the slot floor.

When the casino orders a slot machine, it specifies the long-term payback percentage it wants installed on the machine from the percentages available for the game. Depending on the jurisdiction, the casino may or may not be able to change the payback percentage later on. In nevada, the casino can change the percentage by ordering the new percentage chip from the manufacturer, swapping chips in the machine, and filing the appropriate paperwork with the state to inform it of the change.

Some machines support downloadable software. On these machines, the software can be sent from a central server and the machine does not have to be opened. There are strict rules about when the software change can take place, so the casino can't change a machine while someone is playing it.

There is no preset time period for the payback percentage. A machine's actual payback percentage will get closer and closer to its long-term payback percentage as the machine gets more play. Even after tens of millions of plays, the actual payback percentage might be a few tenths of a percentage point off from the long-term percentage.

Many things on a slot machine cannot be changed from a configuration menu. Making some aspects configurable can open the machine up to cheating. Volume is safe to be configured — some machines even let you adjust the volume yourself — but how about denomination? A slot technician was caught cheating the casino by changing the denomination on a machine for his friend. He would change a dollar machine to a dime machine. Then his friend would insert $50 and get 500 credits. Then he would change the machine's denomination back to dollars and his friend would cash out with a $450 profit.

I have a question that I don’t recall ever being addressed.

Once the fair decision has been determined via the RNG, can the program manipulate what is seen by the player so that it looks like a “near miss"? For example, if the fair result is three symbols in a row, can the program show the fourth symbol just one position off even though the RNG didn’t put that symbol there, as long as it doesn’t change the result of the game? (this may be a little difficult given multi-line games, but still, very doable).

This would have the effect of making players think that the machine is “getting close” to hitting. Of course, those that read your column know that this thinking is nonsense.

Most, if not all, jurisdictions have slot regulations that require that the machine show the result determined by the RNG with absolutely no alterations. But this was not always the case.

In the 80s, one of the early computer-controlled slots was made by universal. The software in these machines chose either a specific winning combination or loser. If loser was the result of the spin, the machine selected a losing combination from a table of losing combinations that contained a high percentage of near misses. The psychology behind this method is that a losing combination of jackpot-jackpot-blank is more exciting than bar-bar-blank and, as you pointed out, might lead some people to think that the machine is close to paying. Because high-paying symbols landed on the payline more frequently when they were part of a losing combination than when they were part of a winning combination, this "secondary decision" of choosing a losing combination was deemed deceptive. It made it seem like hitting the jackpot was more likely than it really was.

As a result, nevada changed its slot regulations to require that the output from the RNG be used to choose which symbols land on the payline and that the result cannot be altered in any way. New jersey, the only other gaming jurisdiction at the time, followed suit and all universal machines had to be reprogrammed to follow the new regulations.

Today's reel-spinning slot machines still have near misses, but they're all a result of how the virtual reel are laid out. Near-the-payline near misses occur because the blanks above and below the jackpot symbol appear more times on the virtual reel than the jackpot symbol. On-the-payline near misses occur because the jackpot symbol appears more times on the first two virtual reels than on the third. In both cases, the symbols land on the payline with a frequency directly related to how many times they appear on the virtual reel.

Near misses may be great "fish that got away" stories, but thinking that a near miss means a machine is close is, as you rightly point out, nonsense.

Send your slot and video poker questions to john robison, slot expert™, at slotexpert@slotexpert.Com. Because of the volume of mail I receive, I regret that I can't reply to every question.

Copyright © john robison. Slot expert and ask the slot expert are trademarks of john robison.

G aming G uru

Ask the slot expert: can casinos change slot machines in real time?

Question: I just read the report on stopping the spin, rubbing and pounding on a slot machine. This is irritating and I move away.

My question. The casino in yonkers N.Y. Empire was recently bought by MGM. Does the RNG apply only to tribal casinos?

I may have misunderstood what was written but I was under the impression that all slot machines at all casinos were random.

Also, does the casino have the option to change its payouts more or less based on their average daily percentage gain?

Answer: I get a kick out of the rituals some slot players have. But I have no right to be critical because my "ritual" is that I tend to go back to machines I have won on in the past.

I was recently playing near a lady who was pounding on the spin button like she was in a slot tournament. After a few minutes, the noise of her playing became part of the background noise and I didn't notice anymore.

On the other hand, I once played video poker two machines away from a guy who wanted to get to his next hand as quickly as possible, so he would hit the draw button a few times in quick succession until the next hand appeared. He was like a jeopardy contestant frantically hitting the buzzer at the end of a clue. He was worse than the "slot tournament" lady because he was so close. His short bursts of frantic button pressing made me tense.

Neither of these people were doing anything wrong. You either ignore it or, as you said, move away.

Slot machine results are always determined at random, but the method differs based on the type of casino. There's a random number generator somewhere in the system.

Machines in las vegas, atlantic city, mississippi, many other jurisdictions, and tribal casinos that have compacts with their states, have the RNG in the slot machines themselves. When the player starts a spin, the program running the slot machine polls the RNG in the software to get numbers that tell the program where to stop the reels. In a tribal casino, these are called class III slot machines, but almost everywhere else they're just called slot machines. (sort of like the scene in now you see me 2 where the four horsemen wake up in a chinese restaurant in macau, and one of them says something about chinese food, and the woody harrelson character says that he thinks they just call it food here.)

If a tribal casino does not have a compact, its machines are bingo drawings under the hood. In this case, the RNG is in a central server that conducts the bingo drawings. It uses the RNG to determine the numbers drawn in the bingo drawing. It then sends the numbers drawn down to each machine, which determines where to stop its reels based on the pattern covered on its electronic bingo card. These are known as class II machines. (the class terminology is defined in the indian gaming regulatory act.)

The results on the machines at empire are determined using yet another method. The machines are like scratch-off lottery tickets under the hood. When a player starts a spin, the central server conceptually tears off the next scratcher card in the stack, scratches off the coating with its electronic coin to reveal the results, and sends the results down to the machine. More technically, the central server maintains a pool of results (the scratch-off tickets). When a machine needs a result, the central server chooses one from the pool and removes it from the pool (just like the tickets you buy are removed from the population of available tickets). When the server uses up all of the results in a pool, it creates a new pool. In this case, the RNG in the central server is used to determine which "ticket" from the pool you get. This method is referred to as finite outcome.

Casinos don't need to adjust payouts if results are determined using finite outcome. There's no telling what order the outcomes will occur in, but once the server reaches the end of the pool, the payback experienced by the players will match that of the pool. Things might be a little rocky for the players or the casino in the beginning of the pool, but everything will be fine in the end.

It might seem like altering the paybacks on class II machines could be done by changing the bingo drawing, but the payback on a machine is determined by which patterns are winning patterns on a machine's bingo card (and how much they pay). A set of numbers that maps to the jackpot spin on one machine maps to a losing spin on another.

On machines with internal rngs, the payback is determined by the paytable and how many times each symbol appears on the reels. There's no such thing as a loose or tight RNG. To change payback you have to either change the paytable or the number of times the symbols appear.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, in addition to the casino, there's usually some government authority that wants to ensure each machine is working properly and that the amount of money it has held falls within the range expected for the number of plays it has received. If casinos could change the payback at whim, it would be very difficult to perform this check.

Regulators moreover want it to be difficult to change the payback on a machine. They don't want casino employees to be able to goose the paybacks on machines for their relatives or friends (otherwise known as accomplices in this situation).

Finally, here in nevada at least but probably also in many other jurisdictions, when a machine's payback is changed it is considered a new asset. The casino has to close out the books on the machine with its old payback, and then start anew with the new payback. This is so the performance data with the different paybacks isn't commingled.

To sum up, all the results are determined at random, but we have to dig a little deeper to find out where the randomness is located. And if you win money one day and lose it back the next, it's not because the casino has tightened up its machines. It's just luck.

Question: I reside in oklahoma. I would like to know if casinos can in real time adjust a slot machine to prevent a player from getting bonus free spins and/or are they able to reduce or increase the amount won on a bonus?

I have had several suspicious things occur while playing slot machines, some good and some bad. I have gone for almost six months without being able to win any substantial amount of money (>$100). This happened after I gave an unfavorable review of the casino. I have also spent about $600 two times in about a week and all of a sudden won back about $600 in each of those two sittings. It was as if they purposely gave me back that money.

I have also played on four identical machines side by side and it seemed that no matter which machine I played, I couldn't get any significant bonuses. Yet when someone else sat down and played it they did get significant bonuses. This occurred several times at this sitting.

Is all of the above just total coincidences?

Answer: I love it when I have two letters that address the same concept from different angles.

As humans, we want reasons for why things happen. We're uncomfortable with randomness.

It's tempting to look for a cause for what you experienced. You wrote a bad review, so the casino made it impossible for you to win. You were losing, so the machine let you win back some of your money.

The explanation for everything you experienced is the random determination of outcomes. The randomly determined results on the machines you played, either determined by a bingo drawing or the machine's RNG, were sometimes good for you and sometimes bad. Nothing else had any effect. Not your bad review, not how much you were losing.

Similarly, randomness is also the reason why other players got the bonuses you didn't get. It certainly is frustrating when you play a machine for a while without getting a good bonus, and then someone else plays it and hits multiple good bonuses right away.

To answer your first questions, casinos can't alter machines in real time. See my previous answer for the reasons.

Coincidences are a result of randomness. Don't take it personally. Neither the machine nor the casino has anything against you.

Send your slot and video poker questions to john robison, slot expert™, at slotexpert@slotexpert.Com. Because of the volume of mail I receive, I regret that I can't reply to every question.

Copyright © john robison. Slot expert and ask the slot expert are trademarks of john robison.

Inside the myth that casinos can change slots RTP at will

Return to player (RTP) is one of the most-important concepts to slots players. Payback determines how much the average player wins from a slot machine.

A slots game with 95% RTP, for example, would theoretically deliver $0.95 back for every $1 wagered. A slot machine with 88% payback would only offer $0.88 for each dollar wagered.

Gamblers want to know slots’ RTP for obvious reasons. Knowing a machine’s payout percentage provides an indication on your long-term odds of winning.

But one of the most-common fears is that casinos can simply change slots odds whenever they feel like it. Many gamblers are convinced that casinos alter RTP for a variety of reasons, whether it’s to lower payback during busy hours or simply earn more overall profits.

This fear seems valid when considering that players don’t see the inner workings of slot machines. But are casinos really able to alter payback on a whim?

I’m going to discuss this matter by looking at how casinos change RTP, common beliefs on the subject and casino limitations in controlling payback.

Slot machine RTP is determined by the pay table and how often each prize is programmed to hit.

The pay schedule shows how many credits each symbol combination delivers. The pay table only tells so much, though, and doesn’t show how often each payout is programmed hit.

A random number generator (RNG) ultimately determines which symbol combinations come up on each spin. Contrary to common opinion, the RNG does not determine payback.

Instead, this program merely cycles through different symbol combinations to determine the results of your spin. The RNG is more likely to include symbols that have a higher number of stops.

An RNG has no recollection of what happens on your previous spins. Instead, its main job is to come up with random results.

Again, icons with many stops will be chosen by the RNG more frequently than other symbols.

Casinos don’t need to worry about programming payout percentages — this is the game developer’s job. Instead, they simply consider what RTP they want to order for a given game.

Providers give land-based casinos a number of options to choose from when ordering payback.

• MGM grand wants to order aristocrat’s game of thrones.


• Aristocrat offers RTP choices of 88.0%, 90.0%, 92.0%, and 94.0%.


• MGM selects the version with 92.0% payback.

Online slots developers usually offer a uniform RTP for any game that they produce. Internet casinos that license their slots are then forced to use the provider’s chosen payout percentage.

But a minority of online slots providers do let casinos choose from preset RTP amounts (covered later).

How casinos change payout percentages depends upon the style of game. Payback for most land-based slot machines is determined by the EPROM chip located inside.

A gambling establishment can alter a machine’s RTP as long as they have the EPROM chip, which is sometimes the case. Theoretically, any casino that has these chips can change payback whenever they like.

The catch, though, is that many gambling jurisdictions require the casinos to report when they alter a game’s RTP. This process requires that a casino manager spends time filling out paperwork.

Some slot machines operate on downloadable software, which comes from a central server. In these cases, the casino doesn’t have to open a game and change a chip.

Instead, they can simply download the software to alter RTP. But just as with replacing an EPROM chip, casinos need to follow their jurisdiction’s guidelines when changing server-based payout percentages.

For starters, gambling venues can’t make these changes when somebody is playing a machine. Furthermore, they have to wait a certain amount of time before altering any game settings.

Some slots players believe that casino owners and management can change RTP across the board by simply flipping a switch. This theory has been furthered propelled bythe rise of video slots.

Very few land-based slot machines operate on mechanical reels and levers these days. Instead, casinos mainly feature video slots that run through software programs.

Of course, gamblers’ fears are only magnified when dealing with online casinos. These websites are headquartered far away from most players, leading to concerns that internet casinos can do anything they want to slots payback without anybody knowing.

But what else beyond suspected greed leads players to believe that casinos will cheat them through lower RTP?

A driving force behind conspiracy theories is how slot machines are the streakiest casino game. Most slots only see players win around 20-40% of their spins, even with every payline activated.

Such low hit frequency leads gamblers to experience long losing streaks. In turn, these cold streaks cause players to theorize that casinos have changed RTP.

Contrary to what some players believe, casinos don’t simply alter payout percentages whenever they feel like winning more money. Instead, gambling venues must go through the proper channels.

Earlier I covered how many jurisdictions require casinos to submit paperwork before changing the EPROM chip inside a slot machine.

Not only does an important employee waste time filling out paperwork and sending it to the local gambling control commission, but the casino must also pay for another EPROM chip. These chips are expensive, meaning it’s not economically viable to continue changing RTP.

Of course, server-based slot machines can be altered faster without opening machines. But there are deterrents from doing this as well.

Some las vegas slot machines are so popular that they have people standing off to the side waiting to play. Therefore, casinos can’t change RTP for these games until things slow down in the middle of the night.

More importantly, gambling establishments don’t like tying up games and preventing people from playing. This creates another situation where it doesn’t make economic sense to put games down for maintenance just to constantly change payback.

Casino employees’ time is valuable, especially with regard to managers. It would be a waste of resources and manpower to alter RTP from machine to machine.

Of course, none of this subsides fears that online casinos can change payout percentages as they please. But gaming sites face roadblocks in this regard too.

In fewer cases, online casinos can choose from different RTP options just like land-based establishments. Realtime gaming (RTG) commonly does this by offering their clients payout percentages ranging from 91.0% to 97.5%.

Casinos must decide on the chosen payback when ordering a certain game. They can’t, however, ask RTG to change payout percentages back and forth every day.

RTG allows gaming sites to choose from different payout percentages due to the various bonuses offered through their software setup. RTG offers total casino packages where they handle the bonuses, games, and more. Clients have some flexibility here and can either choose high bonuses with low slots RTP or vice versa.

In any case, you can see that there’s nothing nefarious going on with the average online casino and game provider. This is especially true when considering that many slots developers and casinos undergo third-party auditing to ensure that their games offer fair and random results.

Earlier I mentioned how some players believe that casinos can merely flip a switch to change all of their slot machines’ RTP.

I dismiss this idea, because casinos need to go through the proper channels to change payback. But is there any shred of truth to the switch-flipping concept?

A 2006 new york times piece offers evidence that it’s possible for casinos to quickly change RTP for many different games.

This article revolves around a treasure island casino executive named justin beltram, who discusses how his casino was undergoing a technology experiment at the time.

The piece reads that “with a few clicks of his mouse” beltram can reprogram the “denominations required to play, payback percentages, even game themes” for all of treasure island’s 1,790 slot machines.

Much of the article deals with how easy it is to change settings in server-based slots versus the EPROM-chip games. Beltram notes that he could change a game’s settings within “20 seconds” using this technology, compared to the lengthy and complicated process of opening machines to alter settings.

The executive also squashed the notion that his casino would abuse this power to win more money from players. Beltram insists that such practices would be bad for business and possibly lead to trouble with gaming regulators.

David G. Schwartz, director for UNLV’s center for gaming research, did express concerns about casinos changing payback through servers. “let’s say you’re playing at 2 and you’re doing great and you come back at 6 and the pay tables have changed,” explains schwartz.

While this is a valid concern, lowering odds and causing players to lose more is counterproductive to business. Nobody wants to play at a casino where they think that the odds are stacked against them.

Overall, the article suggests that while it’s possible for casinos to quickly change slots payback with server technology, this concept is more about meeting customer demands than anything.

Long story short, casino managers don’t have time to sit in their back office and switch RTP every time that they see somebody winning. Casinos already have the edge over players, and it’s not worth the time or repercussions to con gamblers.

The thought that casinos instantaneously change all of their slots payback is only one misbelief regarding the subject. Here are a few more myths surrounding how casinos handle slots RTP.

Slots payback happens on a cycle

Some gamblers are convinced that slots payout percentages happen on a cycle. This idea stems from the belief that slot machines are programmed to offer payouts at specific intervals.

Here’s an example of how one might conceptualize this:

• Jackpot pays exactly once every 1 million spins.


• 1,000-coin prize pays every 250,000 spins.


• 500-coin prize pays every 50,000 spins.


• 100-coin prize pays every 10,000 spins.


• 50-coin prize pays every 5,000 spins.


• 5-coin prize pays every 50 spins.


• 1-coin prize pays every 10 spins.

Players who believe that slot machines work like this often think that they can win a jackpot by playing at the right point. They look for a jackpot that hasn’t been won in a while and start playing in hopes that the game is nearing the end of its payout cycle.

But slots results are determined by an RNG, which has no recollection of previous payouts and merely continues generating random results.

Jackpots and other payouts are programmed with specific odds. Certain jackpots may very well be programmed to pay every 1 million spins on average.

But the key is that this prize doesn’t have to pay out after exactly 1 million rounds. Instead, the jackpot can hit at 500k spins or 2 million spins.

Casinos change RTP during the day and night

Another common slots myth is that casinos alter payout percentages throughout the day. This theory is based on the logic that slot machines are more generous during the less-busy day hours and tighter during the busier evening hours.

It makes sense to believe that casinos would tighten payback when they have more slots customers. Doing so would enable them to earn far more profits.

If a slot has a 5% house edge, this means that casinos are winning a nickel for every dollar wagered by players. Assuming a gambler bets $600 per hour, the casino is making $30 on average (600 x 0.05).

The last thing a gambling establishment wants to do is lower payback and discourage people from playing during busy hours.

Many gamblers already become suspicious that payback has changed when they go through cold streaks. Casinos don’t want to add fuel to this fire by actually altering RTP just to increase an advantage that they already have.

Native american casinos can do whatever they want

I’ve covered the limitations facing gaming sites and commercial land-based casinos when altering slots payout percentages. But what about native american casinos?

Some slots players believe that US tribal casinos can do whatever they want, because they’re located on sovereign ground. The reality, though, is that native american casinos don’t have as much free rein as people think.

These casinos must comply with gambling regulations set forth by the tribe’s gambling commission. These standards are defined by negotiations between tribes and the state where they’re located.

Once the state and tribe come to an agreement, the pact must be approved by the US department of the interior.

Contrary to some players’ opinions, native american gambling venues don’t make rules as they go and change slots payback whenever. Instead, they too have regulations that are discussed and approved by multiple parties.

Many gamblers picture casinos fiendishly lowering slots RTP to maximize their profits. But these theories are the result of misunderstandings about how the gambling industry works.

Most land-based and online casinos operate in jurisdictions that impose restrictions on alerting payout percentages. Some jurisdictions go as far as to require paperwork every time that casinos want to change RTP.

In other cases, gambling venues can quickly change payback through server technology. Even this comes with restrictions, though, including a machine being down while the casino changes payback.

You can generally assume that most land-based slot machines offer anywhere from 88% to 95% RTP. Penny and nickel slots comprise the lower end, while quarter denominations and above constitute the higher end.

Online slots usually deliver between 95% and 97% payback. You can google individual slots or game providers to research online payout percentages.

You have little reason to fear casinos lowering RTP to a ridiculously small percentage. They have too much at stake if they’re caught, and gambling jurisdictions have rules against doing so.

Are casinos able to change slot payouts?

Casinos are not able to change slot payouts, slot machines come with an already set payout percentage, when a casino places an order for a slot it specifies the long-term payout percentage it wants. Although, depending on the jurisdiction the casino may or may not be able to change the payback percentages at a later stage.

For example, in nevada, casinos are able to change the slot payout percentages by ordering a new chip from the manufacturer, the chips in the slot machines are then swapped and it is only allowed when all the appropriate paperwork is filled with the state to inform them of the change. Some of the later model slot machines support downloadable software, should a casino request a change in payout percentages the software can be sent via a central server and the slot machine can be updated without physically being opened. Yet there are strict rules in place regarding software changes and the casino is unable to make these changes on any slot while anyone is playing on it.

What is the immediate payback percentage on slots?

What can casinos change via the configuration menu?

What are the typical payout percentages on slots?

When it comes to slots the house edge or advantage is replaced by the payback percentage, these vary from one software supplier to the next and from one slot to the other. Some of the most popular online slots offer a payback percentage of 99%, which is much higher than that offered by land-based slot machines, which offer around 79% to 85% on average. It is most important to remember the theoretical payout percentage are calculated over an extended time-period.

Doug holmes author

Doug is a passionate slot fan and an expert in the gaming industry and has written extensively about online slot games and various other related information pertaining to online slots. In his spare time, he enjoys time with friends and family, reading, travelling, and of course, playing the slots.

Can you guess who controls slot machine odds?

Introduction to controls slot machine odds

Who controls slot machine odds is a popular question from slots enthusiasts. It’s quite an interesting question, which I thought my audience would appreciate an answer to.

My most recent encounter with this general question was during the Q&A segment of another gambling podcast, episode #634 from five hundy by midnight. They had a question from david which was, “when a new themed penny slot debuts, what is the typical hold percentage? Does it vary by machine, casino, or both?”

Tim and michelle, co-hosts of the long-lasting five hundy by midnight, a gambling podcast that’s all about las vegas, answered the question well, if somewhat briefly.

I’m sure my own audience would like the answer too, so I’m providing a few more details as well as a more general answer with a bit of the why of it all.

This segment has the following sections:

• Introduction


• A bit of background on legal requirements


• A bit of history on physically setting odds


• Slot machine types based on how odds are set


• Identifying who controls slot machine odds


• Does it really matter who controls slot machine odds? Yes!!


• Summary

Keep reading … or listen instead!

… or watch!

Subscribe to the professor slots podcast at apple podcasts | google podcasts | iheart radio | spotify | stitcher | pandora | tune-in | soundcloud | radiopublic | android | RSS and wherever else you find podcasts!

A bit of background on legal requirements

To answer this question, I’ll need to delve into a bit of recent history to explain how odds are set in older-style standalone slot machines using a random number generator (RNG). This way is how many people incorrectly believe the odds are currently set on ALL slot machines.

However, starting around 2008, a lot changed with setting slot machine odds. These changes are due to the emergence of new gaming technologies, not only in slot machines but also with the development of casino operating software. Both provide casinos with an increased operating efficiency and therefore low operating costs.

With so many more people visiting casinos in the last decade, and with their profit margins getting smaller every year, casino operators find they cannot afford to ignore the savings opportunities of new technologies.

The second driver for this change to how slot machines are controlled is due to ongoing developments in statutory regulations for gaming jurisdictions. In the U.S., these gaming jurisdictions are the states, territories, or federal district that legally allow gaming.

In essence, casino operators have to follow the gaming regulations for the jurisdiction wherein they are located. In part, these gaming jurisdictions often include laws which place an upper and lower limit on the pay back return for slot machines.

To not lose their gaming license, or to otherwise get in trouble with gaming control authorities, casino operators must remain in compliance with these legal gaming requirements.

Note that commercial casinos have to be comply to gaming regulations as set by the U.S. State, territory, or federal district they are located in. Native american tribal casinos also have to comply with their own set of gaming requirements, which are usually not based on state law.

Rather, these are defined by negotiation between a federally-recognized tribe and the state within which they are located by carefully crafting a state-tribal compact ultimately approved by the U.S. Department of the interior.

So, within this overall context, who controls slot machine odds? At a high level, gaming regulators determine the legal limits, if any, for payout returns on slot machines. This is accomplished via state law or negotiated compacts, and usually not changed for a decade, if that often.

Casinos operators are, often but not always, required to provide weekly or monthly reports on actual payout returns to show their gaming authority they are compliant. Sometimes, depending on each gaming jurisdiction, these statistical reports are then provided to the public by the state gaming commission.

Going further, these regular reports can break down these actual payout returns by casino, table games, slot machines, gaming machines, by the denomination of slot machines within a specific casino, or even if the machine has a progressive jackpot. What is done is very specific to the gaming jurisdiction where the casino is located.

Given all these variability of what is or is not done within a U.S. Gaming jurisdiction, I’ve created an online series of posts for my audience of slots enthusiasts. It’s meant to help them navigate this dynamic environment of state-specific gaming regulations.

For more information on your specific state, territory, or federal district of interest, see slot machine casino gambling, state-by-state: A weekly blog.

So, at its high level, slot machines are controlled by gaming regulators by the placement of legal requirements for payout return percentages. Sometimes, however, these state-specific gaming regulators do not set limits on payout returns. Put another way, they have deliberately chosen to not set legal limits.

When this happens, somewhat obviously, casino operators do not have a legal requirement for setting payout returns. However, to remain open and not close due to lack of customers, they still have to be careful to not set their payout returns too low.

It’s worth noting that most gaming regulations set a low limit on payout returns to which casino operators deliberately stay well above. To do so is just good business.

A bit of history on physically setting odds

The random number generator (RNG) was developed for slot machines by bally technologies in 1984. About a decade later, most slot machines had this RNG, which allowed for easily adjustable odds of winning.

Beforehand, the odds of winning were set in an entirely mechanical manner. This worked well for decades, until the technical development of slot machines began to cause difficulties. Basically, as credits to bet and number of pay lines increased, the physical mechanisms for determining odds began to reach certain physical limits.

Slot enthusiasts loved having a choice of how many credits to bet, as well as playing a slot machine with more than one pay line. Increased credits and pay lines also led to much higher jackpots.

All of these developments led to odds of winning being needed for many more possible outcomes, which mechanical devices for determining the odds of winning began to not be able to handle. In fact, these mechanical devices began to fall behind and actually became less and less random in nature.

As an aside, the topic of randomness is actually quite interesting. True randomness is very difficult, if not literally impossible, to generate. Often, when randomness is needed in either an mechanical or electronic device, various methods are used which are “random enough.”

Technically speaking, there is no such thing as an existing perfectly random number generator. At best, there are only pseudo random number generators, one variant of which was patented by bally technologies in 1984.

Moving away from our brief sortie into the philosophy of randomness, the invention of the RNG solved for slot machine manufacturers this limitation of mechanical devices for determining randomness in slot machines. But, it created another problem: with adjustable odds of winning via electronic rngs, casinos would need to have a large workforce to do that adjusting.

And so, that is what casinos did. They built and trained a workforce of slot mechanics to adjust the odds of winning on their new slot machines to meet their desired performance metrics.

However, the size of that workforce would increase tremendously depending on how often those odds of winning were adjusted. For older style slot machines, this is at least 7 days and may be as much as 2 weeks, as I’ve expressed in professor slots episode #21: winning at slots on older casinos-kentucky slots 2018.

Most recently, since 2012 or so, relatively newer casinos have been able to reduce this costly workforce thanks to new casino operating systems. These systems not only help casinos manage large promotional events with less overall issues, but also allow them to remotely adjust the odds of winning on slot machines connected to the casino’s central computer system.

Of course, this connection to the casino’s central computer system is currently limited to a wired connection due to potential security concerns as well as WIFI bandwidth limits. As a result, using a central computer in this manner is only possible if all the slot machines are physically “wired up.”

Doing so requires sufficient building infrastructure, such as clearance beneath floors and behind walls, to allow for these many, many cable connections. This is only practically possible in all new casinos being built as well as older casinos being heavily renovated. That is to say, renovated to have far more than simply new carpeting and wallpaper.

With wired connections from slot machines to a central computer, the reduced cost of a smaller workforce of slot mechanics, much faster adjustment of casino performance metrics to daily or even hourly updates, and more satisfied customers due to efficiently run events, the question remains. Who controls slot machine odds?

To get closer to the answer to this question, we’ll next have to discuss how the legal limits of payout returns are set on actual slot machines. Why? Because slot machines can be categorized by how their odds are set. And, how those odds are physically set will tell us who really controls them.

Slot machine types based on how odds are set

Slot machines can be divided up into methods by which their odds of winning are set. These slot machine types include:

• Standalone


• Casino-specific progressives


• Multi-casino progressives


• State-wide progressives


• Remotely controlled onsite by casino


• Remotely controlled offsite by gaming regulators

Standalone slot machines are those which are most often found in older casinos, but are technically slot machines including within their cabinets the ability to set and provide odds of winning with a random number generator. A workforce of slot mechanics adjust the odds of winning periodically as directed by the casino operator.

In general, there is a limited number of settings available for these older slot machines. Youtube videos are available from individuals who have personally purchased an older style, standalone slot machine showing exactly how these odds are set.

For those videos I have viewed, there were six possible settings which could be entered after opening up the slot machine door. These settings were based on codes from a booklet provided by the slot machine manufacturer.

Keep in mind that videos such as these are the general source of knowledge most people have about the internal workings of slot machines. Employees of slot machine manufacturers and casinos with access to these payout settings simply aren’t sharing this information due to non-disclosure agreements and other legal restrictions.

Besides which, accessing the control for changing the odds of a slot machine is quite problematic. The slot machine is alarmed, so any tampering without official access (employee card key, entry code, physical key) are required to even open a slot machine door. Not to mention, the casino surveillance system sees all.

Discussing the three types of progressive slot machines mentioned will be the dedicated topic for another time. I’d discuss how the ownership of these progressive slot machines matters with regards to how the odds of winning are set. Briefly, the amount of the progressive jackpot is primarily based on how many slot machines are included.

For instance, these can be a carousel of slot machines in a certain area of a casino, it can be a larger number of slot machines located throughout a casino, or a large group of progressive slot machines located at multiple casinos.

These large group could actually be of two types: multiple properties of the same casino operator, or multiple casino operators, within a single gaming jurisdiction, i.E., state.

Already discussed are slot machines remotely controlled onsite at a casino through the use of a central computer operating system. Only new or heavily renovated casinos have the facility infrastructure to handle the sheer number of cables necessary.

If they are controlled onsite, these slot machines have their odds of winning adjusted daily or hourly by remote access. How often these adjustments are made is, rather unfortunately at this time, a matter of debate.

I’m currently trying to track down state legal requirements of which I’d heard rumors. The rumor I heard was that a slot machine must be idle for at least 15 minutes without a players card being inserted before the casino is allowed, if desired, to remotely adjust its odds of winning. Further, the rumor stated that this practice was typical and originally based on nevada gaming regulations.

However, this rumor doesn’t pass the so-called smell test. At this time, I’ve currently reviewed state gaming regulations for over 38 U.S. States, territories, or a federal district. I’ve yet to find any substantiation for this rumor. Alternatively, it may well be an accepted business practice built-in to the advanced casino operating systems.

Why do I feel strongly that slots players are protected from having their odds of winnings reduced while playing? It’s simple – the state control board controls the odds of winning on slot machines, and everything I’ve seen, read, and studied tells me they work for you.

I just can’t imagine state gaming commissions would allow something this untoward, this nefarious even, to occur. They have careful casino operating system approval processes in place to prevent it, they watch casino operations like hawks (often from within the casino), and any casino that decides not to be fully compliant is in for a world of hurt if/when caught.

Finally, there are slot machines having their odds controlled off-site by state gaming regulators. These are most or all video lottery terminals style slot machines.

Video lottery terminals are, as their name implies, instant lottery machines. That means they are controlled by the state lottery, which is set up to remotely handle many, many such terminals at any given moment.

Identifying who controls slot machine odds

Who controls slot machine odds at a casino you are considering whether or not to visit? Who controls slot machine odds on the slot machine you’re sitting at?

As I’ve discussed before, both on my webpage assessing casinos as well as professor slots podcast episode #3: assessing casinos, alaska slots 2017, deciding which local casino you want to spend your time at is an important decision for determining your baseline success at slots.

So, you’ll likely want to know who controls slot machine odds when you’re choosing between, for instance, an older, pre-2012 casino with standalone slot machines or a racino with many new video slot machines.

The top level choice is really about your own gambling goals, as also discussed on my webpage identifying gambling goals or, alternatively, within professor slots podcast episode #5: identifying gambling goals, arizona slots 2017.

But, whether your gambling goal is entertainment, earning maximum comps, or take-home money, having better odds of winning on a slot machine will help accomplish that goal. So, ignoring other important considerations such as drive time, the spread of the buffet, players club, and etc., the type of slot machine is definitely a consideration.

Casinos with standalone slot machines where the actual machine in front of you has its own dedicated random number generator is relatively easily determined. Ask someone, how old is the casino?

Or, if you don’t want to ask someone or look it up online, just take a look at the slot machine in front of you. Specifically, look at the player card interface area. What does its display look like? Is it a touchscreen display?

Or an LED display like those seen outside of a bank showing the time and temperature for a passerby to see? If it’s a touchscreen, the slot machine is most likely not standalone. If it’s an LED, it most likely is a standalone slot machine.

Determining whether or not a progressive slot machine is connected to a single carousel, across several carousels within a casino, across several casinos owned by a single casino operator, or across several casino operator properties will be, as previously mentioned, the topic of an upcoming post.

Next up are non-video slot machines with touchscreens at the players card interface. These are all slot machines centrally controlled by a computer onsite at the casino. You can confirm this by learning the date of the casino’s original opening or when it was last heavily renovated.

Keep in mind that a very few casinos have both, assuming they have expanded their original structure not by renovating it, but by building a new casino facility right next to it.

This is the case with foxwoods resort, which is itself an older style casino. However, they recently build fox tower right next to it, which is a newer style casino.

Finally, there are video slot machines. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to tell the difference between a video slot machine and a video lottery terminal. A video slot machine is controlled onsite by the central computer at the casino. A video lottery terminal is controlled offsite by the state lottery.

The only sure way to tell the difference between these two slot machine types is to take a look at what the state gaming commission says they are at that casino.

For instance, in ohio, there are currently 4 commercial casino resorts and 7 pari-mutual racinos. The 4 casinos have traditional reel and video slot machines all controlled by a central computer located onsite.

However, ohio’s seven racinos have a mix of traditional reel and video lottery terminals slot machines. The traditional reel slot machines are controlled onsite with a central computer while all of the video lottery terminals, which externally look exactly like video slot machines, are controlled offsite by the state lottery’s central computer systems.

Does it really matter who controls slot machine odds? Yes!!

With this improved understanding of how casinos work, let’s consider these two facts. First, that there are types of slot machines, specifically those that are standalone or remotely controlled by casino operator or state. Second, that there are the several ways slot machines can have their odds of winning set on an ongoing basis, depending on their specific type.

So yes, actually, it does matter who controls slot machine odds. Why? Because this is where patterns of winning are found. When slot machines are set up to be as random as possible, and that assigned level of randomness is unchanged over days and weeks, then long-term statistical principles rule.

Meaning, on average over the long haul, people will always loss money playing slots. Put another way, profits are only possible in the short term.. This specifically applies to all slot machines controlled by the state, such as video lottery terminals.

However, when the odds are changed hourly or set over 100% for promotional purposes, then there are better times to play a slot machine – and all that slot enthusiasts need do is figure out when that better time is in order to win more and, potentially, make some level of profit. That’s what I did: I made a profit at slots by looking for and finding winning patterns, when I won 90 taxable jackpots in 9 months.

Only casino operators change their odds hourly or deliberately adjust them for promotional purposes. The state has no need or desire to do so, getting their money no matter what, while the casino is a business, with stockholders and a board of directors, obligated to try to succeed financially.

The casino puts in the time and energy to hit their financial performance metrics. The casinos hire the best general manager who themselves hire the best possible team.

Put another way, the casino has a business need to adjust the odds of winning on their slot machines to eke out a living while the state only needs to be patient. Businesses are not patient – they try things in their ongoing quest for success.

And, really, that struggle is what has changed since around 2012 with the technology behind the winning odds of slot machines. Casinos are always trying new things. And, when they have control over setting the odds on slot machines, they adjust them to try to succeed.

Before 2012, this amounted to increasing the odds of winning to be over 100% on a single slot machine near a busy area in their casino, as a promotional tool with its own limited budget.

With the new casino operating technologies, casinos have been given a finer control over setting those odds. This has allowed them to try new things, which they very much like to do. These new things are to adjust the odds on slot machines more often than ever before.

In financial terms, they’re trying to tune their financial performance metrics on a daily or even hourly basis, something that was never before possible.

I’ve never worked for a casino, so have never been pitched a new casino operating system by a slot machine manufacturer’s sales team. But, it’s obvious that this “tuning” is part of the pitch being made to casino operators. Without having seen it, how can I believe this? Simple. I’ve won a lot at slots through pattern recognition.

What’s happened is that, and it matters not at all how it came about, casinos have obviously bought into the idea of finely tuning their financial performance metrics.

In the case of slot machines, which is the only game as casino offers that I’m interested in, they’ve broken the long-term constant randomness of the odds of winning on a slot machine. Therefore, as all statisticians know, patterns emerge.

So, again, yes it does matter who controls slot machine odds, because those controlled by the casino have had their randomness broken. It matters because slots enthusiasts can look for emerging patterns on these casino-controlled machines, then use them to win more.

In the future, I’ll talk more about the winning patterns I’ve found using this understanding. In the meantime, I hope I’ve made it clear how and why they exist.

Summary of can you guess who controls slot machine odds?

In summary, who controls slot machine odds is answered by understanding they are controlled by the machine, the casino staff, both, possibly the state if the machine is a video lottery terminal, and by slot machine manufacturers themselves in the case of most progressive slot machines.

This control over the odds of winning was historically a mechanical device supplanted by an electronic random number generator invented in 1984, afterwards allowing slots machines to be developed having more credits, denominations, and pay lines as well as higher jackpots.

There’s currently older-style casinos with standalone slot machines and newer-style casinos built to have the facility infrastructure necessary for physically wiring up their slot machines to be remotely controlled by a computer server.

I’ve discussed how to tell the difference, as well as explained how slot machines can be remotely controlled by the casino or, in the case of video lottery terminals, by computers established for this purpose by the state lottery agency.

Finally, I’ve discussed if any of this matters to slots enthusiasts looking for an advantage. It does matter. In essence, any slot machines with odds of winning directly controlled by a casino have patterns of winning because casinos keep adjusting those odds to meet their financial performance metrics.

These patterns make it possible for savvy slots enthusiasts to improve their own gambling performance.

Are casinos able to change slot payouts?

Casinos are not able to change slot payouts, slot machines come with an already set payout percentage, when a casino places an order for a slot it specifies the long-term payout percentage it wants. Although, depending on the jurisdiction the casino may or may not be able to change the payback percentages at a later stage.

For example, in nevada, casinos are able to change the slot payout percentages by ordering a new chip from the manufacturer, the chips in the slot machines are then swapped and it is only allowed when all the appropriate paperwork is filled with the state to inform them of the change. Some of the later model slot machines support downloadable software, should a casino request a change in payout percentages the software can be sent via a central server and the slot machine can be updated without physically being opened. Yet there are strict rules in place regarding software changes and the casino is unable to make these changes on any slot while anyone is playing on it.

What is the immediate payback percentage on slots?

What can casinos change via the configuration menu?

What are the typical payout percentages on slots?

When it comes to slots the house edge or advantage is replaced by the payback percentage, these vary from one software supplier to the next and from one slot to the other. Some of the most popular online slots offer a payback percentage of 99%, which is much higher than that offered by land-based slot machines, which offer around 79% to 85% on average. It is most important to remember the theoretical payout percentage are calculated over an extended time-period.

Doug holmes author

Doug is a passionate slot fan and an expert in the gaming industry and has written extensively about online slot games and various other related information pertaining to online slots. In his spare time, he enjoys time with friends and family, reading, travelling, and of course, playing the slots.

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Do casinos change payouts on the same slot machine?

QUESTION: in illinois or las vegas, is it legal for slot machine programmers to vary the odds that a machine will allow a player to reach the bonus round depending on how many credits per line they play?

Let's say I play a penny machine (or any denomination really) where I can play up to 40 lines at once, and 1 to 5 credits per line. If I choose to play all 40 lines, can the machine be set to vary the odds that I will get the typically required three symbols to enter the bonus depending on if I play one credit per line or five?

ANSWER: if the bonus round is launched by symbols -- such as the three noisemakers on jackpot party or the three fishing lures on reel 'em in -- then the odds of going to the bonus round are the same no matter how many credits you bet per line. To change the frequency of bonus launches would mean changing the number set available to the random number generator, or changing the way random numbers are mapped to reel symbols. Both are illegal.

There are a few bonus events could be made to come up more often for bigger bettors. One is if players go to the bonus round only if the launch symbols land on an active payline. In that case, those who bet all the paylines would go to the bonus event more often than those who play fewer lines. However, a player who plays all the line with one coin wagered on each will go to the bonus as often as those who bet maximum credits.

Another way is to require a separate wager to be eligible for the bonus event. Sometimes you'll see a game with buttons that say "bet 1 line," "bet 5 lines," "bet 10 lines," "bet 20 lines," and "bet 20 lines plus feature," or some similar combination. All those who make the bet on the feature have an equal chance of going to the bonus event. Those who do not make the feature bet cannot go to the bonus. Sometimes that means a smaller bettor has bonus chances and a bigger bettor does not. If I bet one coin for each of 20 lines and make a 10-credit bonus feature wager, I bet a total of 30 coins and can get to the bonus. If you bet 10 coins for each of 20 lines but don't kick in the extra 10 credits, then you're wagering 200 credits and can't go to the bonus feature at all. If you find yourself at such a machine, either make sure you make the bonus bet or move to a different game. Don't play without being eligible for the bonus events that are the main attraction of the games.

The third way to give bigger bettors a better chance of reaching the bonus is with mystery triggers. The mystery is that the bonus feature isn't linked to any symbols on the screen. It just turns up without you knowing how and why. One way it can be done is to randomly select a wager threshold. The RNG can be told to select a wager total between 1,000 and 1,200 credits, for example. If it selects 1,083 credits, then after the bet that pushes the total to at least 1,083, the bonus will show up.

With such programming, every player has a chance of making the wager that reaches the bonus threshold. However, those who wager more have more chances. If I bet 20 coins, then I have 20 chances of being the one to reach the 1,083 total, while if you bet 200 credits, you have 200 chances of one of your credits being the lucky one. So bigger bettors have a bigger chance at triggering the mystery round.

QUESTION: as of last tuesday, jumer's casino in rock island, ill., offered 10/7/5 double bonus poker. However, both the straight flush and mid-grade quad (2s, 3s, 4s) only paid 239 units (quarter machine) on a five-unit bet.

These were not progressive machines. The straight flush/mid-quad payouts did not change.

Was this disastrous for a midwest player risking a small video poker bankroll?

Are the 9/6/5 double bonus games a few miles away in iowa a better play?

ANSWER: dropping the 250-coin pays to 239 drops 10/7 double bonus from 100.17% with expert play to 99.8%. That's still far than the 97.95 on 9/6/5 double bonus. Dropping the paybacks on the more common full houses and flushes is far more damaging than the reduced returns on some quads.

The reason it's done is that illinois regulations say no machine may pay more than 100%, and it's the theoretical payback they use in enforcing the regulation. In practice, few people play double bonus well enough to get 100%. The average player gets about 3% less. Nonetheless, the full-pay game is illegal in illinois.

G aming G uru

In reply to changing slot payouts

Many times, I have been asked if casinos can 'flip a switch' or in any way change the payout percentage of slots. My reply has been that in regulated gaming jurisdictions, a casino is discouraged from this practice with heavy penalties including revocation of their license; thus resulting in a huge financial loss and detriment to their reputation.

John, a very diligent reader from british columbia, canada received the following reply from the british columbia lottery corp that oversees all casinos in that province. I found it enlightening and supportive of my stance as stated above. This data should be of interest to all slot players in the US and canada.

Subject: re: slot machine inquiry

The slot machines are owned and operated by the british columbia lottery corporation. To date, BCLC has installed 2,399 slot machines:

• 65% are .25 cent machines


• 35% are $1 machines

These slot machines were purchased from three licensed companies through a competitive process: IGT, bally and williams, who currently supply more than 90% of the slot machines available at canadian casinos. BCLC controls the selection of the games and their prize return percentages. In general, prize return percentages are similar to those of slot machines available in other canadian casinos. That means players can expect .25 cent games to pay out at random in the 90% range and $1 games to pay out at random in the 92% range over the life of the game. To ensure security and integrity, every slot machine is connected to a central slot management system, casinolink.

The central management system allows BCLC to manage and control any slot machine in any casino within the province. The central slot management system:

• Controls when each machine is able to be played.


• Ensures the prize return "computer chip" in each machine is not altered.


• Keeps track of every time a given machine is accessed.


• Records all financial transactions for each machine, including coins in, games played, coins out, wins and coin fills and determines how much money is in each machine at end of day.

Two independent testing laboratories are contracted to test and certify every slot machine game, plus authenticate the casinolink software program. Both of these testing laboratories were selected for their expertise in this field and both are registered with GAIO.

John also asked this question: 'what you are saying is nobody that works at the casino can tamper with the slots without you knowing? I know the machines are shut down, what about then?'

BCLC: yes, I am telling you that our slot management system reports all slot machine door openings to the central system. No one can tamper with the slot machines without the slot machine management system generating an alarm. This is also the case when the casinos are shut down. There are a number of safeguards in place to ensure that the slot machines are not tampered with in anyway, some of these include:

• The central slot machine management system would generate an alarm if any of the alarmed areas of the slot machine were to be tampered with.


• A number of keys are required to access different areas of the slot machine. These keys are strictly controlled. (it would take more than one person to access any of the computer chips controlling the game chips).


• Casino personnel are not in possession of game chips or access to keys to the logic compartment of a slot machine. These keys are strictly controlled and only accessible to selected BCLC employees.


• Security personnel in the casino.


• Surveillance cameras on the casino gaming floor recording all activities in real time and recorded on dedicated VCR'S.


• If there had been an attempt to gain access to the "computer chip" area of the slot machine that particular slot machine would not power up.

As mentioned in my previous message our systems are tested by independent testing laboratories. I trust the above answers your questions.

My reply to john: I tend to believe what has been said--sounds like the strict controls in nevada and new jersey. At least they offer specifics and a lot more information than you will get from most gaming jurisdictions. I would like to reprint this data as a good example of communication between a gaming commission and casino players. Believe me, john you are very fortunate in getting them a) to reply and b) being specific. Thanks again for the info. Gayle.

Can casinos actually loosen or tighten slot payouts?

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Here I have written the answer for your doubt and for more information check out this .

Those of us who try our luck on the slots at foxwoods or mohegan sun hope the next pull of the lever will be life changing. But what are the odds you’ll really walk away with cash?

Connecticut’s two tribal casinos rank in the middle of the pack in terms of slot payouts when compared with other states around the country.

According to the connecticut gaming commission, foxwoods' slot payout average is 91.85 percent. Mohegan sun pays back at a rate of 91.71 percent. That means connecticut has the eighth-highest payout rate of the 20 states requiring casinos to report.

The best payout percentage by state is in neighboring new york. The empire state, with its nine reporting casinos, pays back 93.75 percent. Resorts world in queens, new york, pays the highest returns, at 95.05 percent.

It’s not an exact science. Most states include video poker, keno and video blackjack in their percentages, which tend to give better odds. Connecticut is the only state to include only slots. States like nevada and louisiana report area averages, not individual casinos. Other states, like new york and florida, exempt tribes from reporting.

The NBC connecticut troubleshooters sorted through slot revenue reports submitted to gaming, lottery and racing commissions for all reporting states. The troubleshooters found that the areas with more competition tend to pay out higher averages.

Also, the lower the denomination, the lower the payback. Penny slots at both connecticut casinos pay lower than 90 percent and receive almost half the total money wagered. The highest payouts at foxwoods are the multi-denomination machines. They pay out 95.77 percent. Mohegan sun’s $10 machines return 96.96 percent.

Mohegan sun president bobby soper argues his casino is as competitive as any around the country. He points out the economy and amount of free play credits they give to entice bettors plays a big part in keeping them from being even higher on the list.

"there are certainly a higher percentage of penny machines and nickel machines than previous," said soper. "that across the board, across the industry is going to drive hold percentage."

This investigation comes at a time when connecticut is exploring the option of allowing foxwoods and mohegan sun to jointly operate a third state casino, off tribal land, north of hartford.

Locations being considered include the enfield square mall, the bradley off-track betting property in windsor locks and the former showcase cinemas property in east windsor.

The legislature approved the right for tribes to consider proposals from towns willing to host a satellite casino. Soper expects its cost could save thousands of jobs in the state and cost close to $300 million. It will include slots, table games and a poker room.

Soper hopes to see it as close to the connecticut border as possible. Just 5 miles from the border, MGM is building a $1 billion resort casino in springfield. A spokesman for MGM estimates its slot payouts will be in the mid-90 percent.

State sen. John kissel believes casino expansion is bad policy. He argues a casino in his area of north central connecticut will not stop people, especially high-end gamblers, from traveling to springfield.

"they’re aware of payouts and they’re going to travel," said kissel, a republican from enfield. "if massachusetts is better than connecticut, all the high-end gamblers are going to massachusetts and the people that are struggling to just make ends meet are going to end up in north central connecticut."

In connecticut, the tribes are required to pay 25 percent of all slot revenue to the state. They don’t need to pay anything on table games. The state has received nearly $7 billion total since mohegan sun and foxwoods opened in the 1990s.

Can casinos control slot machine payouts?

With modern slot machine technology now relying on computer generated outcomes, it’s very easy for players to assume that the casino has all the power when it comes to winning.

However, though it is said that “the house always wins”, this is in itself a myth, and it’s been proven by science.

How slot machines distribute your winnings

Your chances of winning are affected by a lot of different factors, but the big guys in the head office of the casino are not one of them!

Certainly, if a casino has reason to suspect that a player may be behaving inappropriately, for example by counting cards, then they have a right to eject them – but slot machine odds cannot be turned on and off with the flick of a switch.

Many players theorise that slot machines have “hot” and “cold” periods, but again, this is all theory. The outcomes of slot machines are entirely random, so while it might feel like you’re in for a win if you’ve been playing for hours, it’s really no more likely than if you’d been playing for 10 minutes.

Random number generators

The reason for this is random number generators. Slot machines use random number generated technology to randomly display up to two billion different outcomes on every game, and these do not depend on the outcomes of any previous games.

Today’s random number generators are all computer generated, with land-based casinos favouring the slightly older hardware number generator technology.

This uses an external device to generate outcomes, whereas newer technology such as pseudorandom generators generates numbers by adding, multiplying, subtracting or dividing from previous numbers.

Reels and par sheets

The amount of reels is more likely to have an effect on your winnings than the casino operators. In land-based casinos, reels can come in sets of three or five, which in turn affects the probability of symbols matching up – the less likely the probability of a matching combo, the higher the payout.

All symbols are given their own individual “weighting” – if they are a bonus symbol, for example, then they will be given less weighting than others, as their payouts are higher.

The weighting of each symbol is pre-programmed, so it cannot be changed, and naturally, it makes sense for rarer symbols to offer much less favourable odds as their prize values can be very high.

The weight is determined by a “par sheet” which sets the odds and is controlled by the operators. Again, this cannot be changed easily, and there is always a weighting in favour of the operators, but it is fun to try!

The exception to the rule

Technically speaking, casino operators could change the odds on their slot machines, but they would have little reason for doing so. This could deter players from playing if the odds worsen, and they would also need permission from the relevant gambling authorities in their region.

In sum, there’s nothing sinister involved – it’s all a game of chance.

Katie thompson is an NCTJ-trained journalist and freelance online gaming writer. She enjoys researching the igaming industry and writing comprehensive guides on the history of gambling, beating the dealer and even how to get bingo dauber stains out of your favourite shirt.

So, let's see, what we have: what can casinos change on a slot machine? Can the software in a slot machine change the results from the RNG? At can casinos adjust slot machine payouts