How do Casino Slots Work?
Here in Canada and throughout the world, it’s no secret that slot machines beat all the other games at the casino hands down when it comes to popularity. Casino slots made the jump from land-based to online seamlessly, with computer screen, and more recently mobiles too, providing the perfect interface to spin the reels. Without the restrictions of a physical machine, games developers have allowed their imaginations to run wild and create a staggering range of innovative and entertaining games for the playing public to enjoy.
The casino slot market is flourishing, but how many of us really know the ins and outs of how slots work? Slot machines may be games of chance rather than skill, but if you have an understanding of the ins and outs of how they function, you can play a little smarter and maybe increase your chances of making a return. This is the place to learn all about the workings of the modern online slot, and you can be sure that they have come a long way from the simple machines that they used to be.
If terms such as paylines, scatters, wilds, and random number generator slots leave you scratching your head, then look no further. Here is an in-depth look at all aspects of online slots, to help you get the most out of your favourite casino games, and find common expressions like betting lines explained. Find out how the machines remain fair, what the betting options are, and how to choose the best type of slot to play, with our comprehensive guide to the world’s most popular online casino game category.
What Makes up an Online Slot Machine?
So, how do slot machines work? There are a vast number of slots on the market today, each with its own unique theme, immersive graphics and distinctive soundtrack. Despite these different visual styles, all slots have a few things in common, so before you start playing it’s important to familiarize yourself with these common factors.
The Pay Table
Here you will find all the information on how the slot machine pays out, including the winning symbol combinations and how much you can expect back based on the coin size. As online slots become ever more sophisticated and complex, the pay table can be a little confusing as it contains so much information. Even though the calculations of wins and losses are automatic, it’s still a good idea to have a look through the pay table before you start spinning the reels.
The Reels
This is where it all happens, the place where the winning or losing symbols are displayed after the player spins. Traditional physical machines had three reels, but online slots are more likely to have five or sometimes more. The reels are at the heart of the game – it’s these that you will watch as they spin and wait to see where they fall.
The Paylines
It used to be that in order to win, a player simply needed to line up three matching symbols across the centre of the reels in a single horizontal payline. These days, slot paylines are a little more complicated, so much so that it needs a separate section to explain them, which you can find below.
All slots will also clearly display the balance, which is the money available to play with, the value of each coin and how many are being wagered with each spin, and of course the spin button itself, which is hit to start the reels turning. Many of today’s online slots also include a button which allows you to place the maximum bet for a single spin, which can be used when chasing the big prizes.
What is a Payline?
One of the ways in which modern online slots have branched out dramatically from their predecessors is in the number of different winning combinations. A payline is a combination of symbols on the reel that wins money, and the precursors of today’s slots used to have one very simple payline, which was a set of matching symbols lined up along the centre of the reels. These days, most online slots have five reels and there are different winning combinations available, which can go straight, diagonally or zig-zag across the reels. It’s not unusual for online slots to have 25 possible paylines or more, details of which can be found in the pay table.
Some online slots will automatically include all possible paylines when spinning the reels, whereas others ask the bettor to select how many paylines they want to bet on. The maximum bet per spin is when the player selects the highest coin value they can and bet on all paylines at once. This is a high-risk strategy, but if it pays off it can result in some serious winnings.
Multi-Line Paylines vs Traditional Paylines
Arguably the most significant evolution of the online casino is in the playlines on different slot types, also known as betting lines. Traditional three reel slots with twenty symbols on each reel had 8,000 possible combinations of symbols, and the machine would pay out only if a winning combo was displayed across the centre of the three reels. Some seek out traditional slots like these for their simplicity, and indeed there are some classic slots available in online casinos for those who prefer to keep things uncomplicated.
For the rest, multi-line paylines are one of the most exciting things about playing slots. As well as providing multiple ways in which to win on a spin, it also allows customers to have a lot more control over their bankroll, and to experiment and try out new slots without risking too much. If a player on a multi-playline slot chooses to bet small and only on a single payline, then they can play for much longer with lower risk. On the other hand, if they want to increase their chances of winning, they can bet on multiple paylines. For those seeking the thrill of a high-roll, choosing the maximum bet option will place the highest bet on every payline.
Digital reels are not constrained by physical space, so it is possible to have hundreds of symbols on each, which creates millions of possible combinations. While this fact alone does nothing to increase the chances of winning, when in combination with the multiple paylines, it makes the playing experience that much more dynamic and engaging.
What is a Random Number Generator?
The random number generator used in slot machines is the technology that ensures that all the games are entirely fair and not influenced by the casino. Operators do not gain their house edge by rigging the machine so that it’s less likely to land on a winning combo, despite what some people believe. In fact, the house edge is gained only by paying out at slightly less than the true odds on a win, and by controlling the return to player (RTP) ratio. Every time the reels are spun, the order in which the symbols land is determined by the slot machine random number generator.
RNG software is used for a variety of purposes where it is desirable to have a completely random outcome, such as encryption or taking statistical samples. A very simple way of generating a random number is to throw a die. There is no way of predicting which number between one and six will come up on each throw. Of course, the numbers needed for a random number generator slot machine are more complex, but the principle remains the same.
Slot Machine RNG Algorithm
The algorithm that controls the slot machine RNG is a little too complex to explain in great detail, so the more mathematically-minded of us may want to look elsewhere for an in-depth breakdown of the slot machine RNG algorithm. A simplified version of the process is that the RNG is constantly producing random sequences of numbers every few milliseconds. Each symbol is assigned a numerical value, and when the player hits the spin button, the random number that the RNG has created at that millisecond corresponds to the symbols that will be displayed on the reels. This means that the outcome is determined by the exact moment that the player presses start. Each spin is totally unrelated, and the outcome is not influenced by whether the previous spins resulted in a win or a loss.
Looking in a little more detail, it can be said that the RNG used in slot machines is not truly and completely random, purely due to the algorithm that controls it. This is created by taking the last number and applying a certain mathematical operation to it – for example multiplying it by eight and then dividing it by three – in order to get the next number. This means that there is a connection between one number and the next, but it is not predictable or pre-programmed, and the numbers are generated so rapidly that the outcome is a sequence of numbers that create a fair basis for how the reels fall. In reality, the RNGs used in slots are as random as it is possible to make a computer program.
Gaming Fairness & Testing Companies
Customers at online casinos demand security and peace of mind when using online slots. After all, there is money and player experience at stake, and everyone wants the games to be both fun and fair, and to be able to trust the casino where they spend their leisure time. In order to ensure that players get the fairness they deserve, monitoring of the games and RNGs is conducted by independent specialist companies.
All reputable online operators employ the services of one or more of a group of gaming fairness and testing companies who operate around the world. If a casino does not have its games frequently audited by a recognized regulatory body, it will be unable to hold a license from a trustworthy organization such as the Malta Gaming Authority, the UK Gambling Commission or the Kahnawake Gaming Commission here in Canada.
There are eight leading companies providing these testing services for online casinos, some of which have been working with games regulation since before the birth of online gambling. The most highly-respected of these is probably eCOGRA, eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance, which is based in the UK and has quickly built up a reputation as one of the best in the industry. Other such companies include Australia’s iTech Labs, and international bodies such as Gaming Associates, SQS and BMM Testlabs.
One of the Independent Test Labs that works closely with the Canadian market is Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), which was established in 1989 to help regulate the US video lottery. It has since grown to work in more that 500 international and domestic jurisdictions, and it has acquired other gaming and fairness testing companies such as Technical Systems Testing (TST) and NMi Gaming.
At SlotsCanada.ca we only include casinos that have been tested and deemed fair to players.
Slot Machine Symbols & Meaning
When we look at the symbols used in the online slots available to today’s players, we can see that the developers have let their imaginations run wild. We can find slot machine symbols of almost anything conceivable, and these symbols fit in with the theme of the slot. However, there are still some classic symbols that will be familiar to all, and these slot machine symbols meaning have their origins in the early days of the game. Many of these symbols are fruits, such as cherries or lemons – in fact, in the UK, slots are still known as fruit machines. These symbols came about because in some places it was illegal to pay out money, so the machines dispensed fruit gum instead. The symbol on the reels corresponded to the flavour of the gum.
These days, while some slots still employ the old fruit, bells and bars symbols, it’s more likely that players will see symbols relating to the theme of their chosen game, and that there won’t be a cherry in sight. The more important thing to understand is the function of certain symbols within a game, namely scatters and wilds.
Wild symbols are easy to understand with a comparison to card games – basically a wild symbol is analogous to the joker, and it can be substituted for any other ordinary symbol. Exactly what the wild symbol is, what it can do and when it can appear will vary from game to game, and this can be found in the pay table. In some online slot games, when the wild symbol lands on the reels, there will be a bonus round.
Scatters are another special symbol that gives the player a prize, whether they land on a payline or not. These symbols are commonly used to award free spins, and in most cases they cannot be substituted for wilds.
Summary
No other casino game offers the variety and excitement that can be found in the world of online slots. Software providers spend more time creating and promoting slots than anything else, and new titles are released onto the market at a speed that is almost impossible to keep up with. The public appetite for slots doesn’t seem to be abating, so it’s important for players to know what they are doing when they select one to play on.
When looking at the question of how do casino slots work, we have seen that the games offered by reputable, licensed casinos are fair and safe, thanks to the random number generation technology employed by the software developers and casinos, and regulated by independent bodies. We’ve also looked at what a payline is, and how the multi-line payline games give players more control over their bankroll and playing style.
Some other things to keep in mind when choosing an online slot title are what is known as the volatility of the game and the return to player (RTP) ratio. These two factors are also coded into the software using the RNG technology, and they have a real effect on the potential outcome.
Volatility, or variance, refers to the way the game pays out. A high-volatility slot will pay out less frequently, but when it does, you can expect a bigger win. Conversely, a low-volatility slot will pay out smaller amounts more often. Choosing your perfect slot volatility depends on your playing style. Those who want to seek out some thrills may like to choose a higher variance game, while the low-volatility games are for those who prefer to relax and play for longer.
The RTP refers to the theoretical amount that the player will still have in their bankroll after a certain number of spins, and the higher the RTP the better. An example of how RTP works is as follows; a player using a slot with a high RTP of 97% can reasonably expect to have C$97 left on their bankroll after playing 100 bets worth C$1 each. Obviously, this calculation does not take into account any lucky big wins. The RTP is set by the casino, and the good news for online players is that the RTP on these slots is almost always significantly higher than at their brick-and-mortar counterparts. Most serious slot fans rarely settle for an RTP under 95%.
When it comes down to it, slot machines are games of chance, and you have no way of predicting the outcome of an individual spin. However, by taking a few things into consideration, it’s possible to adjust your playing style so that you protect your bankroll and give yourself more chances of striking it lucky.
