How do Slots Machines Work?

[Garf79]

History of Slots

Slot machines have been around for some time now and you may remember from one of our quizzes that the first slots machine was invented in the 1890's in America. Since then they have spread globally and over the years they have moved away from the mechanical machines with levers and buttons, to fully computerized and even virtual reality games. So how does a slot machine work, well it is a very difficult question to answer for modern machines. The first machines were cogs, levers, springs and physical reel drums but today's games are so much more and way less physical.

How Slot Machines Work

Original slots, are very similar to an old pocket watch, they are mechanical. The first “one-armed bandits” use a system of gears and levers around a central shaft the reels spin on. You have to insert a coin to be able to play.

Slot machines work like this still to this day. Once the lever is pulled or button pressed, a series of gears sart to spin at the same time three paddles are moved towards the reels. A spring-loaded cam is to move back to its original position which will stop the sequence.

The paddles make contact with the discs on which the reels can be seen, they are rotating around the central drum. Making them to spin fast until the cam has moved back in, stopping a reel one at a time, this makes it more exciting for the players as they don't know what will land.

It is the three paddles that determine if a player has won and how much. There are per-fabricated groves that allow the gears to line up and each section has a pre-set  amount to pay out if the sections line up. This is a basic overview of how old style slot machines work and how they pay out. Modern online machines basically take these "mechanics" and create a digital computer program that is displayed on your screen. You may have heard the term mechanics used by streamers or seen in chat on streams, well this is where the term "mechanics" comes from, the original old style machines.

Gambling is ever more moving online and in casinos the computerized slots that you play are hooked up to the internet. Doing this allows players to have a chance of communal jackpots and it gives regulators a clear read of of data. Having a clear record on data is key to ensure that the RNG and RTP are as stated giving players as fair as experience as possible. Although in the long run you will always loose, machines are programmed to only pay out a set ammount. The RTP stated is how much over millions of spins will be given back to the player, so a slot with 95% RTP will pay back 95 million out of 100 million. Guaranteeing the casino a profit of 5 million-Online slots are a gold mine, casinos will always come out on top and if you think you can beat them, then think again. Best way to beat a slot is not to play it but if you do play, play for fun!