For years, slot machines have been the main attraction to casinos for many people — novice and experienced players alike. That’s still the case today, even with the advent of online slots. One of the unmissable features of many land-based casinos is the slot machine area. Here, the winning potential and thrill of potentially striking it lucky at any of the jackpot slots is what keeps casino enthusiasts coming back.

As with many casino games, people will try to understand its complexities and core mechanics to increase their chances of winning. With slots being so prominent, it makes sense to address their realities, more so some of the underlying secrets that may impact tipping the scales in your favor. 

What Is a Slot’s Win Rate?

One of the guiding factors for players when choosing a casino game to play is the winning potential associated with it, i.e., the return to player (RTP) percentage. Similarly, some players will look into a slot’s win rate to help them decide if it’s worth playing. The win rate is a term used to refer to the percentage of wagers that players can expect to win back over an extended period at a particular slot machine. The win rate is largely influenced by the game’s design and elements, such as the random number generator (RNG) algorithm, payout structure and odds.

Some of the Biggest Slot Machine Secrets

Because of how easy the rules and gameplay of slot machines are, it’s no wonder that they remain a popular live and online game casino establishments and platforms have to offer. However, across the different types of slot machines, there are some secrets worth knowing if this is your casino game of choice.

There’s No Way To Predict a Slot Machine Win

A misconception that players have is that after a certain period of time or a long losing streak, a slot machine will eventually result in a win. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Slots are entirely random.

The trick to overcoming this is to accept this truth and not wait for “the right time” to play. A win could very well come after another win.

Slot Machines Are Strategically Placed

In land-based casinos, the exterior and interior designs are strategic moves to make the casino as profitable as possible. The very nature of the casino layout is to make players want to stay and play some more. Unlike casino table games, for example, slots are typically placed in the center — an eye-grabbing area because of how easy it is to be taken by their theatrics. The longer you play, the more money the casino is likely to make from you.

The trick here is to have a budget for your slots, whether you play at a casino online or in person and stick to it.

A Win Isn’t Always a Win

If you’ve been at it the whole night, you might think that an eventual win at a slot is really a win when it’s not. Chances are, you’ve spent more money spinning the reels than you’ve made from that single win.

The trick here is always to check your bankroll. If you continuously reconcile how much you’ve spent against how much you’ve won, you’ll have a more realistic representation of your perceived wins.

Payout Tickets Aren’t for Player Convenience

The common belief is that slot winnings aren’t paid out in cash for your safety and convenience. The reality is that instead of immediately going to cash out the ticket, some players keep playing because the ticket doesn’t offer the same thrill as having physical cash in hand. This means you’ll likely spend your winnings on other casino games.

The trick to beating this? Cash out immediately after winning. You could also opt to set aside a portion of your winnings to take home as profit (or reload your bankroll) and play on with the remaining cash.

Do Simple Slots Pay Better?

Arguably one of the lesser-known facts about casinos is that simple slots actually do pay better. Elaborate designs, visuals, jingles and pretty much all the frills that are offered by some slots can be costly to maintain. Therefore, casinos tend to reduce the payout rate of these machines compared to the more basic, less flashy slots that offer simple gameplay and aren’t too costly to maintain.

How To Check an Online Slot’s Temperature

So-called hot slot machines will forever be a topic of interest for gamblers because they’re perceived as having a higher chance of making you a winner. One common way of identifying a hot slot is by examining its recent payout history. If the slot machine has paid out significant jackpots or large wins recently, it’s generally perceived as hot because it appears to be on a streak. As expected, players are likely to lean towards it in the hopes of also winning. Alternatively, you could turn to online forums and glean from what other casino enthusiasts are saying based on their personal experiences — although it’s important to note that slots (and casino games in general) are largely games of chance.

That being said, the truth is that there’s no such thing as hot and cold slot machines. Slot machine outcomes are guided by the RNG, so it’s close to impossible to predict outcomes.

Explore a Range of Online Slots at Borgata Online

While the lights and elaborate designs of physical slot machines carry a certain allure, there’s much to be enjoyed with the online variations as well. If you’re looking to put your newfound knowledge about the reality and science behind slots to the test, register at Borgata Online to access themed slots, online blackjack live dealer games and a host of other live dealer online casino games.