Want to play slots but are struggling to sort the fact from the fiction? Many clickbait articles claim to offer insider tips on how to play these casino games to increase your chances of winning.
As the internet is filled with misinformation on this topic, finding the truth is tricky.
Help is at hand. We’ve debunked the most common slot machine myths to clear things up, with help from the team at NoDepositCasino.com.
Land-based machines pay out more often than online slots
This is an entirely false claim. In fact, the opposite is true: most online slots have a higher RTP (Return To Player) percentage than physical gaming machines. Slots at online casinos usually have an RTP of around 95-97%, while most land-based games have a 70% RTP.
Online gambling sites can provide you with more generous slots because they have much cheaper maintenance costs than physical establishments. Moreover, online providers also offer you free-play promotions that can improve your chances of winning. Top no deposit online casinos usually welcome new players with free spins just for opening an account with no payment required – this rarely happens at brick-and-mortar establishments.
Stopping the reels mid-spin increases your chances of winning
If you think stopping the reels has given you an edge when playing slots over the years, we hate to break to you – it’s completely false. Stopping the reels makes no difference to the outcome because as soon as you’ve hit spin, a complex algorithm instantly determines the final result.
Like online slots, physical machines use RNG (Random Number Generator) technology to ensure that each spin is unique. Therefore, stopping the reels mid-spin does absolutely nothing to improve your chances of winning.
Machines with levers are better than those with buttons
Although playing a game with a lever might slow down your play, it won’t increase your chances of winning. The only thing it might decrease is the average amount you lose per hour. But this is because you might wager less. For example, imagine you’re playing at a rate of 400 spins per hour when pressing the button, but by playing a lever game, you’ve managed 300 spins an hour. If you’re playing dollar machines with a payback percentage of 94%, you can expect (mathematically) to lose $24 per hour by pushing the button. However, you’ll only lose (on average, mathematically) $18 per hour when playing a game with a lever. Be aware that we’re talking on average – as the RNG software determines the outcome of every spin, you could win far more or far less within an hour of spinning the reels.
Slots go through hot and cold phases
Maybe you’ve thought slots go through hot and cold phases after landing a few big wins in a row. However, the random programming of these casino games means that this is impossible. Whether you’re playing online or on the Las Vegas Strip, it takes thousands of spins to determine the pay-out average. So, if you go on a winning or losing streak when spinning the reels of your favorite game, remember that it has nothing to do with the machine you’re playing.
Hitting the jackpot decreases your chances of winning
After landing a jackpot prize, many think that because it’s paid out, you won’t win anything from the slot for a while after. Once again, as the outcome of each spin is entirely random, this is a slot machine myth. Be aware that even if you win the top cash prize, your chances of winning more money with the next spin are the same.
You can’t increase your chances of winning on slots
This isn’t exactly true. Although you can’t force the reels to land how you want, you can play slot machines with a high RTP, which give you more wins. For example, low-volatility games – such as Starburst by NetEnt – payout more often than high-volatility slot machines like Jokerizer by Yggdrasil. Keep in mind, however, that although low-volatility games pay out more, the cash prizes are significantly smaller than slots with a higher volatility.
The slot machine’s location matters
Many self-proclaimed experts claim that the loosest machines are set on the aisles of the slot banks because they’ll attract more players when placed there. Although there may have been a scrap of truth in this at one time, it’s certainly not the case today. As mentioned before, modern slot games use RNG software to ensure the outcome of each game is fair. Casino owners don’t do this out of the kindness of their own hearts – they do it to comply with licensing regulations.
