If you’re a regular player of slot machines at land-based or online casinos, you have probably heard at some point or another that it’s never a good idea to play a slot that has just paid out a jackpot. The consensus is that it will not pay out again anytime soon. On the flip side, others believe you should stick around as the slot is ‘hot’ and that it will continue to payout.
However, what is the truth? Let’s say that you have been playing at one of the best slots sites in the USA from this list and one of them pays out its jackpot. What should you do? This article should give you the answer to that question, so why not read on?
Should You Leave a Slot Machine After Winning a Big Payout?
Yes, but not because you think it might not pay out again. You should leave the machine just so you can call it a night and lock the win in as part of good bankroll management. Why would you want to risk giving back what you have won? However, while it is good advice to bank any big win, you could stick around on the same machine and you might still bring in further wins.
In truth, there is no such thing as a video slot that runs hot or cold. A video slot can indeed payout again after it hits a jackpot, even on the very next spin. It is not unheard of that slots have paid jackpots on consecutive spins. It’s just improbable. Then again, the slot may not pay out big again for a few weeks. This is because every spin is random and independent of each other.
Slots Use RNG Software to Determine When and How Much They Payout
When you’re playing roulette, blackjack, craps or any other table game at a land-based casino or via live casino games at an online casino, you see the results determined by the laws of physics. The dealer will shuffle a pack of cards, a player will roll the dice, and a croupier will throw a ball onto a roulette wheel. You see the results with your own eyes. This is because there are physical components to each game, which means there is no need for software to determine the results.
Online slots and modern video slots work differently. The results you see are determined by random number generator (RNG) software. This software replicates the same randomness that you get when playing any other casino game. This software spins through billions of different combinations per second and the combination you hit when you press spin will either win you nothing or payout a small, medium, or even a jackpot.
Many digital games will use RNGs and not just those at the online casinos. The results when playing mobile puzzle games like Candy Crush are also determined by RNG software. So when you’re learning how to play Solitaire or any other online game and wondering how the game replicates the randomness of the cards drawn, now you know.
Software Ensures That Slots Will Always Make Money for the Casino
It is important to understand that, while RNG software delivers random results, slot machines will always make profits in the long run. Like all other types of casino games, slots use mathematics to ensure they earn casinos money. All games have a house edge or an RTP (return to player) percentage that determines how much they will pay out of the money they have brought in over an extended period of time.
Depending on the game or the bets placed, the house could have an edge of at least 1% to 15%. That percentage is the expected profit of a game over an extended period of time. It is how much of the bets it will keep while the remaining 85% to 99% is paid back out to players.
Table games will gain this edge via the odds and payouts it offers. For example, in European Roulette, the house’s edge comes from the single ‘0’ section. It negates all bets unless you directly bet on it. It’s not an odd or even number and it’s not black or red, etc. This section gives the game a 2.7% house edge or an RTP of 97.3%.
In slots, the RTP is pre-programmed by the developers and will be anywhere between 92% and 99% depending on the title. So, if a slot with an RTP of 95% receives $1,000 in wagers over a set period, it will pay back $950 on average. This does not mean you will always get 95% of your money back as the RNG determines which players get lucky and which do not. One player could double his money while another could lose his entire bankroll.
The Takeaway – Should You Run or Should You Stay?
As explained above, you can do either, as neither will influence what the next spin will produce. Each spin is random and independent of another. You might walk away and the next player spins in another jackpot, or it might not pay out again for days. This randomness is why there is no such thing as a skilled slots player. You cannot learn skills as you might for a tech career, playing football, or playing your favourite video games. You have no control over the results and just have to hope that the RNG randomly lands you the big win you were hoping for.
