How Do Slot Machines Work?
The first ever slot machines were mechanical by nature and a person would
operate these in a very simple fashion. The customer would put their money in a
slot, pull a handle attached to the machine and reels with a variety of symbols
marked on them, spun in an effort to produce a result. If the
symbols lined up in a predetermined way the gambler
won money.
Mechanical machines were no more complicated than that,
and because of the limited technology of the late 19th and early 20th Century,
they could not be linked together in any manner in order for consumers to play
for an accumulated jackpot like the progressive slot machines of the late 20th
Century.
Progressive slot machines are basically one of two kinds of modern slot
machines that now dominate the modern land-based slot machine market. Powered
by electricity, they are naturally technologically superior to the now seemingly
ancient and much sought-after classic mechanical slot machines.
This superiority is emphasized most in progressive slot machines by their
capacity to be linked to other progressive slot machines so that an accumulated
jackpot can be won by gamblers playing the same game in a different casino,
city or even state.
The jackpot itself accumulates as more and more customers play the same group
of machines until somebody spins the correct combination and the jackpot is won.
The biggest single jackpot ever won in this manner was over $39,000,000 on
Megabucks slots! Some progressive slot machines are played
individually, without being linked in to any other machines.
The other kind of modern slot machines are generally referred to as flat tops
or straight tops and these machines are pretty much the same as the progressive
machines, the only difference being that flat tops reward the winner by a
predetermined amount whereas progressive machines have a jackpot that
increases by a % of each coin that is played.
Both types of these machines operate in a completely different way to the
mechanical slot machines of days gone by. Unlike their predecessors, these
machines have a computer chip deep inside their chassis which through a random
sequence, decides whether a gambler has won or lost, as soon as the ‘Spin Reels’
button is pressed.
Additionally, flashing buttons and lights are yet another quality of modern
slot machines which the mechanical versions lacked although progressive slot
machines can be distinguished easily from flat tops by flashing electronic
payoff signs displayed either on top of the machines or above a grouping of
these same machines.
The computer chip that controls the functioning of the flat top and progressive
slot machines is called a random number generator or RNG, for short. The RNG
has the ability to churn out thousands of numbers a second and when the button
on the machine is pressed by the gambler, the RNG instantly stops on the number
it has generated at that precise moment. This determines a win or loss for the
player.
Modern slot machines also now accept anything from pennies to one hundred
dollar ‘tokens’ although the most common denominations used are
quarters, dollars and nickels at the respective machine(s). For those people
deemed to be high-rollers, $5, $25 and $100 machines are segregated to special
V.I.P areas but these particular machines can only be operated with the use of
custom coin tokens or cash bills.
With both modern kinds of slot machine, a limit of two or three coins played at
the same time is common although all accept as little as one coin and some may
take as many as hundreds at a time.
There are subtle variations when it comes to multiple coin playing machines. The number of coins played is directly proportional to the
jackpot.
To the dismay of many casual gamblers who miss the clinking sounds of coins
raining down into the hopper ( or metal bin ), many modern slot machines no
longer accept or payout in real coins. Tthis has mainly been replaced
with a system that accepts bills of various denominations and pays out with a
paper ticket that can either be played at another machine or redeemed with the
assistance of a cashier at the change booth.
One last addition to modern slot machines is that they can offer a variety of
side games such as ‘Wheel Of Fortune’ and ‘Monpoly’ or even pinball games which
are designed to be played whilst the player gambles.
With the advent of the Internet, a new kind of slot machine became viable to
gamblers the world over - Online Slot games. This is gambling on your PC home
computer!
Oonline slot games actually operate exactly the same as land-based
electronic slot-machines. This is simply because they too work with the
computer chip called the random number generator.
Tthis RNG is programmed to generate numbers completely at random, and
when the button on-screen is pressed, it stops instantly. Depending on the
number sequence, the player wins or loses. So, basically, the RNG that is
programmed into online slot games, is the exact same generator that determines
the outcome of land-based machines.
One advantage of online slot games is the variety in that many of these online
slot games require gamblers to download the games but there are also many games
which are available through flash software. This software lets players play
online slots without any time-consuming downloading and with all the fantastic
graphics and features of downloadable games.
Without a doubt though, the greatest advantage of online slot games is that you
can play from the comfort of your own home. This means instead of trekking off
to the local casino after work to play in a smoke-filled room,
you could just plonk yourself down in front of your computer and
there you are, in your very own casino.