Random Number Slot Machine

If you had put in one or three coins the outcome would likely have been entirely different. The machine is constantly drawing random numbers and the numbers that were drawn at the moment you spin the reels determine the outcome. So, if you had played fewer or more coins you would have spun the reels at a different moment and thus the outcome would have been different.

Slot machine outcomes are controlled by programs called pseudorandom number generators that produce baffling results by design. Government regulators, such as. The online slot machines are all managed by a computer, which is based on several motors, making it possible to spin your reels in one click and to make them stop at a given point. Thereafter, game developers will use a random number generator, in this case, the famous random number generator, to add a reliable side to their slot machines. THE RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR. For a slot machine, the random number generator (RNG) is everything. In the early days, slot machines used mechanical concepts for randomization which obviously has limitations. In the past several decades, the entire random number.

Thanks for the kind words Dave. You're right that it was the money that finally made me accept the banners. It is my understanding that when the player presses the button to spin the reels the random numbers are drawn at that instant, which determine where the reels stop, and ultimately what you win. The number of coins bet does not matter.

Thanks for the compliment. The outcome of the game is determined when the player initiates the spin. The game is constantly drawing random numbers, even when not played. The random numbers chosen at the moment the button is pressed to spin the reels determine where the reels stop, which determines what the player wins. So, if the player bet three coins he would have pressed the button at a different moment, causing a different outcome.

No, that information won’t help you at all. Your odds are always the same on every spin, regardless of the counters.

To answer your question I asked a well connected gaming consultant and he said Nevada regulations state that one stop on a reel can not be weighted more than six times more than either stop next to it. So if a jackpot symbol were weighted by 1 and both bordering blanks were weighted by 6 then there would be 12 near misses for every one time the reel stopped on the jackpot symbol. This would be the maximum allowed near miss effect. My own results detailed in my slot machine appendix 1 back up this theory well. The red double seven was the highest paying symbol and I saw the blanks above and below it about 5 to 6 times as often:

Double Strike Actual Results

The same source said that New Jersey and Mississippi likely have adopted the Nevada regulations.

My understanding is that the person who is pressing the buttons gets the money. I asked Brian, who helped with the last question, about this. Here is what he wrote, which I agree with.

In the scenario described, the person who put in the money and pressed the buttons would receive the jackpot.

What I find interesting about this question is the paradox that in all likelihood, the jackpot never would have occurred without this chance encounter.

As you know, the random number generator in the slot machine is continuously working even when the machine is not in play. So even though one patron feels cheated, their run-in ultimately led to pressing the spin button at that exact millisecond when the RNG was on the winning combination. So, if one patron had acquiesced, there is never a jackpot to fight over.

Thanks for helping in the fight against betting systems. First let me say that I have never worked for a major slot machine company and don’t have direct knowledge of this. However, I know many people in the industry and those I trust pretty much are in agreement on this topic.

That said, it is my understanding that in all forms of electronic games, including video slots, video poker, and video keno, the outcome is usually determined the moment you make your decision. Meanwhile the possible outcomes are constantly being shuffled, thousands of times a second. I can’t speak for every slot machine but I believe that with the major U.S. slot makers the outcome is not predestined but depends on the exact microsecond you press the button to make your play.

Thanks for the kind words. Scratch cards and pull tabs can indeed be printed in batches. These batches will have a specified number for each win, and the return of the overall batch will be exactly as the maker intended. In some jurisdictions, where only pull tabs are legal, the outcome can be displayed to the player on a video monitor, in the form of a slot or video poker machine. However, in Nevada, that is not how slots work. Each play is completely independent of the past. A machine programmed to average a 97% return, could indeed pay under 95% or over 99% over a year, especially if not heavily played.

Payout table

The pay table shows the player what combinations pay out and how much.

Winning lines

Most machines have multiple winning lines on the reels, so options are given for how many lines the player wants to bet. Each line is equal to one bet, so on a five-cent machine, betting on five lines would equate to betting 25 cents.

Coin bin

Though many machines print redeemable tickets, machines that pay out in coins have a large bin to catch them.

Credit meter

Are Slot Machines Really Random

A credit meter keeps track of how much credit the player currently has as well as winnings when the reels are spun.

Credits are often used instead of showing actual cash amounts because, to the player, losing credits may not seem as negative as losing money.

Arm or button

Once the player has selected how many lines they want to bet, pulling the arm or pressing the bet button locks the settings, selects a random number, and spins the reels.

RNG

The RNG continuously generates thousands of numbers per second while the machine is on.

Some RNGs may use a device that collects thermal noise and converts it into electrical signals to help generate the numbers, as computers alone are only able to generate pseudo-random numbers.

EPROM

The EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-only Memory) controls the weighting of the machine to make sure the desired payout percentage is reached.

(See “Odds & Weighting' section below).

Bet button

When the bet button is pressed, the number generated by the RNG at that exact moment is selected and used.

Reels

Reels are for show, and by the time they’re spinning the machine already knows what the outcome will be. Spinning and stopping reels in sequence helps build suspense and excitement for the player, keeping them more interested.

Stops

Each reel usually includes 20 to 30 stops, which are the symbols and blank spaces on the reel.

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Odds & Weighting

Over many random play sessions, odds are predictable. By adjusting payouts for winning spins, casinos observe legal requirements while delivering an entertaining experience.

Payouts

Odds are predictable over time,

so adjusting payouts per possible winning spins

yields predictable results over many random play sessions

Required legal payout percentage

Many states have laws that require certain payout percentages. For example, a machine that returns 85 or 90% of the cash it receives over time would still give the casino a 10% - 15% cut.

Random Number Generator Slot Machine

Weighting

The programmable EPROM allows weighting to fine-tune the play experience.

For example, if a reel has 10 blank spots, as long as that quota is met, it doesn't matter which blank spots are used. The machine could be programmed to land on blank spots around jackpots to give the player the impression of a 'near win.'

Stacking the odds:
multi-reel machines

On a multi-reel machine, the odds of winning decrease exponentially. For example, taking the single reel example from above and multiplying it to 3 reels (all with identical symbols as the first), the chances of a winning combination (3 of the jackpot symbol instead of 1) drop from 1/20 chance to 1/8000 chance.

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Anti-tamper

Slot machines are designed to be tamper proof to both the players and the casino.

Cabinet & screen

The cabinet and screen act as a faraday cage to disperse electricity and ground electrical signals, preventing outside electrical signals from interfering with the machine’s processes. The screen is coated in a clear, electrically conductive chemical, and connects to the metal cabinet to allow conductivity between the two.

Coin comparator

The coin comparator accepts or rejects coins that are put into the machine. It compares incoming coins against a coin previously placed in the comparator (e.g. if a nickel is in the comparator, then the machine would only accept nickels).

EPROM

The EPROM is programmed and tested in factory, then placed in the machine with a tamper evident sticker over it. This style of chip is reprogrammable using ultraviolet light and must be removed from the machine to do so, which is allowed only when a gaming authority is present.

Coin dispenser

Coin dispensers use a light sensor to count the number of coins dispensed.

Reels

Reels have sensors that detect extra movement, so trying to move reels manually causes an error to display on the LCD screen and any winnings are negated.

References

• (2017). Retrieved 7 January 2017, from https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/clins/my_job_is_writing_software_for_slot_machines_and/
• Slots Random Number Generator - Hit Frequency vs Payout Ratio. (2017). Casino News Daily. Retrieved 7 January 2017, from http://www.casinonewsdaily.com/slots-guide/random-number-generator-hit-frequency-vs-payout-ratio/
• CC-40 A Coin Comparitor - YouTube. (2017). YouTube. Retrieved 7 January 2017, from https://youtu.be/k9ybYjS8jOI
• How Slot Machines Work. (2017). HowStuffWorks. Retrieved 7 January 2017, from http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/slot-machine.htm
• Patent US4448419 - Electronic gaming device utilizing a random number generator for selecting the reel stop positions. (2017). Google Books. Retrieved 7 January 2017, from https://www.google.com/patents/US4448419
• How It’s Made Slot machines. (2017). YouTube. Retrieved 7 January 2017, from https://youtu.be/wjBSXUKn4Qw

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