 Info
about gambling and online casinos in general
Topics:
Slot
machine
 |
| Slot machines in
the Trump Taj Mahal |
A slot machine (American English), poker
machine (Australian English), or fruit machine (British English)
is a certain type of casino game. Traditional slot machines are
coin-operated machines with three or more reels, which spin when
a lever on the side of the machine is pulled. The machines include
a currency detector that validates the coin or money inserted
to play. (The slot machine is also known informally as a one-armed
bandit because of its traditional appearance and its ability to
leave the gamer penniless.) The machine typically pays off based
on patterns of symbols visible on the front of the machine when
it stops. Modern computer technology has resulted in many variations
on the slot machine concept. Today, slot machines are the most
popular gambling method in casinos and constitute about 70% of
the average casino's income.
History
Sittman and Pitt of Brooklyn, New York developed a gambling machine
in 1891 that could be considered a precursor to the modern slot
machine. It contained 5 drums holding a total of 50 card faces
and was based on poker. This machine proved extremely popular
and soon there was hardly a bar in the city that didn't have one
or more of the machines bar-side. Players would insert a nickel
and press a lever, which would spin the drums and the cards they
held, the player hoping for a good poker hand. There was no direct
payout mechanism, so a pair of Kings might get you a free beer,
whereas a Royal Flush could payout cigars or drinks, the prizes
wholly dependent on what was on offer at the local establishment.
In order to make the odds better for the house, two cards were
typically removed from the "deck": the Ten of Spades
and the Jack of Hearts, which cut the odds of winning a Royal
Flush by half. The drums could also be re-arranged to further
reduce a player's chance of winning.
The first "one-armed bandit"
was invented in 1887 by Charles Fey of San Francisco, California,
who devised a much simpler automatic mechanism [2]. Due to the
vast number of possible wins with the original poker card-based
game, it proved practically impossible to come up with a way to
make a machine capable of making an automatic pay-out for all
possible winning combinations. Charles Fey devised a machine with
three spinning reels containing a total of five symbols –
horseshoes, diamonds, spades, hearts and a Liberty Bell, which
also gave the machine its name. By replacing ten cards with five
symbols and using three reels instead of five drums, the complexity
of reading a win was considerably reduced, allowing Fey to devise
an effective automatic payout mechanism. Three bells in a row
produced the biggest payoff, ten nickels. Liberty Bell was a huge
success and spawned a thriving mechanical gaming device industry.
Even when the use of these gambling devices was banned in his
home State after a few years, Fey still couldn't keep up with
demand for the game elsewhere.
Another early machine gave out winning
in the form of fruit flavoured chewing gums with pictures of the
flavours as symbols on the reels. The popular cherry and melon
symbols derive from this machine. The "BAR" symbol now
common in slot machines was derived from an early logo of the
Bell-Fruit Gum Company. In 1964, Bally developed the first fully
electromechanical slot machine called Money Honey.
Description
 |
| A row of "Wheel
of Fortune" slot machines in a casino in Las Vegas. This
specific slot machine is loosely based on the TV game show
Wheel of Fortune |
A person playing a slot machine purchases
the right to play by inserting coins, cash, or in newer machines,
a bar-coded paper ticket (known as "ticket in/ticket out"
machines), into a designated slot on the machine. The machine
is then activated by means of a lever or button, or on newer machines,
by pressing a touchscreen on its face. The game itself may or
may not involve skill on the player's part — or it may create
the illusion of involving skill without actually being anything
else than a game of chance. The object of the game is to win money
from the machine. The game usually involves matching symbols,
either on mechanical reels that spin and stop to reveal one or
several symbols, or on a video screen. The symbols are usually
brightly colored and easily recognizable, such as images of fruits,
and simple shapes such as bells, diamonds, or hearts.
Most games have a variety of winning combinations
of symbols, often posted on the face of the machine. If a player
matches a combination according to the rules of the game, the
slot machine pays the player cash or some other sort of value,
such as extra games.
There are many different kinds of gambling
slot machines in places such as Las Vegas. Some of the most popular
are the video poker machines, in which players hope to obtain
a set of symbols corresponding to a winning poker hand. There
are standard 5-card draw machines, all the way up to 100-play
machines, where you can play 100 hands at a time.
Becoming more popular now are the 9 line
slots. Usually these are themed slots, with graphics and music
based on popular entertainers or TV programs (The Addams Family,
I Dream of Jeannie, etc.) with a bonus round. Most accept variable
amounts of credit to play with 1 to 5 credits per line being typical.
The higher the amount bet, the higher the payout will be.
Of course, there are the standard 3 - 5
reel slot machines, of various types. These are the typical "one-armed
bandits".
One of the main differences between video
slots and reel slots is in the way payouts are calculated. With
reel slots, the only way to win the maximum jackpot is to play
the maximum number of coins (usually 3, sometimes 4, or even 5
coins per spin). With video slots, the fixed payout values are
multiplied by the number of coins per line that are being bet.
In other words: on a reel slot, it is to the player's advantage
to play with the maximum number of coins available. On video slots,
it is recommended to play as many individual lines as possible,
but there is no benefit to the player in betting more than one
credit per line with regards to calculating the payout amounts.
(There are some isolated cases where a video slot machine requires
the maximum number of credits per spin to be inserted to win the
largest payout, but those are the exception.) An example: On the
"Wheel of Fortune" reel slot, the player must play 3
coins per spin to be eligible to trigger the bonus round and possibly
win the jackpot. On the Wheel of Fortune video slot, the chances
of triggering the bonus round or winning the maximum jackpot are
exactly the same regardless of the number of coins bet on each
line.
Larger casinos offer slot machines with
denominations from $.01 (penny slots) all the way up to $100.00
or more per credit. Large denomination slot machines are usually
cordoned off from the rest of the casino into a "High Limit"
area, often with a separate team of hosts to cater to the needs
of the high-rollers who play there.
Slot machines common in casinos at this
time are more complicated. Most allow players to accept their
winnings as credits, which may be "spent" on additional
spins.
In the last few years, new slot machines
commonly known as "multi-denomination" have been introduced.
In a multi-denomination slot machine, the player can choose the
value of each credit wagered from a list of options. Based upon
the player's selection, the slot machine automatically calculates
the number of credits the player receives in exchange for the
cash inserted and displays the amount of available credits to
the player. (For example, a player could choose to wager one dollar
per game on a nickel slot machine.) This eliminates the need for
a player to find a specific denomination of a particular slot
machine; they can concentrate on simply finding the machine and
setting the denomination once they decide to play.
Recently, some casinos have chosen to take
advantage of a concept commonly known as "tokenization":
1 token buys more than one credit. A casino can configure slot
machines of numerous different denominations to accept the same
type of token. (For example, all penny, nickel, quarter, and dollar
slot machines could be configured to accept dollar tokens.) This
significantly reduces a casino's inventory costs and coin handling
costs. A tokenized slot machine automatically calculates the number
of credits the player receives in exchange for the token inserted
and displays the amount of available credits to the player. When
a player chooses to collect his credits (by pressing a "Cash
Out" button), the slot machine will automatically divide
the number of credits on the credit meter by the value of one
token and return the result to the patron. Any remainder is known
as "residual credits" and cannot be collected. Residual
credits must be either played or abandoned.
Terminology
Bonus is a special feature of the particular game theme, which
is activated when certain symbols appear in a winning combination.
In the bonus, the player is presented with several items on a
screen from which to choose. As the player chooses items, a number
of credits is revealed and awarded. Some bonuses use a mechanical
device, such as a spinning wheel, that works in conjunction with
the bonus to display the amount won.
Candle is a light on top of the slot machine.
It flashes to alert the operator that a hand pay is requested
or that there is a problem with the machine.
Carousel refers to a grouping of slot machines.
Coin hopper is a container where the coins
that are immediately available for payouts are held. The hopper
is a mechanical device that rotates coins into the coin tray when
a player collects his credits/coins (by pressing a "Cash
Out" button). When a certain preset coin capacity is reached,
a coin diverter automatically redirects, or "drops",
excess coin into a "drop bucket" or "drop box".
Credit meter is a visual display of the
amount of money or credits on the machine.
Drop bucket or drop box is a container
located in a slot machine's base where excess coins are diverted
from the hopper. Typically, a drop bucket is used for low denomination
slot machines and a drop box is used for high denomination slot
machines. A drop box contains a hinged lid with one or more locks
whereas a drop bucket does not contain a lid. The contents of
drop buckets and drop boxes are collected and counted by the casino
on a scheduled basis.
EGM is used as a short-hand for "Electronic
Gaming Machine".
Hand pay refers to a payout made by a slot
attendant or cage, rather than the slot machine. A hand pay occurs
when the amount of the payout exceeds the maximum amount that
was preset by the slot machine's operator. Usually, the maximum
amount is set at the level where the operator must begin to deduct
taxes. A hand pay could also be necessary as a result of a short
pay.
Hopper fill slip is a document used to
record the replenishments of the coin in the coin hopper after
it becomes depleted as a result of making payouts to players.
The slip indicates the amount of coin placed into the hoppers,
as well as the signatures of the employees involved in the transaction,
the slot machine number and the location and the date.
Low Level or Slant Top slot machines include
a stool so you can sit and play. Stand Up or Upright slot machines
are played while standing.
Optimal play is a payback percentage based
on a gambler using the optimal strategy in a skill-based slot
machine game.
Payline is a straight or zig-zagged line
that crosses through one symbol on each reel, along which a winning
combination is evaluated. Classic spinning reel machines usually
have up to nine paylines, while video slot machines may have as
many as fifty.
Rollup is the process of dramatizing a
win by playing sounds while the meters count up to the amount
that has been won.
Short pay refers to a partial payout made
by a slot machine, which is less than the amount due to the player.
This occurs if the coin hopper has been depleted as a result of
making earlier payouts to players. The remaining amount due to
the player is paid as a hand pay.
Display screen of a slot machine in tilt modeTilt In the old mechanical
days, slot machines had tilt switches. While modern machines no
longer have tilt switches, any kind of mechanical failure (door
switch in the wrong state, reel motor failure, etc) is still called
a "tilt".
Theoretical Hold Worksheet is a document
provided by the manufacturer for all slot machines, which indicates
the theoretical percentage that the slot machine should hold based
on adequate levels of coin-in. The worksheet also indicates the
reel strip settings, number of coins that may be played, the payout
schedule, the number of reels and other information descriptive
of the particular type of slot machine.
Weight count is an American term, referring
to the dollar amount of coins or tokens removed from a slot machine's
drop bucket or drop box and counted by the casino's hard count
team through the use of a weigh scale.
Pay
Table
 |
| Display screen of
a slot machine in tilt mode |
Each machine has a table that lists the
number of credits the player will receive if the symbols listed
on the pay table line up on the pay line of the machine. Some
symbols are wild and will pay if they are visible in any position,
even if they are not on the pay line. Especially on older machines,
the pay table is listed on the face of the machine, usually above
and below the area containing the wheels. Most video machines
display the pay table when the player presses a "pay table"
button or touches "pay table" on the screen; some have
the pay table listed on the cabinet as well.
Technology
Random number generator
It is a common belief that the odds on a machine have
something to do with the number of each kind of symbol on each
reel, but in modern slot machines this is no longer the case.
Modern slot machines are computerized, so that the odds are whatever
they are programmed to be. In modern slot machines, the reels
and lever are present for historical and entertainment reasons
only. The positions the reels will come to rest on are chosen
by a Random Number Generator (RNG) contained in the machine's
software. This is called "virtual reel" technology.
The RNG is constantly generating random
numbers, at a rate of thousands to millions per second. As soon
as the lever is pulled or the "Play" button is pressed,
the most recent random number is used to determine the result.
This means that the result varies depending on exactly when the
game is played. A fraction of a second earlier or later, and the
result would be different.
Payout percentage
Slot machines are typically programmed to pay out as
winnings between 82 to 98 percent of the money that is wagered
by players. This is known as the "theoretical payout percentage".
The minimum theoretical payout percentage varies among jurisdictions
and is typically established by law or regulation. For example,
the minimum payout percentage in Nevada is 75 percent and in New
Jersey is 83 percent. The winning patterns on slot machines, the
amounts they pay, and the frequency at which they appear are carefully
selected to yield a certain percentage of the cost of play to
the "house" (the operator of the slot machine), while
returning the rest to the player during play. Suppose that a certain
slot machine costs $1 per spin. It can be calculated that over
a sufficiently long period, such as 1,000,000 spins, that the
machine will return an average of $950,000 to its players, who
have inserted $1,000,000 during that time. In this (simplified)
example, the slot machine is said to pay out 95%. The operator
keeps the remaining $50,000. Within some EGM-development organizations
this concept is referred to simply as "par". "Par"
also manifests itself to gamblers as promotional techiniques:
"Our 'Loose Slots' have a 93% Pay-back! Play now!" As
an aside, the "Loose Slots" actually may describe an
anonymous machine in a particular bank of EGMS.
A slot machine's theoretical payout percentage
is set at the factory when the software is written. Changing the
payout percentages after a slot machine has been placed on the
gaming floor requires a physical swap of the software, which is
usually stored on an EPROM but may be downloaded to Non-Volatile
Random Access Memory (NVRAM) or even stored on CD-ROM or DVD depending
on the technological capabilities of the machine and the regulations
of the jurisdiction. Based on current technology, this is a time
consuming process and as such is done infrequently. In certain
jurisdictions, such as New Jersey, the EPROM is sealed with a
tamper-evident seal and can only be changed in the presence of
Gaming Control Board officials. Other jurisdictions, including
Nevada, randomly audit slot machines to ensure that they contain
only approved software.
In many markets where central monitoring
and control systems are used to link machines for auditing and
security purposes, usually in wide area networks of multiple venues
and thousands of machines, player return must usually be changed
from a central computer rather than at each individual machine.
A range of percentages are preprogrammed into the game software
and selected by configuring the machine remotely.)
In 2006, the Nevada Gaming Commission began
working with Las Vegas casinos on technology that would allow
the casino's slot manager to change the game, the odds, and the
payouts remotely via a computer. The change cannot be done instantaneously,
but only after the selected machine has been idle for at least
four minutes. After the change is made, the machine must be locked
to new players for four minutes and display an on-screen message
informing potential players that a change is being made.
Linked machines
Often machines are linked together in a way that allows
a group of machines to offer a particularly large prize, or "jackpot".
Each slot machine in the group contributes a small amount to this
progressive jackpot, which is awarded to a player who gets (for
example) a royal flush on a video poker machine, or a specific
combination of symbols on a regular or 9 line slot machine. The
amount paid for the progressive jackpot is usually far higher
than any single slot machine could pay on its own.
In some cases multiple machines are linked
across multiple casinos. In these cases, the machines may be owned
by the machine maker who is responsible for paying the jackpot.
The casinos lease the machines rather than owning them outright.
Megabucks may be the best known example of this type of machine.
Megabucks Nevada starts at $10,000,000 after a jackpot. (Prior
to September 2005, Megabucks Nevada reset to $7,000,000.) The
new penny Megabucks video game also has a jackpot that starts
at $10,000,000.
Slot machines that are not linked to a
large regional jackpot such as Megabucks usually have higher payout
percentages, as linked machines have to take into consideration
the large jackpot amount into their payout percentage calculations.
Near-miss programming
Because the reel display
of modern slot machines is controlled by computer software, it
is possible to make the slot machine frequently display combinations
that are close to winning combinations. For instance, if the jackpot
combination is "7-7-7", a slot machine could be programmed
to frequently display "7-7-(non-7)". This can fool the
player into thinking they "almost won", teasing them
into playing more often.
This practice of showing combinations that
are similar to winning combinations more frequently than would
occur randomly is called "near-miss" programming. It
has been ruled illegal in the U.S. states of Nevada and New Jersey.
The Nevada Gaming Commission did review some machines with this
type of programming and refused to authorize them.
There is a related phenomenon that is also
sometimes called "near-miss". The chance of a winning
combination appearing on a payline is controlled by the winning
percentages programmed into the slot machine. However, the combinations
appearing above and below the payline are all roughly equally
randomly distributed. This means it is much more likely that a
"winning combination" will appear above or below a payline
than on the payline. Using the same example above, it is much
more likely that a "winning combination" of "7-7-7"
would appear on a line above or below the payline than the chance
that it would appear on the payline.
The issue of a near-miss above or below
the payline was also investigated by the Nevada Gaming Commission.
They ruled that this was legal, so long as the "near-miss"
above or below the payline was not specially programmed. In other
words, the "near-miss" must be just as likely to occur
as any other combination. The machine cannot be specially programmed
to show "winning combinations" more frequently than
other combinations above or below the payline.
Regional
variations
 |
| Row of slot machine
inside Las Vegas airport. |
United States
In the United States, the
public and private availability of slot machines is highly regulated
by state governments. Many states have established gaming control
boards to regulate the possession and use of slot machines. Nevada
is the only state that has no significant restrictions against
slot machines both for public and private use. In New Jersey,
slot machines are only allowed in hotel-casinos operated in Atlantic
City. Several states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi,
and Missouri) allow slot machines (as well as any casino-style
gambling) only on licensed riverboats or permanently anchored
barges. Delaware allows slot machines at three horse tracks, they
are regulated by the state lottery commission. For a list of state
by state regulations on private slot machine ownership, see U.S.
state slot machine ownership regulations.
Native American casinos
Native American casinos
located in reservations are not permitted to have slot machines
unless the tribe first reaches a pact with the state in which
it is located (per Indian Gaming Regulatory Act). Typically, a
pact entitles the state to receive a percentage of the gross revenue
from slot machines.
Slot machine classes
Some states have restrictions
on the type (called "class") of slot machines that can
be used in a casino or other gaming area. "Class III"
(or "traditional") slot machines operate independently
from a centralized computer system and a player's chance of winning
any payout is the same with every play. Class III slots are most
often seen in Nevada or Atlantic City and are sometimes referred
to as "Vegas-style slots".
"Class II" slot machines (also
known as "Video Lottery Terminals" or "VLTs")
are connected to a centralized computer system that determines
the outcome of each wager. In this way, Class II slot machines
mimic scratch-off lottery tickets in that each machine has an
equal chance of winning a series of limited prizes. Either class
of slot machines may or may not have a player skill element.
Some Class II game characteristics
- The player is playing against other
players and competing for a common prize.
- There is certain to be a winner in each
game. The game continues until there is a winner.
- In a given set there are a certain number
of wins and loses. Once a certain combination has happened it
cannot happen again until a new batch is initiated. This is
most obvious in scratch card games that come in a pack. Once
a card has been pulled those winning combinations cannot occur
again until a new pack of cards is installed. One game is dependent
on previous games.
- The player must be an active participant.
They must recognize events as they occur and must recognize
when they have won and announce their winning. Bingo is an excellent
example here.
- All players play from the same set of
numbers as they are announced.
Some Class III game characteristics
- The player is playing against the house.
- There is a very real possibility that
the player may lose the game.
- Each game is independent of previous
games. Any possible outcome can occur in any game.
- Wins are announced automatically.
In general a game must have all characteristics
of a Class II game to be a Class II game. Any characteristic of
a Class III game makes it a Class III game. The casino pays a
fee to the state for each Class III game and can only purchase
so many Class III licenses. There is no such restriction for Class
II games. Class II games are not so nearly regulated by the state.
Slot clubs
Many American casinos offer
free memberships in "slot clubs", which return a small
percentage of the amount of money that is bet in the form of "comps"
(complimentary food, drinks, hotel rooms, or merchandise), or
sometimes as cash back (sometimes with a restriction that the
cash be redeemed at a later date). These clubs require that players
use a card that is inserted into the slot machine, to allow the
casino to track the player's "action" (how much the
player bets and for how long), which is often used to establish
a level of play that may make a player eligible for additional
comps. Comps or cash back from these clubs can make a significant
difference in the maximum theoretical return when playing slot
machines over a long period of time.
Australia
 |
| Queen of the Nile
(manufactured by Aristocrat), one of the most popular Australian
poker machine games, also very popular in some American casinos |
Slot machines in Australia are generally
referred to as "poker machines" or "pokies",
but are officially termed as Gaming Machines. Australia has seen
changes in regulations leading to proliferation of gaming machine
venues in various states, most notably New South Wales, Victoria
and Queensland. Various bodies, including religious organisations
and welfare groups, claim that this has increased levels of "problem
gambling".
Australian-style gaming machines use video
displays to simulate physical reels, usually five. These machines
also have additional bonusing and second-screen features such
as free games and bonus levels. They also allow for multiple lines
(up to 50) or multiple ways (up to 243 ways) to be played. This
higher level of complexity offers greater opportunity of rewards
for players.
Gaming machines are found in casinos (approximately
one in each major city) as well as pubs and clubs (usually sports,
social, or RSL clubs). There are suggestions that this high level
of accessibility may be linked to problem gambling; however, the
precise nature of this link is still open to research [5]. The
first Australian state to legalize this style of gambling was
New South Wales in 1956 when they were made legal in all registered
clubs in the state. They are also are found in casinos in the
United States.
Laws governing gaming machines in Australia
are controlled at the state level and as such, those laws vary
between states. In the state of Queensland gaming machines in
pubs and clubs must provide a return rate of 85% while machines
located in casinos must provide a return rate of 90% [1]. Most
other states have similar provisions.
United Kingdom
 |
| Row of old fruit
machines in Teignmouth Pier, Devon |
Slot machines are usually known as fruit
machines and AWP (Amusement with Prizes) in Britain. Fruit machines
are commonly found in pubs, clubs, arcades, and some take-away
food shops. These machines commonly have 3 or 6 reels with around
16 or 24 fruit symbols printed around them. These reels are spun,
and if certain combinations of fruit appear, winnings are paid
from the machine, or subgames are played. These are very similar
to slot machines seen in casinos and elsewhere around the world,
but the term "fruit machine" is usually applied to a
type of machine more commonly found in pubs and arcades. These
games have lots of extra features, trails and subgames with opportunities
to win money, usually more than can be won from just the reels.
However, the jackpots from these fruit machines are strictly limited.
Currently in the UK, the cost of an individual
game may not exceed 50p. The maximum payout for an individual
game depends on the type and the location of the machine, but
is typically £25 in pubs where people under the age of 18
are not allowed entry. It is known for machines to payout multiple
jackpots, one after the other (this is known as a streak) but
each jackpot requires a new game to be played so as not to circumvent
the maximum payout. The minimum payout percentage is 70% in Britain,
with pubs often setting the payout at around 78%. Private members
clubs are allowed "club machines", which have higher
jackpots and are allowed to charge more per game.
These machines also operate in a different
fashion to American slot machines; whereas slots are programmed
to pay a percentage over the long-run, there is no reason why
a jackpot cannot be paid straight after one has already been won
- this is because over the long-run the percentage payout will
be the same. However, in the UK, a fruit machine takes on an amount
above its payout percentage before winning, so if a payout is
95%, a machine will make the player lose £10 before paying
out £9.50. As such, it is sensible to watch for people playing
these machines but not winning as the likelihood of a win increases.
This, however, is called Sharking.
This type of fruit machine is popular across
Europe (in the countries where they are legal), and very popular
in countries such as the Czech Republic, Russia, and Ukraine.
It has been alleged by the Fairplay campaign
that UK fruit machines employ fraudulent techniques in which gambles
and chances which appear to be random are in fact pre-determined
and cannot be affected by player choices. [6]
...at this point, you'll have gambled the
win up to £25. However, the machine doesn't want you to
gamble any further. If from the 5 you select "High",
the machine will spin in a 3 and you'll lose. If, on the other
hand, you select "Low", the machine will spin in a 9
and you'll lose...
The claims centre around the emulation
of fruit machine hardware on computers, which allow for the machine's
RAM state to be saved at a particular point and replayed making
a different choice. The fruit machine industry has hit back at
the allegations. Currently the issue has supposedly been considered
by the UK Gaming Board (now the Gambling Commission) and warning
notices and possibly modifications are to be put in place, though
it is unclear as to whether this has happened. This is in fact
the law now in the UK, and all machines carry a warning notice
informing the user that the machine may at times offer the player
a choice in which they have no possible chance to win.
Japan
Japan has a relatively new involvement in slot machines,
roughly since after the American occupation during the World War
II era. Most machines can be found in Pachinko parlors and the
adult sections of amusement arcades, known as game centers.
The machines are regulated with IC chips,
and have six different levels changing the odds of a "777".
The levels provide a rough outcome of between 90% to an astonishing
160% (200% if using skills). Indeed, the Japanese slot machines
are "beatable". The parlor operators, naturally set
most of the machines to collect money, but intentionally place
a few paying machines on the floor so that there will at least
someone winning, encouraging players on the losing machines to
keep gambling.[citation needed]
Despite the many varieties of the machines,
there are certain rules and regulations put forward by the "Security
Electronics and Communication Technology Association", an
affiliate of the National Police Association (NPA). For example,
there must be three reels. Also, all reels must be accompanied
by buttons which stop these reels, no more than 15 coins can be
paid out per plays, credit meter cant go higher than 50, 3 coin
maximum bet, etc.[citation needed]
Although a 15 coin payout may seem ridiculously
low, the regulations allow "Big Bonus" (~400-->711
coins) and "Regular Bonus" modes (~110 coins) where
these 15 coin payouts occur nearly continuously until the bonus
mode finished. While the machine is in bonus mode, the player
is entertained with special winning scenes on the LCD display,
and energizing music is heard, payout after payout.
Three more unique features of Pachisuro
machines are "Stock", "Renchan", and "Tenjoh".
On many machines, when a bonus is awarded, it is kept in "Stock",
and not immediately given to the player. Instead, the "Stock"
is released when some future rare random event(s) occur. Many
current games, after finishing a bonus round, set the probability
to release additional stock very high for the first few games.
As a result, a lucky player may get to play several bonus rounds
in a row ( a "Renchan"), making payouts of 5000, even
10,000 coins possible! The lure of "Stock" waiting in
the machine, and the possibility of "Renchan" tease
the gambler to keep feeding the machine. To tease him further,
there is a "Tenjoh", a maximum limit on the number of
games between "Stock" release. For example, if the "Tenjoh"
is 1500, and the number of games played since the last bonus is
1490, the player is guaranteed to release a bonus within just
10 games.
Because of the "Stock", "Renchan",
and "Tenjoh" systems, it is possible to make money by
simply playing machines on which someone has just lost a huge
amount of money. This is called being a "hyena". They
are easy to recognize, roaming the aisles for a "Kamo"
( "sucker" in English) to leave his machine.
In short, the regulations allowing "Stock",
"Renchan", and "Tenjoh" has transformed the
Pachisuro from a low-stakes form on entertainment just a few years
back to the hard-core gambling it has become in 2006. Many people
may be gambling more than they can afford, and they big payouts
also lure unsavory "hyena" types into the gambling halls.
To address these social issues, a new regulation
(Version 5.0) has been adopted in 2006 which caps the maximum
amount of "Stock" a machine can hold to around 2000--3000
coins worth of bonus games. Moreover, all Pachisuro machines must
be re-evaluated for regulation compliance every 3 three years.
Version 4.0 came out in 2004, so that means all those machines
with the up to 10000 coin payouts will be removed from service
by 2007. Only time will tell how these changes will affect the
Japanese Pachisuro industry.
Common
misunderstandings
"Hot" and "Cold"
machines
Standard slot machines do not get "hot" or
"cold". The odds of hitting a winning combination are
determined by a random number generator contained in the machine's
software and is exactly the same with every spin. Such slot machines
are never "due to be hit" if they haven't paid out a
jackpot in a while. (Exception: UK-style AWP and Japan-style Pachisuro
machines are progressive which means chances of winning will increase
over time if the machine has not paid any wins out. Many also
"force" wins on players in order to meet the payout
percentage).
Placement
There is a science to the placement of slot machines
on the gaming floor, but the highest paying machines are not necessarily
placed in high-traffic areas. Typically, machines of similar payback
percentages are grouped together, with 1% or less difference from
machine to machine in the group.
Payout changes
- In most jurisdictions, casinos cannot
alter the machine's payout percentage by time of day, day of
week, or remotely via a computer.
- Using a slot club card does not affect
the machine's payout percentage. The card just allows the casino
to keep track of the amount wagered by a player and issue complimentaries
accordingly.
Missed opportunities
- You leave a machine. Another player
comes up and immediately hits a jackpot. You think, "If
I had played just one more time, I would have won that jackpot."
- A machine returns a higher jackpot for
playing more coins. You play fewer coins, and a winning combination
appears. You think, "If I had played more coins, I would
have won more money."
In both cases, you did not "miss"
an opportunity to win. The results of modern slot machines depend
on exactly when you play them. It is very unlikely in either case
that you would have received the same result if you had played
just one more time or just one more coin. See Random Number Generator
above.
Addiction
Slot machines, like other
gambling devices and games, can be addictive to some individuals.
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