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Originally called “one arm bandits” due to the fact that they had a side arm that was pulled to operate the device (and they steal your money), slot machines are nowadays also called “fruit machines” in the UK (most machine reels display fruit) and “poker machines” (or Pokey's) in Australia. Buttons are now used to operate the machine, although some still retain an optional lever.

Modern equipment confirms the coins introduced. Older machines used spinning reels, but newer slots utilize displays to indicate determine what (if any) winnings are to be paid. Casinos receive most of their revenue from this source.

The original “slot” machine was introduced to Brooklyn bars by American firm Sittman and Pitt. It had revolving drums which, after the player had inserted a coin could be set in motion by pulling on a lever. The objective was to obtain the best poker hands possible, and the payoff would be in beer or whatever the bar owner wished to set as prizes. The machines symbols were of course, rigged in the bar's favor.

Charles Fey later realized that due to the complexity of poker's winning permutation, it was difficult to devise a way of automatically paying out winnings. He therefore changed the game and instead of playing cards he showed the suits and a Liberty Bell (which is how it became named). Using only 3 reels it was much simpler to compute wins, and an operational payout device was attached. Despite being banned in California, the Liberty Bell was in huge demand.

To circumvent the gaming ban law, an alternative machine dispensed prizes of fruit flavored gum. The reels showed the different fruits and the “bar” design was common to the “Bell Fruit-Gum Co”.

Bally (the same company that has now evolved into the giant casino and leisure organization) produced the original electric slot. Known as “Money-Honey” it could automatically pay winnings of 500 coins.

 

Playing The Slots.

Once you have paid (either by coin, cash or prepaid ticket) a lever or button will operate the slot. Some more modern machines use touch-screen technology. Symbols must be matched up once the spinning of the reels has completed. On the front of the machine will be a key explaining the rules and the payout for each combination of symbols. Wins can be paid in cash or in some cases free spins of the reel.

In Las Vegas, you can find literally hundreds of different slots. Some of the more popular are those based on poker, and some machines allow you to play multiple hands at the same time.

Multi Line machines have more than one payout line, and can vary widely. Most of the modern video-slots are based upon a particular theme, most often popular television shows or cartoon characters. Payouts are dependent upon the resulting reel combination, and the amount of coins wagered upon the result.

There still exist normal three or five reel machines. These machines are based upon the original “one armed bandits”, and there are now also slots that can utilize both the arm, and button.

There are differences between video slot and traditional slot machines, most noticeably the methods of calculating and paying winnings. Reels require the coin upper limit to be inserted for the top prize to be won. The video counterpart considers the number of lines that you are betting will end the spin showing a winning combination.

On one “reel” machine called the Wheel of Fortune, the punter must insert the maximum permitted 3 coins. If not, he or she will be ineligible for the jackpot. The video version the number of coins played makes no difference.

Slots are available that will play with a minimum of one cent per spin. Others can require $100. The latter will only be found in special areas reserved for more liberal and affluent gamblers.

Nowadays, electronics allow your winning credit to accumulate and either be paid out in coins or extra games. Also, some machines allow you to choose the value of your bet say, from a nickel to $1 or more. This saves you having to find a machine playing the value you require.

Slots accepting the casino's tokens are also to be found, and inserting a token will credit your machine with the appropriate amount.

 

Terms Used

“Bonus” is a characteristic of some slots which is triggered upon hitting a certain successful combination. Sometimes your bonus may be extra spins with higher winnings possible. Sometimes the bonus will let you choose your prize.

“Candle”. This is the flashing light on top of the slot that alerts the attendants. It may be activated by the player requiring change, payoff or there may be a fault.

“Carousel” is a group of slots arranged together.

“Coin Hopper” is the internal device which holds the coins ready to be paid out. When this is full, coins will drop down into an internal coin bin called a drop bucket. Where the values of the coins required for a particular machine are high, a “drop box” is used. This is the same as a drop bucket except it has a secured lid for added security when they are collected by the casino.

“Credit Meter” is simply the displayed credit value of your current play.

EGM is short for Electronic Gaming Machine

“Hand-Pay” is a payment made by the attendants and not directly from the slots. It can happen if you win a large jackpot, or the slot has insufficient coins in the hopper.

“Hopper Fill-slip” is a ticket recording coins added to the hopper after large wins.

Low-Level slots are fitted with a stool for you to sit at.

Slant-Top slots are the same as Low-Level.

“Optimal Play” is a player using the best strategic play on a slot requiring skills.

“Payline” is the line crossing the display to indicate winning combinations. Various machines can have many paylines.

“Rollup” is the exaggerated method of announcing wins using sound and lights, such as “kerrching..kerrching…”

Short-Pay means the slot has failed to payout enough coins to the player for whatever reason.

“Taste” refers to frequent small (minimal) wins. These are calculated to make players stay and gamble.

 

 

Slot machine in tilt mode

 

“Tilt”. Older machines (especially pinball machines” had a “Tilt” switch. This would de-activate the equipment, assuming the player was tilting the machine to gain an advantage. Nowadays however, “tilt” refers to any operational malfunction.

“Pay table” is simply a legend indicating the payout for the various combinations possible. This is usually displayed on the front adjacent to the play buttons.

 

Slot Technology

Random Number Generation (RNG)

No longer do slots have spinning wheels that stop to indicate the result. Although some machines may appear to work in this way, the reels are not a functioning part of the program. This is now performed by micro-chip. The result is calculated using RNG software as the play button is hit. There are some who believe that the RNG's results can be predicted due to their programming. However, since the RNG is working even whilst the slot is idle, the previous result has no bearing upon the next output from the RNG because it's impossible to tell where in the RNG's sequence you are at present.

Virtual Reels.

The old slots had the symbols printed on the reels. Once electronics came into use, manufacturers could manipulate the frequencies of selection. In 1984 a piece of electronic equipment was invented by Inge Telnaes which is utilized in every modern slot. “Telnaes” regulates the frequencies and the odds. This technology has also enabled the number of “virtual reel” combinations to increase dramatically from less than one thousand to the present sixteen-million possibilities. With these dollar a spin machines, a million dollar jackpot could be offered, but it would only happen once every sixteen-million spins.

Payouts

The usual amount returned is between 82% and 98% of everything bet, but this is in theory, and over a long period of time. Thus if the payout is 95%, after one million spins the machine will have taken a million dollars and paid out $950,000 retaining $50,000. There is a minimum legal payout limit which will vary from state to state.

The payouts are pre-set during manufacture, but can be altered via the software. This must normally be carried out with the approval, and in the presence of the Gaming Board which regulates these matters. Spot-checks are carried out to ensure slots are operating correctly by law.

The other important calculation is the relationship between the chances of winning and the payout. As an example, on a simple old 3 reel slot, the machine might payout at even money once every 8 spins. A 5/1 payout will take place every 33 spins, but the 2/1 payout (which one would expect to occur say, once every 15 spins actually only happens every 600 plays. An 80/1 payout is large enough to keep the player interested, so this happens once every 219 spins. Much psychology is involved. The 80/1 win is large enough to excite, but not so large that the player will cash out and leave.

Slots make such a huge profit for the “house” because of their built in edge. The player cannot choose what bet he wishes to take (such as in roulette, the player may bet on red)

Some casinos have whole networks of slots joined together and monitored centrally. The payouts are all made from one master bank, and just as with an individual slot, software regulates the percentages.

The Nevada Gaming Commission worked alongside casinos to develop a method of remotely altering the game, the probabilities and the winnings; however these must be performed upon a slot not being played, and with the alterations announced in advance.

Linked Jackpot Slots

Most casinos have groups of slots (sometimes in different casinos) linked together offering a continually progressing jackpot. Each slot makes a small contribution to the jackpot which is usually found on an illuminated display above the carousel. This jackpot is always far higher than the maximum for the individual machine.

The most widely recognized of these is Megabucks with a minimum jackpot of $10million.

Cheating

Where such vast sums of money are concerned, there may always be someone attempting to cheat the system for profit. Such has, and probably always will be the case with slots. Early efforts involved rigging coins to register credits but drop straight through back to the player. Dummy coins have also been used. Modern technology has made these simple scams impossible to repeat. Many machines accept banknotes, and even these contain counterfeit technology. However, the cheaters always try to remain one step ahead. Some have even been known to simply steal an entire slot machine in order to discover a method to beat its security systems. Celebrated slot machine defrauder Tommy Carmichael made various devices which enabled him to cheat the casinos for many years. More recently, Ronald Harris, a software expert who was employed to discover slot machine software errors, used his inside knowledge to program into slots a code, whereby if he returned to the slot and entered a specific combination and sequence of coins it would payout a jackpot.

 

Regional Variations

Row of slot machines inside Las Vegas airport.

USA

The use of slots is controlled by the administration of each state and varies tremendously. The only state to allow machines virtually unrestricted is Nevada. In New Jersey, they are only permitted in Atlantic City. Missouri, Iowa, Indiana and Illinois will only permit their use on a riverboat and Mississippi now accepts their use in shore based casinos. Some racecourses in Delaware also permit their use.

Native American Casinos

The use of slots can only be permitted following an agreement between the tribe and the state government to pay the state a slice of the income.

 

Slot Machine Classes

Different “classes” of slot machine exist, depending upon whether they are “stand-alone”, linked to a central system or even some that allow you to play against other players. Some states regulate the different classes of slot machine in a different manner.

 

 

Slot Machine Clubs

Some establishments encourage you to join “slot clubs”. These record how much you play and payback some of this as comps. Usually, the player will have a card to insert into a slot in the machine to keep track. Comps should be included when calculating your win/loss.

Australia

Known as “pokies”, they mostly consist of five simulated video “reels”. Multiple win-lines are employed, but the regulations vary from state to state. They are usually found in the city casino, but since 1956 they have been legalized in all clubs, and have been blamed for a rise in gambling addiction. In 1999, it was discovered that Australia owned more than 20% of the worlds gaming machines, and 5 times the number per capita as the USA. Australian State governments received over $4 billion in machine revenue in the year ending 2003.

Most Australian States dictate that the return to player must be 85% for club machines, and 90% for those located in casinos. In Western Australia, they are only permitted in the Burswood Casino.

 

Great Britain

Row of old fruit machines in Teignmouth Pier, Devon

 

One armed bandits at Wookey Hole Caves

Known as fruit machines in the UK, they are normally situated in public houses (bars), clubs and fast food shops, and are basically standard reels with fruit symbols. Jackpots are considerably lower than Las Vegas, with the equivalent of about $50 being typical. Membership clubs may have higher jackpots of up to $200.

Most common features are “hold” (in which the player is given the opportunity to prevent one or more reels from spinning on the next game) and “nudge” (allowing the player to “nudge” reel(s) forward a given number of steps). Payout percentages are between 70% and 78%.

Machines in the UK are programmed and regulated differently. The payout percentage is an overall figure, but (unlike in USA) it's possible to payout two jackpots one after each other. Each spin bears no relation to previous spins. Thus it's considered to be simply a game of luck, as opposed to skill (in calculating when a jackpot should be “due”)

This variety of slot is also popular in many other European countries, especially in central Europe.

A large movement in the UK forced the industry to display notices that the machine may offer the player a choice that he has no chance of winning after it was discovered that software could fix the outcome of a spin contrary to whatever choices the player had made.

The most modern slots in the UK are called “section-sixteens” utilizing five reels and 20 winning lines.

 

Japan

Called “pachisuro” they are usually located in city games centers, where the house often place one very high payout machine in order to psychologically encourage nearby players to keep playing.

Various regulations have been insisted upon by the Japanese Police, including 3 reels, 3 coin bet maximum, 15 coin maximum payout and 50 credit maximum. However, there are some very high bonuses to be won of up to 10,000 coins, and smaller bonuses are paid after a fixed number of games, causing some players to wait for a big loser to leave, before sitting down awaiting the guaranteed bonus.

This system turned the small game into big business and caused many unwelcomed problems, forcing the authorities to outlaw the larger jackpot machines.

 

Skill Stop

This is a button which allows the player to stop the reels when he desires. They were used on many old machines, and were re-introduced in order to satisfy the gaming laws of various states which insisted there be an element of skill in the game. Almost as soon as they first appeared, other manufacturers added the feature due to their instant popularity.

 

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