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Slots are a classic casino game. They’re bright, made to look as timeless as they are, and always sound like you’re winning or about to. In their fourteenth decade entertaining people in pubs, arcades, and casinos, there is little that isn’t known about them, but there are more things than you’d realise!

Hot and Cold Streaks

Hot and cold streaks – used in the similar way in basketball and other American sports to describe a series of scores or misses – don’t exist for slot machines. They just don’t, no matter how convincing someone is. A slot machines’ chances are built up a Random Number Generator (RNG), which ensures randomness and chaos with every spin, and isn’t determined by previous or future results. Razhden Shulaya, a Russian zor, was behind a scheme which involved developing a programme which would predict slot machine behaviors. He wanted to hack the machines as part of a U.S.-wide racketeering enterprise. Hot and cold streaks didn’t and wouldn’t have existed for Mr. Shulaya. From wherever he is, he can read online slots tips and tricks to try and beat the machine, as land-based and online ones look and operate in the exact same way.

5 things you didn’t know about slots

Slot Machine Subreddit

There is a small but active subreddit devoted to slot machines. Posters show restorations, identify types of machines, and answer questions about all things slot machines.

The Slot Machine Wild West

In 1897, Charles Fey developed a three-reel slot game which had a staggered-stop system, similar to the modern version seen now. In 1899, he replaced the card symbols in the reels with stars and bells – hence its early name: “Liberty Bell” slot machine. The only problem was that slot machines were illegal during this period. Therefore, anyone getting a patent for their designs and products was impossible. This era of the slot machine’s life is described as its “Wild West,” as competitors stole each other’s designs and products consistently.

Largest Slot Machine Tournament

In a celebration of its 21st anniversary, Muckleshoot Casino, in Auburn, Washington, U.S.A., held the largest slot machine tournament ever: the attendance rounding off at a Guinness World Record figure of 3,173 people.

Biggest Slot Win

In 2015, Jon Heywood, a former British solider who’d toured Afghanistan, won £13,213,838.68 on a slot machine off a 25p stake. A decent lump sum, right? The latest figures and forecasts suggest the slot machine market will grow by USD 14.09 billion during 2020-2024. Jon is only a few zeroes off. Slot machines make up 85% of casino’s revenue. They are, however, designed to pay-out a high percentage of the time. These percentages are regulated. Minimum pay-out percentages are enforced, but casinos tend to keep them higher than the minimum, so the player has more chance to win. State-by-state, in the U.S., they vary: Louisiana has an average pay-out across all slots of 90.45%, Las Vegas, Nevada has a 92.915% average, and South Dakota has a 91.05% average. Mr. Heywood might’ve considered investing in a slot machine.


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