Travel
Fact-checked

At WiseTour, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What Should I Know About Winning at Slots?

Sheri Cyprus
Sheri Cyprus

If you dream of winning at slots, it's definitely important to be armed with accurate information before dropping your money into slot machines. Winning money by playing the slots can certainly happen, but as with all other forms of gambling, the odds are usually in favor of the house rather than the gambler. Still, many people get carried away by the flashing lights and seeing winning machines spilling out rivers of shiny coins to others rather than trying to form a good slots strategy. The important thing to remember is not to become addicted to playing slot machines, but rather to set a spending limit of how much you'll drop into them. While winning at slots is pure luck, it is possible to improve your chance to win cash from a slot machine by knowing and applying some tips and secrets.

If you want to know how to win at slots, or more accurately how to increase your luck, it's important to realize that some slot machines are programmed to pay out more than others. You're usually better off playing a low cost slot machine with a low to medium pay out than the giant machines that don't pay out much. Some slot machines pay out 85 percent of the coins inserted into them, while others have a payout rate of 95 percent or more. There are fewer of the higher pay out slot machines in each casino, so it's a good idea to watch others play the slots before you drop any cash into a machine yourself.

Though they must come within lower limits that have been set by the state, the winning odds for slot machines can be adjusted downward by their proprietor.
Though they must come within lower limits that have been set by the state, the winning odds for slot machines can be adjusted downward by their proprietor.

It's simply not true that a poor paying machine will eventually pay out big. It's inaccurate to say that a slot machine is overdue for a pay out since they are programed to release coins at a certain rate. The pay out times though are completely random and work on probability. Probability also means it's untrue that if a machine does pay out, it won't again for a long time. It can't be stressed enough that winning at slot machines is completely a random thing.

Slot machine odds favor the casino, not the player.
Slot machine odds favor the casino, not the player.

Modern slot machines are run by microchips that generate random combinations of symbols. This generation continues even when the machines aren't currently being played. There is no such thing as either an ineffective or effective slots player; it's the machine doing all the work even though gamblers pull the handle. Therefore, the best approach to winning at slots is to spend just a few dollars for fun in machines with a 95 percent or higher pay out and not overspend or get carried away with gambling.

Microchips used in modern slot machines eliminate strategy for slot machine players.
Microchips used in modern slot machines eliminate strategy for slot machine players.

Rather than a nonstop approach to playing the slots, take breaks. Enjoying a meal or a show and then returning to play a slot machine can be a good way to use self-control when gambling. Do what professional gamblers do and have a bank roll. A bank roll is a limited amount of money used for gambling; when it runs out, the games are over for the day. This common sense approach to winning at slots, or trying to, can make playing slot machines a happy, positive experience.

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Though they must come within lower limits that have been set by the state, the winning odds for slot machines can be adjusted downward by their proprietor.
      By: Mariusz Blach
      Though they must come within lower limits that have been set by the state, the winning odds for slot machines can be adjusted downward by their proprietor.
    • Slot machine odds favor the casino, not the player.
      By: Elnur
      Slot machine odds favor the casino, not the player.
    • Microchips used in modern slot machines eliminate strategy for slot machine players.
      By: Edelweiss
      Microchips used in modern slot machines eliminate strategy for slot machine players.
    • Progressive slots are associated with large cash jackpots.
      By: Alex
      Progressive slots are associated with large cash jackpots.
    • Gamblers that play low cost machines that pay out a small to medium amount are more likely to have success.
      By: Kzenon
      Gamblers that play low cost machines that pay out a small to medium amount are more likely to have success.