Are Slots honest?

We will shortly answer this question – yes, don’t doubt, they are, as the state gaming commissions assure. Still, quite recently there have been some manufacturers which were caught at using the special computer chips in order to cheat the players.

Earlier, the lots used to work on the mechanical base, having the independently spinning wheels; at last each of them stops randomly. The currently used slot machines stepped much forward in comparison to those days and to those old lumbering machines. In these machines the special computer chips are programmed for the random selection of numbers. The numbers selected by computer correspond to the symbols appearing on the screen of the slot machine. The computer code, generating the random numbers makes the machine “loose” or “tight”, that is why the gambling inspectors investigate those machines in order prove that those slots really don’t cheat. Means, gaming inspectors watch whether the payoffs are accomplished at the legal rate or even better.

As the slots don’t give the payoffs after every spin, it is very difficult for the players to predict whether this slot’s chip is programmed to give payoffs less than it is required by law. Actually the inspectors investigate the slots’ brands and the chips before they get installed into the slot machines, but in fact they cannot investigate each and every machine. Having approved the machine brand, the inspectors can force the manufacturers to make changes to any slots machine until the change does not go in the full accordance with the law. The chips can be changed to give the lesser payoffs, while the inspectors permit using this very chip.

There were some cases, when the manufacturers installed the illegal chips, which affected strongly the payoffs in order to bring the benefit to the casino. For instance, there was one situation with American Coin, using chips which didn’t allow the poker royal flushes, when this casino was caught by the Nevada Gaming Commission. The same situation took place with Universal Distributing Company, using the chips, which make the machines show “near miss” of a jackpot. It had a two-fold effect: the slot did not give payoffs, and the players kept on playing, they believed they were getting close to the great jackpot.

If you have suspicion that you are playing a dishonest machine, you can always appeal for help. Then the inspectors will pull the slot’s chip in order to make sure whether it is a really approved and trustworthy computer chip. The illegality of chips is estimated by the effect of these chips on the slot machine’s payoff. The manufacturers risk to be fined and even lose their license, if they are caught at cheating.