Online slot games are some of the most popular among all online casino games. However, many players are not fully aware of how these games work. As a result, there are many misleading myths about online slots, and many players are eventually disappointed after they try gambling because their expectations were not met. However, what is there to expect?
To not be disappointed about playing online slots, your winnings, or their absence, one has to have realistic expectations. And this is only possible when one understands how exactly this gaming software works.
You can’t remember all the possible combinations of mechanics, tech specs, and in-game features; instead, you have to read the instructions and understand how a slot game works.
Otherwise, you will constantly face disappointment and such gaming is no fun at all. This is especially important because new games are released all the time – literally every month! – technologies improve, new studios appear, and so on. To play with satisfaction, just learn more about how online slots work.
Understanding Online Slots
Just in case: the online slots you see at casino sites are not created by each online casino itself. Online casino operators buy game software from software studios that specialize in developing casino games.
Then, these games become available at casino operator’s platforms where players can explore them and play for real money.
This is one of the reasons why slot games on their own can’t be rigged (most of them). Online casino software providers go through numerous tedious processes of certifications only to be able to offer their software on the market.
In order to sell their software to online casino operators, these software-developing companies have to prove that this software is fair and high-quality. Most online casino operators, in turn, can only operate in certain markets if they prove that the games they offer, and the payments they make, are legit and not fraudulent. If you open any licensed 10 dollar deposit casino you will see licenses, certifications, partnerships, and seals of trust that confirm the casino’s reputation and trustworthiness.
So, while this doesn’t completely deny the concept of some random online slots potentially being rigged and unfair, today, most slots are fair, and online casinos want them fair. Because if not, the whole chain of the industry collapses.
So, online slot games are not rigged. If your winnings are not what you expected, most likely, the problem is not in the software. Of course, most of the time you might just have an unlucky day, which happens to any gambler at some point.
However, the key to successful online slots gambling is knowing how online slots work.
Random Number Generator: No Control Over Bet Outcomes
The very first thing to keep in mind about online slots is that the outcome of the bet is not defined when the reels stop spinning. This was the case with old arcade machines in brick-and-mortar casinos: the mechanism spun the reels physically, and the moment they stopped defined the win or loss.
This is still a common misconception among online casino players today; they believe that the outcome of their bet is set when the reels stop.
In reality, the outcome is immediately defined when you press the Spin button, and all this reel spinning and symbols flashing is only for mere entertainment and is nothing more than a visual effect. This is why there is the so-called fast mode in some online slot games, when you press the Spin button, and it takes a split of a second for the reels to spin and stop, showing the outcome. This is because the outcome is defined instantly.
Slot bet outcomes are defined by the RNG – Random Number Generator – the casino connects to via the game. It defines the outcome in a split second, and the result is already there even if the reels keep spinning.
This is why it makes no sense to chase the losses in online slots when you think that you are one reel away or one symbol away from a winning combination. This is always an illusion because reels stop at the position the RNG tells them to stop, and not the other way around.
Also, the outcome of the two consequent bets and the positions of symbols on the grid can be miles away, literally speaking, because they are random, literally. If you were one symbol away from a payline, the next spin wouldn’t bring you any closer.
Final Thoughts
RNG, of course, is not the only tech spec that impacts online slots’ performance but this is the fundamental one. There are also different features and specific unique mechanics that define the way the reels spin and the betways get hit.
However, being aware of even the most fundamental things will give the player a huge advantage when choosing a particular game to play. Slots games are generally simple to learn and easy to play, as the rules are not complicated, and no strategy is required. Not chasing the losses and being aware of the random nature of the game means you will enjoy it more without trying to “guess the system”.
