Slot Machine Questions and Answers
I wanted to cover some of the most common slot machine questions and answers, for those who are new to gambling on slot machines. A lot is written about slots secrets and slot myths, and while there are a lot of great tips and strategy sites online, you'll also find a lot of bad information about the one-armed bandits. There are a few con men who pass a lot of misinformation onto the public, while it's natural enough to distrust some of the new technologies that drive the modern slot machine industry.
| # | Top Slots Casinos | Bonus | Download |
| 1 | Grand Parker Casino | $8000 | Download |
| 2 | Classy Coin Casino | $5000 | Download |
| 3 | Onbling Casino | $4000 | Download |
| 4 | Loco Panda Casino | $4000 | Download |
I'll start with a straightforward question and then get into a more detailed Q&A. I'll try to add to this section as more questions come to mind, but these should get you started for now.
Who Invented the Slot Machine?
Charles Fey, around 1895 in San Francisco. The first slot machine played by the public was called the "Liberty Bell". Charles Fey was a German immigrant.
Which Slot Machine Should I Start With?
Start with a single payline slots game, since it's going to be the least confusing. These are straightforward, because you only have to keep up with whether you win or lose on one payline with the simple multiplier pay schedule. Use this machine to get the basics down, then move on to the bonus multiplier, which has a slightly larger percentage jackpot for the 5-coin win, but still only 1 payline.
After you get the hang of that, move on to the 3-payline and 5-payline machines. Once you get into 10- and 15-payline machines, it's sometimes hard to figure out why you're even winning on certain spins. That can be frustrating, especially if you don't win enough to cover the expense of the spin.
At some point, you may want to try the buy-a-pay slot machine, but if
you see "buy a pay" on a machine, only play the maximum coins. That's
because these machines only pay out the jackpot when you pay for the
maximum number of paylines. You don't want the frustration that comes
with thinking you just won the jackpot, only to find out you made the
incorrect bet. If you aren't sure about making proper bets on such a
machine, move on to something else.
Eventually, you might try the progressive jackpot slot machines. These have the huge payouts in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, which is a little like playing the lottery. Understand that these progressive slot machines are going to pay out less frequently than the other slots games, and they offer worse payouts on the lower part of the payout schedule--unless you hit the big jackpot. You might want a few shots at a huge progressive jackpot, but the droughts between wins (at the lower levels of winning) can be frustrating for beginners.
How Are Slots Different from the Lottery?
There are similarities in the
odds and the
payouts offered for large progressive slot machines and lotteries. That
is, the payouts are huge, but
the chances
you're going to win those payouts are tiny--even infinitesimal.
Winning the Powerball lottery is about 80,000,000 to 1 odds. Winning the Megabucks progressive jackpot is just under 50 million to 1 odds. That being said, the odds of winning most progressive jackpots are better, even if the payouts are better, so I would recommend playing the slot machines any day.
Roughly 1 in every 2 dollars in a lotto game goes to something besides the players. Those are the worst odds in gambling. Only a state-run game could get away with that. Slot machines have to be over a certain amount of payback, usually in the 80% to 95% range, so your payback percentages are much better. You might only win $10 million as opposed to $50 million, but if you can't make ten million dollars last a lifetime, you've got major problems anyway.
Should I Pull the Lever or Hit the Button?
It doesn't matter. Some people will tell you to pull the level on the slot machine, because each triggers the same reaction. The random number generator has no idea whether you touched the button or the lever--believe me.
Are Online Slots Rigged?
No, not if you play at the named Internet casinos. You'll notice these casinos are well-established and well-regulated, and they tend to have a half-dozen logos on the homepage (at bottom) to show their affiliations and watchdog organizations they belong to. The big, billion-dollar, publicly-traded online gambling houses have a whole lot more to lose than to gain by running a crooked game.
Should I Play Online Slots or Live Casino Slots?
This is purely a matter of personal preference. If you enjoy getting
out of the house and seeing the bright lights and big sounds of a
casino, go to the brick-and-mortar casino. There's something to be said
for the live experience of a real casino, and you might meet some
friends.
On the other hand, there's a lot to be said for playing slots in the comfort and seclusion of your own home. Many slots players camp in a corner of the casino anyway, so you might not miss out on much playing slot machines at the house. The online slots casinos tends to have slightly better payouts, so there's that advantage. Why is that?
Online casinos don't have the overhead that live casinos have (big staff, lots of machines, rent, utilities), so they can afford to pay out better on their games. Also, most brick-and-mortar casinos are the only game in town. If you want to play there, especially if you aren't in Las Vegas or Atlantic City, you may not have many other gaming options. If a gambler doesn't like the payouts at an Internet casino, they can click a few times and be in another gaming house immediately. Competition is good for you.
