How a Slot Machine Works

[aching1999]

The RNG's are only there to mimic the randomness of "each spin" - meaning how a "winning" or "losing" result is positioned, and not to determine the overall payout outcome or percentage The overall payout percentage is determined via the computer chip adjusting (varying) its "cut-off" period - or the period where it needs to achieve a certain number of payout percentage. This cut-off period is reset once the skill level of a machine is adjusted (from1 to 6 with 1 as the tightest).

[Robobbly]

Great video - but most machines can be set to only pay diffrent types of money after a certain amount of plays, I know this because I have one! Also my dad used to design the software!!

[robertoeleei]

tks for shaing. Do the casino have payment insurance permanently. Lets say the casino pays a monthly cuota to a insurer for each slot machine because the casino wants to be cover for its revenue and also its IRS. Suppose in a particular year slot machine went crazy(because payment at random could happen) . See my point ?

[wthomapw]

@robertoeleei Unfortunately I cannot answer your question. I see what your saying, but I'm not familiar with how the accounting process works with brokers, insurers, and casinos. Maybe someone else in Youtube Land has an answer to your question? I'd like to know myself.  Thanks for the question.

[mahmahmonkey]

@wthomapw What determines a loose machine vs a tight one? It has to be something in addition to RNG, right?

[Stukha]

liar..liar...liar...There is no RNG in slots..and even if it is something it is a CNG(Controled Number Generator)...stfu and stop bullshiting people...

[wthomapw]

Stukha - Obviously you have quite a history of posting negative comments on other peoples videos. The idea behind this video is to give folks a better understanding as to how these complex machines work.  For the most part, everyones comments are fairly parallel with what I've described.

[Stukha]

@wthomapw ok sorry i didn't mentioned first but I've worked in casinos...and trust me..that slot machine is controled..the simple fact that in each country there are laws witch set a specific amount of pay back shows exactly that they are controled...for exemple in my country i think it's a minimim of 80% by law...so how a Random Number Generator can acctualy reach that 80% without being not so random...

[wthomapw]

@Stukha I already explained percentage processes to Rimmer66 over a year ago.

[Stukha]

@wthomapw i know this is solved by the acctual number of raws and paying lines and what combinations of simbols pay but i know for sure that when the a certain period comes and the slot machine didn't reach the amount set by law the "smart guys" from the casinos come and do something there and there you go...it reaches it....i know because it was my job to gather datas from all 50slots and process them...and Rimmer66 you're wrong 100% random would not get casinos ruined

[wthomapw]

@Stukha It's not legal in the USA for the "smart guy" to come along and alter anything in the machine without permission from the Gaming Commission. The EPROM chips in the machine determine what "percentage" the machine will payout over a "given period of time." I don't talk about EPROM chips in this video. (as I stated at the end of the video)

[DeconAtlantic]

Aren't most EPROM chips these days only used as keys for decrypting the game code? Most slot machines are on a LAN or MAN (municipal are network); however, VLTs are not. There is a difference between slot machines and video lottery terminals.

[gallimead]

But to cloud the issue, there are settings within video slots to payout either in a "hard" or "soft" mode i.e. soft mode shifts the gameplay to lots of low wins but frequently, Then the Hard mode is when the machine holds back a little, and then pays out bigger wins, but not as much. RNG is correct, but there can be factors that skew it. Over a period of spins (>10K) the percentage payout of a video slot is about 92%, which seem better odds, but consider stakes and prizes, theres no change

[n2brideau]

I can also confirm wthomapw is correct. I have been building these things for years and there is no "limiter" or secret dial in the back room nor is there anything controlling the payout . It is simply the math that over the long term evens out the payback.

[msbeautifulthang]

very informative thanks, i just wish i could somehow be the lucky one at the right moment the RNG is set to pay! lol. one day it will happen!

[housten69]

Actually guys, wthomapw is 100% correct. I make these things for a living.

[VisionofOrion]

It is random within limits meaning to it is linked to the payout percentage...thus it is not totaly random since it has to remain on a basic payout scale. I guess it is random like the old "Press Your Luck" game was random

[coondogtheman1234]

5:06 actually most if not all slot machines are networked to a LAN network connected to the casinos "main computer" in the casino, how do you think you check your players points card on a slot machine, when you plug your card in they know where you are in the casino. BTW do these video slot machines run linux as their OS I saw on the WMS gamine site that their games use Linux as their OS or a linux based OS and I have that mattel juicebox video player that uses linux

[june201955]

@coondogtheman1234 FYI, there is a new operating system on the slot floor in most casinos now. Bing search "Server Based Gaming". Look for an article that About.com has there on Server Based Gaming. It explains on how casinos can now change the pay-out percentage (over-riding the RNG) on any 1 or on all of the slots in an instant from a main computer. This info needs to go viral. It's made me stop playing the slots.

[coondogtheman1234]

@june201955

Can I google it? I dont use bing. BTW how did you get a url to go thru a comment YT doesnt allow that or do they now? usually when I tr4y to even post a url in a way that YT can't block it, everything I've tried has failed. I googled it and Wikipedia has something on server based gaming.

[june201955]

@coondogtheman1234 Hi coondo, thanks for responding. I tried Google search at the start of my research on this and couldn't find any sites that seemed unbiased. Even though my computer is automatically set up on Google search, I type in "Bing" on Google search and then I click on Bing site to search. Then look for the article from About.com

I'll send you a vid that I found on YT also, read my comments

[coondogtheman1234]

@june201955

I tried that too but I had to put in about.com for it to show up but I found it. maybe I missed it the first time. and I hope the about.com goes thru if not i'll think of something else.

[june201955]

@coondogtheman1234  If you can get to the Bing search engine, type in "Server Based Gaming". Then look for the article. You should find it then. Good luck!

[coondogtheman1234]

@june201955

Very interesting article thanks for sharing. so the slot machines are just terminals? but what OS do they run. I found a pic of a WMS video slots mainboard and it has 2 CF card slots one for the game and one for the OS but what OS do they run? I wouldnt mind having a video slot machine in my house for free play for entertainment only maybe even the guts of one and maybe i'll build an entertainment center with it. the Bose speakers sound great on the WMS machines.

[rbolo29]

@coondogtheman1234 The Wizard of Oz(made by WMS) runs Linux as I seen this on a hard reboot of the machine.

[Rimmer66]

This is how CASINOS can GARANTEE income, but having the machine NOT exceed the payout ratio by CONTROLLING the RNG -For example, if the machine has paid out a lot and it reached its payout % it was set to, next time there is a winning combo it will pick a new random number until a losing combo is obtained, so the machine always stays within its set limits, which is set in accordance with the gaming commission rules and regulations.

[wthomapw]

Thank you for your comments but let me correct you on a few things. First of all, slot machines are the largest revenue generating device that casinos have and they are guaranteed to make casinos money, not make them go bankrupt. For example, if a slot machine has an 80% payout EPROM chip built into it, this means that over an extended period of time (8-10 years) the machine will payback around 80% to the players and the casino mak es the other 20% in profits.

[Rimmer66]

Ok you are wrong on many counts in your video - If a slot machine were 100% random, casinos would risk going bankrupt and they would NOT have a garanteed income. The machine constantly keeps count of what goes in and waht goes out and calculates a payout ratio and compares it against how it was set using the SKILL setting, which determines the maximum payout - think of it as a "controlled" random number generator - if RNG makes a winning combo and the payout ratio is exceeded, a new RN is m....

[wthomapw]

For example, lets say a slot machine was on the casino floor for 10 years and we know it had a total of $1,000,000 dollars paid into it by gamblers and that it has an 80% EPROM chip built inside. All the winners during that 10 year period would have received a very small percentage of the $800,000 the machine paid back to the players - (80%) The other $200,000 is profit for the casino since that makes up the 20% the EPROM would not pay back over the 10 year period. More comments below...

[JoebDragon]

uk slots do pay out more after a long time of low to no pay outs.

[auctionmusic]

I'm a software developer and i can testify that a computer is unable to generate a random number....nope, cant do it... slot machines do not work off an RNG, they are an "accountant"...for the casino that iz....russ

[hiasad]

I am too and i can tetify that it can :)

btw what programming language you use just for reference ?

[auctionmusic]

I've programmed in assembler, PL/M, C, C++, VB, C#...It doesnt matter the language, a true random number cannot be generated by a computer in any programming language. I know there may be a random function call or SQL has it too, but it not actually returning a truly random number...

[auctionmusic]

Most computer "random number generators" are software routines implementing generator algorithms. They are often supplied as library routines in programming languages, or as part of the os. These are more properly called pseudo-random number generators, since, being finite state machines, they cannot produce truly random outputs. The sequences such generators produce always have patterns, since the algorithm that generates them has a finite state, eventually, repeating one of those states

[Tigrou7777]

@auctionmusic

well youare true on that point: random number generator are pseudo random since they are determined by a math formula and thus are totally predictable.

on a casino machine you cannot use such a simple system,so they also take in account an external source of random : the exact tme when the user press the "spin" button (which is never the same).

another common way of getting real random can be achieved by listening to atmospheric noise (used for scientific stuff, lottery and so)