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How to recognise safe casino sites
All of the above should help to ease players’ minds when it comes to the general fairness of slot games, but that does of course depend upon the casino or site in question operating in an above board and legitimate fashion.
That makes it crucial then, for players to be able to spot when a site is legitimate and is therefore one that they can trust. Fortunately, there are a number of things to immediately look out for which should make this process nice and simple.
- Any legitimate site will be fully licensed by the relevant regulator for their country and will display their license number or the logo somewhere on site.
- Legitimate casino sites will frequently have their games audited and test by external bodies. Look out for the ecogra logo (mostly UK), the technical systems testing logo and the gaming laboratories international logo (mostly US) to ensure this is happening.
- Another good indicator of a trustworthy site is one which takes responsible gambling seriously. Look out for logos and information relating to this on site to verify legitimacy (responsible gambling trust, gamcare, gambleaware.Co.Uk and gamblers anonymous international service).
Are casinos honest with slot machines or do they cheat?
Now that we know RNG’s control each spin or a slot and how much control casinos have over the payout percentages of their slot machines and games, all that is left is to discuss is whether they are honest in their use of that control.
Fortunately, when it comes to the kind of legitimate sites that we have described how to identify above, the answer is a resounding yes.
As we have discussed after all, the sites do not have the ability to change the payout percentages of their games and they are rigorously tested to ensure that the percentages are indeed what they claim them to be. What’s more, some sites openly publish those percentages for players to see and most others will provide them if a player directly asks for them.
There are bad eggs out there though… so if you’re worried about playing at a fair and regulated online casino then simply select one from our list and you can rest your mind at ease.
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Are online slots rigged or legit?
Looking to play slots online but are worried that they might be rigged? In this article we’ll cover the differences between land-based casino slot machines and online slots, and will answer the buring question – are online slots legit?
How casinos rig slots
At first glance, it may seem that online slots are less controlled than casino slot machines, but actually the opposite is true. Land-based slot machines can definitely be rigged by the casino, and are rigged more often than we’d like to believe. Since these slots are off the grid, they are stand-alone machines with no outside control whatsoever. The only control is coming from the owner itself – the casino – and you simply have to trust the casino if you’re playing one of their slot machines.
Without third-party verifications it’s almost impossible to know if a slot machine has been rigged. You may play a bit, several hundred spins, and you’ll have your own assumption, based on the fact that you just won or lost. But you’d need millions of spins to actually know if a slot machine has been rigged.
So, the short answer is – you can’t know if a casino slot machine has been rigged, and if it was you wouldn’t be aware of it. It does happen quite often.
Are online slots really random?
Online slots are actually safer to play, for one reason. They depend on a random number generator (RNG) and the RNG that some online slot is using is going through third-party tests. That’s why you often see someone mentioning a slot game or some other game is “provably fair”. That means it was audited by an independent third-party that verified that the RNG isn’t rigged in casino’s favor. Once you see that, you’re safe. You never see it in land-based casinos, they just don’t bother.
Realtime gaming slots
Realtime gaming (RTG) slots are a special case, as each slot game is indeed provably fair, but can be set up by the casino. The casino may choose for the game they’re hosting to have theoretical payout of 91%, 94% or 97.50%, and you won’t know which one it is unless the casino itself decides to tell you. For all practical purposes, unless you know specifically what the theoretical payout of your RTG slot is, you basically don’t know. You might as well be playing the 91% version, and that’s an awfully low payout, the equivalent of playing a rigged slot.
Betsoft slots
Betsoft slots are what you’re looking for. Reputable company that releases provably fair slots of high production quality, and then to top it all off they tell you exactly what the theoretical return to player (RTP) is. Try getting that in your local casino!
Some of the best betsoft slots are good girl bad girl (97.80% payout) and greedy goblins (97.20%), and there are many more titles that deserve a few spins. As far as we at gamblersfever are concerned, betsoft is the best US-facing slot game developer, though realtime gaming remains the most popular but we have our doubts here precisely because of the configurable and hidden RTP.
Rival gaming slots
Rival is the third major developer of slots on the US market, and just like betsoft, they also release the theoretical RTP of each of their slots. Some of them are the best slots regarding payout – or loosest slots if you will – that you can play on US soil. Rock on! Is probably their best-paying slot game, and it has RTP of 98.00%. There’s no way you’ll be able to find a slot machine with that kind of a payout in your land-based casino.
Are online casino slots rigged?
There are some exceptions, of course. If you dig deep enough and start playing at some casinos that you’ve never heard of, there’s a chance you might be playing at a rigged casino. This is rare but still you must pay attention. An easy way around this is to simply visit only those casinos that we recommend on gamblersfever.
Note the realtime gaming issue with configurable RTP and don’t take it lightly. Whenever you’re playing a realtime gaming slot, you don’t really know what the theoretical payout is. It’s probable that most casinos go for the medium-payout value of 94% or 95% (depending on the slot game), and what you want is the high value of 97.50%. If you can find that, and if the casino explicitly states the RTP is 97.50%, do play the game. Otherwise, you’d be better off playing one of betsoft or rival slots.
In any case, you’re getting a much fairer game online than you would at any land-based casino in the US. These are in business of conning people and have been for decades. We love the whole scene, but they’re sleazy conmen, and if you want fair treatment then the only way to go is to play online instead.
What about in-game gambling and smartphone apps?
If we’re talking about things like the casino in grand theft auto (shown on our featured image above), these don’t (yet) go through the auditing process by a third-party, so you can expect that these are heavily rigged in casino’s favor. You’ll find the same thing at any place that isn’t under close scrutiny – like online casinos are. So, if you want to play a fair game, play it at an online casino. Casinos in grand theft auto and similar games is just not the real thing and you are probably up against a huge house edge. Same goes for apps, same goes for any kind of gambling that isn’t taking place under the umbrella of a reputable online casino.
Are online slots rigged?
By james carter on february 19th, 2015. Updated on january 2, 2020.
Many of us have been excited about playing slots at some point, only to find the excitement quickly turning into disappointment. Nothing seems to work. Only small wins and not even a single bonus game. You feel cheated.
Was the slot machine rigged?
In all honesty, it could have been. If you played at one of the reputable real-money online casinos, however, it probably wasn't. You just happened to be on the bad side of variance (in the long run, you should lose a lot of money at slot machines anyway).
And we'll never truly know. Since you're supposed to lose at slot machines and online casinos have no obligations to share their payback percentages, they could run their machines at ridiculously low returns and we wouldn't have the slightest clue about it.
Many people will tell you that rigged online slots are rare because online casinos have no reason to cheat; they make so much money from slot machines already simply by offering fair games.
That's far from a convicing argument - as if there were no greedy people in the world. But there's some logic behind the argument as well. Since the casino already has an edge over the player, the only thing they need is to get more players. Cheating slot machine players out of their money is hardly a good way to get new sign-ups.
In a sense it's hard to define "rigged online slots" since technically an online casino doesn't cheat if it has ridiculously low payout percentages set to its slot machines.
But we should treat them the same as if they were cheating.
How to find safe online casinos
The solution I've come-up with is to play at reputable sites that have reputable private auditors testing their rngs and payout percentages. Even better if the private auditor has been allowed to publish how much the online casino has paid out monthly.
Still, one could argue that you never know if online casinos bribe private auditors to creating good reports. True. We'll never know for sure.
But if you believe that there are online casinos without rigged slots, why not trust the ones that are willing to let auditors publish their results for everyone to see? The ones that seemingly have nothing to be ashamed of?
If I were to run an honest online casino with no rigged slot machines, why wouldn't I publish payout reports? Why would I let anyone think that I could have rigged online slots at my casino?
Are online slots rigged?
Introduction
As a site that reviews and promotes sites offering online slots and other games, i am often asked if I think slots are legit or if they are rigged against players.
It’s pretty common for players to wonder just how these games work and if they are run fairly. Especially if they lose money.
Basically, it comes down to an understanding of how betting works and how betting companies make their money.
If i had to sum it up in one cliched sentence I’d say – “the house always wins”
Whether it is a bricks-and-mortar casino, a high-street bookmakers or an online casino – they always make a profit. Otherwise no one would start one of these companies.
But that doesn’t mean the games are rigged. They don’t need to be.
In this article I’ll cover:
How do gambling providers make money?
Essentially, once you understand how gambling providers make money, you will understand that games don’t need to be scams.
The best example to help you get a grip of it is probably roulette.
On a standard roulette table there are 37 numbers. 0-36.
One number coming in pays 35-1. So you get 35 times your bet back plus your stake.
So, if you bet £1 on 17 and it comes in, you get £36 back.
That means that covering all numbers would mean you bet £37 and get £36 back. You lose £1 on every spin of the roulette wheel.
That is the “margin” on roulette. On every spin, on average, the casino makes £1 from every £37 wagered.
Of course they may lose in the short-term if a big bet goes against them, but over time they always make a profit.
So there is no need for the actual game to be rigged. The odds already favour the house.
Video poker will pay out about 800x your bet if you hit a royal flush. But the actual odds of getting dealt one are about 650,000-1. Even when changing some of your cards the odds are about 16,000-1.
So, again they don’t need to fix the game to not be fair and random. The odds are already in their favour.
Slots are much harder to put odds against. The real odds of hitting the jackpot on a specific slot will depend on the number of symbols per reel, the number of reels and the number of winlines.
But imagine a slots game with 5 reels. 30 symbols per reel and 20 winlines.
If there was one jackpot symbol per reel, that would mean the real odds of hitting the jackpot would be around 30x30x30x30x30 divided by 20.
So in this example it would be odds of about a million to one to hit the jackpot.
Its unlikely they actually pay out 1,000,000x your bet. More likely 10,000x or 50,000x
Of course, there are features and lots of other winning symbols you could hit so its impossible to accurately figure out the odds of any win.
The best you can do is look at the “return to player” (RTP) figure for slots. This is basically like the “margin” we discussed for roulette.
Most slots have a RTP of about 96%. Which basically means for every £100 wagered the casino wins £4 and you get £96 back.
That RTP figure covers all players of the game. So you might win more than you bet, and two other players might lose.
But over a long enough period the casino always wins. No need to not have the games be random.
Are online slots really random though?
As i’ve explained the odds are always already in the casinos favour. That’s how they make money.
Running a casino isn’t a big gamble. Unless they get a massive winner in their first day of operation, they’ll always make a profit.
All online games have their results generated by a random-number-generator.
Every combination of cards, slots reels or a roulette spin is given a designated code.
The codes are chosen at random and the result is shown to the player.
These random-number-generators can be audited and the results can be independently verified for fairness. It is one of the requirements to get a licence from the ukbgambling commission that independent verifiers can check these.
The negative publicity that would be generated for a company for having a fixed game would be far more damaging than just making the steady profit they would make by running it fairly.
How are online slots games made?
There are many companies who develop online slots games. The best known are netent, microgaming, playtech and IGT.
They develop the games and then the casinos host them on their sites. Paying them about 50% of the revenue the games generate.
The casino sites themselves have no access to make changes to the code of a game. So if a game was rigged (or faulty) it would most likely be the fault of the developers.
And you’d have the same chance of winning on the same slots game – regardless of the casino you played it on. Even if it seems like one site is luckier for you than another, that’s all it is. Luck.
If you really want to try out as many slots as possible on one site, then try videoslots. As we said earlier, they have the biggest selection of slots in the world.
So are online slots just luck?
But if you want to introduce some strategy into it, you can look at a few things.
Firstly you might look at the RTP, as we mentioned above. Although they are generally around the same there are some differences.
Then you might look at the size of the jackpot. Especially with the progressive slots – these can get into the millions.
One quick test i do with a new slot is look at the lowest, most common win. Say 3 symbols on a 5-reel game. If it pays back less than half the wager i usually skip it.
So if i bet £1 and the spin brings up 3 fruits and it only pays 20p I usually leave it. Just a personal superstition, i suppose.
It is commonly believed, with some evidence, that when a new slots game is launched, the RTP is set higher to give players a better chance and make them want to play more.
So you might want to try out new games.
I personally prefer a game with mini games built into the features. I’m probably not a hard core slots player, but i get bored with just spinning reels. I need “features” to keep me interested.
How can I win more on online slots?
If i knew that, I’d be a millionaire.
I can only tell you what i do. As i said above, check out the RTP’s.
Play new games to take advantage of any promotional RTP’s. Practice on demo mode to get a feel for the game before you bet with real money.
Start out with small bets and if you get a winning run going, slowly increase your bets.
If you hit a losing streak then lower your bets to ride it out.
Never chase your loses – betting more and more just to try and break even. That can lead to bigger loses than you can handle.
Summary – are online slots legit?
So without having access to the code for every avalable slot game, or being able to audit random-number-generator results, I can’t guarantee that every slots game is run fairly.
But as i hope i have shown you, they don’t need to rig any games at all.
Their profits are already built in to the odds they give you. And the odds have to favour the house.
Otherwise running a casino or bookmakers would be a risk. And no one would do it.
There are lots of checks and balances in place and the negative publicity that they would get for running a crooked game would cost them more than they could get. So cheating seems unlikely.
If you are lucky you will personally win a profit. But in the long-term the house always wins.
Gambling should be a fun form of entertainment with a win being a bonus.
If you want to consistently make a profit through gambling, i’d suggest starting a casino rather than playing at one.
Are land-based machines or online slots rigged?
Today, I’m going to answer another reader question which I received recently by email. It comes from sarah in scotland who wants to know “are slot machines rigged?” I’ve copied the email directly below with her permission.
I’m sarah mckeown, and I’ve been a long-time reader of your blog. I’ve found lots of interesting content over the years. I even won a healthy jackpot after playing one of your recommended jackpot slots.
However, I’ve been keeping a record of my bets versus my wins, and I’ve noticed that no matter how many big wins I have, I always end up losing it all again over the long term. Can you tell me if slot machines are rigged? Can casinos fix slot machines to make sure players lose?
Any insights you can share with me would be greatly appreciated.
Sarah, I’m going to answer your questions directly. Yes, slot machines are rigged. However, they’re not rigged in the way you think they are
In this post, I’ll explain how slot machines work, why you lose in the long-term, and I’ll give you some useful tips for beating slot machines more often. Let’s begin!
Are casino slot machines rigged?
I guarantee you that if you walk through any vegas casino, or any casino in the world for that matter, and ask every slots player if they won, the vast majority of them will tell you no.
It’s difficult to understand how this could be the case unless slot machines are rigged. And if they are, how in the heck is that legal? Are casinos actively keeping slot machines rigged so that you can’t win? If so, what about all those stories of players who won huge jackpots?
This can all seem rather confusing, but it’s not. The simple answer is that the vast majority of players lose, and a few lucky players win. Each machine is programmed to pay out less than what’s put into it, ensuring that the casino makes a continuous profit over the long run. This could be anything from a 2% advantage on the best slot machines, to a 10% or greater advantage on some of the big-money jackpot slots.
So, in a nutshell, casino slots are rigged to make sure the casino makes a profit, but that does not mean you can’t win on any given gaming session.
Gaming commissions would never allow casinos to run games you can’t win, nor would it be good for business. Players would soon figure out that the games were unwinnable and would stop playing.
Let’s take a closer look at how slot machines work. This will help you understand that while the house always wins, you can win, too.
How slot machines are rigged
Understanding how slot machines are rigged requires you to understand how they work. Each slot has its game odds, but they all use a similar method of paying out jackpots. Here are some important things to know about slot machines.
Understand slot machine RTP
RTP is an acronym for “return to player.” if you read slot machine reviews, you’ll usually find each game has a specific RTP published by the developer. For example, on netent.Com, you can find the RTP of starburst and other games.
RTP is a percentage.
Based on starburst from above, the RTP is 96.09%. What does this mean in terms of money, jackpots, and wins and losses? It means that, for every £100 bet on these games, players win back £96.09.
It’s important to remember that this does not mean you’ll make back £96.09 for every £100 you bet on starburst. It means that the casino returns £96.09 to all players spinning the reels at every casino which offers starburst. This includes all of the small wins and losses each player wins on every spin. In the long run, the casino will make £3.91 on every £100 bet on that game, regardless of what happens in the short term.
Hopefully, this concept of RTP helps you understand how slot machines are rigged in favor of the game developers and casinos but are not rigged in absolute terms. You can win when playing slots, but you can’t win in the long run.
Understand random number generators
Even though the house has a built-in advantage on slot machines, it’s clear that some players do win massive jackpots. Just take a look at this story about a british soldier winning a record-breaking jackpot from a £0.25 spin.
Lots of players wonder when the best time to play slot machines is, which slots are “loose,” and all sorts of other questions. They hope that figuring out the answers will help them win slots more often, but the truth is that this is all a waste of time.
Slot machines decide when to pay out in accordance with a random number generator (RNG). Believe it or not, it’s possible for a slot machine to pay out a jackpot on two spins in a row, although it is unlikely. A random number generator is a piece of software which spits out billions of numbers per second, and if it happens to spit out a number associated with a jackpot, you’ll see the high-value symbols line up across a payline and you win.
There’s no way to manipulate rngs. You can’t cheat online slot machines no matter how hard you try. Some smart players note that rngs can’t be truly random since humans create them, but for all reasonable and practical purposes, you can’t manipulate them.
Perhaps, someone will someday spot a pattern in the apparent randomness by using a quantum computer to crunch numbers. But until then, just assume they’re random.
While the slots developer can control the RTP via programming, it can’t control the RNG. There are third-party games testing organizations such as ecogra which test rngs and verify that they are fair. This doesn’t mean all slots developers play fair, but big names like microgaming and netent do.
How to win at slots — tips and tricks
Now that you understand how slot machines work, and how they are rigged without being unfair, it’s time to turn the tables on the casinos. I’ve learned a lot about slot machines throughout my career as a player, and I’m going to share my best tips on how to win slots more often.
Pick slot machines with a high RTP
One of the first and most obvious tips is to select high RTP slot machines. These games pay back the most to players in the long run, so you’re better off playing them even if the jackpots are smaller.
Very often, the jackpots are smaller. Since the casinos have less risk to deal with when a smaller jackpot is involved, they can afford a higher payback percentage to players. It makes sense, doesn’t it?
So, which slot machines have the highest RTP? Here are five to get you started.
- Blood suckers by netent – 98%
- Rags to riches by cryptologic – 98%
- Good girl, bad girl by betsoft – 97.8%
- Kings of chicago by netent – 97.8%
- Wolfpack pays by nextgen – 97.8%
Those slots have a variety of excellent bonus features, decent jackpots, and higher than average rtps. If you want to get the most bang for your buck as a long-term player, it’s wise to play them.
Pick the right volatility for your bankroll
There’s a top-notch article on slot machine variance and volatility here. If you want a more detailed breakdown of what they are, check that out.
Slot machine volatility is important to understand because it will tell you which slots are suitable for your bankroll. Volatility indicates both how often a slot should pay and the average size of the payouts.
- Low volatility slots pay smaller amounts more often.
- Medium volatility slots pay decent amounts fairly often.
- High volatility slots pay less frequently, but wins are more explosive.
If I had a smaller bankroll, say £20, I’d start by playing a low volatility slot such as starburst. I find that it’s a good slot to build your bankroll with. Once I double up, I usually switch to a higher volatility slot with bigger payouts which occur less frequently.
Managing your bankroll effectively is about the only slot machine strategy which works. Therefore, knowing the volatility of a game is useful information.
Use free spins with low wagering requirements
Most online casinos offer free spins bonuses for new players. Lots of them also offer free spins to loyal players who spin slots daily or weekly.
I’ve learned the hard way that not all free spins bonuses give me an advantage. Sometimes, the wagering requirements are so high that the bonus is a liability. This is especially true if it comes with predatory terms such as that I can’t withdraw my deposit until I meet the wagering requirements. Yes, such bonuses exist, I’ve seen it all over the years I’ve been playing!
There are other free spins bonuses you will want to take. They’ll give you a chance to beat the house with its own money and have these characteristics.
- They won’t require excessive minimum deposits.
- The wagering requirements will be low, around 20x or less.
- You’ll be able to keep all of what you win when you wager the bonus.
Free spins with low wagering requirements are available at lots of top UK casinos. There are even casinos with no wagering requirements, and they’re especially popular in the UK market.
Final words
Thanks for writing to me with this question, sarah. It’s given me a chance to cover lots of ground with regards to slot machines, and I hope that it answers your question. Are slot machines rigged? Yes, the house has a mathematical advantage which you can’t alter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win.
Beating slot machines is a case of picking the right games, managing your bankroll effectively, and getting lucky. Don’t forget the last part! Luck is essential. There’s no effective way to beat the slots every time. Happy spinning, and don’t forget to pick up a casino bonus before you begin!
Are online slots rigged or legit?
Looking to play slots online but are worried that they might be rigged? In this article we’ll cover the differences between land-based casino slot machines and online slots, and will answer the buring question – are online slots legit?
How casinos rig slots
At first glance, it may seem that online slots are less controlled than casino slot machines, but actually the opposite is true. Land-based slot machines can definitely be rigged by the casino, and are rigged more often than we’d like to believe. Since these slots are off the grid, they are stand-alone machines with no outside control whatsoever. The only control is coming from the owner itself – the casino – and you simply have to trust the casino if you’re playing one of their slot machines.
Without third-party verifications it’s almost impossible to know if a slot machine has been rigged. You may play a bit, several hundred spins, and you’ll have your own assumption, based on the fact that you just won or lost. But you’d need millions of spins to actually know if a slot machine has been rigged.
So, the short answer is – you can’t know if a casino slot machine has been rigged, and if it was you wouldn’t be aware of it. It does happen quite often.
Are online slots really random?
Online slots are actually safer to play, for one reason. They depend on a random number generator (RNG) and the RNG that some online slot is using is going through third-party tests. That’s why you often see someone mentioning a slot game or some other game is “provably fair”. That means it was audited by an independent third-party that verified that the RNG isn’t rigged in casino’s favor. Once you see that, you’re safe. You never see it in land-based casinos, they just don’t bother.
Realtime gaming slots
Realtime gaming (RTG) slots are a special case, as each slot game is indeed provably fair, but can be set up by the casino. The casino may choose for the game they’re hosting to have theoretical payout of 91%, 94% or 97.50%, and you won’t know which one it is unless the casino itself decides to tell you. For all practical purposes, unless you know specifically what the theoretical payout of your RTG slot is, you basically don’t know. You might as well be playing the 91% version, and that’s an awfully low payout, the equivalent of playing a rigged slot.
Betsoft slots
Betsoft slots are what you’re looking for. Reputable company that releases provably fair slots of high production quality, and then to top it all off they tell you exactly what the theoretical return to player (RTP) is. Try getting that in your local casino!
Some of the best betsoft slots are good girl bad girl (97.80% payout) and greedy goblins (97.20%), and there are many more titles that deserve a few spins. As far as we at gamblersfever are concerned, betsoft is the best US-facing slot game developer, though realtime gaming remains the most popular but we have our doubts here precisely because of the configurable and hidden RTP.
Rival gaming slots
Rival is the third major developer of slots on the US market, and just like betsoft, they also release the theoretical RTP of each of their slots. Some of them are the best slots regarding payout – or loosest slots if you will – that you can play on US soil. Rock on! Is probably their best-paying slot game, and it has RTP of 98.00%. There’s no way you’ll be able to find a slot machine with that kind of a payout in your land-based casino.
Are online casino slots rigged?
There are some exceptions, of course. If you dig deep enough and start playing at some casinos that you’ve never heard of, there’s a chance you might be playing at a rigged casino. This is rare but still you must pay attention. An easy way around this is to simply visit only those casinos that we recommend on gamblersfever.
Note the realtime gaming issue with configurable RTP and don’t take it lightly. Whenever you’re playing a realtime gaming slot, you don’t really know what the theoretical payout is. It’s probable that most casinos go for the medium-payout value of 94% or 95% (depending on the slot game), and what you want is the high value of 97.50%. If you can find that, and if the casino explicitly states the RTP is 97.50%, do play the game. Otherwise, you’d be better off playing one of betsoft or rival slots.
In any case, you’re getting a much fairer game online than you would at any land-based casino in the US. These are in business of conning people and have been for decades. We love the whole scene, but they’re sleazy conmen, and if you want fair treatment then the only way to go is to play online instead.
What about in-game gambling and smartphone apps?
If we’re talking about things like the casino in grand theft auto (shown on our featured image above), these don’t (yet) go through the auditing process by a third-party, so you can expect that these are heavily rigged in casino’s favor. You’ll find the same thing at any place that isn’t under close scrutiny – like online casinos are. So, if you want to play a fair game, play it at an online casino. Casinos in grand theft auto and similar games is just not the real thing and you are probably up against a huge house edge. Same goes for apps, same goes for any kind of gambling that isn’t taking place under the umbrella of a reputable online casino.
Are online slots rigged?
Every gambler has asked himself are online slots rigged or not. We are skeptical creatures, and when it comes to gambling, we become thoroughly paranoid. But we can’t say it’s unfair: rigged online slots really exist, and if you don’t know how to spot them, they can ruin your online gambling experience. Don’t worry: as usual, we are here to help you. Below, you can find the answers to every question you want to know about rigged slot games and choose one of our recommended casino sites to start your fair gambling experience right away.
The most trusted casino sites to play fair online slots
If you want to play at an online casino where you won’t feel the need to ask “are online slots rigged”, take a look at the list below: all of these casino sites are safe, secure, fair, and legal – we hand-picked them for you.
Our top trusted casino picks
Are online casino slots rigged?
If you are playing in a licensed and audited online casino, no – online slots (and other casino games) won’t be rigged. But if you are playing in a “rogue” casino, this is a certain possibility. In other words, the answer to “are online slots rigged” question depends on whether the casino site is rigged or not. Slot machines are not the only games you can play in an online casino and even them have lots of subcategories, such as penny slots, jackpot slots, video slots, etc. If the casino itself is fair, all of these games will be fair too – asking the are online slots rigged question will be meaningless. But if the casino site is rigged, none of the games will offer you fair gambling. So, the first thing we need to check is the fairness of the online casino. We will show you how to do this below, but first, we need to explain two important concepts about slot machine games.
How to avoid rigged casino slots: the importance of RNG and RTP
Fair slot machines (and other casino games) have two common features: they have an RNG software that makes the result of each spin/draw random and the RTP rates match the expected win/loss amounts. These are the most important features we need to consider while answering the “are online casino slots rigged” question and if you have no idea what they mean, read below: we explain both in detail.
What is RNG?
RNG is short for “random number generator”. It is also the answer to the “how online slot games work” question. You can think of it like computer software that generates random numbers. And when we say random, we mean it: nobody, including the person who programmed the software, can predict the results. We explained how slot machines work in our online slots guide, but here is the short version, in order to explain the importance of RNG:
- Every symbol in slot games has a numerical range. For example, the numerical range of the wild symbol is between 1280 and 1290.
- When you click the “spin” button, the RNG software generates a random number. And if this number matches the numerical counterpart of a specific symbol, it gets displayed on the screen.
- So, if the RNG software generates “1287”, for example, you will see the wild symbol on the screen. All of these happen in milliseconds, so you just see the results.
Of course, this is a pretty simple explanation but it is enough to give you an idea. Due to the unpredictability of the RNG results, it is impossible to develop a working strategy for online slots. For the same reason, it is near impossible to rig them: in order to rig something, you need to change a specific result and lower its chance of happening (or increase it), for example. If all of the results are randomly generated each and every time, there is no outcome to “rig”. So, if a slot machine is based on RNG software, it can’t be rigged at all. Basically, there is no need to ask the “are online slots rigged” question for RNG-based slots. However, there is still a “trick” that can be done: A rogue operator can change the numerical range of symbols we mentioned above. This won’t affect the randomness of the results but it will affect your winning chances: it is possible to make the wild symbol appear much less frequently by giving it a shorter range, for example. So, how can you understand and avoid this?
Safe online casino sites
Want to also feel safe while being able to win money at online casinos? Check out our article on safe online casinos
What is RTP?
If the rogue operator has changed the numerical ranges, you cannot understand this, unless you control the source code of the games in that online casino – we will just assume you don’t. However, you can see whether you should be suspicious about this or not by paying attention to something known as RTP, which is short for “return to player”. This is also a numerical value but it is shown with a percentage. The RTP rate is not about the winning chance: it is about how much you should expect to win. If we give an example, it will be much easier to understand. The RTP rate of the immortal romance slot machine is 96.86%. This means two things:
- If you invest 100 EUR in this game, you can expect to recover at least 96.86 EUR in the long run.
- This means your overall losses will be limited to 3.14 EUR.
In other words, the RTP rates show how much you can expect to win/lose in the long run. They are based on an average of 1.000 spins and if you don’t see the expected results after making this many spins, this may indicate that there is a problem with the RNG results. To put it simply, if you lose all of your investment and do not score a winning in immortal romance slot game after spinning the reels a thousand times, you should be suspicious. In this context, your goal as a player should be finding slot games with the highest RTP rates in order to maximize your winnings.
Both the provider and casino should be certified for fairness
The importance of licenses: are online casinos rigged too?
The real question you need to ask is not “are online slots rigged”, it is “are online casinos rigged”. Because, if the casino itself is rigged, all of the games in it (including slot machines) will be unfair too. So, if you truly want to play fair and safe online slots, you should start playing at fair casino sites. And licenses are the most important feature (in fact, their distinctive feature) of safe online casinos. So, what are they, exactly?
You can think of casino licenses as official permits, issued by government agencies. In countries where gambling is legal, a government agency is in charge of gambling licenses. For example, in the united kingdom, an agency called “gambling commission” provides these permits and if you want to accept members from the UK; your casino website must own this license. A casino license will ensure that:
- The online casino is a legal operation.
- Authorities know who owns that casino.
- The softwareof the casino is audited on a regular basis to ensure that it is fair.
- If the casino won’t pay your winnings, there are legal methods you can use.
Basically, licensed online casinos are legal businesses, approved and audited by the government. And for fair gambling, you need to play only at licensed casinos – otherwise, you cannot know who owns the casino and whether the games are fair. Moreover, there is nothing you can do if the casino does not payout: even if you win the grand prize while playing slot machines with bonus games, this will be meaningless if you cannot withdraw your winnings. Online casinos without a license are called “rogue” and they cannot offer a fair gambling experience. In fact, each and every game in such casinos are probably rigged. If you don’t want to ask “are online slots rigged” question all the time, make sure to play at licensed casinos only. You can see this information at the bottom of the main page – look for a logo that says the united kingdom gambling commission, malta gaming authority, netherlands antilles, or curacao egaming.
Penny slots
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Are online slots rigged?
There's no doubt losing can be frustrating, especially if it happens repeatedly. If you can't seem to win at online slots, it's easy to play the blame game. Since there's no skill required to spin the reels, most people assume that losing can't possibly be their fault. That's why it's simple to accuse online casinos of cheating when the outcomes are unfavourable. Yet, for the most part, online casinos in the united kingdom play by the rules. Before you let the accusations fly, you might want to look at the bigger picture.
How casinos operate
Let's face it. Putting your trust in an online casino can feel like you're taking a leap of faith at times. When playing what is a technically a real money video game, how do you know it's programmed to be fair? Do you ever feel like you always lose when the stakes are high and your few infrequent wins are modest at best? Conspiracy theorists often claim that casinos throw players periodic bones to get their hopes up. In reality it's more likely that disgruntled players only pay attention to part of the story. While it's nice to believe you win some and you lose some, it's more important to realise how casinos actually work.
Like all casino games, slot machines are designed to make the casinos money over time. Whether you play online or at a live casino, slots pay out less than they take in over the long haul. As valuable as this information is, it's hardly a secret. All respected casinos post their payout rates, which can range between 75% and 95% or more. Even though you should aim to find slots with highest payout rates, it's essential to acknowledge that even fair games are set up in the casino's favour. The good news is that due to a concept that mathematicians call variance, the house edge isn't necessarily exhibited over the short term. It's that sense of possibility that makes gambling so much fun.
Licenced and regulated gaming
Although online slots aren't rigged, that's only true if you play at reputable casinos. It might be hard to imagine, but anyone with a little computer knowledge can set up a gambling site on the internet. Yet that doesn't make the site legal or worthy of your trust. In fact, there are thousands of online casinos around the world but only a few hundred are licenced to offer games to players in the united kingdom. Even though unregulated casinos aren't necessarily rigged or unscrupulous, why take the chance?
If you love online slots, consider yourself fortunate to live in britain. While many nations turn a blind eye to internet gambling or prohibit it outright, slot machines and most other forms of betting are perfectly legal in the united kingdom. The UK gambling commission licences sites so that players can enjoy games with complete confidence. When you play at a licenced site you can count on games that are fair and random. Take comfort in knowing the payout rates are accurate, and you'll be paid promptly.
Playing fair with random number generation
With the exception of vintage mechanical slot machines, all of today's slots are computer operated. That's true whether you play on the internet or live at your favourite casinos. The outcome of every spin depends on a random number generator or RNG. These rngs use complicated computer algorithms that ensure every spin of the reels is 100% random and independent. That means that the machine has no knowledge about whether you've recently won or lost. It doesn't try to balance things out or lure you back into the game with a modest win when you've lost all hope. Yet over time everything does have a mathematical way of balancing itself out.
When you play at a licenced gambling site, you don't need to understand how rngs work. What's important is that independent auditors test, inspect, and certify the RNG technology regularly. You can view a casino's certificates, licences, and credentials by following the links on their landing page.
Online casino misconduct
If you've followed the online gambling industry over the years, you've likely heard of a few scandals. There's no doubt that some operators have cheated players. Still, there's no point losing sleep or vowing to boycott all forms of internet betting. Most of these incidents were in the distant past and occurred offshore. More importantly, none of the sites in question were licenced by the UK gambling commission. Online gambling is incredibly competitive in 2020 and sites simply have too much to lose if they violate the rules. Mere rumours of cheating players will cause people to take their bankrolls elsewhere. Management also runs the risk of fines and imprisonment. Of course, to play safely you'll need to do your part by sticking to fully licenced sites.
Going above and beyond
Despite the fact that playing at licenced sites comes with assurances, we believe it's just a starting point. Leading slots sites in the UK undergo additional certification and face further scrutiny to gain the trust of players. Be on the lookout for the ecorga logo. The firm monitors games for fairness, certifies software, and can help players mediate disputes with casinos.
Whether you are looking for slots or other games, there's no need to choose a random site and hope for the best. Before signing up, it's worth reading the expert reviews on this site. Take the time to check out the forums and social media to see what other gambling fans have to say. If something doesn't look right, steering clear is the smart move. Remember that there are dozens of amazing gambling sites right here in the UK. You should never feel pressured to settle for second best or worse.
Slot machines “rigged” by casinos?
It’s very common for people to state that slot machines are “rigged”. If your definition of “rigged” is that the casino is guaranteed to make money off of slot machines over a long period of time then you’re right. However, slot machines from reputable casinos that use random number generators (RNG) are not “rigged” so that you will lose.
Many times when we are losing at a slot we envision someone at the controls making us loose. We get angry and imagine that the casino has flipped a switch that makes it impossible to win. This is where the misconceptions take place. Slot machines are completely random and if you are having a string of bad luck it has nothing to do with anybody “rigging” the machine.
The slot machine has a computer program that dictates the overall payback percentage of that machine. That means if the machine is set to payback 95% then the casino will receive 5% of every dollar that is played in a particular machine. This is when some people become confused. In no way does that mean you will lose 5% of each dollar you play in a machine. In fact, a slot machine may payback more than it takes in over a day, a week, or even a month. The preset percentages don’t come about until the long term.
What is the long term? There is a bit of ambiguity as to what constitutes the long term, but usually it means there must be thousands if not millions of spins. What does this mean to the average player? Basically, it means that you are not being cheated. Unless you play everyday day, year after year, on one slot machine, you will probably not receive the same rate of payback that the machine is set at. Granted, there will be more losers than winners at slots, but there are winners and you have the same chance to win as anyone else.
Players have two major things that they can control when playing slots. What machines they play and how long they play. Those two powers can’t be taken very lightly because they may be the difference between whether you win or lose.
The first power you have as a slot player is choosing what games you will play and at what casinos. Slot machines can range from a payback of 70%-99.5%. Does that mean if you play the 70% payback you are going to lose? No, but statistically speaking you have a much greater chance of winning on a slot with a payback of 95%+. That means you should only play slots that have a higher payback percentage. Again, this doesn’t guarantee success but it can improve your chances of success dramatically.
You are more likely to find higher payback slot machines online than you are in land-based casinos. Online casinos have a huge advantage over land-based casinos because the cost of over-head is so much lower. This enables them to offer higher payback machines because they can achieve a profit much easier. There are some high payback slots in land-based casinos, but in general online casinos offer better paybacks. If you’d like to learn more about payback percentages, you may want to read the article on how online casinos offer better paybacks written by my friend jared bates who runs the website casinobonusandfreechip.Com
As a slot player, it is your job to research and find out which online casinos offer the best payback machines. All reputable online casinos are independently audited and tested to verify the payback percentages that they advertise. Only play slots that offer high paybacks to insure you are giving yourself the best chance to win.
The second power slot players have is the ability to dictate how long they play and how much they are betting. It is very important for slot players to use a money management system that will enable them to walk away when they win and limit their losses. Do not let emotions dictate your rate of play. Utilize preset limits to let you know when to walk away.
If you play slots at a reputable casino you can be sure that the machines are not “rigged” to make you lose. Yes, they are programmed to take in more than they payout over the long term, but that in no way means you are being cheated. You have exactly the same chance of winning as anyone else, and yes there are people that win playing slot machines. Find high payback slots and utilize a strict money management system and you may just walk away a winner. Most importantly enjoy yourself while you play because if you’re not having a good time then there is no sense in playing.
Are slot machines rigged?
Are slot machines rigged?
I know that many arcade games are rigged to get you to play them more. Are slot machines in casinos ever rigged?
I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure there are really strict regulations at the bigger casinos (vegas and such) to make sure their games, including slots, are fair-ish.
All states in the united states regulate their slot machines, no matter how small. Even the ones on indian reservations.
Basically, they have set probability. Say prize one is a 5% chance, price 2 10%. That is required to average out to a certain percent of sales usually. They have to abide by these probabilities that are marked on the machine.
As far as "rigged?' no, not in any sense that they don't pay our or anything, but the entire slot machine experience is designed to get you to keep playing. Ever notice there is no windows or clocks in casinos? To make sure you lose track of time.
When people talk about arcade games being rigged they usually mean they are set up in such a way to be un-win-able or extremely hard to win. They tend to give you the "almost! Had it!" feeling. They look easy but the buckets might be tilted slightly in a way you can't see so you can't plan for it. Even if you knew about it, it is still VERY hard. They are deceptive by nature.
Arcade games also sometimes change their win-ability to give the impression that the game is easier than it is, usually. So those crane games, some are set to have the claw be weak right after the game is one. So a person can see someone else win and think "oh I can do that too" but they are playing a different game than the person before them who won.
There isnt' that sort of deception with slot machines. Well there might be depending on what you would consider deception.
Slot machines are fixed. Before you even see the screen the result is already determined. You can get a blank screen with a button that says "yes" or "no." that isn't too exciting to the players though. So they have things like a wheel that spins. The "sorry you lose" is right next to "JACKPOT" so you get the impression if it just went a little farther you would have had it. A bit like the "ALMOST!" from the arcade games. Same with the slot machines where you get a poker hand. They could show an "almost royal flush" to make you keep playing. You're "close" after all. :)
Humans also don't understand randomness and probability. So if you press a button you have the same chance of winning each time. Just because the machine hasn't won in a while doesn't mean it is "due." just cause that last person won a million bucks doesn't make the next button press less likely to win a million bucks. A machine can't be "hot." each event is on its own, it doesn't depend on the last one. This is called gambler's fallacy
so, let's see, what we have: are online slots A scam & rigged? Are online slots are a scam? Are they rigged by the casinos to prevent real players from winning? These are important and common questions and we’re hear at slot games rigged
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