The house profiteering from casino games is based on the odds of winning being lower than they are, and that’s a simple task in table games. The true odds against a specific number at double-zero roulette, for example, are 37-1, but the house only pays single-number winners 35-1.
MULTITUDE OF POSSIBLE RESULTS?
The odds of a slot machine are similar to those of a roulette wheel, except that there are far more possibilities on the slots. Reel combinations can number in the tens of thousands or even millions. In addition, game designers can decide how much each winning combination is worth. The odds of a game are based on the total number of winning combinations and the average payout per winner.
- The math involved in slot machine odds is more complicated than that engaged in table games because of the sheer number of possibilities.
- One thousand possible combinations on early three-reel slots with ten symbols per reel (10 x 10 x 10).
- In this case, the number of possible combinations rises to 20x20x20, or 8,000.
- Using larger reels with 20 symbols and 20 spaces, the number of possible combinations rises to 64,000.
Thanks to the virtual reels, programmers made the reels behave as if they had any number of stops. There are one million possible outcomes when there are 100 stops on each of the three reels. In the Megabucks slot machine that paid the world record jackpot of more than $39 million, there are approximately 50 million possible combinations. There are five video reels in most modern video slots that can be as long or as short as the game maker desires. There are 10 billion possible combinations when there are 100 symbols on each of the five reels.
Examples and explanations of slots
The eight reel symbols in WMS Gaming’s Super Jackpot Party video slot are a noisemaker and a party guy, which trigger a bonus event. Random numbers must be assigned to each symbol to determine the payouts for three, four, and five-of-a-kind wins. As a result, the game’s calculations become far more difficult than in our previous example.
Additionally, the number of paylines complicates the calculation. Only one jackpot symbol per reel, but a 30-line game means 30 chances to line up those symbols in a winning combination, rather than just one. Every possible combination has to be accounted for 30 times by programmers.
Bonus events are found on nearly every modern slot machine, and they can include anything from a spin of a bonus wheel to a pick-them game to free spins or another bonus. Bonus event payouts must be factored into the game’s overall profitability.
COMPETITION-BASED SECRET EVENTS
A greater emphasis will be placed on skill-based events in the following chapter, BONUS EVENTS. For the time being, keep in mind that, even though Nevada has not yet implemented fully skill-based gaming, there are still games that offer skill-based bonuses. With the release of IGT’s Centipede and GTECH’s popular online game Zuma in recent years, there has been a rise in the popularity of bonus games.
As much as these games are dependent on skill, they can’t be beat. Centipede grandmaster or not, the house still has the upper hand. Skill-based payouts are limited to 4% of a game’s total payout in most jurisdictions, and the house edge is so high that even if you manage to get the full 4%, you will not be in the black.