Can casinos manipulate slot machines and cheat players? It’s a fair question for a gambler to ask. When you put your hard-earned money into a slot, you want to make sure that you are on a level playing field. Well, at least that your odds of winning are as good as promised by the casino.
So, can a casino control slot machines? Technically, yes. A casino has control over the outcome of its slot machines. Now, whether they can and whether they do are two different things. Normally, a casino has no reason to cheat a player for profit. In fact, it has more reasons not to. To understand this, you need to know a bit about the nitty gritty of how casinos work. In this article, we will tell you just that.
How Slot Machines Work
Casino slots are a classic game of chance. You spin a set of reels and if any of the symbols on the reels align, you win. As with any other gambling game, people stake their money on it in hopes of winning more.
Slot Machines over the Years
It is interesting to look at how slot machines evolved over the years and how this plays into the possibility of casinos deliberately turning the odds in their favor.
The earliest slot machines were mechanical models. They were operated manually and the results were purely random. The reels comprised metal hoops that had different symbols painted on them. Players would pull a lever to spin the reels, which would eventually land on random symbol combinations. If the symbols matched, the player won. Neither the player nor the machine owner could control the result. Luck was the sole factor at play.
As we moved to modern slot machines, the game changed significantly. The original mechanical slot machines have evolved completely into computer-programmed virtual slots. This makes them vulnerable to manipulation because the programmers of these games could always create a bias in the code. To prevent this, the game outcomes are generated using a Random Number Generator (RNG) to ensure that the results are indeed random and not in favor of the casino.
Now, you would think that the slot machines you see in real and online casinos are meant to give you 100% random results. However, this is not the case. Casinos are in fact allowed to control the amount of payouts to make a profit. So what’s the role of RNG?
RNG (Random Number Generator) in Modern Slots
A legitimate casino makes sure that the results of its games are unbiased so the player has a fair chance of winning. Game developers do this by using a Random Number Generator (RNG).
RNG is a program that generates random numbers or number combinations. These RNG-generated numbers represent symbols on the slots. The symbol combination thus created becomes the game outcome.
This game outcome is not influenced by external factors or previous results. However, the casino has a set profit that it expects to make from each slot machine. This is a percentage of the total wagers made by the players of the casino, known as the house edge. This house edge is taken into account while the RNG generates game outcomes. Different slot machines have different house edges. Now, how do you know that RNG is properly implemented? This needs to be verified by independent authorities.
Verifying The Legitimacy And Fairness Of Slots Machines
What if the casino manipulates RNG and tricks you? It’s to prevent this that licensed authorities independently verify the internal operations of casinos. Every country where gambling is legal will have a Division of Gaming Enforcement that verifies that the casinos operate under the rules and regulations of the country.
It is therefore important to play only at licensed casinos. Licensed online casinos will have this information published on their website. This is one way to be sure that a casino is not rigged.
Apart from this, casinos are regularly audited by independent agencies to ensure fairness.
Conclusion: Why Scamming is Not Advantageous for Casinos
Casinos already have a set profit they get from players’ bet money. No matter if a player wins or loses any amount of money, the casino will receive this house edge as this is set into the RNG. Therefore, they don’t actually need to scam players for profit. Casinos risk losing their license if they are found to manipulate slots machines. This can also tarnish their reputation. So if you choose a licensed casino, you can play assured that the slots machines are not controlled by the casino.
