Sometimes superstitions transform into held beliefs, and that doesn’t mean they’re factually true. But sometimes there’s a kernel of truth in it. This one came from a recent conversation on Brian Christopher’s Facebook page about slot machine secrets:
Don’t stay at one machine for too long you will lose all your money.
Lucy B.
Every casino game has a house edge in favor of the casino. That means every wager you make is designed, over time, to make money for the casino. So, theoretically, any game, if played long enough, will result in you spending through what’s in the machine.
But it’s not because you stayed at a machine for too long. It’s because the more wagers you make with a house edge, the larger the chance you lose. And as you keep making more wagers, you’ll just put more and more at risk until there’s nothing left.
That’s not because you stayed at one machine too long. More accurately, it may be because you kept playing at the casino for too long, or didn’t lock in a profit and leave. It’s instead the nature of gambling.
So staying at one machine or moving isn’t going to, in the long run, make or break you. If you’re feeling a machine, you can enjoy it. If you’re thinking it’s time to move on, that’s great. But ultimately as long as you’re in the casino, willing to put your money at risk, there’s a reasonable chance you’ll lose at least some of your money. And if you keep pushing your luck, there’s also a chance you’ll spend everything you chose to bring.
This is why we encourage players to budget their visits and only play with money they can afford to lose. That’s a key element to responsible gambling that can make or break people. But this is also why we work to break myths like the one shared by Lucy – it’s important to know how it works, so you can better protect yourself and plan carefully.
Question : if wins are totally controlled by a RGN how can machines post must hit by X or higher bets – better chance of winning. Doesn’t that mean something else is in the computer chips workings?
The random number generator is random, but within a range of possible outcomes. In the case of must hit bys the RNG establishes the hit point when it resets on most of these types of jackpots (other formats exist, but randomness is always worked into it). The range of outcomes on slots where “higher bets – better chance of winning” can differ, and that’s how that’s accomplished when that method is employed. The RNG is still randomizing in that any potential outcome is possible among the options the slot is programmed to have.