Oftentimes players wonder just how much control casinos have over a slot. Here’s a great example of a recent question we received on the topic:
I’ve always wondered if they can adjust the odds of a bonus separately.
Dave R.
They don’t have a separate setting for bonus frequency – and good thing, as that would make player satisfaction a real hassle.
One of the reasons some slot machine games continue to do so well for so long is players like the feel of a game – how often you get line hits, bonuses, even near misses. If casinos could tinker with that freely, one casino’s version could feel very different from another.
As it stands, payback percentages can already introduce a bit of this difference in feel. Games with lower payback percentages might bonus a bit less often, have less chances of those bigger line hits, or pay a bit less on a bonus or feature vs. a machine with higher paybacks. But generally, things like hit frequency (the percentage of winning spins), bonus frequency and such are generally similar to keep a game feeling similar even across payback options.
Some experiments have been done that show players will gravitate towards higher paying versions on the same casino floor vs. lower ones over time. Striking that balance is important, and ensuring casinos don’t have an open-ended ability to change how a certain game feels is a critical way to ensure a game is successful.
That’s why the game makers give casinos an array of payback choices, and not more specific controls that could move a game too far from what players know and are familiar with. In turn, casinos can choose not to get a game if it doesn’t meet what it needs for its floor, such as the payback level they want to offer.
Have a question? Submit yours here!
