There’s a lot of information about slots out there – some is clear, some is not. Some is accurate, some is not. But we appreciate those who are curious, and ask us in an effort to better understand what’s going on:
I’ve always heard that a slot machine does not know how much you bet but with the newer slots, the balls that come down are usually higher than those from a lower bet. So how does the machine know to give larger balls for higher denomination bets?
John M.
A game’s design does factor in the bet amount, so in that sense it does know what’s being bet.
Usually there’s some sort of a bet multiplier that’s taking whatever prize would be on the ball and multiplying it by the bet multiplier. So a 50 cent bet might be 1x while a $5 bet might be 10x. On many slots you’ll see text like “75 credit game active” or “1x bet” on the bet buttons so that’s what’s in play.
Newer slots sometimes even use different sets of reels for each bet, or even multiple within a bet. This can be in part because of how newer games have uneven bet increments that add more money to features and bonuses, with a game design that factors that in.
The thing we’ve concluded over time is that slot design isn’t monolithic, and as computers and game design evolves to be more nuanced and complex, factors like how much you’re betting can factor into elements of the game design.
For instance, it’s a common scenario that the chances of winning a progressive increases with bet. This has come about as games have switched to larger bet ranges and multi-denomination options, making any bet level eligible for the progressive, but bigger bets just have better chances.
Those uneven bet increments are another change that’s crept into slot creation – the extra money allows for more and better bonuses, but the flip side to that is that the bonuses will look different at each bet level, and so the bet amount is factored into the design of the slot.
And of course, even on older slots, some bets simply didn’t unlock until you’re betting enough.
So the game in some ways does react to your bet, but it’s not “withholding” a progressive or a bonus because you’re betting lower, or higher for that matter. But the game’s design itself may influence how the game works at various bet levels.
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