A constant casino myth we see players sharing with one another is one that has had legs for a long time, and that is around one that relates to slots with popular themes:
The only thing you can do to better your odds in slots is to not play games like Michael Jackson or Flintstones or anything you know from movies and pop culture. The companies who make slots have to pay royalties to use those copyrighted images and music so they have a lower payback percentage. It doesn’t mean you can’t win on them, just less likely. They typically payback like 77-83 percent where a game they created like huff n puff or lightning link will back back 83-88 percent.
Andrew B.
Before we dive into the idea of what to expect on slots with licensed themes, let’s correct the record on a few things.
First, licensed slots are developed with the same range of return to player (RTP) options as any other slots. And that generally means a floor of at least 85 percent, regardless of the slot or slot maker.
Regulations in many markets don’t allow slots to even reach the 70s – New Jersey is an example with a floor of 83 percent – and casinos don’t tend to set even penny denomination slots that low, as the payback data reporting from various states illustrates.
What can be true is that slots with popular themes are more likely to be based on previously popular slot mechanics and structures nowadays – they take less risks because of the investment in that theme, so instead you often see variations on a theme. This is true whether it’s NFL slots, Whitney Houston or even a new version of long-time themes like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Now, one thing slot makers have told us they do is design many of the themed slots with higher bet levels. With that in mind, if players play them the same amount of time, at the same payback percentage, more money will be made on them over time, as the higher bet pushes up the amount wagered overall. This is one way they offset the cost of the license.
And while casinos get the same range of paybacks to choose from on licensed slots, when the economic model of them tends to be a lease or participation as opposed to outright purchase of these slots, the end result is often they’ll set the machine a bit lower, but not dramatically so, and certainly not 50% worse as in the example given at the top of this article.
So ultimately, while it’s certainly true that games with licensed themes have an investment in that license, it often doesn’t come at the expense of the player. Small shifts are possible, but it’s not so dramatic to make the licensed games unplayable, as the 25+ year history of Wheel of Fortune offers a simple and wildly successful example.
