We’ve talked a lot about Class III, or Vegas style slots, on the site so far. We’ve also mentioned Bingo machines, which work differently in that the outcomes come from outside the machine.
We have yet to talk much about Historic Horse Racing machines, but today’s question gives us the chance to do just that!
I live in Virginia and visit Rosie’s Casinos. When a jackpot is hit they have a winners board and the amount you are going to win is displayed as soon as you hit the bonus, before you even start it. If it is truly random, how can they know the amount you are going to win before you even start the bonus?
Kay P.
Rosie’s casinos in Virginia are a great example of casinos that don’t offer slots, but instead (in this case) Historic Horse Racing machines. Like Bingo Machines, an important difference between standard slot machines and these other machines is that the outcome of a wager is determined not within the machine, but by an external setup.
Whereas in Bingo Machines it’s based on a wager on the game of Bingo, for Historical Horse Racing machines it’s a bet on a previously concluded horse race. The slot machine reels in either case are really just for show, to visually display an outcome that, in this case, the horse racing wager yielded.
The way the process works is you press spin, which makes the wager. The reels start to spin. Outside the slot the historical horse race “occurs,” determining the outcome of your wager. Then the reels come to a stop.
If it’s a big enough win, you’ll probably get a bonus so the game has a way to handle that payout and deliver it in a format the reels can represent. The bonus is just a longer path to showing you the final outcome. Meanwhile, they already know what you’re going to win, because it was determined earlier in the process (during that horse race), so this is all window dressing. Historic Horse Racing machines are not random in the same way slots are random, and that’s why the system already knows you’re going to win big.
When you talk randomness on slots, it doesn’t extend to other types of systems like Historic Horse Racing, so it’s important to know what types of games you’re playing, as it has an impact on how it all works.
Have a question? Submit yours here!
