Saturday, February 9, 2013

How do Slot Machines Work

How do Slot Machines WorkHow do Slot Machines Work

These slots are also known as one-arm bandits because of the lever used on one side of the machine and the fact that they left quite a few gaming addicts penniless. Some modern slot machines still have a lever along with a button, just to retain the original charm of slot machines. The currency detector in the slot machine confirms the validity once the money or coin is inserted in the slot. Advances in technology have led to the addition of different variants of slot machines.

Origin and History

One of the first machines which was based on a simple mechanism was invented by Charles Fey from , in 1887. The first fully functional electromechanical slot machine was devised by Bally in 1964. This slot machine which was called Money Honey was one of the first slot machines which handed over a payment of five hundred coins without an attendants help.

The BAR symbol which is a common feature in slot machines these days was derived from the Bell Fruit Gum Company logo which popularized the concept of handing out to winners through machines. Reel 'Em In was one of the first video slot machines to offer a dual screen. A bonus round was made possible by WMS Industries Inc. in 1996.

Working of Slot Machines

Once a person inserts cash, coins or bar-coded tickets into the slot of the machine, he purchases the right to play that particular game by activating the button or using a lever, and in most modern machines a touchscreen interface. A winning combination of a variety of symbols are displayed on the face of the machine or are accessed by a touchscreen interface. The symbols which are images of fruits, hearts, diamonds, numerals, letters and bells are brightly colored in order to be recognized easily by the winner of the game. In the modern variants of slot machines the reels and lever are present for nostalgic and historic reasons.

The position of reels coming to a stop is chosen by a Random Number Generator (RNG), which is devised in the mechanism's software. With the press of the 'play' button, the RNG generates numbers randomly at the rate of hundreds to thousands per second. The most recent random number chosen determines the end result. Although some professionals argue that the algorithm design in the RNG is responsible for picking up a sequence of predictable numbers, this mechanism is very popularly used the world over. In most a group of machines are linked together in such a way that each slot machine contributes towards winning a progressive jackpot by combining specific symbols.

Percentage Payout

The pay percentage of slot machines are programmed in the from the factory in which the machine is manufactured. The software is generally stored on an Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM) chip, in case the payout percentage of the machine needs to be altered after it hits the gaming floor. The payout percentage varies under various jurisdictions established by the law.

Using a slot machine is a simple means of trying your luck rather than living in an illusion of being a skilled gamer. Slot machines are very addictive and they have become increasingly popular with people from all walks of life.

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