Do Slot Machines Balance Themselves?

Question

Is it true that slot machines balance themselves over time to ensure they hit their payout percentages?

Answer 1

No, slot machines do not actively balance themselves. They are designed to reach their payback percentage naturally over millions of spins due to the math and probability built into their programming. The idea that a machine will change its behavior to balance out past wins or losses is a myth. Each spin is an independent event, and the outcomes over time will align with the game's programmed payback percentage.

Comments

What is predetermined is that over a long enough timeline you will ALWAYS lose your money.

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My question is, is there a way for casinos to loosen or tighten their machines?  Like thru a network?  I have seen casinos "advertise" that they have the loosest slots in Vegas.  How can that be?  Also, I have heard that casinos in Vegas must pay out at a certain rate, yet Indian casinos arent keep to that same legal requirement.  How can the Indian casinos have tighter slots than the ones in Vegas unless the machines can be controlled?

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I like your video. However,  as a lifelong gambler I have to disagree with something. These slots may be random when the generator picks it's number.  BUT, I have gambled FAR too much over the course of 30 years (every day)  to agree with the fact that machines do not have hot and cold cycles.  They  do.  So that RNG has to be going thru a much much larger bank of numbers that are going to PAY or a much much  larger bank that WONT PAY when it's hot and cold.    I've sat on games for HOURS and hit nothing after nothing, and the next day the same game is hitting every 5 spin bonuses for an hour.  That is not random.   This has happened far too often for it to be coincidence.  I think you should also clarify that these happenings are only based on CLASS III gaming machines and not the bingo machines or the state lottery machines.

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8:12  Ive always thought that wasnt true but Ive seen people walk away empty-handed only for the next person to win a nice amount or some type of jackpot

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Love this video and you made it very easy to understand! The thing that makes no sense to me is how there are a lot of days of losing constantly and then there are days where I win huge amounts on every single machine I sit at. It just doesn’t make sense when taking into account the rng haha.

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1 major thing you forgot to mention is that most casinos don’t own the machines they are rented, with that said the so called “ life” of the machine is only the amount of time the casino has it. They rotate through machines like crazy. So if a machine payout is exceeding its 80% and say it’s only it’s at 70-60% then that machine will be switched out wit a new machine to keep that 80-20% ratio. I worked at a casino for 8 years :)