Slot games have been around for so long that there’s a lot of confusion and debate regarding who actually invented the magic reels first! However, in the context of this piece here, we will set aside the history of slots and concentrate solely on the science behind slot games. You might be surprised at how many fields the classic idea has managed to touch over the years and is likely to touch in the near future.

A Mathematician Can Calculate When a Slot Machine will Payout
In spite of how random it may seem to the player, payouts are not as random as one might believe. In fact, it is possible for a mathematician to calculate roughly the time when a machine will payout! The maths, however, is understood pretty well by the ones who develop the software and make the physical slot machines because they will always keep the house, aka the casino, in a profitable position.

Does it mean it’s unfair? Can you never win at your favourite slot game because the maths is against you? Don’t worry, that’s not the situation at all! If anything, it simply ascertains the fact that players do have a chance of winning at slot games, just not as high as the casino where you are playing, of course. That is to be expected though, given that it’s a business after all. If the slot machines decided to payout millions more to players than they are fed by the same players, the casino would go under!

How the Numbers have Changed for the Better
We just discussed how the casino will always have a higher chance of winning, which is its business model, but did you know that originally, the old slot games had a 3% payout rate? This meant that there was always a mathematical chance of 3% that the player will win a jackpot, which is disappointing, to say the least!

In comparison, modern slot machines have a payout rate of 45%, which is much higher than the old payout rate. The house will still have an advantage, but considering the costs of running an establishment, it’s only fair. In conclusion, we can say confidently that the maths looks a lot better than it did a few decades ago.

Can a Mathematician Calculate and Win Every Time?
Theoretically, they have a high chance of doing so, but not in real life. In order for an analyst or a mathematician to properly predict the exact time a slot machine will payout, they would have to have precise data regarding every bet made ever since the machine paid out last. This is the kind of data that is not available to anyone outside the casino’s management.

So, in that regard, whether you are a mathematician or a regular player, your chance of predicting a winning hand is almost the same! There is, however, a universal rule of playing slot games in any casino; the more you play at a stretch, the higher are your chances of winning, mathematically speaking. In UK online casinos like Casimba, where a 200% welcome bonus up to £5,000, in addition to 50 bonus spins, is given to new players on simply signing up and making a first deposit, this mathematical advantage can be maximised. It gives you more chances to play, without having to spend as much money as you normally would, which makes economical sense.

The Psychology of Slot Machines
It should be noted that while the odds of winning are quite considerable these days, this move also has its roots in psychology. It is a proven fact that if you don’t payout enough, players will lose interest in a specific game, therefore, the shift from 3% to 45% is also an intelligent business move by online and offline casinos, taken to keep the dream of winning the jackpot alive. Then again, at least it’s a more real one now than it was earlier, and millions of pounds have been won from slot machines since then.

From basic psychological lures to cutting-edge computer science and cloud-based software development for online casino games, slot games were invented by and are embedded into the scientific mind of curious men and women. The journey has been fun so far, and those spinning reels have brought on both riches and ruins to their patrons, and not as randomly as we may have thought earlier it seems!