All Online Slots Fallacies and Myths Got Debunked

Players always want to believe that there are magical ways that can somehow influence the outcome of the game. However, the truth is rather disappointing because almost all of these methods are nothing but myths. All outcomes of online casino games are 100% random. In the article, we’ll debunk all popular myths and fallacies about online slots. Without further ado, let’s get started!

Are Winning Strategies for Slots Real?

There are websites on the Internet that provide a huge amount of misinformation about video slots. In most scenarios, it’s published by people who are poorly versed in the topic. Playing slots can be not only fun but also quite a sensible pastime. It’s a mistake to think that you can beat a video slot thanks to a simple guide from a shady site. Rather, you’ll end up frustrated and with a drained bankroll. So let’s take a closer look at the most widespread slot myths and get them debunked.

Hot and Cold Online Slots

It’s not clear where the info about cold and hot slot machines came from, but this misconception has been around even before the online gambling sites appeared. Players simply didn’t understand how the mathematical expectation worked and how slot gameplay and the entire gambling business, in general, were arranged.

There are two different explanations to the meaning of “hot” and “cold” slots:

• The terms “hot” and “cold” are used to describe how much a particular slot has paid recently. If someone managed to break a series of good wins on a certain game, it’s “hot;” if the slot hasn’t given payments for a while, it’s called “cold.” But when the slot accumulates a certain amount of gamblers’ cash, it becomes “hot” and starts paying out large amounts.

• In addition to that, some say that “hot” slots have a so-called statistical return percentage, or SRP, that’s higher than their RTP, meaning that they’re more likely to return higher amounts.

The theory of "hot" and "cold" slots is based on the versions of players who believed that the algorithms of the slot machines could be cheated by doing certain actions, for example, constantly increasing the initial bet, making a hundred spins in the slot, etc. But the truth is, all types of casino slots work according to the specified settings. There’s no such thing as SRP, only RTP, which is a constant value that can’t be influenced by betting schemes, rituals, and other heresies! And you won’t have a better chance at winning only because the slot you’re playing has seen a lot of action recently.

The player has to understand that the results can still be quite unpredictable. This implies that a slot can have a winning streak of 1,000 spins (in theory, this is unlikely but possible) or a losing streak of 1,000 spins. For instance, there’s a probability that a game will give you 2 or 3 winnings in a row followed by 1 or 2 losing spins. The possibility of this happening is about 80%. However, there are other possible outcomes. A slot may give you 20 losing spins, but the probability of this is less than 1%. So this may happen once in a blue moon, and this is normal.

There are web platforms that suggest and even have separate sections for hot and cold slots. Don’t trust such casinos. If a gambling site is officially registered, licensed, and cooperates with trustworthy software developers, its video slots always work as expected: games are based on the RNG algorithm. All winning or losing streaks are a coincidence.

Online Slots Pay More at Night

Of course, this is fake. The myth is based on a common misbelief that the more gamblers play the slots, the faster it goes through its payout cycle. Accordingly, there’s a high probability of getting into the payout phase and getting a big win during peak hours, which is typically nighttime. If the slot is unpopular among punters, it’ll keep “eating up” bets for weeks without giving any hope of winning. However, there’s no such thing as a slot payout cycle.

Another time-related theory is contrary. Some gamblers think that slots in web casinos are (re)programmed to provide lower chances of winning during peak hours, and thus, they have a higher return-to-player at night or in the morning. But web-based casinos don’t have the ability to reprogram the payout percentages in games so quickly and easily. So, the time of the day doesn’t affect the outcome of the game in any way. Remember that a game’s RTP is defined by the software developer and stays the same no matter what.

Online Slots Pay More on Weekends

Another fake going around gambling forums is that video slots in casinos are programmed to give a lower percentage of payments during weekdays and, accordingly, for a higher return-to-player percentage on weekends. In fact, it doesn’t make any sense for a gambling platform to limit payments at any time of the day, week, or even month. The casino makes a profit in any case, whether one person plays at it or a hundred. Plus, it would be so obvious that even beginners would notice this trend. Moreover, a reputable web casino wouldn’t be able to pass the verification of independent organizations and receive licenses if the RNG algorithms in their games were tweaked.

A Particular Slot Always Remembers Your Losses/Wins

It’s a myth. The slot has no memory of the previous spins - each spin is a completely isolated event. It’s like flipping a coin or rolling the dice – the outcome of a round is independent of all previous tries.

This fallacy can be based on the frustration most players experience when they suddenly stop winning or go through a losing streak. They truly believe that online casinos try to scam them and make players gamble more (and accordingly, lose more money).

You Should Stop the Reels Sometimes

As you may know, in online slots, the reels are activated with a button. Clicking on the same button, you can stop the reels without waiting for them to stop by themselves. Some players truly believe that clicking the button at a particular time may increase their chances of winning and somehow influence the slot’s volatility. However, it doesn’t work like that. The game outcome is randomized by the number generator, and the algorithm will not act differently whether you click on the button earlier or later. The fact is when you click on the button, the RNG algorithm calculates the result in a split second. The animation of the spinning slots is just a gimmick and simulates the operation of a mechanical slot.

New Online Slots Pay Better than Older Ones

This myth came from the halls of real casinos, where there has always been a clear division into old-school “one-armed bandits” and machines of a new type. There’s also a similar distinction, albeit conditional, in online casinos. It seems to many that in the old three-reel slots you can win more or less. This isn’t true. The game can have an RTP of 90% or 98%, but this is where the parameters of its profitability end. The number of reels doesn’t affect your winnings in any way. Fewer reels mean fewer possible combinations of symbols, but this has no negative consequences. Older slots are simpler, that's it.

New Account at Online Slot Casinos Pays Better

There’s a common thought that new players and newly registered accounts are luckier. But there’s no such a thing as luck when it comes to statistics, but there’s such a concept as chance! And the fact is that online casino slots are games of chance: there is a mathematical probability that you’ll win any web-based slot game, and the odds will either be out in your favor or not.

Technically, both beginners and seasoned players are of equal status. But not knowing the rules of the game, a new player risks choosing the wrong betting strategy and losing all the money on an unfamiliar slot. Therefore, before placing bets with real money, it’s better to practice in a free mode.

It Matters How to Play - Fast or Slow

It doesn’t matter which game pace you prefer – fast or slow. Either of them doesn’t affect slots’ RTP. Those are constant values that can’t be influenced or changed.

Yet, fast and slow modes may influence your play style and provide certain benefits:

• By turning on the auto-spin feature, you don’t have to waste too much time on the gambling platform, place a new bet every time, or click on the Spin button every new round. Everything is done for your comfort.

• The slow mode, in turn, allows you to think over every step and manage your budget better. However, it doesn’t guarantee a certain win. And it doesn’t imply the gambling portal is rigged if you keep losing. The risk that the casino operator rigs the slot is possible only if the betting site has no license. If that’s the case, you may be playing a copy of an original slot, the settings of which can be changed. That’s why you should play only on tried-and-true gambling platforms.

Conclusion

Online slots are capable of rewarding good winnings and providing a fun pastime. If you believe the common myths and fallacies about “one-armed bandits,” you can quickly become disillusioned with the game. Always keep in mind that neither the player nor the casino operator can influence the outcomes of the game. Each slot works on the basis of a random number generator, and it’s the only factor that determines the frequency and the size of the payouts.

And of course, all the foregoing information doesn’t imply you can’t win at slots in any way. At least, you can choose what kind of video slots to gamble on, and some of them simply provide better chances of winning than others. For example, a fixed jackpot game will always provide a higher chance of winning than a progressive jackpot game. At higher stakes games, the odds of winning will almost always be better than at cheaper ones. And games with a lot of video bonuses and extra features, as a rule, pay less than straightforward and simple slots. This is because the game process in video slots with bonus rounds lasts longer than in ordinary ones. In turn, it means that players will be investing less money in a game per hour.

These simple details will help you more than most of the “winning strategies” on the Internet. So don’t trust unverified information. Try various games in a demo mode and for real money and draw your own conclusions.