Why a slot machine wins

Sometimes you get lucky, you get more than you wagered. In the long run, there is always more money left in a slot machine than given away. So the slot machine always wins.

 How does an old slot machine work?

In old slot machines, winnings are determined by combinations of symbols. By pressing a button or pulling a lever, the symbols come to a stop. Some of these combinations on a line give an amount of payout. The more valuable the symbols are, the fewer they appear on a reel.

Chances are you won't win anything

There is a smaller chance that you will win a small amount

There is a very small chance that you will win a high amount.

In the long run, a slot machine will never pay out more than was wagered.

How does a new slot machine work?

Today, most slot machines are digitally controlled by software. When you press the bet button by a computer a random number generator selects a random combination with corresponding payout. The payout is predetermined. The software is set so that there is only a certain chance of winning. With both old and new machines, the previous outcome has no bearing on the new outcome. Thus, with every bet, the chance of winning is the same.

Payout percentage

The payout percentage (RTP: Return to Player) of a slot machine is the percentage a slot machine pays out of each euro wagered.  The higher this percentage the higher the chance of a payout. In the Netherlands there is a legal minimum: 60% for slot machines in the hospitality industry. In a gaming hall it is 80%. In reality, these percentages are higher.

 That a slot machine has a payout percentage of 80% means that of every euro played, 80 cents is paid out to the player. So 20 cents goes to the machine. This does not mean that you would always get 80 cents. This is an average. So you can lose everything one time and win everything another time.

 Slot machines do not have a 100% payout rate, which would mean that a slot machine is running at a loss.