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On a slot machine, a random number generator (RNG) picks a random number for each reel, which each number matching a stop on its reel. Then the machine directs the reels to stop on the spots selected by the RNG. Note that by the time the reels are spinning, the game is already over. Slot machines are usually a casino’s biggest source of revenue. Reuters/Andres Martinez Casares Raising the price. Ultimately, the casino is selling excitement, which is comprised of hope. So, How Do Casino Slots Actually Work? Well, as you may know, all casino slots have reels that spin during each round unless you play on autospin, which is a topic for another day. Most slots come with three reels although more and more new casinos now come with up to five reels. Slot machines work the same way. Slots usually have three reels but sometimes also have five reels. The reel is the image that spins in the front of the machine. It has multiple symbols on it, and if you line up certain combinations of symbols, you win money.
Slot machines come in various shapes and sizes, and are, by far, the most popular form of casino games not only in Michigan and the rest of the US, but the world. Many also consider slots to be the simplest of all casino games and a perfect way to start your casino adventure.
But how do they work? What lies beneath all those reels, paylines, bonuses, and razzmatazz?
Read on to find out more about the one-armed bandits and the intricate ways in which they operate.
Random number generator software
Among the most frequently asked questions about slot machines is this: How do we know the games are fair? The answer is simple. All slot machines operate via a random numbergenerator, aka RNG.
An RNG is a complex algorithmic system that generates entirely random outcomes of spins. The algorithm ensures that no matter how much time you spend playing a game, or how much money you’ve wagered, your odds of winning are the same with each spin.
The RNG system is among the most important aspects of every slot game, and all gambling jurisdictions that license software providers pay special attention to game mechanics to ensure all is safe, secure, and fair.
Reels and paylines
All slot games are characterized by the existence of the reels and paylines that the game’s symbols use to make winning combinations. Slot games can be divided into categories depending on how many reels and paylines they feature.
Classic slots are ones with three reels and anything from a single payline to five paylines, while video slots are games with five or more reels and a large number of paylines.
Slot reels are filled with symbols that land at random as a result of each spin. The paylines are imaginary lines across the reels that form a playing grid. Usually, three or more identical symbols are necessary to make a winning combination on a single payline.
To initiate a spin, a player hits the spin button and sends the reels into motion. If three or more identical symbols appear on a payline, then the player gets a corresponding payout or triggers the game’s bonusfeature, depending on the type of the symbol and the gameplay.
Nowadays, the game engines are so complex that the reels don’t necessarily have to spin to provide the symbols, and the symbols can fall into different places on the reels, form clusters instead of winning combinations on lines and plenty of other mechanics.
Weighting of slots
There is an intriguing part of slot machines that has to do with the reels and the hit frequency of some symbols in the game. This phenomenon is called weightedreels, and it has more to do with land-based slots than the virtual ones.
First, the number of symbols on a physical reel is limited by the circumference of the actual reel, so software designers created a virtual reel housed inside a computer chip in the slot machine. These virtual reels determine the stopping position of the physical reel and whether the reel will stop at a blank spot or one with a paying symbol. The virtual reel has all the same blank and symbol position as the physical reel, but spread across many more positions so that a symbol from the actual game can be found on multiple positions on the virtual reel.
When the RNG algorithm comes up with a number, it will correspond to a position on the virtual reel, and that is the one the physical reel will stop on. This allows the software providers to determine the hit frequency at all times and determine how much the slot will pay, whether the reel will land on a higher- or lower-paying symbol more often, etc.
This complex mathematical work can also affect the players’ judgment when it comes to winning. Namely, you will frequently find that when two paying symbols are on a payline, the third missing one is just above the blank space. This creates the illusion of a near win. A number of papers have examined this topic and how it affects the gambling behavior of players.
Just because a slot gives the impression that it could hit, doesn’t mean it will hit.
Symbols
No matter the type of video slot you want to play in either an online or land-based casino, all of the games will have specific symbols. The symbols in games are designed to match the theme of the slot, and they can range from fruits, bells and numbers in classic slots to more elaborate and detailed symbols, including some with animations.
Typically, the symbols in a slot game have different values. There are lower- and higher-paying symbols, with the lower-paying ones often appearing as card symbols that range from 9 to ace and the higher-paying ones appearing as characters that reflect the theme of the slot.
However, the most valuable symbols are the wild and scatter symbols that trigger the slot’s bonus features or can be used as a substitute for other basic symbols in a winning combination.
Bonus features
The majority of modern slots come equipped with a series of bonus features that players can trigger by landing particular scatter or bonus symbols on the reels. The bonus games that get activated bring lucrative payouts and can lead the players into mini bonus games with a different set of reels and paylines.
The most common forms of bonuses in slots are free spins bonuses where players get a number of free spins that have the same value as the real money bet that activated the bonus in the first place. Take IGT’s classic slot game Da VinciDiamonds, for example. When three bonus symbols land on a payline and the first three reels, players will automatically receive six free spins. If during these free spins three or more bonus symbols appear, that leads to additional free spins, so in total, players can be looking at 300 free spins.
Also, there can be several prize multipliers in those bonus rounds that can multiply the winnings by 100x or more.
Payouts — RTP and house edge
Winning is what all Michigan’s online casino players are after, and slot games can offer some impressive payouts. The win rate on a slot game is set by the return-to-player ratio or RTP. The RTP is actually a calculation of how much a video slot game is expected to pay back after a period of time, expressed in percentages.
For example, a slot game with a 95% RTP is expected to pay back 95¢ for every $1 wagered. However, note that this ratio does not represent the short-term likelihood of your winning, but is in fact measured on a long-term basis, over the lifetime of a slot machine. In the case of online slots, this could be hundreds of thousands ofspins, or more.
The RTP does not guarantee a large win, either. Wins could be very small, as long as they end up paying out the percentage stipulated on the machine.
Every slot game is special and distinct, but there are aspects all games share, such as reels, paylines, bonus features, and RTPs. The most important thing to remember is to have fun while playing and gamble responsibly.
Introduction to Kentucky Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Kentucky slot machine casino gambling does not include games of chance, which are strictly illegal. Instead, Kentucky has competition-based electronic gaming machines at four out of its five pari-mutuel wagering racetracks.
Theoretical payout limits are not available but monthly return statistics are available for electronic gaming machines.
This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Kentucky*
The minimum legal gambling age in Kentucky depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: Not available
- Poker Rooms: Not available
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
Kentucky’s interpretation of legal gambling requires the competitor’s level of skill “must sufficiently govern the results.”
Therefore, competition-based games are legal as well as pari-mutuel wagering. Traditional slots are illegal, including those referred to as Class III, Vegas-style, and games-of-chance slot machines.
Kentucky has competition-based electronic games available in a few of their pari-mutuel facilities. These skill-based games are anonymously-based historical race results.
Historically, Kentucky has had a fascinating relationship with gambling. While casino gambling was never legal, gambling dens were prevalent before the Great Depression of 1929. To this day, the open display of illegal gambling from that time in American history continues to negatively affect the perception of gaming in Kentucky.
If you’re ever in Newport, directly across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, consider walking the Newport Gangster Tour.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Kentucky
In Kentucky, it is legal to own a slot machine privately.
Gaming Control Board in Kentucky
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) regulates skill-based games at pari-mutual racetracks in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
These devices are Historic Horse Racing (HHR) electronic gaming machines. The KHRC reports Kentucky offers 2,981 HHR machines.
Casinos in Kentucky
There are five pari-mutuel racetracks in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Of these, only four sites offer skill-based HHR electronic gaming machines.
The largest casino in Kentucky is Derby City Gaming with 1,000 HHR gaming machines.
The second-largest casino is Red Mile Gaming & Racing, an HHR parlor in partnership with Keeneland Race Course, with 938 gaming machines.
Commercial Casinos in Kentucky
The four out of five of Kentucky’s pari-mutuel racetracks with skill-based HHR electronic gaming machines are:
- Derby City Gaming in Louisville located 74 miles west of Lexington on the Indiana border.
- Ellis Park Racing and Gaming in Henderson located 105 miles northwest of Bowling Green.
- Kentucky Downs Gaming in Franklin located 29 miles south of Bowling Green.
- Red Mile Gaming & Racing in Lexington.
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Tribal Casinos in Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky has no federally-recognized American Indian tribes and, therefore, no tribal casinos.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying Kentucky slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Kentucky is:
- North: Indiana and Ohio Slots
- East: West Virginia Slots
- Southeast: Virginia Slots
- South: Tennessee Slots
- West: Missouri Slots
Each link above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Kentucky.
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Our Kentucky Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Kentucky? If so, join our new Kentucky slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Kentucky. Join us!
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Payout Returns in Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky does not offer any theoretical payout limits for their competition-based HHR gaming machines.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission offers statistics for HHR gaming under Quick Links entitled Wagering on Historical Horse Races. Its December 2019 report indirectly offers actual return statistics including comparisons to past actuals.
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To calculate a player’s win percentage from the report, divide Less: Return to Public by Total Handle. For December 2019, the monthly Player’s Win% for HHR machines were:
- State-wide: 91.5%
- Derby City: 90.9%
- Ellis Park: 93.9%
- Keeneland/Red Mile: 91.3%
- Kentucky Downs: 92.0%
From this December 2019 report, Ellis Park had the highest player win% at nearly 94% while Derby City had the lowest at nearly 91%.
Summary of Kentucky Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Kentucky slot machine casino gambling exists as competition-based, games-of-skill Historical Horse Racing (HHR) electronic gaming machines instead of games-of-chance slot machines.
No minimum or maximum theoretical payout limits have been set. Monthly return statistics are publicly available for each pari-mutuel racetrack with HHR games.
Annual Progress in Kentucky Slot Machine Casino Gambling
In the last year, Kentucky increased its HHR machines by 9% to 2,981 devices. However, the average daily handle for HHRs increased by 46%. For 2020 so far, it’s an amazing 59% increase compared to 2019.
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Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Previous: Kansas Slot Machine Casino Gambling
- Next: Louisiana Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC