How to win at Online Slots

Regardless of what many books for the low, low price of $19.99 tell you, there is no way to 'beat' slot machines, online or otherwise. The reason that a slot machine can never be systematically beaten is because of its random number generator (RNG). The RNG makes playing Slots more like Roulette than Poker. That is, it’s a casino game involving chance before skill.

That being said, there are ways to realistically increase your odds of winning.

Slots that cost more payout more often

The reason for this is simple: If people are seen winning on a casino’s online slot machine, more people will play it. The casinos want people to play more expensive machines, so higher costing slots payout more often (let's say 97% versus 94%).

Playing Slots faster does not mean winning faster

Some people think that, like fate, an online slots machine will payout on spin X. Thus, getting to spin X faster makes sense. However, slot machines do not work like this, as the RNG works between plays and is not predetermined. As such, playing faster does not make you win faster (although it's possible that you could), it just makes you burn through your bankroll more quickly.

Play Slots with a 'loss number'

Pick a number that you're comfortable with, such as 12. In this example, when you have played 12 spins without winning, move to another online slot machine. This can help you find ‘lose’ machines, and keep you playing in the casino longer without paying more, as you won't become hypnotized by any one game.

Online Slots are never 'due to hit'

Just because a machine has been played all day without a payout, does not necessarily mean that a big win is coming. An online slot machine’s payouts are calculated over the long term, not just within a few hours. A slot machine can go for days without a win, just as it could payout more than once in an hour.

The slots handle is your friend

Pumping coins into a slot machine and pulling the handle, as opposed to adding the money earlier and repeatedly pushing 'spin', can also stretch your bankroll, spreading out your plays and makes it harder to forget that you're spending money.

Be familiar with your Slots machine

There are hundreds of different kinds of online slots out there to play. Don't jump between too many at a time. You should play one that you're not only comfortable with, but have an understanding of its rules, rates and bonuses.

Know your Slots machine's ratios

Remember in math class when you learned about how important 'unit price' is when buying groceries? The same principle applies here. You should always play the number of coins that represent the best ratio of cost to payout.

For example, a fictional machine's payout is represented as follows: 1 coin played=10 coin payout
2 coins played=20 coin payout
3 coins played=40 coin payout
4 coins played=50 coin payout

The payout ratio would be:

1 coin represents a payout ratio of 1:10
2 coins represent a payout ratio of 2:20, or 1:10
3 coins represent a payout ratio of 3:40 or 1:13.3
4 coins represent a payout ratio of 4:50 or 1:12.5

In the above example, playing 1 coin would be the same as playing 2 over time, but the best payout is found at playing 3 coins per spin.

Just remember the golden rule:

There is no way to 'beat' online slots, but you can improve your chances by playing smart and doing your homework.