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If you’ve ever visited a land-based casino in Pennsylvania such as Mount Airy Casino or Rivers Philadelphia or played at online casinos such as UniBet or Hollywood Casino, you’ve probably noticed that slot machines or video slots usually outnumber any other type of game. There are a couple of reasons for this. One, they’re currently the most popular type of casino game among visitors, and two, casinos make most of their money from them.
If you regularly play the best slots sites in Pennsylvania just like at slots.info or regularly visit the state’s brick-and-mortar casinos, there’s a good chance that you have heard a few misconceptions or myths that are simply not true. In this article, we clear up the 5 most common myths when playing slots in PA.
1. Jackpots Pay Out in Cycles
You’ve probably heard that some people believe that a video slot is due to payout, so get on it, or it has just paid out, so stay well away. Many players wrongly assume that video slots pay out in cycles. The idea is that they will pay after an X amount of spins and will then go another X amount of spins before paying out again. This is far from the truth, as slot machines use RNG (random number generator) software that delivers random and independent results on each spin. There is just as much chance of two or three jackpots paying out in a day as there is a slot going a week without hitting a jackpot.
2. Slots Payout More at Certain Times or on Certain Days
Similar to the above, some players wrongly believe that slots are directly programmed to payout at certain times. The nation behind this is that online casinos try to entice players to play at certain times by programming their machines to pay out more during those times. Perhaps this is in the mornings when the casino is usually quiet or during the week when people are at work. If only winning was as easy as using the best calendar apps to know which casino to play and when!
Again, this is nonsense. Only the RNG software determines if a slot will payout and that, as you know, is completely random.
3. How Much You Stake Improves Your Chances of Winning
Another myth you might have heard when playing slot machines in PA is that you should bet the maximum stake for the best chance of winning. When playing certain progressive jackpot slots, winning the jackpot might require you to bet the max coins possible to qualify to win the jackpot, but this is never the case when playing standard video slots. Whether you play for pennies or wager the maximum bet possible, your odds of winning stay the same. The only difference is that you will win or lose more per spin.
4. Slot Machines Are Rigged
Arguably, this is the most common myth you will hear regarding slot machines anywhere and not just in Pennsylvania. Saying slot machines are rigged is a very broad statement, but it suggests that people program slots that give players no chance of winning. However, this is untrue simply because the RNG algorithms used to determine the results are governed by regulatory bodies that use third-party testing companies such as Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) to certify the software and games as fair and random.
5. A Good Strategy or System Can Beat a Slot
Never trust a website that says it is selling a strategy, system, or piece of software that guarantees you will win profits when playing slots. It is a scam and they will take your money in return for something that does not increase your chances of winning at all. It comes down to the RNG software again, as this determines when and how a slot payouts. Nothing else matters as results are completely random from one spin to another. The only strategy that can help long-term is a good bankroll strategy that allows you to maximize your wins and minimize your losses.
Maths and Not Myths Determine How Slots Pay
Summing up, each of the five myths above is just that: a myth. And in the same way that bats are not blind, elephants are not scared of mice, and there is no such thing as the Yeti (aside from the portable security device), there is no truth to them.
At the end of the day, a slot machine will always make money for a casino, as the math behind them ensures the slot wins in the long run. However, this does not mean that you cannot win. The RNG can give you a hot winning streak, lose you every spin, or a mixture of both – there is no way to manipulate the results. All the above myths seem to ignore the RNG altogether, which instantly makes them easy to debunk.