Are Loose Slots for Real?

If you are a slots newbie, you may wonder why this game is so popular among most people of legal gambling age. Make a few spins of the slots reels yourself, and you'll understand that the simplicity of the game, the bells, whistles, themes and the almost hypnotic clinking of coins dropping on trays of nearby winning slots make for a highly fascinating and entertaining game. But beyond the fascinating sights and sounds on the slots floor, there is an element that provides an additional excitement to your slots game—and that is the prospect of finding the fabled loose slots.

However, the question that nags the minds of many newbies is: Are these fabled slots for real? To answer the question, you need to first understand how a slot machine works. It may interest you to know that the modern casino slot machine is actually a computerized beast that masquerades as a mechanically operated device whose reel combinations determine your winning destiny every time you pull the lever or push the spin button. In the olden days, the odds depend on the number of each kind of symbol on each reel. That is no longer the case today because the odds are written in the software which directs modern computerized slots to follow a series of instructions known as an algorithm.

Odds programming is set at the factory following a theoretical payout percentage based on the specifications of the casino when it orders a slot machine from the manufacturer. Typically, the payout percentage ranges from 82 to 98 percent of the money wagered by players. The combination of the different payout percentages of the hundreds of slots on the casino floor is the result of a careful calculation of the desired house edge, or casino advantage. To be realistic about it, casinos are not philanthropic organizations. They are businesses that offer leisure and entertainment services to the public. And the house edge provides the source of profits that enable casinos to pay its employees, utilities and other operating expenses. However, to protect player interest, the minimum payout percentage that can be programmed into a slot machine is generally regulated by the law or ordinance governing a jurisdiction where the machine will be deployed.

Now that you know how slot machines work, you would readily understand that a loose slot machine is one that is set with a higher payout percentage than the other machines on the casino slots floor. So, to answer the question: Are loose slots for real? The answer would definitely be yes. And just precisely where in the casino these machines can be found had been the subject of many anecdotes and myths spun by avid hunters of these fabled slots. But one thing is clear--the continuing enigma surrounding these much sought after game machines provides fodder to the imagination of players which makes their slots game more thrilling and enjoyable.