Myths and misconceptions about online slots
Mad myths and misconceptions online slot players believe that simply aren't true!
There's absolutely no doubt about it, online slots are many gambling enthusiasts’ favourite casino game – which is hardly surprising. These wonderful games are a bundle of fun – often boasting engaging graphics, exciting bonus features and memorable mechanics.
Despite how enjoyable these games can be, they're criminally misunderstood! Online slots are built using complex mathematical algorithms that are difficult for most of us mere mortals to comprehend – unless of course, you have a relevant degree and vast industry knowledge!
It's for this reason that many players tend to buy into falsehoods and myths about online slots that simply aren't true! Some of these myths sound pretty convincing, but do they stack up? Let’s have a look at some…
You have to bet big to win big
Well… not necessarily. Ok, that might be true on some low-odds bets on table/card games, but with online slots it can actually pay to bet smaller amounts for longer periods in the hope of landing bonus rounds and max-win multipliers. The smaller bets ensure your bankroll lasts more spins, otherwise it would be depleted too quickly – especially on high volatility slots.
Slot sites can force an online slot to pay out less
Some disgruntled players believe slot sites can force an online slot to stop paying out if they feel a game is being too generous. This simply isn't true – as long as you're playing at a trustworthy, licensed slot site.
It's impossible for any legitimate licensed site to change or influence the way an online slot acts, especially during live gameplay. This would be completely unfair and more importantly, illegal.
That being said, there are unscrupulous, unlicensed casinos that might tamper with a slot, but they're few and far between and should be avoided.
As you'll repeatedly hear throughout this guide, online slots are designed to be completely random thanks to complex algorithms that ensure games cannot be exploited. The only thing that some slot sites may be able to (legally) tweak is the RTP, but this is displayed to the player before gameplay.
Slot sites can force an online slot to pay out
You’re new to a slot site and you haven’t won anything and you’re a bit fed-up with it and you’re thinking of calling it a day. Suddenly you have a nice win. The slot site has been monitoring your play and instead of losing you they dangle a carrot to keep you playing. Well, it sounds interesting but it just couldn’t happen. Online slots are programmed to pay out totally randomly. Online slots are a game of pure chance.
There's such a thing as hot and cold online slots
Every single spin of an online slot is independent of the last, for this reason, and this reason alone, any slot you play at a legitimate online slot site will play out randomly. If players were to experience a run of losing spins (or winning ones for that matter) it would be a coincidence, luck and nothing else.
In reality, due to RNG, online slot games are fairly unlikely to ever see players register a solid run of losses or wins, it's more likely that players will experience a handful of sporadic losses followed by wins here and there, or vice versa.
You might see some slot sites state that certain slots are hot or cold, prompting players to play a slot in the hopes that it's ready to pay out. Unfortunately, this is just a ploy to pull you in. Don't fall for it!
Online slots will pay out after a long winless period
This follows the same logic as the previous myth (that hot and cold slots actually exist). If a particular game hasn't paid out in a long time then we're afraid we have to tell you that it's purely down to bad luck. Nothing more, nothing less. That slot is not programmed to suddenly pay out – it’s random and just as likely not to pay out as it is to pay out.
There's no supervillain sitting behind a computer in Malta cackling away as your money is swallowed up! It's purely down to a set of completely random numbers that just aren't working in your favour at that particular time.
Some players theorise that jackpot slots pay out after a long period of not being triggered. They’re not. There's no way of knowing what will happen, so your best bet is to just play and not worry about winless periods.
There's an optimal time of day to play an online slot
We've said it a few times: ONLINE SLOTS ARE COMPLETELY RANDOM. There's no best time to play a game. We understand why a player might think it's best to play a jackpot slot such as Divine Fortune or Mega Moolah at 4am, because with less competition there's more chance that they might trigger one of the progressive jackpots. Right? Well, no.
Progressive jackpots, local jackpots and standard wins can happen on any given spin, there's absolutely nothing that can change this, so don't beat yourself up staying up into the early hours just to get those spins in! You're just as likely to win (or lose) at 6pm as you are 4am.
Additionally, if you're playing a slot at a sociable time you can take part in activities such as slot tournaments. You'll also make much better decisions because you're well-rested and alert.
I’m due a win
You may have had a bad run of luck on different slots at different sites and that might even coincide with a couple of bad returns when you’ve been at the races. But that is just a run of bad luck. While skill, experience and knowledge can affect the outcome when betting on sports you need to remember that online slots are a game of pure chance. You’re not due a win, however tricky a ‘run’ you may have been on.
Online slots are unsafe
All reputable slot sites will have a licence from one of a number of trusted online slot regulators such as the UK Gambling Commission (a legal requirement for UK-facing operators), Malta Gaming Authority or Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association. These regulators ensure that the slot site you're playing at is operating fairly and honestly, and that the games are safe and haven't been tampered with.
And remember, all new online slots must be tested by a third-party testing house that checks the RNG of every game and that every single spin of the reels is completely random.
When running these in-depth tests, millions of spins are simulated on a slot in order to make sure that the game has no errors, whether a sequence of results can be replicated and if there are any noticeable patterns forming.
Players should only play jackpot slots if they want to win big
These special slots can see players win hundreds of thousands, if not millions of pounds in a single spin of the reels... However, the true reality is that your chances of winning those huge sums of money are close to nil... It's possible, but it would take some truly monumental luck!
If you're playing online slots with the sole aim of making a profit the last thing you'll want to do is play a jackpot slot. These slots might pay out the most money, but they often have a lower RTP meaning non-jackpot wins are scarcer overall across a prolonged period.
Demo slots pay out more than real-money slots
There's a long-time theory amongst many players that demo slots are much more generous than their real money counterparts. If we're being completely honest it's quite tough to validate this claim for every single game out there.
The general rule is that demo games should have the exact same RTP, volatility and win potential as the real money game. That way players are getting an accurate representation of the game they'd be playing if they were actually playing it with their own funds.
However, technically it is possible that the RTP is set higher in demo mode, but you can usually see what the RTP is in the game info.
Also, players tend to be more frivolous when playing demo games, and so while it might appear they have achieved bigger wins, it's usually only because they've made bigger bets or taken risks they usually wouldn't if playing for real.
Final words
It can be tempting to believe there’s something in some of these things around gambling and online slots. But there isn’t. They’re myths and misconceptions. And just to clarify that:
‘Myth’ is defined as ‘a widely held but false belief or idea’. A ‘misconception’ is ‘a view or opinion that is incorrect because it is based on faulty thinking or understanding’.
And the thing to remember is that online slots – as colourful and exciting as they are – are purely a game of chance.