Are Online Slots Fair Or Rigged?

(1021 gamblers voted)

There is no way of predicting how your gaming experience is going to unravel. You may lose all your money in a split of a second or you may hit a life-changing jackpot. If you ask us, unpredictability is one of the most beautiful things about gambling. In online casinos, every player has equal chances of winning. But how exactly does that work? Are casinos always fair with their clients? How can you be sure that a casino doesn’t interfere with the game settings to increase its advantage? Let’s try to find answers to these questions in this post. Let’s start with two major terms that characterize every slot, regardless of its manufacturing company or year of release. We’re talking about Random Number Generator and Return to Player. 

Show more
Show less
40k
31k
24k
15k
2k
25k
10k
8k
22k
7k
10k
28k
1k
21k
23k
18k
11k
29k
13k
19k
30k
20k
14k
10k
18k
9k
18k
19k
21k
6k
17k
3k
11k
6k
31k
17k

Return to Player

RTP (Return to Player) indicates how high your winning chances are in a certain slot game. It shows what part of all the wagered money a slot pays back to players. This parameter is calculated as a percentage. The best slots machines tend to have pretty high RTPs ranging from 95% to 98%. If a slot features a 96% RTP, it means that it pays back 96 dollars for every 100 dollars wagered.

Here you can find most popular online slots with highest RTP.

As you can see, RTP is a pretty straightforward indicator that can be used as a guide by novice players. Our advice is go for slots with 95% RTP and higher.

Don’t settle for a slot with less than 90% RTP: it will be a waste of time and money.

It’s important to understand that RTP only works over a long haul. It means you’ll have to make thousands of bets before you see 98% of your wagers paid back to you. Don’t get discouraged if the slot you like has a slightly lower RTP than you expected. It still has lots of money-making opportunities to offer. You won’t go away without a win!

Variance

Now let’s move to another major slot term which is variance, or dispersion. This parameter shows the frequency with which a slot makes payouts to a player. In low-variance slots, payouts occur pretty often. The sad thing is that they tend to be small. At the same time, games with high variance pay out less often but in larger amounts. Which type you choose depends on your preferences and temperament. Are you the kind of player to patiently wait for a big win? Or do you need to be constantly stimulated by small payouts?

Random Number Generator

Every slot game is based on the computing system called Random Number Generator. RNG ensures that all players have equal winning chances. How does it work?

Every time you hit the Spin button, the smart algorithm generates a unique string of numbers which are “processed” into the symbols you see on the reels. The numbers are totally random meaning that no one – not even the casino – can possibly predict what the next combination is going to be. You can rest assured that the game process is totally fair and is not controlled by anyone.

But it is relevant only for a licensed online casinos. Best of them you can find here.

Let’s focus on another important issue that may not be entirely evident to some players. The thing is that a slot machine (and its RNG) doesn’t have a memory. Every subsequent combination of symbols has nothing to do with the previous one. If you’re on a lengthy losing streak, you should not expect a juicy payout just because it’s been a long time since you won. In slots, the “winnings-are-long-due situation” does not apply! Any loss or win is always a pure coincidence.

Gaming Licenses

RTP, RNG, variance…Does it mean that a player should have blind faith in clever slot companies that manufacture such exciting and fair machines for our entertainment? There is no denying that major software producers, such as Microgaming and Playtech, work really hard to deliver excellent products. But a player would feel much safer if there was someone to control game providers.

Luckily, there are organizations that monitor the operation of casino software companies. The goal of these regulatory authorities is to protect players from mischievous practices by both casinos and software providers. Regulatory authorities perform rigorous checks on the company’s slots to make sure they have a properly functioning RNGs and their RTPs are the same as stated in the specifications. If everything is fine, the authority grants a license to the company. Obtaining a license from a reputable gaming authority is very hard. The software provider needs to produce top-quality games and have an impeccable reputation.

As said earlier, online casinos too need a license to be able to provide services to players. A license speaks volumes of a casino. It indicates that a gaming website meets the highest requirements of the gambling industry and provides a good level of customer service and security. Also, a license is the easiest way to recognize a trustworthy casino that respects its clients and provides fair play.

A licensing authority checks an online casino in the most thorough way. For example, a casino must have an elaborate Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions that respect the rights of players and treat them in a respectable way. Plus, casino owners must have a great deal of business expertise, solid financial footing, and flawless reputation. The goal of a regulator is to make sure that a casino is a responsible organization that has no intention of letting down their clients.

Do Casino Licenses Matter?

Of course, they do! We’ll never get tired of stressing the importance of casino licenses. A license is not just a beautiful icon on a gaming website. It’s a solid proof that a casino complies with all the applicable laws and guidelines and therefore can be trusted. A casino without a license is a “ghost” that has nothing to do with fair gambling. We strongly advise you to avoid such sites without giving it a second thought.

While there is no lack of trustworthy gaming regulatory authorities, those of Malta and the UK are traditionally considered to be the strictest ones. This means they set the highest standards in the industry, and casinos have to go at all lengths to satisfy them. The stricter the standards, the better for a player! Be sure to scrutinize your selected gaming site for licenses. If you see that the casino has the seal of approval of a major regulator, you have nothing to worry about.

How Do I Find A Fair Casino?

Summarizing this post, we’ve outlined a few essential tips on choosing a good casino:

  1. Play slots produced by leading casino software companies, such as Playtech, NetEnt, and others.
  2. Choose licensed casinos that cater to players’ needs and provide a decent level of customer service and data safety.
  3. Trust the casino ratings we publish on our website. We hand-pick the best gaming websites for your stellar player experience.
Show more
Show less