From the first slot machine...
Ensuring compliance
In 1887, Charles Fey devised the first slot machine with three
Every year millions of dollars are spent on regulating the
reels containing a total of five symbols horseshoes, diamonds,
gaming industry, including slot machines.
spades, hearts, and a Liberty Bell,
Before reaching the casino floor, slots are subjected to lengthy
which gave the machine its name.
tests in order to be approved by regulators. Those tests make sure
Three bells in a row produced
the games are fair and reliable.
the biggest payoff, ten nickels.
Technicians perform regular maintenance on the machines
Liberty Bell was a huge success
once they are on the floor, and perform check-ups to ensure the
and spawned a thriving
machines continue to operate as they should.
gaming device industry.
Responsible play
...to today
Modern slot machines feature thousands of different games,
as many as 200 pay lines and a range of betting limits. There
are two types of machines, mechanical reel and video slot.
Slot machines should not be considered a way to earn
money or win back any losses. They are intended only to
provide gaming customers entertaining, and often exciting,
There is absolutely nothing you can
do to increase or decrease your odds
of winning or losing while playing slot
casinos. The older mechanical reel machines have actual
machines.
machines have virtual reels that are displayed on a video monitor.
www.playsafedrinksafe.co.nz
GAMBLING HELPLINE (24 hours) 0800 654 655
No matter what type
you play, most slot
machines operate in.
much the same way
Mystery
out of the
Machine
experiences.
Video slots are the most common and what you will find in
physical reels that spin when play begins, while video slot
taking the
Christchurch Casino
R20 | Dress Code Applies
30 Victoria Street
Christchurch, New Zealand
Phone: +64 3 365 9999
www.christchurchcasino.co.nz
DIN
U N DE RSTAN
A GUIDE TO
G
INES
SLOT MACH
Slot Machines - How do they work?
Fact or Fiction
All slot machines use an electronic Random Number
After hitting a jackpot, a player should move to a new slot
has to be submitted to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) if
Generator (RNG) to select where the reels stop during each
machine. The machine currently in play is not likely to hit again.
the chip or settings are changed. It is a time consuming process
play. Even before a player approaches a slot machine, the
The Fact is:
RNG is cycling through millions of number combinations.
play are the same as they were before hitting the jackpot.
Someone hit a jackpot on the machine you just left, you would
There is no such thing as a “hot” or “cold” slot machine.
have won that jackpot if you had kept playing.
symbols on the slot machine reels. Multiple numbers can
If a slot machine hasn’t paid out for a while, it’s due for a win.
The Fact is:
correspond to the same symbol, called a virtual stop. The player
The Fact is:
pushes a button to initiate play. In that instant, the RNG picks
how many wins or losses have occurred in the past. There is no
the number combination highlighted in its system at that given
way to determine if a machine is due to hit. A machine that has
moment, and each reel stops in the position that corresponds to
not paid out for a while has no greater chance of paying out
that number.
in the future. Each spin is a random occurrence and has no
Each number in the combination corresponds to the different
Often machines are linked together in a way that allows a
group of machines to offer a particularly large prize, or “jackpot”,
that must be won between the set values displayed. Each
The odds of winning another jackpot on the next
Slot machines operate randomly at all times, no matter
bearing on what has happened previously. Don’t ever play more
than you should because of this myth. It could be devastating to
A slot machine can tell the difference between maximum and
progressive jackpot which is awarded to a player who gets a
minimum bets.
specific combination of symbols, for example, a royal flush. The
The Fact is:
amount paid for the progressive jackpot is usually far higher than
does not affect the outcome of a game. It only affects how much
any single slot machine could pay on its own.
a player may win or lose. There is absolutely nothing you can do
The number of coins played, or the amount of a wager,
to increase or decrease your odds of winning while playing slot
machines.
Using a player’s club card will increase or decrease the
chances of winning a jackpot.
The Fact is:
The RNG that determines the outcome of each play is
not linked to the player’s club card reader and cannot tell whether
a card is inserted or not. By not using your loyalty card you are only
denying yourself valuable bonus points from the casino.
Casinos can increase or decrease the odds of you winning on
a slot machine with the flip of a switch.
The Fact is:
Slot machines have Government approved computer
chips in them which determine the pay back percentage. In order for
a casino to change the percentage they would have to physically
change the chip or settings on the machine. There is paper work that
From 1 July 2009 all gaming machines in NZ are required to
have a design feature that provides player information on
game characteristics, theoretical return to the player, individual
play (e.g. amount spent and duration) and the current time.
The Random Number Generator (RNG) is continuously
cycling through numbers even when the machine is not played.
When you hit the spin, the RNG picks the combination at that
given microsecond. If you had stayed at the machine, it is highly
unlikely that you would have stopped the RNG at the exact nanosecond to display that same combination of numbers. In the time
it takes to talk to a friend or sip your drink the RNG has cycled
through thousands of combinations.
your bankroll if you do.
slot machine in the group contributes a small amount to this
Have you ever pressed the i button on a gaming machine?
that is not as simple as “instantly” flipping a switch.
The numbers
17,534
The number of Electronic Gaming Machines in
New Zealand at the end of June 2013.
$854
Gaming machine expenditure in the country’s
1356 pubs and clubs end of June 2013.
MILLION
87%
The minimum percentage a casino slot
machine payback to patron can be set to,
the maximum is unlimited (Pubs and Clubs
minimum is 78%, maximum 92%).
A record win, 2003 at Las Vegas on the
Megabucks multi venue linked slot machine
MILLION and the amount of money the lucky punter
spent before winning the jackpot was...$3.00!
US$38.7