When you play slots at a casino online, you are relying on the results of a random number generator, or RNG. It is a myth that slot machines run on some sort of “cycle” that can be analyzed to see when it is “due” for a jackpot. Anyone who purports to have some sort of system for figuring out when slots are due for a jackpot is only trying to separate you from your money, so beware.

Slot machines in online casinos contain microprocessors running special programs that randomly generate numbers corresponding to the symbols on each reel. It is constantly running as long as the machine remains powered, and new random numbers are generated every millisecond (1/1000 of a second). The random number programs generate values from 0 to 4,000,000,000 that are translated to specific numbers corresponding to the combination of symbols on the slot machine’s reels. The outcome of the spin is determined solely by the number chosen by the RNG, and is selected as soon as the user clicks on “Spin.”

The specific algorithm, or mathematical formula used to generate random numbers must have its accuracy confirmed by auditing agencies to ensure that the numbers generated truly are random. This ensures that players are not being cheated by the casino.

To give you some idea about how the RNGs in “reel” type electronic slot machines work, consider the following. Each reel contains 22 stops. In a three reel machine, there are 22 times 22 times 22, or 10,648 different combinations. So the probability of your winning the top jackpot on a three-reel machine is 1 in 10,648. But keep in mind that previous spins do not affect future spins, so it does not mean that there’s definitely a jackpot once in every 10,648 spins. There is no cycle of winning and losing on slots.

The RNG selects the combinations of numbers a thousand times each second, so there is no way to time your spin so that it selects anything other than a random combination of random numbers. Hence, the game is purely one of chance.

To make sure that the random numbers behind your favorite casino online slots games are really random, independent analysts will subject it to rigorous testing. One testing system used in the testing of the RNGs behind online slots is known as FIPS 140-2, and is a US government standard for hardware or software that encrypts and decrypts data. FIPS 140-2 specifies the security requirements that have to be satisfied by cryptographic modules, and is used to test that RNG output streams are genuinely random.

Online slots not only have higher payout percentages than do bricks-and-mortar casino slot machines (due to lower overhead), they also have some great bonuses. When you choose an online casino for slots, look for one that gives regular bonuses. You can find web casinos that offer daily and weekly bonuses, weekend bonuses, and VIP bonuses if you’re a big spender. You can be eligible for up to 400% in bonuses if you spend anything up to $2,000 as a regular online slots player, and far more if you’re a bigger spender. Big bonuses plus regularly audited RNGs and payout reports are what you should look for when you choose a place to play slots online.

By John Trodey
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