Edge: The mathematical advantage for the slot machine player, or the house where the slot machine player is playing. As a rule, the house (casino) has the edge over the slot machine player.

EGM: See Electronic Gaming Machine. 

Fill: Also known as a hopper fill, it is when you are waiting for the slot machine to cash out into the hopper the money that you have won. 

Flat Top: Slots that have a constant top jackpot payout that does not change no matter how much the machine is played; also known as a non-progressive slot machine.  It can also mean the way the slot machine looks, as the player is able to sit while playing the slot machine.

Fruit Machine: Slot machines are called Fruit Machines in England. 

Full Pay Machines: Slot machines that offer the typical maximum payback percentage for that game type; usually close to or over 100% when played with perfect strategy. They are usually placed in and around slot machines that don’t pay off as well. 

Ghost: Within the slot machine there are reels, and where there are blank spots on those reels (no symbols) they are called Ghosts. 

Gimmicky Machines: These are slot machines that snare unsuspecting players as they usually have a higher frequency of payouts at very low levels; they should be avoided. Some examples are Spin to Win or Slam Dunk. 

Handle Slammers: An illegal way of playing the slot machines, the thief who finds the weakness of the machine by manipulation of the handle and then slams it to complete his scam. 

Hand Pay: When the slot machine attendant or the cage has to “hand pay” the winner of the slot machine as the payout that the slot machine is supposed to pay is either incorrect or too large for the slot machine to pay out.

Hard Count: When counting the coin currency from the slot machines, the casinos put their slot machine revenue into a special secure room and tally it up. They have weigh scales (scales that can determine how much money is on it by weight) or they hand count the revenue.

Hit Frequency:  Also known as hit rate it refers to how often a slot machine pays out.  

Hit and Run Winner: Most often referred to in poker, it is a slot machine player who plays the slot machines in short winning sessions and then moves on, leaving the other players to rack up the score again.  

Hit Rate: See hit frequency. 

Hold: Also known as hold percentage, by law the house must pay out a percentage of their winnings from the slot machines. The amount that the slot machine keeps as house profit is called the hold. The amount that the casino keeps is determined by the casino.

Hold Percentage: See hold. 

Hold and Re-spin: A slot machine that gives the player some sense of control in the game. The player spins the wheels on the slot machine, and then is allowed to “hold” one or more of the slot machine reels that they like and spin again to try and get a winning combination.

Hopper: The basket where the coins are stored inside the slot machine, when it is full the coins fall into the basket at the bottom of the slot machines. Conversely, when it is empty the slot machine will flash “Tilt.”

Hopper Fill: See fill. 

Hopper Fill Slip: When the hopper on the slot machine is empty it needs to be refilled. This document records the replenishments to the coin hopper. It keeps track of when the hopper was filled, who filled it, and how much was put in.

Hot Slots: A slot machine that pays well, it is also known as a loose slot.

House: The person or company that operates a gambling establishment, whether it be slot machines or table games.

House Edge: Also referred to as Hold or Edge, it is the percentage of money the casino keeps as their profit from the slot machine.

Jackpot: Any top prize or the slot machine’s highest payout can be a progressive jackpot or just a jackpot. See progressive jackpot. 

Liberal Slots: Also known as loose slots, a slot machine that pays out well. 

Liberty Bell: The very first slot machine created by Charles Fey. See Charles Fey. 

Light Wand: A device that triggers a payout in a slot machine, it is illegal to use one. 

Load: It can mean the maximum number of coins a player is allowed to use in a slot machine, can also refer to winnings.

Loose/Tight: Loose slots are said to be ones with larger payouts on average over a period time. They usually have more paying symbols per reel. The reverse is true for a tight slot. Essentially, the more paying symbols a machine has, the greater the probability of payouts. 

Low Level: See slant top slot machine. 

Max Bet: The maximum amount a slot machine player can bet per spin. 

Mechanic: The house employee who sets the slot machines’ payoffs; they also repair the broken slot machines. 

Mechanical Slots: Slot machines used to have mechanical reels, these are older slot machines.  

Mills Slot: These are the first slot machines used nationwide, they were also the first to use a jackpot and fruit symbols. 

Money Management: Strategies a gambler uses to manage their bankroll. Techniques to avoid loosing the bank roll include: play only a percentage of winnings, divide the bankroll into different sessions, etc.

Multi-Line Slot: A slot machine that has more than one pay line, they can have up to 20 different lines. You can choose to pay one, or as many as you choose. 

Multiple Coin Slot Machines: A slot machine that needs more than one coin or token to operate.

Multiplier Slots: These slots pay for certain symbols on a graduating scale. The payouts for playing one coin are much smaller than if you played maximum coins. So-called "Onesies" players stop here. 

Near Misses: When playing the slot machine, the one half turn of one reel away from a primary jackpot. 

Nine-6 or 8-5: The payout on the slot machine for full house or flush respectively. It is seen in the Jacks-or-better video poker machines, and the 9-6 pays 99.5%, while the 8-5 pays 97.3 percent.  

Number of Coins Bet: This is simply the number of coins one places in the slot machine. 

Odds: The chance of winning the slot machine, usually expressed in monetary value, can also be seen as fractional values.

One-Armed Bandits: Nickname given to slot machines due to the handle on the side of the machine.

Onesies: Slot players who insist on playing one coin per spin.

Online Fill: This is an online slot machine term; it is the same as the person who empties the coin hopper in an actual slot machine. The online fill refers to the player’s account being replenished as they win at online slot machines.

Optimal Play: The payout percentage of the slot machine if a player uses their best strategies – only refers to playing skill based slot machines; it does not influence the payout on a traditional slot machine at all.
 

Slot Machine Terms:   A-D | E-O | P-Z

feedback@slotmachinecash.com