When it comes to slot machines, “random” is the operative term. Whether three lines or five, whether mechanical or electronic, the key to the payout for a slot machine is how random are spins and the pictures that come up. The principle of randomness is the same now as it was when Charles Fey invented the first slot machine, the “Liberty Bell,” in 1895.

Of course, the biggest difference now is that slot machines are controlled by a microprocessor instead of mechanical spinning wheels, which makes a tremendous difference. Whereas with mechanical slot machines the odds of winning were based on probability determined by the numbers and frequency of symbols on each reel, computer-controlled slots truly are random.

Spinning Reels

The first slot machines were operated mechanically. On the Liberty Bell the biggest jackpot was paid when three pictures of the Liberty Bell turned up together. Needless to say, there were fewer Liberty Bell pictures on each wheel than any of the other symbols. These older machines could be beaten by someone who could finesse the machine. They also could be broken or rigged so that the probability of certain symbols turning up could be altered.

Later machines were electro-mechanical, combining electric motors with the mechanical spinning wheels. This made the machines more dependable and better able for the casinos to control.

God in the Machine

All that changed in 1984 when the first all computerized machines were introduced. These machines did not depend on probability but on truly random numbers. As one slot expert termed it, there was a God in the machine - the random number generator (RNG). The RNG was now in control and the machines became impossible to predict or to break.

How it works is that inside every slot machine is a microprocessor with a RNG that is constantly producing a sequence of numbers, even when no one is playing the machine. Each of these sequences of numbers relates to the symbols on the reels. Each symbol has its own number.

The moment a player places coins in a machine and pulls the handle (or simply pushes the button) the number sequence being generated at that instant is captured and transferred to the reels. The actual spinning of the wheels makes no difference in the outcome. The result is an outcome where the software operating the machine controls the percentage of the payout and maintains the house edge with no margin for deviation.

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