Slots – How to Pick a Winning Machine

A football team isn’t complete without a versatile slot receiver. These players typically line up a few yards behind the wideout and are tasked with running just about every route you can think of, as well as being precise with their timing and having good chemistry with the quarterback. They’re also responsible for blocking, making them crucial to a successful offense.

In the 1960s and ’70s, slot machines were vulnerable to ordinary magnets. Cheaters could place the magnets between the reels and make them float freely instead of stopping on a winning combination. To counter this, manufacturers incorporated electronics into their machines and programmed them to weigh particular symbols differently than others.

Nowadays, slots are everywhere – not only in land-based casinos but online as well. There are literally thousands of games to choose from, with themes ranging from ancient Egypt and the Wild West to sport and our favourite films and TV shows. But what you should be looking for when selecting your next game isn’t the theme, it’s the return-to-player (RTP) percentage and the volatility.

RTP is the amount of money that is returned to the player on average per $100 spent. The higher the RTP, the more likely it is that a machine will pay out in wins. Volatility refers to how often a machine pays out, with low-volatility slots paying lower amounts more frequently, while high-volatility slots may go long periods of time without paying out.