Calculating Slots Odds

Playing slots is easy enough. You insert the amount of coins you wish to play and you click the button to spin the reels. If a winning combination lands on the pay line then you will win the amount shown on the payout table.

When it comes to other casino games, working out the odds of winning can become quite tricky. On the surface, it would appear that calculating slots odds is somewhat easier. For this, a percentage payout is used.

The House Edge

Online casinos use something called a "house edge". At the end of the day, as much as online casinos need to entertain their customers, it is all about making a profit. This is how online casinos have the money to offer better bonuses and improve their software so that they can entertain you.

In general, a slots payout percentage will be in the high 90s. If, for example, the payout percentage is 97%, this means that the machine will pay out €97 for each €100 that is wagered.

In More Depth

This is a very general way of looking at things because it does not mean that every time you insert €100 into a machine you will lose €3. It is calculated as an overall average. A machine can go for thousands of dollars before making a single payout.

If you look at the odds a bit deeper, it could happen that ten players all wager €100 on a machine for a total of €1000. If nine of these players account all lose their €100, the tenth player - in theory - will win €970 for his €100, with the casino making a total profit of €30. It all depends on being in the right time at the right place.

Upping the Excitement

These odds do not seem that enticing. If these payouts were consistent in terms of absolute percentages per €100 (as they are explained in theory) then slots would be extinct in terms of entertainment value. This is why it is important for the machines to be programmed to not only pay out the smaller amounts but to also accumulate over a certain amount of time to provide sporadic larger payouts.
By mixing up smaller payouts with larger payouts - all at an average of 97% (as an example) - online casinos are able to keep the excitement levels up while maintaining a winning edge for the casinos.

Play to Win

People do not play slots to win the smaller amounts. Even the careful slots players who actually do play for the smaller accumulation of payouts harbour secret wishes of a jackpot. Aside from what we are told by the online casinos, there is no real way to calculate the odds of winning. These odds are audited by external parties, so these odds can be trusted.