Here are some popular myths about slot machines that we would like to do away with.

Myth 1: You Can Predict the Next Set of Numbers

Even someone who has access to the pseudorandom number generator (PRNG) code (see How Slot Machines Work)cannot predict the next outcome of a decent quality modern slot machine, because even when you are not playing the machine keeps generating numbers. The information from previous plays cannot be used, because you don’t know where in the sequence you are.

Myth 2: “I Almost Won!”

Let’s use a casino setting as an example to debunk this myth. Say you have just moved away from one machine, someone else takes your place and suddenly wins a large amount of money, or even the jackpot. You might feel terribly cheated. It looks like if only you have continued playing a little longer you would have won that money. But this is not true! Because the PRNG calculates new sets of numbers you’d have had to press the button at precisely the same milisecond.

Myth 3: “So Close!”

Another “So close!” myth is the idea a player may have when a reel stops one symbol one stopping point short of a winning combination. Almost there! How frustrating! At least, that’s what it looks like. In truth, you may not have been so close at all. Manufacturers can assign different probabilities to the different symbols on the reels, so your chances of getting that symbol may not be what they seem from just looking at the reel.