History of Slots in Casinos
Rouge Casinos vs. Fair Ones
Random Number Generator
Final Word
If you were wondering whether online slots were legal or not, it’s good that you asked that question. Namely, if you live in the United States, it is not legal to play online slots. On the other hand, it may vary from state to state. While the state gambling laws of Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania don’t prohibit players from trying their luck online, Utah and Hawaii have banned it. In case you are based in any other country, then lucky you — online slot games are legal.
One of the determiners which will tell you about whether online casinos and therefore online slots are legal or not is a license that it holds. Some casinos have multiple licenses, and some have none. Also, there are casinos with an e-gambling license, which is not illegal per se, but it raises suspicion due to problems that can occur if the casino is not fair.
In case you are from the U.S., you will be glad to know that sports betting is legal in certain states. The whole process started in May 2018, with PSPA canceling. At the moment, the vast majority of states gives their best try to regulate this issue as soon as possible. From this point of view, it seems quite likely that the rest of our favorite online casino games will follow sports betting steps.
History of Slots in Casinos
The first slot machine dates back to the 1880s, and it was known as one-armed bandit, or as a pokie in Australia. It was a gambling device which started working when you put in coins or tokens and pulled the handle, hence the name one-armed bandit. Also, you could press buttons in order to activate the reels.
Those antique slot machines had symbols like pictures of fruits, such as cherries, oranges, watermelons, etc. Also, they contained stars, numbers (7 was the most common), and even words like the jackpot. When players won playing slots at that time, the winnings were in the form of cigars or drinks. After 1888, players started to be paid in actual cash.
How to Differentiate Rouge Casinos From the Fair Ones
Although playing at a certain casino might be legal, there are several things to think about if you want to find a good online casino to play slots at — for starters, volatility and random number generator. What’s also very important if you’re going to play online slots for real money are the terms and conditions.
In there, you might find some limitations that are not so fair, for example, a sticky bonus. We are going to explain now what do you need to know about casinos, so you can pick slots where you have more chances to win.
Random Number Generator
If you are oblivious of the term Random Number Generator, or simply RNG, that is O.K. since nobody was born with the knowledge of everything. A slot machine consists of many different parts that match together to offer players fair and random wins.
There wouldn’t be fair games if it weren’t for RNG. It is computer software which uses mathematical algorithms and complex set of numbers to ensure equal chances for winnings for all players. It is a unique program because it doesn’t favor any players nor it memorizes players’ previous move, regardless of the outcome in their gameplay. When you click to spin the reels, you chances to win or lose are, without a doubt, the same.
Whether you have used maximum bets or the lower ones, RNG doesn’t take into account winning combinations or lost stakes. Just like online casinos, land-based casinos also use this software. RNG combinations are infinite, and the calculations never stop, except when players spin the reels. So beware that it is up to your luck whether you’re going to win or not.
Return to Player
The Return to Player, or how pro players call it — RTP, controls your chances to win when you play slot games. RTP is a system which helps players figure out how much money they’ll be getting in the long run and measures the stakes.
In case a house edge is around 5%, that means that Return to Player is 95%. This information sounds assuring and optimistic. But unfortunate for fans of slots, the percentage is measured by millions of runs over a particular period of time. It doesn’t depend on one player’s gameplay. It is unlikely that you will be playing a million rounds, so be prepared for every outcome.
Nonetheless, it can be useful to figure out which games to play and which ones you should avoid. You will be able to find casinos that have good RTP percentage, but you will encounter the ones with a low RTP as well.
It is more likely that online casinos have a better percentage, in comparison to land-based casinos, where RTP is approximately 80–88%. If you have firmly decided to play slots at online casinos, you need to examine a lot of casinos and slots to find the one with good RTP.
Chances for Cashing Out
Another term that is important to bear in mind is volatility. There are two types of volatility, low and high volatility. To sum it up, if slots pay out more frequently in small amounts, that is low volatility.
On the other hand, when the cashouts are not so frequent, but in notable amounts of money, that is high volatility. The likelihood of both is more or less the same.
Find out What They Are Hiding
Every online casino has its terms and conditions page where you can find information about slot bonuses, wagering requirements for them, different promotions, and so on. It is highly recommended to read all sections, but we know that’s a drag. Maybe instead of reading everything, you can go quickly over some important parts. Even though your chosen casino might be legalized, it still doesn’t mean it is a 100% safe to play at.
Unfortunately, a high number of players don’t bother reading this section. Therefore, they experience unpleasant situations — they lose their money due to something they haven’t been aware of.
Namely, some casinos have a sticky bonus, or certain information doesn’t exist on their website, and that should be a clear sign to get the heck out of there. A sticky bonus is an amount of money that you get from the casino to enrich your gameplay, but once you decide to withdraw the money, that additional money will be removed from your balance. You can see how unjust this is.
Final Word
In case you are a newbie, we strongly advise you to play free of charge on any casino website, because every casino allows that. After a while, you’ll gather experience and knowledge, and then you’ll be able to play slots and win some amazing prizes.
In this article, we have explained what things you should know if you want to play slots in online casinos, and how to make a distinction between fair and unfair casinos. Hopefully, you will be able to see whether something is legal or not. Good luck with your endeavors!
