There's just one of those on each reel, so the chance of hitting the jackpot is 1/8,000. Now let's say you're looking to hit a jackpot with special bonus symbols.

If it's 20/1 to hit one symbol, then it's 20x20x20 = 1 in 8,000 to hit a combination of three symbols or, there are 8,000 possible combos. With three reels, and 20 symbols on each reel, the odds of hitting one exact symbol is 20/1, or 1 in 20. The chance of you hitting a winner is related to the amount of reels in the slot and the number of icons on each of the reels. While it's not necessary to calculate every odds in a slot, it's a good idea to have a rough idea of how often a three-symbol combination hits. Remember, though, this doesn't mean a slot is fixed the reels still spin at random and independently of each other. Par sheets will also list jackpot totals and how many spins are typically needed to hit a jackpot.

Where one game has 30 symbols on a reel, for example, another may have over 200 that can result in many more thousands of possible winning (or losing) combinations. The number of symbols on each reel varies wildly from one slot to another, and that's what can affect the payouts. On a typical par sheet you'll find a list of the symbols featured on each reel and the quantity. Slot Par SheetsĮvery new online slots has a 'par sheet', a blueprint for the payouts and permutations that goes into the game. Software developers themselves are also audited before they can be given out gaming licences to operate. RNGs are formulae programmed into the games which generate random numbers (or arrangements of symbols) as the reels fall.Īny good online casino will have its RNGs audited by an independent body like eCOGRA or TST regularly for fairness. Today's video slots, however, are powered by microprocessors (and programs in online slots) called Random Number Generators. Once upon a time, slot machines were mechanical behemoths powered by mechanisms that fixed the various combinations that the slot landed on. Today's video slots are hugely complicated and well-crafted beasts, and while that means they're safer than ever, it also means they're harder to predict.

It's important to have even a basic understanding of the odds involved in slots if you're going to choose the right game and have a profitable slots life. If you thought winning at online slots was about slamming the 'Spin' button, crossing your fingers, and hoping for the best, think again.

Chances of winning on a slot machine