Playing Slot Machines For A Living

Typically, slot machines have paybacks of between 75% and 98%. That means that for every dollar you spend you will receive on average between 75 and 98 cents in return. The best hotels and casinos for slots in Las Vegas may claim to offer up to a 98% payback, but those numbers can be deceiving. A lot of people have been asking where to get the bank. Here is the website: 10% off your purchase of the WinnersBank. You can never ever play a slot machine for living. This is the only game in a casino that works and based merely on luck. Slots machines are the most dangers game in a casino because they’re highly addictive. For first time players, this feels fun.

Slot machines come in a dizzying variety, from the flashy lights to the incredibly exciting selections offered, they are a casino favorite that keep visitors returning time and time again. In fact, according to experts, slot machines are so popular that they constitute over 70% of all casino revenues. But what exactly makes them so appealing?

For starters, playing slots does not really require skill from the player. Despite the vast selection of slot machines that are available, all of them essentially function in the same way. A player simply needs to make a bet, push a button or pull a lever and wait for a potential payout. Many are marked with staggering jackpots that can reach into the millions, but have you ever stopped to wonder about the intricacies of slot machines or their popularity?

Slots games are perhaps a bit more complicated than you might realize. From the payouts to common myths; we here at Planet 7 want to help anyone completely new to slots or those simply looking to get some reliable information. So we’ve put together this online slots guide, to get you up to speed fast!

What is a slot machine?

Let’s start with the basics. A slot machine is a gambling game with three or more spinning reels. The reels come equipped with symbols that land randomly after a player places a bet and initiates a spin. Wins are determined when particular symbols line up or form a particular pattern; these are called paylines. Winnings or payouts vary based on the amount a player wagers. The larger the bet, the larger the payout according to the outcome of a payline or combination of paylines.

Types of Slot Machines

Upon entering a casino you will usually notice that there are two types of slot machines: reel slots and video slots.

Reel slots have physical reels that spin and are found in land-based casinos. They are sometimes referred to as fruit machines as the symbols represented resemble pieces of fruit like cherries or oranges. These incorporate single to multiple spinning reels.

Video slots function in the same way as reel slots, but usually have a greater number of paylines. Symbols appear on a computer display and can run in patterns up, down or zig-zagged across the screen. Video slots are often very popular because of their unique computer graphics and stunning visuals. Players can choose from a variety of different games that are pulled from popular films or music for instance. They also offer lots of other unique features not found on traditional slot machines. Some of these include scatters, wilds, and surprise symbols intended to dramatically increase your rewards.

Scatters are desired by players because the more frequently they appear on the screen the more payouts a player receives pre-spin, regardless of the reel sequences. Wilds substitute any symbol much like a joker would during a game of poker, and help complete a winning combination. Surprise or hidden symbols are also a fun addition to video slots because they can appear at any given time during gameplay, and will increase winnings and/or give you free spins. Video slots are the way to go if you want to maximize your casino gaming experience!

Your money and slots

If you are playing at a standard casino you’ll notice that most machines no longer use coins. Instead they operate on what is known as the TITO system [ticket in, ticket out]. Slots games at online or real money mobile casinos offer a variety of different betting and payment options from P2P money transfers to credit/debit cards and even cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Familiarize yourself with the different betting/payment options of a machine as well as the terms and conditions before you begin to play.

Slot machine RNGs

Regardless of the type of slot that you choose to play, they function in the same way. You place your bet and take a spin, and an internal computer chip in the machine will randomly determine whether you win or lose for each spin.

The outcome of a win for any slot machine is determined by this internal chip called a random number generator or RNG. The RNG cycles through thousands of number sequences per second and the computer program stops precisely at the moment when a player hits the stop button or come to rest automatically. The result of the numbers are displayed on the screen or reel. Keep in mind that each spin is a completely unique event, one of a kind, meaning that patterns in how the symbols land are more illusion/coincidence than mathematical reality.

RNGs are always tested and certified by third-party agencies to make sure that they are fair and reliable, and that outcomes cannot be rigged. This is great news, because if it’s your lucky day you could be walking away with some serious cash and coin!

Useful slots terms

Now that you’re getting a feel for what slots are all about, below is a list of some helpful slots terms for you to know!

Autospin/play – this feature enables the player to continue betting with a particular amount without having to manually push the spin button. The feature will usually stop once it hits a win.

Bet Max – is the maximum number of credits a player can bet on a slot machine. It has the highest possible payout amount for that particular machine. Each slot game has a maximum amount that cannot be exceeded.

Betting Units – these are wager units that are determined by the denomination listed on the slot machine. These can be increased or decreased by the player within the range of the maximum bet.

Bonus Feature – these are features offered on most popular slot machines and can include wild cards that increase payouts, prize multipliers or free spins.

Cashback – these are often rewards or comps given to players that hold membership with a particular online casino like Planet 7.

Certified Slots – these slots are machines that guarantee a payout of 98%-100%. They are usually well marked within a casino.

Coins/Credits – are what are gambled with on a slot machine in exchange for money. For instance, for a nickel slot machine when a dollar is inserted that player will have twenty credits on that specific machine.

Doubles (or more) – these refer to paylines that are multiplied based on the amount won. When a player wins on a payline they can chose to double their money by having another spin, if that spin loses they lose all of their bet.

Line Bet – refers to the paylines that are activated on a slot machine. Max bets activate all paylines on a machine, single lines or any combination activate only those lines chosen by the player.

Loose Slot – is term that refers to a type of slot machine that pays out frequently. These are highly coveted by online and classic casino players, and are often well hidden.

Multiplier– this refers to a bonus feature where payouts can be multiplied up to a certain limit.

Pay Table – this is a sign that indicates the different possible winning combinations and how many credits each wins.

How to win on slot machines

So you’ve made your deposit at Planet 7 and are ready to start playing. There are a couple more things you should keep in mind however. Unlike other popular casino games like blackjack or poker, slots do not require skill to win. In other words, there is no winning strategy for slot machines but there are tips and tricks that can push the odds in your direction. For more on this see our article: How to win at slots? Try these 10 amazing tricks that really work. Since the results of each spin on a slots game is programmed to be completely random, there is no way to determine when a payout will happen.

Playing Slot Machines For A Living Will

Statistically, you are as likely to win on a slot machine by spinning one time versus spinning one thousand times. Each spin is a separate event. So if the odds of hitting a jackpot on a given machine are 1 in 20,000, this means that each time a player spins the odds will remain 1:20000 to win the jackpot. It does not matter how many spins a player has made before or after, the odds cannot be influenced thanks to the RNG. This is precisely why slots games are so seductive to even the most novice of players. Large payouts and jackpots are available to any player regardless of skill or experience. It’s simply up to Lady Luck!

Youtube people playing slot machines

Slots payouts

It is good to note that the range of payouts for slots machines depend on the manufacturer or provider. This information is usually made public and can be found online. In general, however, slots machines that allow for higher denomination bets (dollar slots) compared to lower denominations (penny slots) are programmed to have a higher percentage of payout. The standard in the gambling industry is payout percentages ranging from low (85%) to high (98%) with the latter applying to higher denomination machines. This doesn’t mean that for every dollar you spend you will only receive 85-98 cents in return. Instead, the longer you play the closer your total winnings will begin to reflect the calculated percentage, this is what is known as the house edge.

Play using higher denominations

Though a player cannot influence the outcome of a slot spin, it’s important to keep the average payout percentages for particular machines in mind. Also, statistics show that players willing to bet using higher denominations will earn at a higher percentage. It’s hard to argue with mathematics.

Whole dollars count for more than fractions of dollars when multiplied. So, if you bet 10 dollars per line on a slot machine, and you win on 5 lines on a given spin, that’s 100 dollars you’ve just won. When you take into account multipliers and doubling-up, you can potentially exponentially increase your original bet! Just be sure to double check each machine’s maximum jackpot. Two machines might look the same, but pay out different winnings per credit.

Fixed jackpots vs. progressive jackpots

There are other categories that slot machines fit into: fixed/basic, progressive and fixed value. Fixed or basic slot machines generally have a fixed maximum jackpot that does not change. Progressive machines have jackpots that will increase as more and more people bet on them and can be linked to a series of machines to dramatically increase the jackpot total. The jackpot will continue to increase until it is won. As a rule of thumb it’s good to play on a progressive machine that is seeing a lot of action as this will ensure a higher jackpot. Fixed value machines are slots machines where the betting amount or coin size cannot be changed. These slot machines are usually one denomination, meaning one betting unit per spin.

Set limits

It’s a smart idea to set a “lose limit” before you decide to play on a slot machine. This will ensure that you don’t leave the casino with your bankroll empty. If you find yourself winning, a good time to stop is once when you have doubled your initial investment. The longer you play the higher the probability is that you will end up losing money. If you’re losing, stop when you reach your lose limit. It’s never a good idea to chase your losses. Have fun, but play responsibly. People win daily on slots and your odds of a payout are just as good as theirs, but be smart, and don’t overdo it.

Sign up for casino rewards and bonuses

Whether playing online or at a land-based casino, players should sign up for casino rewards or membership programs. These programs dish-out benefits according to how frequently players play and how much they are willing to wager each time. The benefits can be substantial. If you’re going to spend your money anyway, you might as well sign up as there is nothing to lose when signing up.

First time players can look forward to excellent start up packages and casino bonuses simply by joining. Benefits become even greater if they take advantage of loyalty programs or VIP offers. These vary, so be sure to find the one that is best suited to your style of play. Brick-and-mortar casinos often offer “slots club” cards and record the extent that players play on slots each time they step foot inside a casino. Compare the incentives of different casinos or sites to choose what works best for you. Here at Planet 7 we are proud to accept Players Rewards Card – a multi-casino bonus card that can dramatically increase your rewards.

Casino slots jackpots and lore

Many times in a casino you will hear players say whether certain tables or slots are running hot or cold. Hot machines dish-out winnings and cold machines fail to be generous, but the truth is that these are simply myths. Players might think that they sense when a machine is lucky or not, but in truth they have no influence over the outcomes of the slots’ RNGs. In other words, a slot machine is never “due” to hit if it hasn’t paid out in a while. It’s important to remember that every spin is random. Streaks boil down to a matter of pure chance, even jackpots can occur multiple times on a single machine. Though the odds of striking a mega-jackpot aren’t exactly in a player’s favor, it might come as good news that each player has the same odds of winning big. You might just be in luck!

Important casino slots tips to remember

  • There are variety of slot machines styles, but they basically boil down to the following categories: reel or video/online slots, and fixed or progressive jackpots
  • The spin outcomes for slot machines are determined based on random number generators or RNGs, these are verified to be fair and reliable based on independent third-party inspections for both standard and online casinos
  • Be mindful of the various terms and meanings associated with slot machines and casino slot gambling, each machine is different, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the rules of a slot game before you play it
  • Though there is no sure-fire winning strategy for slots, there are calculated win percentages for low and high denomination machines based on manufacturer, these percentages range from 85%-98%
  • Use higher denominations and play tight when betting, this will ensure a chance for a higher return.
  • Join the club! Whether you are a new joiner or returning player, take advantage of the various casino rewards, benefits and packages offered, so you can maximize your winnings each time you play
  • Pay attention to the different kinds of jackpots and bet amounts that are available, such as fixed or progressive jackpots, and set a monetary limit on how much you are willing to spend gambling on slots
  • Be responsible and have fun! Remember, slots are not about skill, so anyone can win big on casino slot games. That’s why they’re the most popular casino game around!

Slots are the world’s most popular casino game for a reason. There are so many different types of games to choose from. Anyone can become a winner! Whether you prefer to visit a standard casino or play online or on your mobile device, find out what slots games suit you best. You can sign up for a chance to play for free or win real money today. Simply visit Planet 7 to register and play on over 80 popular real money online slots games, and don’t forget to check out the latest promotions to pick up your bonus and extend your bankroll, playtime and fun!

Check out Planet 7’s 450% slots or keno only bonus with any deposit of $30 or more. Simply enter code SLOTSCRAZY450 at the cashier when you make your deposit and start winning at slots today. Escape to Planet 7!

You can find stories about people gambling for a living. Many people play poker for a living, and it’s easy to see why. Poker doesn’t have a built in house edge; it has what amounts to a seat charge in the form of rake. Poker players aren’t trying to win the house money, they compete for other player’s money. This is different than most other forms of gambling.

You can also read about blackjack players that have learned how to count cards or find sloppy dealers that flash the value of down cards. Some of these players are able to play blackjack for a living. A small percentage of sports bettors, horse track bettors, and dog track bettors are also able to make enough money to gamble for a living.

But it’s rare to find people who can gamble for a living who play other casino games. Bob Dancer claims that he was able to play video poker for a living several years back, but even if his claim is true, many things have changed since then. It’s harder to find full pay video poker machines and casinos pay lower comp rates for video poker play.

I’m just guessing, but I believe that Dancer has probably made much more money from writing books than actually playing video poker.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that and I’m not trying to say that he didn’t make money playing. But I don’t know if anyone is making a living playing video poker today. It’s possible, but if there are players doing it, there aren’t very many.

A few authors claim to make money playing craps using dice control. This has always struck me as a way to sell books and training courses, but just like Dancer’s claim in video poker, I suppose a few people can use dice control. Also just like video poker, if people are successful at dice control, there aren’t very many of them.

Games like slots, roulette, baccarat, and other table games don’t have stories about gamblers playing them for a living. Does the lack of stories mean that these games are impossible to beat?

Slots are the most popular form of gambling in casinos. People love to play slots. This brings me to the reason for this article.

Can you play slots for a living?

The Hard Truth

Before you continue, consider exactly what making a living means. Some people live on $25,000 a year, while others seem to need $50,000 or $100,000 a year. Many factors come into play when determining how much someone needs to live.

Some of the factors include:

  • Where you live
  • How many people you have to support, like a spouse and children
  • How frugal your lifestyle is
  • How much debt you have

For the purposes of this article I’m going to use $52,000 a year as the threshold for making a living. This works out to $1,000 a week. You can use any number that you want, but unless you live in an expensive area, most people can survive on this amount.

Another issue that must be considered when you think about playing slots for a living is the lack of health insurance and other benefits. Professional gamblers have to find health care and they don’t get paid time off. Health care is a serious expense for many people and it can be dangerous not to have some type of coverage.

Many young people don’t worry about the lack of health care coverage, but as you get older it often becomes a real concern. If you have to pay for health insurance it can take a big chunk out of your income. Keep this in mind when you determine how much you need to make to play slots for a living.

The hard truth is playing slots for a living is almost impossible unless you’re already wealthy and have enough money that you can afford to lose in the long run. It’s much more likely that you’re going to lose $1,000 a week than win $1,000 week playing slots.

While most slots players lose in the long run, it’s not 100% impossible to play slots for a living. But such a small percentage of players make money that the truth is that you should probably forget the idea.

Slot machines are designed to guarantee, or lock in, a long term profit for the casino.

Each machine is programmed to pay back a certain percentage of every dollar wagers and keep the rest for the casino. These numbers are called different names, but I call them pay back percentage and the house edge.

A slot machine’s pay back percentage is the amount of all bets returned to the player through wins on the machine. If a slot machine has a 95% pay back percentage that means that on average it gives back $95 out of every $100 wagered to the player.

If you consider this from the other angle you get the house edge. When the slot machine pays back $95 out of $100, it keeps the other $5 for profit. In other words, a machine that pays back $95 out of every $100 wagered has a 5% house edge.

When you add the house edge percentage and the pay back percentage together, they always equal 100%. This means that if you know one number you can subtract it from 100 to get the other number.

You can use these numbers to predict how much money you should win or lose over a set period of time, based on how much you bet per hour. Because the house edge is in the casino’s favor, it means that if you can’t figure out how to overcome the edge or get lucky, you’re going to lose in the long run.

Most slot machines have a payback percentage between 90 and 98%. This means the house edge is between 2 and 10%. With a house edge, it means that you lose between 2 and 10% of every dollar you run through the machine.

Here’s an example:

  • You play on a slot machine that has a 98% pay back percentage, which means it has a 2% house edge. Your bet size is $2 per spin and you make 400 spins per hour. You can figure out your average loss rate, or what you can expect to lose on average per hour, by using this formula.
  • Amount bet per spin times spins per hour times the house edge.
  • $2 X 400 X 2% = $16

This means that if you play for 10 hours your expected loss is $160. You simply multiply the expected hourly loss times the number of hours you plan to play and you get the average expected loss.

Slots are run by computers, which use a program based on math. These programs, unless the programmers made a mistake, make sure that the underlying math principles always come true. It might take millions of spins, but the programs guarantees that the machine produces the programmed profit percentage for the casino.

The house edge and pay back percentage are long term things. This means that these percentages are realized over a long period of time. In the short term the house edge and pay back percentages vary, sometimes a great deal. But eventually the short term variance evens out and produces the correct results.

How can you overcome the built in house edge?

Most players can’t, and this is why it’s almost impossible to play slots for a living.

If you still want to try to play slots for a living, the following sections have additional information you need to know. Just keep in mind that even if you use every trick and strategy in your power, you still might lose money in the long run.

Finding the Pay Back Percentage of Slots

You just learned about pay back percentage and the house edge and how these things guarantee the casino a profit. So the next question is how do you find out the house edge and pay back for slot machines?

Most casino games are designed in a way that it’s fairly easy to determine the house edge and pay back percentage, or you can easily find the numbers with a quick internet search. But slots are different. The programs that run the machines have so many variables that unless you have access to the program it’s impossible to determine the house edge and pay back percentage.

Another problem is that some machines offer different pay back percentages from the manufacturer, so each casino can order their machines with the percentage they want. You can find out more about finding slot machine pay back percentages here, but the news isn’t good.

If you want to have the best chance to play slots for a living, you need to find the machines that offer the lowest house edge. These machines have the highest pay back percentage, so you have less to overcome.

The following sections include everything I know that can help you improve your chances to win. Four of them are strategies that you can put into action yourself, and the other one is based on hope. Sadly, hope isn’t much of a strategy, but it fits in perfectly with how most people gamble. They put their money out and hope to win.

Online Bonuses

Online casinos often offer bonuses for slots players when they make a deposit. You can get 100% or more of your deposit matched with bonus money you can use to play slots. This sounds like a great way to overcome the house edge, and if the money was free it would be.

While bonus money looks like it’s free, when you read the conditions and terms associated with the bonus you find out that it’s not a simple as the casino giving you free money.

Every online slots bonus comes with rules and regulations about how you can use it, what you have to do before you can cash out your money, and if you get to keep any bonus amount when you meet the terms of the offer.

The terms vary from online casino to online casino, so it’s important to read them before you make your deposit. Some bonuses are deducted from your balance when you make a cash out request, while others can be cashed out eventually.

When you accept an online slots bonus you have to meet certain requirements. These are usually called play through requirements. A play through requirement means that you have to play the bonus amount, and sometimes the deposit amount as well, a certain number of times to clear the bonus. The requirement is usually shown as a multiple, like 25X or 50X. This means you have to make wagers totaling 25 times or 50 times the bonus, and sometimes the deposit amount.

Here’s an example:

  • You sign up at an online casino that offers a 100% sign up bonus on deposits up to $250. You make a $250 deposit and get a $250 bonus. This gives you a total bankroll of $500. The terms and conditions state that you have to play the deposit and bonus amount 50 times before you can cash out.
  • The total of the bonus and your deposit is $500, so you multiply this by 50 to find the total amount you have to bet. 50 X $500 = $25,000, so you have to make $25,000 worth of bets before cashing out. The best can be any size as long as the total amount reaches the limit.
Living

You can use a trick at this point to get an idea of the possibility of clearing the bonus and having money left over. You can multiply the total amount you have to wager times the house edge to find the expected loss.

Using this example, if you play on a slot machine with a 5% house edge, your expected loss is $1,250. This means that usually you’re going to run out of money before you clear the bonus. The only ways to change this are to play on a machine with a lower house edge, or find bonuses that have lower play through requirements.

You also need to make sure you understand the difference between cashable bonuses and the ones that are deducted from your balance. A bonus that can’t be cashed out when you meet the playing requirements makes it unlikely you can beat the house edge.

Here’s an example if you play a slot machine with a 2% house edge, using the same bonus numbers in the last example.

$25,000 X 2% = $500. This means that your expected loss is the same as your total bankroll of $500. Even if you get lucky and don’t lose all $500, the odds of you having more than your deposit of $250 left after clearing the bonus is slim.

Does this mean that you shouldn’t use online slots bonuses?

You should defiantly use online slots bonuses if you want to play slots. Even a bonus that’s not cashable gives you extra money to gamble with. It also gives you extra chances to hit a big jackpot, which is the only way most slots players have of getting ahead.

Slots Tournaments

Slots tournaments aren’t run at all casinos, but some casino run them from time to time, and a few run them on a regular basis. A slots tournament offers a minimum amount of play for a set entry fee and awards prizes for the top finishers.

Some casinos offer slots tournaments as a reward for a set amount of play and/or connected to their slots club program. If you can earn a free entry into a slots tournament, anything you win helps overcome the house edge on your normal slots play.

When you’re looking for a slots tournament that has an entry fee, you should look for ones that have a guaranteed prize pool. If you can find tournaments that don’t get enough entrants to cover the prize pool you can play with an edge. It won’t greatly improve your chances of finishing in the money, but when the entry fees don’t cover the prize pool it’s profitable to play.

Here’s an example:

  • The casino offers a slots tournament with a guaranteed prize pool of $1,000. The entry fee is $10 and they only get 80 people to sign up. If you divide the prize pool by the number of entrants you get the average value of playing.
  • In this case, the average is $12.50. Any time the average return for playing is higher than the entry fee you’re playing with an edge.

You still have to finish in the money to win some money, but if you play in enough of these types of situations you come out ahead eventually.

Playing Slots for Comps and Promotions

Every time you play slots you should be earning comps. Sign up for the slots club at your local casino and look for online casinos that have a rewards program. The casinos don’t give back enough in comps to overcome the normal house edge, but every penny you get back in comps helps lower your cost to play.

If you can combine an attractive online slots bonus with a decent comps program you improve your chances of winning a great deal.

Casinos also run promotions from time to time. You might be able to find free slots play vouchers and match play coupons in the local paper or on the web site of the casino where you’re planning to ply. Promotions and coupons are a great way offset the built in house edge of the slot machines.

Getting Lucky

I hate to say it, but the only way most people can play slots for a living is to get lucky. If you’re lucky enough to hit a big jackpot sometime in your life, and are smart with the money, you can afford to play slots full time.

The only slot machines I play are the ones that offer either a progressive jackpot or ones that have a set top jackpot prize of $100,000 or higher. I know I can’t overcome the long term house edge without a big win, so I don’t waste my time on machines that can’t make a big deposit into my bank.

Getting lucky isn’t a strategy, but if you don’t put yourself in position where you have the chance to be lucky you don’t even have reason to hope. If you want to play slots for a living focus on slots with big jackpot possibilities.

Progressive Jackpots

The only way to truly play slots with an edge over the house is to play a progressive jackpot slot machine where the top prize has grown so high that it overcomes the edge. The problem with this is the same as I discussed earlier. If you don’t know the house edge you can’t determine how high the progressive jackpot has to climb before it makes the play profitable.

I recommend sticking with slots that have high jackpots, because it’s the only way you have a chance to win enough that you can play slots for a living.

If you don’t know the house edge, simply play the slots that have the highest jackpots. Most casinos, both online and off, have at least one slots game with a jackpot over $1,000,000.

If you can’t find one with a jackpot over $1 million, look for the highest one you can find. A $500,000 jackpot win might not set you up financially for life, but it’s enough to help out quite a bit.

Conclusion

Best Slot Machines To Play

Playing slots for a living is a dream of many gamblers. But the truth is that it’s almost impossible to succeed. The house edge locks in a long term profit for the casinos, so very few people win.

Playing Slot Machines For A Living Machine

Playing slot machines for a living quarters

Playing Slot Machines For A Living Rooms

You can use the tips and strategies on this page to give yourself the best chance to overcome the house edge, but if you want to gamble for a living your best bet is to stop playing slots and pick a different game.