Slots – Tips & Tricks

Written By Scott Lawson Published on 09.03.2016 Last Updated on 03.07.2024

Manipulating Slots – is it Even Possible?

Every player has heard the stories and rumours of special tricks used to manipulate and empty slot machines. So how can you do this and have more fun earning your money this way? One thing you should bear in mind, what may sound like a dream come true is not always so easy – and it could bring you other problems, especially legal ones.

Before I get started here, I must make one thing entirely clear. I’m not advocating the manipulation of slot machines or fraud. I’m only here to show you what was and is possible along with which tips and tricks work or don’t work. At the same time, I want to warn you to be cautious about companies on the internet that offer slots tricks, which they guarantee will make you money. These are scams and should be avoided at all costs!

Yes, it is Possible to Manipulate Slots

Yes, it is possible and it has happened many times in the past. There aren’t many stories to tell on how successful these attempts were at defrauding the machines. Firstly, this is because it requires the casino player to have a deep technical understanding and secondly because the casinos want to avoid creating copycats. The slot machine was invented back in the late 19th century but the history of machine manipulation is only just over 50 years old. Initially, they only paid out prizes like cigarettes, sweets, drink vouchers or chewing gum with the monetary aspect not coming into effect until the middle of the 20th century. This was only made possible due to the machines no longer being purely mechanical but electromechanical as well, it made them more reliable and interesting to the player but it also made them susceptible to fraudulent behaviour. The issue of security or fraud was still not a big issue for many due to the fact that there were not many people experienced with this type of fraud. But it wasn’t long before someone gave some serious thought to how they’d go about cracking these systems and make a little money along the way. It’s a case of simple mechanics and electrics which for the resourceful tinkerer won’t be a problem for them to manipulate this to their advantage.

You may think the cheap tricks, such as the use of simple magnets to manipulate the systems are long gone and you’d be right but if you possess the required knowledge, it is still possible, you just need to take a different approach.

The Manipulated Coin

One popular method was to use a coin to manipulate the machine’s registered balance. This was accomplished by attaching the coin to the end of a long wire and then feeding it into the machine numerous times thus registering a positive balance. They would then simply play off this positive balance and collect any winnings. In no time at all they could empty a slot machine of all coins stored within. It was successful for a time because the slot mechanism could not detect the wire, only the coins’ structure, due to the wire being made of nylon.

Manipulated Coin – Play for Free

When inserting the coin, you are telling the system what you want to do with the game you’re currently playing. You can either manipulate the coin itself or the mechanism when inserting the coin into the system.

Manipulated Money Ejection – Win Without Playing

The same can be said of the ejection of the coin. To outwit the machine, a signal needs to be sent to the cash memory or ejection mechanism which will trigger a payout regardless.

Another approach is the manipulation of the cash dispenser. This is normally controlled by the system, but if the player has some insider knowledge, they can easily carry it out. In some cases, magnets have been used to influence the delivery mechanism directly. This led to slot machine manufacturers producing new security measures in an attempt to detect any sort of fraudulent behaviour on the coin slot. These days, slot machines are rarely extorted, as it takes an enormous amount of skill and patience to carry it out due to the use of electro-mechanics which allows for a very reliable detection of valid coins. Also, with the advent of CCTV, it has become even more difficult to pull it off.

Influencing the Course of the Game or the Results

One of his most famous comments was “One day a machine said to me: Thank you for your attention. I need to give you money because that is all I can give you.”

It becomes more complicated when trying to manipulate the game itself. As more knowledge is required on how the machine functions. While there are a variety cash receivers and ejection systems used in many machines across the world, the actual details regarding the inner workings of the machines themselves are treated as trade secrets and only accessible by a few people. But there are some tech-savvy people out there and they’re always trying to figure out how the system operates making them targets for the authorities. The first electromechanical games offered the possibility to stop the reels themselves. This allowed some skilful players with a good eye and fast fingers to beat winning combinations, therefore making reliable profits. The most famous example is “The Monarch” from Hamburg: Diethard Wendtland. This player especially liked playing at MINT machines to win serious amounts of cash. But this was not a scam, he just had a knack of cracking slot machines. In the 80s, there was a documentary produced in consultation with “The Monarch” himself. It involved a filmmaker accompanying him on a tour of Germany and interviewing him. He agreed for the documentary to be filmed, on the understanding that it would not be released until after the slots in question were no longer on the market. As a result, machines were designed in a way where it was only possible to stop one reel. Later, it became impossible to stop any of the reels by yourself. With the reels being stopped and started electronically, a resourceful player got the idea to trigger the stop by means of an electromagnetic pulse. This was implemented by the use of the small arc found in an electric lighter, which was similar to a piezo lighter. It generated the appropriate amperage required to create a magnetic field. With this momentum, the sensitive control of the reels could be altered. So with this in mind, the machine manufacturers have updated and upgraded their systems to make them significantly better at protecting them against external influences of all kinds.

Software Manipulation

Once upon a time, there were no electromechanical game devices but now there are and the protective mechanisms in place make things very difficult for them to be cheated. With this in mind, the only way to be sure of successfully cracking them is with insider knowledge. On the other hand, there is a growing trend of software manipulation which you will need to have a very deep specialist knowledge of. Hardware weaknesses also present themselves, for example, when standard processing chips, like the ones found in everyday electronic devices, are used. The behaviour and possible weaknesses may be well-known but they are only capable of being exploited if you know the structure and operation of the remaining circuits. A major coup d’état was played in this direction when software was loaded onto several machines in Germany, which had a profound influence on the distribution of payouts. Of course, it remained unnoticed for some time but it resulted in a larger crackdown which in turn resulted in the suspects being arrested. Exactly how this was realised was not disclosed by the prosecution, but there are two possible scenarios. The first would be some software that would allow you to easily “update” the devices. Since this is not freely available, you would have to get this first. Either you have someone working for the software manufacturer or you’re entitled to do so as one of the employees. You still have to analyse the software to find out exactly how it works. For an expert, this is not a particularly big hurdle. The software must then be adapted and prepared to be installed on real devices. Exactly how the payouts are paid needs to be programmed into the machines beforehand. You could simply increase the odds to empty the machine. However, this could be easily detected due to many others playing and winning, therefore the machine would be removed. Intriguingly, this works with a specific key combination, meaning you can leave the machine unattended allowing others to play the required sequence of keys and then return later to collect your winnings. This is also the best way, as the activation of a key combination would be inconspicuous to the use of video surveillance at the present time. Another reason to point out is that technical interferences are more likely to be noticed by experienced staff. The downside to this is that if the video recordings are studied in detail then the key combination is easily noticeable. Another option would be to exploit any weaknesses found within the electronic printed circuit board, which is made of plastic and for connecting various electronic components together. Certain circuits found upon boards like the one pictured, can, for example, be short-circuited using certain pins. This would cause a reboot of the entire system, therefore requiring a new installation of software via safe mode. This is provided, as a contingency plan, in case the software is no longer accessible due to various update errors to the system itself. Since such backdoors were used in the past as a gateway for serious manipulation (such as with the Digital Set-Top Box or Playstation hacks), they are now considered well-guarded company secrets with such access being increasingly backed up by additional encryption.

Exploiting Obvious Bugs

Nowadays, you don’t need to be a computer expert to cash out any unjustified winnings. This is because the software within the slot machines is becoming increasingly complex and the likelihood of any adverse malfunctioning increases. These pesky bugs certainly know every PC user and they’re also starting to occur within smartphones. Most minor problems can be resolved by restarting the app or software. Annoyingly, it is when the whole system crashes or freezes that bugs can also occur at critical points and if this error can be selectively reproduced, they offer the possibility of further manipulation of the software. Incidentally, this is the usual way for hackers to find software flaws that will allow the insertion and execution of native code. The bugs can be inconspicuous but yet do so much damage. For example, not long ago, a player noticed that when playing Roulette, if they placed a bet and pressed Cancel at the same time (through touch screen operation), then their bets were credited back to them, but still remained on the table. Thus, the player made bets without any risk. But something like this doesn’t remain undetected for long and can be a player’s undoing. The excuse that they didn’t know they had done anything, isn’t usually accepted by the courts. The argument that they aren’t guilty, but the machine is, doesn’t hold up well with both the amusement arcades and the online casinos. This is classed as attempted fraud and is completely illegal. If you notice anything suspicious, you should notify the casino staff or customer service immediately.

Players Defrauded

But there aren’t only players who play with the intention to manipulate slot machines and so make a quick buck in the process (I strongly advise against this action!) There is also the scam on the player themselves which I’m sure has already occurred numerous times. And no I don’t mean the casino operator, which has regulations in place to stop them having the opportunity to cheat (you can find out more about the gambling regulations in the UK here). The scammer here is the provider of guaranteed winning strategies, there are many of them on the Internet. They are the owners of the “Holy Grail” of slot machine fraud. They offer their scams for free, for a small fee or as part of profit sharing scheme. This may seem a very noble gesture but I am sure you will be ripped off in “good faith”. These sites don’t scare or even flinch when claiming that you will make huge financial gains through their software manipulation practices. They claim it is legal to carry out such software manipulation, as it is not an offense in the country where the casino is based. In many cases, they even quote their (fake) lawyers to confirm the validity of the practice. They present impressive looking videos, with payout confirmations from casinos, or showing how to win spin after spin on slot machines. Again, these types of videos do not contain genuine footage, and should not be trusted.

I can only recommend for you to not believe such promises! The only reason for them to do this, is to lure you to a particular online casino, for which they will earn a commission from said casino.

Another scam is for the provision of so-called bots. These small programs automatically play and taking advantage of weaknesses in the random number generator of the casino. I can assure you that these programs simply don’t work and don’t improve your chances of winning. In addition, the random number generators (RNG) are under constant supervision by the casinos and the regulatory authorities from whom the operator has received its gaming license. These analyses are periodically (usually monthly) created and detail payouts in which the fraud would be easily noticed.

Valuable Tips for Slot Players – What Makes Sense and What Doesn’t?

Aside from the fraudulent advice, there are numerous tips on the internet that can advise you on how to win on slot machines. Much of it is utter rubbish but there are some tips that have a point with only a few that should be really taken seriously. I will search through the usual and unusual slot machine tips advising you on whether they really work or not. This section is not complete, I will gradually add new advice and comments.

• Money Management – Know your Bets and Stick to them

  This piece of advice relates to your stake. Firstly, you should always know how much you’re allowed to play per spin. The maximum stake per hour is often indicated as a point that you should be aware of. Plus, here’s another tip, set a certain number of spins with a specific slot and then take the accumulated winnings. While the first point is not wrong, it is not really necessary. In principle, you should already know how much the allowable stake is as it is displayed directly within each game. In fact, this information will always be clearly presented and easy to understand. This is a requirement demanded by regulatory authorities in order for the operator to be awarded with a gambling licence. Secondly, the maximum stake per hour limit is also interesting, but is it really necessary? I would say it is as there are some players who find it very difficult to limit their playing time and in the end, have no overview of how much they have ever spent, lost or gained. In that case, it could be a good idea to use PayPal slot sites and always keep track how much money you spend through the eWallet’s balance.

  Conclusion: Definitely useful if you have no overview of your periods of extended play and are prone to playing longer than you actually intended.

• Try Free Play Mode First and Always Read the Rules

  Before using your own money, you should read the rules first and/or try Free Play mode, which will allow you to gain the required experience. Reading through the rules is in most cases unnecessary due to the simple and similar gameplay across slots in general. In most cases, you will recognise the rules within just a few spins. Whilst there are some games with special rules which are more complicated, there is still no way you can go wrong.

  Conclusion: Generally speaking, this is the right approach. But usually, only a few spins are needed to understand how the game works. As for reading the rules, this is only worthwhile if you have never played slots before.

• Always Play Jackpot Slots with the Highest Possible Bet

  Here is one of the few exceptions to the previous tip. You should always read the rules when playing these type of slots because you should know what your minimum eligible bet for winning a jackpot is. Knowing what amount your bets should be will give you the best chance of winning the biggest jackpot available. A good example is the DC Comics Slots, as with these, you can win one of four types. The Ultimate Power Jackpot being your best chance of winning with the smallest of bets but your odds will always be much better with higher stakes. It really depends on the slot machine, but generally speaking, you should play with higher stakes in order to improve your chances of winning the biggest and best jackpot.

  Conclusion: It depends on the slot machine, but generally speaking, one should always play with higher stakes in order to improve the chance for the big jackpot – but it is not a must.

• Use Bonus Offers

  The recommendation here is to take the respective bonus offers and earn even more game credits for your favourite slot machine. In general, they’re always worthwhile. You should, however, consider any conditions that are linked to these offers to make sure they’re truly worthwhile, such as what you need to do before you can cash out any incentives and the profit made from them. One thing you need to be aware of is where you can use the welcome bonuses and free spins, which slots and games are you allowed to play? Make sure you’re aware of the bonus conditions as there may be some games excluded.

  Conclusion: Yes, for slots, it is always worthwhile to take any recommended incentives. Nevertheless, it is advisable to first take a look at the associated bonus conditions.

• Playing Online instead of in Amusement Arcades

  Online casinos offer better payout percentages than amusement arcades, also the game selection is larger and always available. Here for once I completely agree. I can’t think of any reason why I should play in amusement arcades. It is a different matter when it comes to playing roulette or blackjack at a casino. In amusement arcades, payouts are significantly lower due to most machines using a voucher-based system, this ultimately limits the amount of cash paid out. Older machines are emptied every few hours but this depends entirely on the arcade in question. With online casinos, there are no such restrictions, making online slots a great choice especially the ones with unique options such as the buy feature slots UK players can enjoy.

  Conclusion: Yes, you should definitely play online instead of the amusement arcades as they have very poor payouts plus many other disadvantages.

• Play with All Pay Lines Activated to Increase your Chances of Winning

  You can read numerous slots tips on various web pages across the internet but are they really true? Some are and one of the most popular out there is to always activate all pay-lines. By not doing this, you will deprive yourself of the best odds therefore winning less. It stands to reason that you’ll win more often with all pay-lines selected, which is why you must make a bet for each activated pay-line with each spin. Whether you’re playing with all or one line activated, it’ll make no difference to your profit expectations – except that with one line, the game can be a bit boring. There are some slots where you need to set the bet per spin and there are also some with fixed pay-lines that cannot be changed.

  Conclusion: The expectation of winning remains the same whether you play with just one line or all lines enabled. However, it is better to play with all lines activated, as it makes gameplay more entertaining and interesting.

• Your Activity Level Affects the Odds

  The more you bet per spin, the more chance you have of winning. Apart from a few exceptions, this is completely not the case. A payout is determined for the entire game based on the probability of certain symbols appearing and how much will be received. One of the few exceptions, for example, is Mega Joker from NetEnt. Here you only have a choice between 1 coin or 10 coins. With 10 coins there is a payout ratio of 99%, and 1 coin paying out at a ratio of 77%. You can, however, change the value of the coins but you still don’t necessarily have to bet the maximum. The differences are significantly less with slots like “Pixies of the Forest” from IGT. Here the ratio varies from 93.0 to 94.9%

  Conclusion: Generally speaking, the chances of winning are always the same. There are a few slots in which the payout rate changes depending on how much you bet, but these are rare exceptions.

• Online Customer Service, which Slot is “Hot”?

  You shouldn’t even need to ask this question as there are no hot or cold slot machines unless you’re in an amusement arcade and the machine has just been emptied, then it is cold. Your winnings depend solely on chance and not on whether it’s been a long time since anything was won on the machine.

  Conclusion: With an online casino, the biggest and best profits are available at each and every machine – constantly. With the amusement arcades, it is a little bit different, which is why I will always prefer any online slot over them.

• If you have no Luck, Switch Machines

  As in the previous tip, the same applies here, it makes no difference, it depends solely on chance. It may be several big wins in succession then a long dry spell without a significant payout. All other wins are based, at best, on wishful thinking and selective perception.

  Conclusion: No, changing machine doesn’t help – but it doesn’t hurt. Change your game if you want to have some variety, there is no other valid reason.

• After a Few Spins Without Winning, Raise the Stakes

  Occasionally, one reads advice that slowly raising the stakes when you’ve won nothing for a while is a good idea. This idea is similar to the Martingale Strategy in Roulette. With the higher stakes, you can win more and thus offset the previous losses. In most cases, however, it doesn’t work. Normal gains are no way near high enough, for example, to compensate for the losses of 50 spins. Simply put, machines like this rarely payout big wins, they don’t occur that often that you can rely on this strategy. In addition, there is a danger that you’ll become quickly bogged down in ever increasing stakes and your credit will disappear quicker than was originally intended.

  Conclusion: This doesn’t really make any difference, you should stick to your original plan and not be lead to uncontrollable play. Game results are entirely coincidental and your losing streak may well continue but now with higher stakes.

• Playing At Night Is Better

  The myth is that it should be better to play at night time when the regular slot gamblers are sleeping. The reasoning behind this story was that the slot machines are full of money at this time, because players have been putting money into the slot machines all day; therefore they should be ready to pay out at night. It’s not the case – the machines are totally random, day or night does not make ANY difference at all.

  Conclusion: This is purely a superstition that has been spread from the Las Vegas casinos. There is no difference what time of day you play, whether in an online casino or offline location. Enjoy your sleep; the machine will be there acting the same tomorrow.

• Slots Go Through Give And Take Cycles

  Modern slots do not go through any kind of cycles – the outcome is completely random on each individual spin. The random number generator inside the slot machines makes each game totally random and independent of previous actions; so just because a player has just lost a lot of money on a machine does not make it more likely that it’s ‘due’ to pay out a big win.

  Conclusion: The Random Number Generator (RNG) technology that is used to control slot payouts is, as it says, completely random. There are no patterns you can identify, so only play for your own enjoyment.

Questions and Answers

The questions around how to manipulate slot machines into paying out more money than they are programmed to is a hot topic, and therefore there are lots of questions from interested players. Although much of the answers are bad news for those looking to cheat, there are some interesting FAQs to note below.

What are the top tips and tricks for how to win at online slots?

There are no tips and tricks that can be used to win at online slots. The games are entirely chance-based and they are verified by third-party agencies to ensure their fairness of the top online casinos.

Can casinos manipulate slot machines?

No, online casinos can not manipulate slot machines in any way. Licensed online casinos can only use verified slot software from licensed providers and they can't be meddled with.

Can slot machines be rigged?

While slot machines in land-based casinos offer the potential for dodgy pubs to rig the outcome, no such option is possible for online games at any licensed online casino to change the random outcome of the games.

How do you pick a winning slot machine?

There is no way to know which land-based slot machines or online slot games will be winners. Though some players are superstitious and follow various tips or only play on certain machines, the only influence possible is luck.

What are the best slot machines to play in a casino?

The definition of 'best' in the context of slot machines depends on your personal preferences, as there is no 'one' slot that is always a winner. Therefore, the best slot machines to play are the ones that are the most entertaining for you, personally. If you're not sure what those might be, try out some demos of popular slots.

How are slots programmed?

Slots are programmed using Random Number Generators (RNG) which are a type of software that is made by software development firms like Microgaming.

How can you trick a slot machine?

There is no way to trick a slot machine, either online or in a land-based casino. You can only depend on luck for the outcome of each spin. Old tricks like using a manipulated coin have long been extinguished.

What slot machine game has the best odds?

As there are dozens of software providers developing new slot games all of the time, the slot with the best odds is changing frequently. We have collected a list of slots with the best RTPs that is worth checking frequently for the latest odds.

How do you know if a slot machine is loose?

There is no way to know if a slot machine is 'loose' - that is, ready to pay out. The games pay out randomly based on the software developed by the leading firms like Playtech.