Since it first appeared in civilisation as a pastime, gambling has always been surrounded by a variety of weird and wonderful superstitions and myths. Some of them are believable and some are less so, but nevertheless, most of them have persisted for decades – or even centuries – among gamblers, opponents, and even governmental departments!

Slots are certainly not exempt from these myths and rumours, and have plenty of their own to keep you mystified. But how many of them are true, and how many are purely hearsay? Read on as we debunk the most common myths surrounding slot machines below…

#1: Timing and Placement

This is probably the most widespread category of myths surrounding slots, and in particular, physical slot machines. Many gamblers believe that these games have a higher chance of paying out at certain times of the say, such as early in the mornings, during holidays, and over weekends as opposed to during the week.

Some also believe that the positioning of these machines in a casino hall or on a gambling floor determines their payout rate, or vice versa. You may even have been told that progressive jackpots hit far more frequently on weekends than on weekdays, or that the machines closest to the areas with higher amounts of traffic (like exits and entrances) pay more often than those in quieter spots!

Ultimately, none of these rumours are true, and this is because of the random number generation (RNG) technology present in every game on offer. All slots are required by law to contain this technology, which randomizes the outcome of every spin and holds each machine to a fixed payout ratio, no matter where it is placed or what time of the day it is. Thus, your chances of winning on the slots will always be the same, according to your chosen game’s determined RNG payout ratio.

#2: Winning Streaks

We will forgive you for thinking that slots go through ‘hot and cold’ cycles – that is, periods of frequent winning and then periods of infrequent hits. If you win a few times in a row, it’s hard not to believe that you are on a winning streak of sorts, and that you should continue to play your game until a truly hefty win lands. However, this is actually a myth, and the reason behind its believability lies within our own brains.

The human brain is designed to spot patterns in everything, even when no true pattern is present – and in this case, this tendency is called the Hot Hand Fallacy. Essentially, it is very normal to believe that you are on a hot or cold streak and that the results of your gambling are not random, but when it comes to slots, unpredictability is all you will experience!

#3: Jackpot Frequency

Many gamblers believe that a slot machine that has recently paid out a big jackpot will not do so again any time soon. However, this belief is as mythical as it gets, and a slot that recently struck can indeed pay out again directly afterwards!

Whether you are playing online slots or land-based titles at your favorite casino, RNG is completely, 100% unpredictable. Thus, you are theoretically just as likely to land two jackpots, one after the other, as you are to win nothing at all. This randomness is a big part of the reason that gambling is so much fun, as is the notion that you could win virtually any amount at any time…