How do the payouts on fruit machines work

Q. So how do I win

A. Sadly there is no easy way of winning money on these machines. If you do play long enough to sample the full statistics of the game, you are certain to lose money. It's only if you play briefly that you can take advantage of statistical fluctuations to leave with more money than you had when you started. It isn't a case of how to play - but generally when to play.

Q. And when is that then

A. The basic rule is that these machines are fixed and there is usually no real skill to playing them. When you have to select a bonus or take a chance, the machine fools you into thinking you are using real skill. Repeat chances also work on this principle, so trying to time a repeat is not going to do anything more than pressing the button with your eyes closed. Only when a machine offers you 'true skill', such as holding down the cancel button can you actually have any control over the bonus, chance, win or repeat.

Q. You have to be an expert to win then

A. Sometimes, but because of the fixed nature of gameplay - a machine will actually give you wins even if you try to lose or don't know what you are doing. This is why complete novices can often win as wins literally spin in.

Q. And so why do experienced players keep coming back for more

A. Many machines have hidden features and little tricks that can make a regular player feel that they can win more. In some cases this is true in as much as you can be offered more wins in a shorter period of time. The problem arises when, by knowing all of the tricks, you play the machine more. The average punter who puts in a few pounds and wins a tenner is satisfied and walks away. Meanwhile, the regular gamer keeps playing looking for more bonuses. The result is that the experienced player has put in a small fortune and probably lost money.

Q. Don't the machines have to pay out a certain amount by law

A. Yes, each fruit machine has to pay out a certain amount of money. UK law states that the minimum percentage for payouts must be 70 per cent (68 percent on cross channel ferries). This means for every 1000 it collects, 700 is paid back to the players - leaving 300 profit. In theory anyway. The payout is averaged over a series of plays, but this is not set at a particular amount. The machine can go over and under this amount and the design of the software can make a big difference.

Q. Does it affect the play if I collect the money in the bank

A. It's an urban myth that fruit machines do not check their balances until money is paid out. In fact there are two sets of payout information logged by the machine. The internal logs are what the game software looks at for the payout percentage. This is updated in real time, so the money in the bank is already counted whether it is paid out straight away or kept in the bank until it reaches the bank limit (up to 5 times the jackpot value). The payout meters are updated as and when money is paid out. This enables machine owners to check the balances accordingly. The mechanical meters cannot be reset and are like the odometer on a car, while the 'local' meters on the machine can be reset by an engineer.

Q. Is the Hi/Lo gamble 'true skill'

A. Sort of. But it is dependent on when you are gambling. For most of the time, it may as well only be a heads-or-tails gamble, and may be no more than another guaranteed way of losing regardless.

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By Simon Smith