Sometime in the late 1990s, the internet began to invade our homes. Suddenly a completely new world opened up to us at our fingertips. Not only did we get the ability to purchase anything online, but we also got access to information from across the globe.

One of the industries that benefited most from this new era is undoubtedly the gaming sector. When online casino sites began to pop up, players suddenly had the chance to spin the reels of online slots or place bets on table games, all from the comfort of their own homes. Looking back at the history of slots, you can argue that online play is what brought slots truly into the 21st century.

However, along with this new revolution came a few myths, legends, and outright lies. Many slot machine myths popped up and players began believing that these old casino game misconceptions were actually true.

Even today, there are still many people wondering whether these slot myths are true, so we have decided to dig a little deeper to find out whether most of the commonly discussed online slot myths are fact or fiction.

Myth No. 1 – Online Slots Are Rigged

It is understandable that you are a bit skeptical and that you might believe some of the online slot myths out there – including this one. It is, after all, your money that you are spending. The truth is that developers, as well as providers, need to win the trust of players so, to be honest, there is not much substance in most of these slot machine myths – like the whole idea of ripping players off through rigged machines.

Random Number Generators are part of slot machine programming, which we explained in our introduction to online slots, proving that it is not possible for casinos to decide when a pay-out is given. It is one of the biggest slot myths players have about these popular casino games, but it is impossible for a slot to know to whom it is paying out and when.

The probability to win slots is entirely in the hands of lady luck because the RNG’s ensures that every new spin is fresh, uninfluenced and random. Another reason why you should think twice before believing these online slot myths is that RNG’s are regulated and audited as part of every licensing procedure to ensure that the numbers add up, which in turn ensures fair gaming.

All online casino activities are closely monitored by independent regulators and they need to go through rigorous tests to be able to provide games to the public. If they don’t pass these tests, they simply can’t operate.

This alone is enough evidence to believe that slot myths should be analyzed before being believed because if you don’t know all the facts, it is easy to believe slot machine myths are the truth.

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Myth No. 2 – More Losses Equals Bigger Wins… Eventually

This is also one of the slot machine myths believed by many players, but if you’ve ever asked the question – how do slot machines work? – you will know that this is not the truth and purely one of the many nonsense online slot myths floated around.

It is understandable to think that it will actually better the chances of making money on a slot machine, but as I mentioned earlier, a win is triggered randomly on all slot machines. It doesn’t matter how long you play or how much you invest, and it is quite irresponsible to believe slot myths like this as a result, because you might get carried away and it is very important to play responsibly.

If you go to any online casino site, you will see that responsible gaming is a major topic so when playing at slots all casino you can be sure that they will always promote fair and responsible gaming and they will try their best to fairly convince you that these slot machine myths have no truth to them.

Are slot machines fair? You can decide for yourself but in my humble opinion, slot machine myths and misconceptions are too easily believed. It is better to understand facts about slots before assuming that slot myths are true.

Myth No. 3 – Casinos Can Change Slot Game Settings

One of the most common online slot myths is that casinos change the settings of games without players knowing. These slot myths usually originate when players try to work out an average bonus trigger according to a number of spins. Let’s say for instance a player believes he triggers a bonus round on every + or – 300 spins, but has now spun close to 900 times and still hasn’t triggered the bonus round. The player usually believes the slot machine myths that the casino is making it harder for him to win, but once again, this couldn’t be any more untrue.

This is purely one of the many online slot myths around, because the games are rented by the casino from the game providers that created them, making it impossible for the casino to change the settings that relate to winnings.

So, how are slot machines programmed? And do casinos manipulate slot machines? Every slot that you play has a specific probability of a winning outcome which is called ‘hit frequency’. This, together with the value of each outcome, creates the slot’s payout percentage, aka RTP (Return to Player percentage).

These facts just show you that this is merely an online slots myth. What determines if a slot machine spin will result in a win is not the actual online casino, but the RTP and the hit frequency of a game.

It is important to read this information on the paytable of the slot you are playing. This will give you all the information about the slot machine statistics, the RTP, the hit frequency and also what the different symbols of the game mean. If you have all this information to your disposal, there is no need to believe any of these slot machine myths.

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Myth No. 4 – Old Games Pay Out Less Than New Games

Out with the old, in with the new. Many believe that new games payout better than older titles. This is most probably one of the online slot myths that might have some truth to it, but the theory is still very debatable. A similar myth swirls around between slots that have a huge number of features and others that are a little more basic.

To change the RTP of a game can be quite costly and time-consuming, simply because the game would need to go through certification again. Because of this, it is easy to understand that many players believe slot machine myths related to payouts, but you have to ask, is it truly worth a provider going through the effort to change the RTP of an older slot?

Correct us if we’re wrong, but there is nothing to suggest that providers cannot alter the variance of the game by lowering the hit frequency of big wins and by increasing the hit frequency of lower wins. This means that the RTP remains the same, suggesting that there is not much truth in this particular slot myth.

Another theory is that new games attract more players and that wins are generated more frequently because this increases turnover.

Some players also believe in hot and cold slots. Hot slots are slots that have paid out generously recently and cold slots are a bit slower when it comes to real money wins. Some often want to know how to find loose slot machines and others believe the slot myth that games go cold after a big win.

Are these theories nothing more than online slot myths? You can decide for yourself, but we certainly believe them to be pretty far from the truth.

For us, these theories don’t have a lot of substance, making it another one of the many slot machine myths out there. Mega Moolah is one of the most generous slots around and it’s not exactly the new kid on the block. Up until now, this slot has paid out over €1.1 billion and players still spin the reels of this popular game, hoping to win its massive progressive jackpot.

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Myth No. 5 – Progressive Jackpots Don’t Play Fair

Progressive jackpot slots are the slots that payout literally millions to players around the world. It’s no surprise that of all the types of online slots available at casinos like BitStarz, these prove to be some of the most popular. As we’ve said before, Mega Moolah alone has paid out over €1.1 billion so if you ask any of these lucky winning players whether you should play a progressive jackpot, we’re pretty sure they will say yes.

It is another one of the several slot myths to think that progressive jackpots are rigged. The prize money amounts to millions because a small percentage of every bet placed goes into the golden pot, then one person walks away with it all. It is definitely worth a shot and absolutely not one of the online slots myths you should pay attention too.

Just Play Better

Are online slots fair? By now you should know that online slots are fair and that most slot myths are pure online slot myths and nothing more. There are however a few tips and tricks that you can consider if you want to make more bang for your buck.

• Stick to a Budget

The golden rule when playing slots online is to stick to your budget. Fun comes first and you should never spend more than you can afford to lose.

Online casinos like BitStarz take this matter very seriously and give you many options to set budgets, so make use of these fantastic features.

Trust us when we say that the trusted online casinos of the world are not there to rob you and unfortunately, this is one of the most commonly touted slot machine myths we hear. It is a hobby like any other pastime, always remember that next time you decide to spin the reels.

• Online Slots are Better

One of the biggest slot myths is that land-based casinos payout more than online casinos. This online slots myth does actually make some degree of sense, but in reverse. Land-based casinos have massive overheads, so it makes sense that they will pay out less than online slots because they need to pay the bills.

• Bonuses Help You Win Big

When it comes to casino bonuses, players usually believe they are too good to be true. This is in fact another slot machine myths. The casino bonuses around – like BitStarz mega-sized welcome bonus – are there to attract new players and they are pretty decent because the competition is rife, so take advantage of this and fatten up your bankroll.

• Place Medium-Sized Bets

Do slot machines pay out if you bet higher? When it comes to slot myths, this is one of the most common questions we are asked. If a winning combination lands on a payline that you didn’t bet on, you won’t win, so it is tempting to place higher bets on all paylines, but this can really hurt your wallet. We would suggest that you play it safe and to bet somewhere in the middle.

• Don’t be Superstitious

It is quite interesting that some believe a specific t-shirt or cap. or even a lucky charm, will better their chances of winning. Some even go as far as to believe that slot machine payout cards affect their chances of winnings. Do players cards affect slot machines? This is certainly one of the weirdest online slot myths that I have come across because there is no logic behind it.

• Play is the Same, No Matter the Day

Do casinos tighten slots on weekends? Oh boy, where do we even begin with this silliness? No, this is undoubtedly a slot machine myth because as I have said before, there are way too many rules and regulations that make it impossible for them to rig the games over the weekend.

Forget the Myths, Enjoy the Game!

Despite the many slot machine myths around, there is no reason to think that online slots are rigged. Millions of people play slots every day, it is a billion-dollar industry after all that is strictly regulated. It is only when players start losing that they believe these slot myths and while this might seem natural, it is always better to do some research before immediately believing the various online slots myths shouted about by losing players.

The only thing that stands between you and a massive jackpot win at BitStarz is luck (and maybe a dash of skill), which makes all these slot myths irrelevant if you think about it. Of course, the choice of whether to believe if these online slot myths are true or not is entirely up to you, but if you ask us, you would be best putting all of these myths and misconceptions to the back of your mind.