An Overview of Roulette

Roulette is a great casino game to play because it’s quick, easy to understand and can have decent payouts. It uses a wheel that has numbered pockets. The dealer spins this wheel and drops a ball onto it.

When playing roulette, you’re betting on which of the numbered pockets the ball lands in. There are two main variants of the game:

• European: In European roulette, the wheel has 37 pockets (1-36 plus 0)
• American: In American roulette, the wheel has 38 pockets (1-36, plus 0 and 00)

Generally speaking, it’s better to play European roulette. This is because it has one less pocket than the American version. Therefore, you have a slightly better chance of winning when playing European roulette games.

Just about every online casino has roulette games you can play both for real money and for free. These games can be grouped into two main categories:

• Online or digital
• Live or live dealer

Online roulette games are completely digital. Live ones, on the other hand, are actual, real-life games you get to play through your computer or mobile device. There are online and live versions of both European and American roulette.

Online Roulette Games

Nearly all roulette casinos offer online versions of the game. These games are programmed to work just like real-life roulette, except that everything’s digital. The whole game is computer-generated.

Everything about online roulette, from the betting interface to the spinning of the wheel, is designed to capture the real-life roulette experience. An online roulette game is a digital recreation that attempts to match physical roulette as much as possible.

You may also see online games being referred to as automated. This is because they don’t need someone to oversee them. Online roulette games are single-player, so it’s down to you how long each betting phase lasts.

With online roulette, you’re able to spend as much time as you want deciding what to bet. This is great for when you’re trying out different betting strategies or just want to sample the various betting options the game offers.

You could, for example, decide to try the Martingale Strategy and see how it works. This is a popular strategy where you double your bet after every loss.

Roulette offers many betting options, from the straight-up bet on a single number to bets that cover multiple numbers, including a dozen at a time. With online roulette, you have time to think about what bet to go for.

A key advantage of online roulette games is that you can play them for free. Most casinos require you to have an account in order to play free versions of their games.

Free games work in the same way as paid ones. The only difference is that with free games, or demo versions, it’s not real money that’s being used; instead, it’s virtual credit.

You can play free games as many times as you like because virtual credit never runs out. It can reach 0, but when this happens, simply reload the game and the balance will be restored.

Playing for free is great for beginners who want to learn the ropes without risking their money. It’s also ideal for players who want to practise betting strategies and see how the different bet types work.

There’s one other way of playing roulette for free, and that’s with casino bonuses. Pretty much every online casino has bonuses that players – both new and existing – can claim.

Bonuses are limited, so unlike virtual credit, you can’t keep playing forever. However, the advantage of bonuses is that if you win, it’s real money you win.

You could claim a bonus and earn $50 in bonus money, spend this on roulette and end up making a profit if you’re lucky. However, there’s also the chance you could lose and win nothing.

Even if you don’t win anything, you haven’t lost overall because you were spending free money the casino gave to you.

Live Roulette Games

Live roulette games are real-life games that involve a dealer (also known as a croupier) and physical pieces of equipment. These games are filmed live in a TV studio or even in a land-based casino.

They run just like a real-life game of roulette in a brick-and-mortar casino would. The only difference is that the players aren’t gathered around the gaming table. Instead, they’re watching the action from elsewhere and are taking part remotely.

Many roulette players prefer live games to online ones because they’re more sociable and engaging. While playing live roulette, you can usually communicate with not only the dealer but also the other players through a public chat room.

What’s also appealing about live games of roulette is that they’re very fast-paced. Betting phases last a fixed amount of time, and this is usually quite short so that other players aren’t slowed down.

There’s also the fact that live versions of roulette give players a glimpse of the real-life gambling experience. Even though you’re still playing a screen-based game, it’s as if you’re actually there with the dealer themselves.

The main downside to playing live roulette is that the minimum bet size can be quite high. The reason for this is simple: live games cost a lot more to run than online ones because they have various overheads.

For example, the dealer and film crew have to be paid. There’s also the cost of the equipment to cover and the electricity to power everything and keep the game running.

Another point to make is that you can’t play live dealer games for free. You should only play live games once you know what the rules are and you feel confident about playing the game.

If you want to play live versions of roulette but want some practice, you’ll have to play an online game first.

Many live roulette games are different from standard roulette because they have new features and rule changes. While you can’t play these for free, you can familiarise yourself with them by reading the paytable.

Every online casino game has a paytable, where the rules, features and payouts are explained in full detail. By reading the paytable, you’ll know what the game involves and will be better prepared when you come to play it.

If you’re keen to play a live roulette game and there’s no online equivalent with the same features you can play for free, be sure to read the paytable.

Online Roulette Vs Live Roulette

In this section, we’ll have a close look at online roulette vs live roulette. We’ll compare the two versions of roulette and weigh up their pros and cons.

First, we’ll look at accessibility. By this, we mean how much of the player base could realistically play a game. Of the two versions of roulette, online games are by far the most accessible.

Online roulette has cheaper minimum bet sizes and can be played for free. Live dealer roulette, on the other hand, has bigger minimum bet amounts and can’t be played for free.

It’s also worth pointing out that live versions of roulette can also have higher maximum bet sizes. This means you can win a lot more money from playing live roulette than you can from online versions of the game.

The higher bet sizes should suit high rollers who have a large bankroll and are prepared to spend big. Even though high rollers are the minority, it’s good that live versions of roulette can accommodate their spending habits.

Both versions are widely available at online casinos. However, online versions are more common, as there are plenty of casino sites that have online roulette games but no live ones.

As for the actual gaming experience, it’s safe to say that live roulette has the edge. It’s a much more sociable way to gamble online, plus it can be thrilling thanks to its fast-paced nature.

There’s nothing quite like sitting at your computer and taking part in a real-life game with other people. While you’re technically not in direct competition with anyone else, it can feel like you’re competing against the other players.

Finally, there’s the fact that live roulette games have variants that aren’t available as online, digital-only games. XXXtreme Lightning Roulette from the provider Evolution Gaming is a prime example.

In each round, there can be up to 10 Lightning numbers with multipliers of 50x to 500x. What’s more is that Double Strikes can increase these multiplier values to between 600x and 2,000x.

Place a straight-up bet on a number and if that number wins and gets chosen to be a Lightning number, you’ll win a multiplied payout. The game still offers all the traditional roulette betting options.

This is just one example of a live roulette game that offers something new. Join any casino site, and you should find some other live versions of roulette that have extra features.

Both online and live roulette games are fun and exciting to play. They’re luck-based games where you can’t affect the outcome in any way. All you can do is place your bet and hope for a good outcome.

When it comes to comparing the two, online roulette is the most accessible. It’s more readily available at casino sites, it can be played for free, and it has quite low minimum bet sizes.

While live dealer games aren’t as common, can’t be played for free and have higher minimum bet sizes, they’re a lot more enjoyable. This is because they’re real-life games that involve other people and are fast-paced.

Ultimately, it’s down to you to decide which of the two versions of roulette is better. Both of them have their pros and cons, and overall, each of them is well worth playing.

Joining Online Casinos to Play Roulette

If you want to play roulette games at an online casino, there’s a wealth of choices available. The good news is that you don’t have to look far, as we have loads of great options listed on our site.

Look through our casino reviews and you’ll soon enough find one that has plenty of roulette games. Sign up, claim the welcome bonus, and start playing roulette.

Before claiming the welcome bonus, or any other special offer for that matter, make sure you read through the terms and conditions. These are the rules that explain how to claim the bonus and how you can spend it.

You should do this because if you go against the terms and conditions in any way, the casino can remove the bonus from your account. This can happen even if you didn’t realise you were doing anything wrong.

If you’re new to roulette or want some practice, find some online roulette games at the casino you’ve joined and play them for free.

When you feel confident and want to play for real money, we suggest trying online roulette games first. Stick with low bet sizes first and increase them if you want to and if your budget allows it.

After building up some experience, switch to playing live dealer roulette games. If the game you choose has any new features or rule changes, make sure you check the paytable to see how these work.

Once you’ve tried both versions, you might find that you prefer one over the other. Or you might end up liking them both equally. Whatever roulette games you play, you’re sure to have a fun, entertaining experience.

If you’re going to play online or live roulette for real money, remember to be sensible about it. Here are a few tips to help you gamble online in moderation:

• Come up with a budget and stick to it
• Limit the time you spend at online casinos
• Take advantage of a casino’s responsible gambling tools and resources
• Don’t gamble if it’s affecting your life in any way
• Only spend money that you can afford to lose

Every online casino should have a page on responsible gambling. Here you’ll find information on what the site does to promote sensible gambling habits.

There should also be links to a few gambling addiction charities such as Gamblers Anonymous. Don’t be afraid to reach out to one of these if you have a problem.

So long as you’re sensible about things, you shouldn’t have any problems playing online and live dealer roulette. Keep things in check and you’ll have lots of fun playing these games, whether you win or lose.

Play Roulette Games Today

We’ve looked at automated vs. live dealer roulette and shown you how the two versions of roulette compare. Now that you’ve seen for yourself what these roulette types are like, it’s time for you to play them yourself.

Play the two versions of roulette for real money and have fun seeing these games in action. Just remember that the odds are always against you, so don’t expect to get lucky and treat any wins as a bonus.

By Sean Chaffin

As most casino gamblers know, the odds of winning one of winning a jackpot with six, even, or eight figures is almost infinitesimal. Those eye-popping payouts may make plenty of headlines, but like the lottery the odds are extremely long.

And winning on those major progressive machines comes with even longer odds and can cost players even higher amounts to wager. The house has an edge in most games, but even more so when it comes to slot play in a live casino.

“Each game you play at a casino has a statistical probability against you winning,” Investopedia notes. “Slot machine odds are some of the worst, ranging from a one-in-5,000 to one-in-about-34-million chance of winning the top prize when using the maximum coin play.”

To continue reading this article, please visit: https://www.888casino.com/blog/multiple-jackpot-winners

By Frank Scoblete

Roulette is a game with an amazing number of bets. These bets are all about the numbers, their colors, the types of numbers they are, where those numbers exist in conceptual terms (such as high/low, columns and such). It is a game where you can get lost in the numbers. You can also lose your money.

Players can find themselves swamped with bets and swamped with losses on those bets. The more bets a player makes the more you have a chance to win those bets but the more (the very, very more) chance you have of taking a beating.

In the world of gambling, less is best for the player. That is a good dictum to remember.

To continue reading this article, please visit: https://www.888casino.com/blog/making-too-many-bets

By Frank Scoblete

In the casinos, there are two things that are directly after you. You certainly know one of them. That’s the house edge. More, that’s the house edge in every game and almost every moment in every game. It waits for you and it wants to take you down. You know that or, at the very least, you should know that.

The casino has created a house edge that all players must go up against almost all the time in every game. That house edge undoes us almost all the time too. Certainly the longer we play, the more likely we will be behind. I know that, you know that, and almost all casino players must know that. It is a general rule we must fight against.

Indeed, we can learn the best strategies for whatever games we wish to play. Some of these strategies can be sophisticated and somewhat tough to learn, as the computer-derived basic strategy in blackjack can be. Or some strategies may be simple, as in just knowing what slot machines have a better chance of returning more money to us over time. (The non-progressives!)

To continue reading this article, please visit: https://www.888casino.com/blog/casino-scammers

What are slot bonus rounds?

You’ll hear them referenced wherever you decide to play your favourite online casino games. Slot bonus rounds are basically a mechanism that allow the potential for bigger and better payouts.

They differ depending on the game you’re playing in terms of their design, how they play out and their associated payout. One thing is for sure, if you’re playing slots online, you want to get to the bonus round.

Volatility is one of the most influential factors when it comes to understanding how slot bonuses work. Volatility is intrinsically linked to the return to player (RTP) rate of a given game.

For example, a high volatility slot game is one that has a low payout frequency. However, when a winning spin is landed, the payout is better than a low volatility game. Be sure to play with the best slot sites for the most choice and variety.

Slot bonus rounds for low volatility games offer a more regular payout frequency (generally over 96% RTP) but at a lower rate. This will also apply to the bonus rounds for the particular game you’re playing.

Now that we’ve answered the “what are slot bonus rounds”? question, it’s time to look at how you trigger them.

What triggers bonus rounds for online slots?

The most common way to trigger slot bonus features is to land matching symbols on an active payline. What these symbols are will differ depending on the game that you are playing.

While matching some symbols will trigger an immediate payout to your account, others are specifically designed to start the bonus round. This will be made clear to you by a key indicating the bonus symbols while the game is open.

It’s important to note that the size of the stakes that you place on a slot game does not impact your chances. Only by covering more paylines will you increase your chances of winning, once you do this, the only thing that a higher stake will do is increase your potential winnings.

Some slot games will have what are known as scatter symbols. As the name suggests, these are scattered across the reels and can trigger a payout or bonus round with other symbols in the game.

Having scatter symbols on reels increases the chances of you landing a winning spin. On most slot games, the scatter symbols can appear anywhere on the reels and trigger a payout or the start of a bonus round.

Once slot bonus rounds are triggered, you’re offered the opportunity to win more cash. This typically comes in the form of a secondary game on which spins are not deducted from your regular balance.

With so many slot games to choose from, there are also lots of different slot bonus features. But what are they and how do they differ? Well, we’ll explain.

Types of slot bonus features

One of the great things about playing online slots is that there are so many bonus feature rounds. What kind you’ll get to play depends on the game that you choose, so consider this before loading up a slot.

Slot bonus rounds offer a great opportunity for you to increase your funds. They can also increase your chances of landing the jackpot prize for that particular game.

The majority of jackpot prizes on slot games are fixed at a specific sum. However, there is a very specific type of slot that offers a top prize that fluctuates over time.

These are known as progressive slots. They work by taking a portion of your stake per spin and putting it towards a pot, collated between all games on the same network.

As you continue to play, you’ll see the progressive jackpot prize increase. This continues to do so until it is eventually won by one single player.

This is one of the most popular slot bonus features and it’s not hard to see why. People have won life-changing amounts of money landing a progressive jackpot.

There are other ways to win big, however. These come via the bonus feature triggered within the game. Below are some of the most common.

Wilds bonus

Wilds are a feature that are incredibly useful for players. They work by essentially being able to substitute for any other symbol on the reels, except for scatter symbols.

What this does is increase your chances of landing a winning spin, as there is more opportunity for a winning combination to land on a payline.

Expanding wilds are particularly fruitful. If you land one wild, it will expand across all reels, again providing more opportunities for you to land a winning spin or reach the slot bonus rounds.

Multiplier bonus

A multiplier is another bonus type that can be incredibly lucrative. The name is pretty self explanatory, but it works by multiplying your winnings by a certain amount.

Generally, you’ll find that the multiplier rate varies between anything up 100x the original payouts. Some slot games go even further, and you can some that offer 1,000x the original payout.

The amount that the multiplier offers depends completely on the game. If you’re looking to win big, it’s definitely worth checking that there are multiplier slot bonus features and, if so, what the max multiplier is.

Free spins bonus

Free spins are probably a player’s favourite when it comes to slot bonus rounds. Fortunately, they’re also one of the most frequently handed out bonuses when playing online slot games.

Casinos also tend to be quite generous in the amount of free spins that they give out. Generally, they’ll come in a collection of 20, 30, 50 or even 100 free spins.

Each free spin is a new opportunity to win and potentially hit the jackpot. All of this without taking a penny from your available funds. This is what makes it one of the best slot bonus features out there.

Sometimes, you may even bag additional free spins. This, in turn, provides even more opportunity to land a big win. If you get free spins when playing slots, make sure you use them.

Picking bonus

Another appropriately-named bonus feature that is popular with online slot games. Picking bonuses are usually triggered by lining up the required symbols on the reels.

A secondary window pops up and you’re offered the chance to make a selection from various options. You cannot see what is behind the choices, so this is a blind pick.

You are then credited with whatever prize is hidden behind your selection. Depending on the game you play, this prize will be predetermined, or will actually be random based on what you select.

Picking bonuses are popular because they give players a sense of control over the outcome. Even if that isn’t the case and the result is indeed predetermined, the ability to “choose” something is appealing.

Spin the wheel bonus

Another great bonus feature that is common on slot games is a ‘spin the wheel’ style bonus round. When triggered, a new window will pop up with a wheel displaying various prizes.

You are prompted to begin the spin of the wheel and are awarded whichever prize the wheel lands on. Occasionally, this feature will offer another spin of the wheel, giving more chances to win.

This is truly one of the most random slot bonus rounds that you can play. You simply have to spin the wheel and accept whatever it lands on, similar to the style of the reels of the original slot game.

Can players influence the frequency of bonus rounds?

Ultimately, there is nothing that you can do that would increase, or decrease, the frequency at which bonus rounds occur. These features are either set or subject to a random number generator (RNG) software.

As we’ve already covered, the size of your bets have no effect in this respect. You could stake $50 and not get to a bonus round. You could equally stake $5 and hit the game’s jackpot.

Playing for lengthy periods of time will not have an impact either. While you may get plenty of opportunities to reach the bonus round, you will ultimately have to stake a lot more.

This puts you at risk of losing significant sums of money. So, bear this in mind when you go chasing slot bonus rounds the next time you play online.

Making the most of slot bonus rounds

Once you actually get to the bonus round, you obviously want to win. That’s why it’s important to implement some strategies to increase your chances of success.

A top strategy for making the most of slot bonus features is to maximise the potential of free spins. Focussing on triggering free spins is a good tactic to significantly increase your chances of winning.

You should prioritise slot games that offer cascading reels and expanding wilds. These two features are key in boosting your overall payout.

It’s also wise to choose slot games that offer a high return to player (RTP) rate. This will, in turn, increase your chances of winning when you do trigger slot bonus rounds.

Understanding the mechanics of the bonus round is also vitally important. If you’re unsure how a game will play, try a free demo version first and play until you reach the bonus round to try it out before you bet with real cash.

Bankroll management is imperative if you are to maximise your online slots experience. Not only in the slot bonus features, but in the regular gameplay also.

Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to taking advantage of the many great bonuses on offer.

Conclusion

So, now you know the answer to the question “what are slot bonus rounds?” This understanding will give you a head start in your online slots journey.

We’ve also outlined the triggers for bonus rounds which are mainly to get matching symbols on a payline. This can also be supported by scattered symbols and wilds, which greatly increase your chances of triggering the bonus feature.

The many types of slot bonus on offer also further enhance your experience. Free spins are definitely the most common type of bonus that you’ll receive, so be sure to make the most of these when they occur.

It’s important to remember that you cannot influence the frequency that bonus rounds occur. These happen randomly and are not linked to the amount you stake or the length of time that you play the game.

When you do reach a bonus round, be sure to follow our tips to make the most of it. Understanding how the bonus feature is triggered and ultimately won will help you choose the game that is right for you.

All of this will help to ensure that you get the best possible experience when you reach slot bonus rounds. So, load up your favourite slot game and get spinning. Good luck!

As times evolve, so have slots, and as new ideas take hold, you see them proliferate across games on the casino floor. One element that has become particularly prevalent in recent years is the concept of Perceived Persistence. The term has been a constant buzzword at industry events like the Global Gaming Expo, but if you’re a regular casino visitor you may have no idea what it’s about.

So let’s define the term, understand why it exists and most importantly, why this matters to you as a player.

Defining Perceived Persistence

To start, we need to understand what “persistence” is to begin with. The concept of persistence isn’t new – it’s an element on a slot machine that remains beyond a single session. Historically, when you cash out of a slot, the game is basically ready for the next player, with nothing left over from the previous player.

Persistence adds an element that does persist (hence the term) after a session ends. Persistence exists in two forms:

• True persistence is an element that has some value, sometimes called equity, to a player in that it’s a value that can be unlocked. This can be elements like the collecting of borders on Scarab, the free game counters on games with progressive free games, and so on. There’s value to what’s been left by the last player.
• Perceived persistence, on the other hand, is an element that evolves as players play, persists beyond the session, but offers no value or equity. This includes the various pots, bags, gold fish, and so on that grow on the screen and pop when a bonus is triggered, but offer no information or value to a bonus, such as if a bonus is near or how much a bonus will pay.

So, persistence sticks around, but whether it adds actual value or not depends on the element.

The Success of Perceived Persistence

Perceived persistence elements started out pretty simply, with games like 88 Fortunes and Dancing Drums featuring a pot that slowly filled with coins as wilds came out. At some point, the pot would close, indicating a bonus.

But perceived persistence really took off with the launch of Fu Dai Lian Lian, which some players have nicknamed “The Bag Game” because of the three bags that sit above the reels. Each bag represents a bonus upgrade, and multiple bags can spin around at once, meaning multiple upgrades for the bonus.

These, too, are perceived persistence; the size of the bags don’t indicate how close you are to a bonus. But the connection to the various upgrades, and the fact that there are three of them, creates a lot more activity on the slot than before, and has proven to be a success.

Games with perceived persistence are placing consistently among the top games found in casinos today. So are ones with multiple pots, a trend we’ve seen for a few years now.
Why Perceived Persistence?
Players sometimes ask me why slot makers would put objects on the screen that don’t actually contribute to anything. The reason is pretty simple – it helps balance games out as volatility increases.

Players have shown they want bigger bonuses and wins. They want a chance at something spectacular. But often this means pulling money from line hits and pushing bonuses out to be less frequent to make this possible.

These growing items on the screen, and the various zapping and coin flying and other animations that go along with this, create movement and activity on the screen that would otherwise often be spins with nothing else happening. This creates the impression that something is happening, and that you’re building to something.

There are a lot of people who fall for this and think they’re getting closer. Others keep going because it’s been so long without a bonus when the coins are overflowing or the fish are cracking their bowls that a bonus must be due, right? But the chances of bonus on the next spin are no better than the last one.
Takeaway
Psychologically, the pot games are effective, as seen by their success on casino floors. And even casino employees get fooled – I had to show a host the line on the pay table that confirmed the Dancing Drums pot’s fullness was not an indicator of how close a bonus was – he had no idea.

Neither do many players, and so the perceived persistence elements draw players in, keep them playing, and lead slot makers to make more of them – it simply works.

There are certainly games that don’t have this – you don’t tend to see this sort of mechanic on most link-style games. But this class of game, given its recent popularity, isn’t going anywhere for a long time.

Josh O’Connell is VP of Product Development at BC Ventures, and is editor and head writer at FlipTheSwitch.com. Josh has been writing about slots for five years, and has become a trusted source of information for players curious about how slots work.

As times evolve, so have slots, and as new ideas take hold, you see them proliferate across games on the casino floor. One element that has become particularly prevalent in recent years is the concept of Perceived Persistence. The term has been a constant buzzword at industry events like the Global Gaming Expo, but if you’re a regular casino visitor you may have no idea what it’s about.

So let’s define the term, understand why it exists and most importantly, why this matters to you as a player.

Defining Perceived Persistence

To start, we need to understand what “persistence” is to begin with. The concept of persistence isn’t new – it’s an element on a slot machine that remains beyond a single session. Historically, when you cash out of a slot, the game is basically ready for the next player, with nothing left over from the previous player.

Persistence adds an element that does persist (hence the term) after a session ends. Persistence exists in two forms:

• True persistence is an element that has some value, sometimes called equity, to a player in that it’s a value that can be unlocked. This can be elements like the collecting of borders on Scarab, the free game counters on games with progressive free games, and so on. There’s value to what’s been left by the last player.
• Perceived persistence, on the other hand, is an element that evolves as players play, persists beyond the session, but offers no value or equity. This includes the various pots, bags, gold fish, and so on that grow on the screen and pop when a bonus is triggered, but offer no information or value to a bonus, such as if a bonus is near or how much a bonus will pay.

So, persistence sticks around, but whether it adds actual value or not depends on the element.

The Success of Perceived Persistence

Perceived persistence elements started out pretty simply, with games like 88 Fortunes and Dancing Drums featuring a pot that slowly filled with coins as wilds came out. At some point, the pot would close, indicating a bonus.

But perceived persistence really took off with the launch of Fu Dai Lian Lian, which some players have nicknamed “The Bag Game” because of the three bags that sit above the reels. Each bag represents a bonus upgrade, and multiple bags can spin around at once, meaning multiple upgrades for the bonus.

These, too, are perceived persistence; the size of the bags don’t indicate how close you are to a bonus. But the connection to the various upgrades, and the fact that there are three of them, creates a lot more activity on the slot than before, and has proven to be a success.

Games with perceived persistence are placing consistently among the top games found in casinos today. So are ones with multiple pots, a trend we’ve seen for a few years now.
Why Perceived Persistence?
Players sometimes ask me why slot makers would put objects on the screen that don’t actually contribute to anything. The reason is pretty simple – it helps balance games out as volatility increases.

Players have shown they want bigger bonuses and wins. They want a chance at something spectacular. But often this means pulling money from line hits and pushing bonuses out to be less frequent to make this possible.

These growing items on the screen, and the various zapping and coin flying and other animations that go along with this, create movement and activity on the screen that would otherwise often be spins with nothing else happening. This creates the impression that something is happening, and that you’re building to something.

There are a lot of people who fall for this and think they’re getting closer. Others keep going because it’s been so long without a bonus when the coins are overflowing or the fish are cracking their bowls that a bonus must be due, right? But the chances of bonus on the next spin are no better than the last one.
Takeaway
Psychologically, the pot games are effective, as seen by their success on casino floors. And even casino employees get fooled – I had to show a host the line on the pay table that confirmed the Dancing Drums pot’s fullness was not an indicator of how close a bonus was – he had no idea.

Neither do many players, and so the perceived persistence elements draw players in, keep them playing, and lead slot makers to make more of them – it simply works.

There are certainly games that don’t have this – you don’t tend to see this sort of mechanic on most link-style games. But this class of game, given its recent popularity, isn’t going anywhere for a long time.

Josh O’Connell is VP of Product Development at BC Ventures, and is editor and head writer at FlipTheSwitch.com. Josh has been writing about slots for five years, and has become a trusted source of information for players curious about how slots work.