When we play slots, regardless of whether they are online or actual cabinets, we expect them to play reliably at all times. However, despite these games being engineered to withstand hours and hours of constant use, there are times when things can go wrong. These games have been made by human beings after all, and that means they aren’t perfect. There are cases where slot machines crashed out at the worst possible moments, usually when a player was about to get the payout of their lives. What happens in those cases, and is there anything you can do to stop them? This is what we’re here to find out, so join us as we take a deep dive into how slots are designed to minimise errors, how glitches can still happen, and how both players and casinos navigate the cases when the reels fail to work as they should.
The Engineering Behind the Reels
Modern slots of both the online and cabinet variety, are all about software, specifically Random Number Generators (RNGs). These are algorithms that, as the name suggests, constantly generate random numbers. Once you hit that “spin” button the game picks the latest number the RNG spat out and translates it into a sequence of symbols on the screen. The animations and sounds are just for show, as no reels are spinning anywhere; instead the results were decided as soon as you started playing.
To ensure reliability and fairness the RNGs and software powering slots are regularly tested by casino technicians and external certification laboratories. Regulators also play a part to ensure that these games are truly random and in no way rigged against the players by the casino. The result is slots that can run continuously and with minimal downtown. But that “minimal” downtime can still cause issues, as even the best engineered systems can end up glitching out.
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Where Things Can Go Wrong in Slots
There are a number of major categories of slot malfunctions. Some of these apply only for land-based casino cabinets, while others have also been experienced by online casino players. After all, both of these types of slots are based on the same principles and software.
Hardware Errors
These were more of an issue back in the days when slots used actual, mechanical reels, but hardware errors can still pop up when playing on a cabinet. These can include faults with buttons, bill validators, touchscreens, and ticket printers. Hardware errors are obvious most of the time and can be fixed by casino staff without affecting gameplay outcomes.
Software Glitches
All software can glitch, including that running slot machines. Such issues can range from the subtle to the dramatic, and cover everything from misreported credits, visual errors (such as reels showing incorrect symbol combinations), incorrect payout animations, and game loops, freezes, and reboots. There can also be cases where the software is working perfectly but fails to communicate with peripheral hardware. This can lead to errors, if ones that appear to be bigger issues than they actually are.
Progressive Jackpot Communication Errors
Progressive jackpot slots are based around multiple games or machines, sometimes running across multiple casinos, networked with each other. This is so that part of every stake placed on a connected progressive jackpot machine goes in the final prize pool. This networking can, alas, lead to errors if communications break down. For instance, the game may display outdated jackpot information should it fail to update correctly.
Player Misinformation
Sometimes “malfunctions” may be a case of player misinterpretation. The visual flourishes of modern slots don’t help in this case, as near miss and bonus teaser animations may lead one to think they got a win or feature when, in fact, they got nothing. Then there are cases when the reels may appear to hold a winning combination when in fact they don’t actually correspond to a payline. Avoiding such issues becomes second nature for seasoned players, but newcomers can end up mistaking these for system errors.
The “Malfunction Voids All Pays” Clause
The “Malfunction Voids All Pays” Clause
If you’ve been playing slots for a while you’ll surely have met the infamous “malfunction voids all pays” statement. This can be found on all slot machine cabinets, as well as in the About or Information section of any online video slot. Ever wondered what this actually means? Turns out it’s something of a necessary safeguard for casinos, who can use it to cover themselves in cases of obvious game errors. After all, malfunctions can happen anytime with any piece of software, so it’s fair to consider any bets void when a game is glitching out.
Some players think that this clause creates an unfair cover for casinos, who may use it in order to avoid paying out a jackpot or large prize sum. However, casinos cannot go for this easy route whenever they want in regulated jurisdictions. Should such a case be opened the casino needs to provide all necessary information to show that a malfunction took place, and said information needs to be verified by the relevant experts. After all it is the regulators’ job to scrutinise such disputes, especially if they involve massive sums of cash.
How Casinos Detect and Handle Malfunctions
Casinos, be they land-based or online websites, use a mix of software logs, hardware audits, and regulatory oversight to confirm whether malfunction issues are genuine or not. If a player reports a malfunction, the first thing the casino will do is shut down the machine or game in order to avoid further play. Following that staff will review the game’s internal log, which covers every spin, button press, and state change.
If the game is running in a cabinet its hardware is likewise inspected by technicians. In the case of major discrepancies the casino will get the game’s manufacturers to analyse the log data, and if this happens to be truly high level then the issue may be escalated to government regulators.
What Should You Do in Case of Malfunctions?
What should you do if you believe that a game or machine is not working properly? First off keep calm, then follow these suggestions:
- Stop playing immediately, as things may get worse if you continue spinning - not to mention you might end up simply losing more money in bets.
- If you’re at a land-based casino don’t remove your ticket. Stay with the machine and call an attendant. If available, press the machine’s service button.
- If you’re playing at an online casino leave the game running and contact the site’s customer support staff.
- Take a screenshot of the game malfunctioning if at an online casino. This can get tricky in land-based casinos, as photography inside the gaming area is generally frowned upon, if not outright banned.
- Take note of the game, its number, what the error involved, and time of the malfunction.
- Avoid confrontation with the casino or site’s staff! They are there to help but need to follow certain procedures.
- Finally, be patient. Some issues may take minutes to resolve while others can take months, especially if regulators need to be involved.
Moving Towards a Future of More Reliable Games
Moving Towards a Future of More Reliable Games
While slot malfunctions are rare, they can happen - and they are not about casinos trying to avoid paying out a jackpot. Thankfully the online future is making such errors more of a thing of the past, thanks to always-on connectivity allowing for constant remote monitoring and instant patching. However the human hand will always be involved with these games, which is why errors can happen all the same. But now you know how such issues can pop up and what you can do should they take place, and it is indeed the case that knowledge is half the battle!
