Ask the Slot Expert: Is the RNG affected by the amount I bet?

Hello John,

Does the RNG operate on the amount you bet per spin or on the symbols?

My wife was playing a progressive slot machine the other day and was rotating her bet from minimum to maximum bet. She hit the progressive with a minimum bet much to her dismay and felt she lost out on the $256,000 payout. She won only $100 instead.

To make her feel better I told her it would not have hit if she had a maximum bet in as the computer inside the slot machine knows how much you are betting.

Awaiting your answer.

Scott

Dear Scott,

The RNG does not take into account the amount bet when determining the result of a spin. In fact, it would be illegal in all U.S. jurisdictions with which I'm familiar for the RNG to be influenced by the amount bet.

Now, would your wife had hit the jackpot if she had the Max Bet button instead? Maybe, maybe not. Probably not. She would have hit the jackpot only if she had hit the Max Bet button at the exact instant she had pressed the other button. A millisecond earlier or later and she would get a different result.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John

Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@comcast.net. Because of the volume of mail I receive, I regret that I can't reply to every question.

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