Question about new slot machines at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs....

The machines are new to me, anyhow; I'm sure they are at casinos all over the world. My wife and I spent a couple hours up there, and on the newest machines, one push of the button spins the reels, and another push of the button can stop them (you can also choose to let them stop on their own, of course). I noticed the name of the manufacturer, but didn't memorize it.

Now, understanding how the machines work... if the positions of the symbols on the reels is known, can a player gain an advantage by learning how to time the decision to stop the reels, even by simply manipulating the first symbol? Or are the microseconds so small that it is impossible, and the sense of control is an illusion? I gave it a shot, with mixed results, but I also didn't spend a whole lot of time on it; we were playing penny slots at the smallest bet, .25 a spin. Yeah, high rollers.

my understanding is that slots today just run by computer. All the apparent nuts and bolts and whirring symbols are all controlled by that computer, the result pre-determined. So the option to stop the spinning is for the purpose of being able to make more bets per session, the sense of control an illusion. I don't play slots, so someone can correct me if I am wrong.

5400 and 7200 RPM motors are common in hard disk drives. I wouldn't be surprised if the same motors are used to spin the reels in a slot machine. That being the case, with the reels spining 90 or 120 times PER SECOND, you haven't got a chance.

Then again, the reels are probably spinning much slower. Even so, the 'stop' button is not providing an element of control over the outcome, just control over how long you gotta sit there before plunking down the next bet.


Many video slots also have a 'stop' button. And they tend to 'spin' a lot slower, giving you a greater illusion of the ability to control the outcome. But pay attention. If it's a three row machine, hitting stop causes the still hidden next three symbols to be the result. But, behind the scenes, the computer has changed the next three hidden symbols to be the same final three symbols that would have appeared anyway.

My understanding is that skill stop buttons are actually very old (circa 1920's) and were re-introduced in the 1970's to comply with legal requirements that games are actual games and not entirely dependent on luck. But they only work if you can stop one reel at a time. If they stop all three wheels, it provides an illusion of skill only.

Aren't there slot parlors in Florida that have these games where you actually can choose when to stop the reels? Except I don't think players actually win money, but rather points to buy gift certificates and other prizes. In other words, an old folks Chuckie Cheese.

I think some of the owners of these places were taken to trial, and it was shown that a skilled player could actually win. But of course, most of the senior citizens don't. In this manner, they were considered games of skill rather than luck, and the slot owners were acquitted of gambling charges.

I think they even called it the Chuckie Cheese loophole. I know this isn't what the original poster was talking about, but I found it interesting.