Do Online Slots Pay More At Night?

Online slots remain the all-time favourite games at online casinos regardless of the hour. Interestingly, a belief persists among some individuals that the time of day influences the payouts of online slots, particularly during nighttime. Is there any truth to this superstition?

In this informative video from Irishluck, as your reliable host, I delve into the heart of this notion. I begin by unravelling the inner workings of slot machines, examining why people hold this belief, and ultimately revealing techniques to enhance your chances of winning, irrespective of the time of day!

Quick Summary

In a rush? Here's a quick summary of what you'll find in this article

1. Gamblers propose many theories that suggest that casino games, more specifically online slot games, have a higher payout at night. 
2. The idea stems from Willam R F Blume. Blume proposed that since people play slot games for longer when the casino is closed compared to when it is open, the probability of winning increases as gameplay grows. 
3. Two more angles to this include, one, there are more players on the casino floor or site during the night. So, the higher the number of players, the more spins. This pushes casinos to attract and compensate more players by decreasing the house edge and increasing RTP, which leads to more jackpots. 
4. Two: casinos just program the machine to pay more when people play. 
5. Other beliefs include the idea that the best time to go to the casino is during the graveyard shift, from 12 am to 4 am, or at the end of the month, because that's when people have the most money.
6. The idea is false and untrue because there is no way that a casino can decrease or increase the probability of payouts with slots - it is also illegal. 
7. Slots work with an RNG that can't be tampered with at random. 
8. Other ways to increase payouts include reading up on the return-to-player percentage of the games, utilising free spins, and studying the volatility.

Do Slots Pay More At Night?

Where the Idea Came From

William F. Red Blume published The Slot Machine Handbook in 1945. It came out in the USA and was an instant success. He was the first to write about better results from casino slots at night. He argued that since people play slot games for longer when the casino is closed compared to when it is open, the probability of winning increases as the gameplay length grows. Some people agree with the idea, while others disagree. For the latter, there are other ways and strategies to get more winnings out of a slot machine.

Other Beliefs

This belief stems from the fact that more players are on the casino floor or site during the night. This theory about slot machines has two angles. The higher the number of players, the more the spins, which pushes casinos to attract and compensate more players by decreasing the house edge and increasing RTP, which leads to more jackpots. The outcome is similar to a seasonal sale at a shop - people rush to buy things because they're cheaper. Conversely, other gamblers believe that casinos do not change their winning probability; they just program the machine to pay more when people play.

Assessing the Claim

It is a well-known truth that there are more people at the casino at night - online or offline. This happens because there is some time to unwind at night after work; the simple chance of winning is enough to encourage people to give slot machines a go. However, the truth is that no casino changes the game's mechanisms at any point during the day. As established, slot machines use RNG, and the program cannot be altered. Most casinos do not have control over the games they offer, as altering any part of the game is considered cheating and malpractice in various countries. 

In addition, it is important to consider the question: would you like to play in a casino that decides when you win or lose? The idea that a game can be altered according to the time of the day takes away the essence of gambling itself. While it is true that more people win a jackpot or a bonus when the casino is busy, it does not increase your chances of winning. Jackpot games are engineered to pay out after a certain number of people have placed a bet. At night, there are more winners than in the day simply because more people have placed a bet. The game simply reaches its quota at a quicker rate than it does during the day. 

Let's demonstrate this:

To win a jackpot, 20 people need to play the game. During the day, only 40 people played the game, so there were only two winners. But at night, 300 people played, so 15 people won a jackpot. In essence, every slot machine of a specific title has the same payout rate, no matter what time of the day or month it is. So you do not have to factor in time when you decide to play a slot game, but there are some factors that you should consider to increase your payout percentage.