Slots, with their bright lights, engaging sound effects, and promising jackpots, have undeniably become a firm casino favourite. Their massive popularity has obviously led to numerous myths and superstitions surfacing – one of the most bizarre being the act of tapping on slot machine screens.
An intriguing phenomenon, the act of players physically interacting with slot machines, particularly by tapping the screens, stems from superstitious beliefs, with individuals asserting that such actions can influence the game’s outcome.
There is a popular belief that touching certain symbols, such as wilds, increases the chances of them landing on the next spin, resulting in significant payouts. Some players also insist that rubbing the screen if bonus symbols have landed on reels 1 and 2 can increase the chances of the 3rd bonus symbol landing and trigger the bonus round.
The ritual of tapping or touching the screen is also prevalent in online gaming. Some players believe that their interaction with the screen can somehow manipulate the game’s Random Number Generator (RNG), thus altering the outcome in their favour.
Does Tapping on Slot Machines Help You Win?
Despite the somewhat widespread belief in the power of screen tapping, there’s no evidence supporting its efficacy. Slot machines, both physical and online, operate on complex mathematical algorithms that ensure each spin’s outcome is entirely random. The belief that tapping the screen influences the results is a testament to the human tendency to try to control uncontrollable events.
Every spin on a slot machine is an independent event, meaning its outcome is not influenced by previous spins. Furthermore, the symbols that appear on the screen are determined by the RNG, which is unaffected by exterior physical actions or stimuli.
Why Slot Machine Screen Tapping Doesn’t Work
The simple reason why tapping on slot machine screens doesn’t work is due to the underlying technology. Slot machines operate using a sophisticated piece of technology called the Random Number Generator (RNG). The RNG continuously generates random number sequences, even when the machine is not in use.
These random number sequences correspond to random combinations of symbols on the machine’s reels. When a player presses the spin button, the machine’s computer selects the number sequence generated by the RNG at that moment, translating it into the symbols you see on the reels.
Therefore, the outcome of a spin is determined the moment the spin button is pressed, and any physical interaction with the machine after this point has no effect on the result.
Rubbing Slot Machines: Another Technique Used
Another intriguing technique adopted by superstitious players is rubbing the slot machines. Similar to screen tapping, the act of rubbing the slot machine, especially the coin slot, is believed by many to somehow improve their chances of landing a win.
Some players rub their coins or player cards against the machine before inserting them, under the impression that this ritual can influence the game’s result. Others rub the screen to ‘warm up’ certain symbols in anticipation of bigger wins.
Despite the popularity of these practices, they hold no scientific or logical basis. They are merely superstitious beliefs. The results of slot machine games are governed by RNGs and can’t be influenced by such physical actions.
How Do Slot Machines Determine Who Wins?
As mentioned above, slot machines – whether in physical casinos or online platforms – use a complex algorithm known as the Random Number Generator (RNG) to decide the outcome of each game. The RNG generates thousands of number sequences per second, and they do not take previous results or external factors into account. Thereby making each spin an independent and random event.
The RNG operates continuously, making it impossible to predict or manipulate the outcome of a spin. Regardless of any superstitions or beliefs, the chances of winning on a given slot machine remain the same on each spin, regardless of whether you are sitting, standing, tapping, or rubbing the machine.
Superstitions such as tapping the screen or rubbing the machine stem from the illusion of control – an erroneous belief that one can influence an event’s outcome when, in reality, it’s determined by chance.
In the context of slot machines, players may feel a sense of control by interacting physically with the machine, believing that these actions can influence the RNG’s operation. However, such beliefs are unfounded.
Conclusion
While slot machines have numerous superstitions attached to them, including the act of tapping the screen, the reality is that these are just beliefs with no scientific or logical basis. Slot machines are games of chance, with outcomes determined by RNGs.
If tapping or rubbing the screen adds to their enjoyment of slots, there’s no harm in it, as long as they know it doesn’t influence the game’s outcome.
Remember, the outcomes are always random and unpredictable; they are not influenced by external factors at all. Please gamble responsibly and remember that winning is never guaranteed.
