Slot machines are usually a casino’s biggest source of revenue. Reuters/Andres Martinez Casares Raising the price. Ultimately, the casino is selling excitement, which is comprised of hope. Most slot machines in the US are manufactured in Nevada, either Las Vegas or Reno depending upon the manufacturer. WMS Gaming manufactures their slot machines near Chicago, IL. Bally Gaming used.
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Companies have been making slot machine games for well over a century. And over time, certain companies have gained name recognition due to their hit slots, innovative features, and / or exploits in other business avenues.
What are the companies that have become most famous in the slots world?
You can find out below as I cover the 7 most famous slot machine manufacturers and what games they're responsible for.
1. IGT
With offices stretching from Las Vegas to Rome, International Game Technology, or IGT, is widely regarded as the largest slots producer in the world.
IGT launched in 1971 under the A 1 Distributing brand. By the 1980s, they made their mark in the slots industry by creating Megabucks, the first ever wide area progressive slot machine.
Megabucks is still extremely popular in land based casinos today, having awarded more progressive jackpot money than any other slot in history.
In 1996, IGT launched another legendary slot machine called Wheel of Fortune. Based on the long running game show, Wheel of Fortune has paid out millions in jackpot money over the years.
Thanks to their acquisition of WagerWorks in 2005, IGT entered the online gaming space and has since turned out a number of online hits like Cleopatra, Coyote Moon, CSI: Slots, Family Guy, Ghostbusters, Jeopardy!, and Wolf Run.
But IGT continues to excel the most in the brick and mortar space, creating games like Avatar, Back to the Future, Breaking Bad, Bridesmaids, Dirty Dancing, Ellen, House of Cards, Judge Judy, Orange is the New Black, Sex & The City, Star Trek, TMZ, and The Hangover.
One more thing worth adding is that IGT was acquired by the Italian gaming company GTECH in 2014 for $6.4 billion. It's been business as usual ever since, aside from the company being renamed IGT PLC.
2. Bally
Bally is possibly the most innovative slots developer in the industry, which is strange considering that their company started in a totally different direction.
Launched in 1968 under the name Advanced Patent Technology, the company collected over 80 patents within its first decade. A couple of their most notable patents included an ultrasonic meat tenderizer and an ultrasonic fluidic fuel system for combustion engines.
It wasn't until the 1980s that Advanced Patent Technology got involved in the gaming industry and began producing slot machines. After a series of name changes and failed casinos, Bally made their mark by producing cutting edge slots technology that defines the company today.
In 2010, Bally unveiled the U Spin feature, which lets players spin a wheel during slots bonus rounds through a touchscreen. This development won Best Slot Product honors at the 2010 Gaming & Technology Awards.
Other Bally innovations include iREELS, which uses an LCD screen to create an intense 3D effect, and the iDECK, which allows you to control bonus round features with your hands.
Some of the notable slot machines produced by Bally include Betty Boop, Cash Spin, China River, Duck Dynasty, Grease, Hot Shot, Money Vault, Pawn Stars, Playboy, and Wild Huskies.
In 2014, Bally was purchased by Scientific Games for $5.1 billion and is now a subsidiary of the latter.
3. Amaya
Amaya made international headlines in June 2014 when they announced plans to buy PokerStars for $4.9 billion. This deal made Amaya the world's largest publicly traded online gaming company just a decade after they launched in 2004.
Despite their close association with online poker now, the Canadian company continues producing online and land based slots too. Many of Amaya's land based slots have been adopted into online versions.
Popular slot machines that Amaya has developed or acquired include Batman, Battle of Olympus, Captain Nemo, Cash Grab, Conan The Barbarian, Emerald Island, Forrest Gump, Green Lantern, Jade Idol, Jenga, King Kong, Millionaires Club, Rags to Riches, Street Fighter II, Superman: Last Son of Krypton, The Flash Velocity, and Vampires vs Werewolves.
Amaya is also involved in business to business deals, completing several major transactions besides the PokerStars deal.
They acquired Chartwell for $23 million in 2011 and Cryptologic for $35.8 million in 2012. Amaya also signed a deal with Aristocrat to adapt some of their land based slot machines into online slots.
In 2015, Amaya sold Chartwell and Cryptologic to NYX Gaming for $110 million in cash and $40 million in NYX Digital shares. This move marked the company's exit from the B2B space so that they can focus on their business to consumer operations.
4. Microgaming
Launching in 1994 on the Isle of Man, Microgaming is a true pioneer in the online gaming world. They're credited with developing the first ever online casino, Gaming Club, as well as over 600 online slots.
Aside from the volume of games they offer, Microgaming has become famous for delivering record breaking jackpots through their Mega Moolah game.
In January 2013, an anonymous Finnish man won a record online payout of €17,861,813 through Mega Moolah. But this was topped two years later when a British soldier named Jonathan Heywood won €17,879,645 in October 2015.
Other popular Microgaming slots besides Mega Moolah include Agent Jane Blonde, Avalon, BAR BAR Sheep, Battlestar Galactica, Cashapillar, Game of Thrones, Hellboy, Hitman, Immortal Romance, Jurassic Park, King Cashalot, Major Millions, Terminator 2, The Dark Knight Rises, Thunderstruck, and Tomb Raider.
5. Arisocrat
Aristocrat Leisure Limited is the oldest company on this list, having produced their first slot machine in 1953. Aristocrat has since become one of the world's largest slots manufacturers with games in over 200 licensing jurisdictions.
This Australian based company is best known for developing hundreds of land based slot machines. But as mentioned before, they signed a deal with Amaya to create online versions for their most popular slots.
Aristocrat is famous for slots classics like Big Red, Let's Go Fish'n, Queen of the Nile, Wicked Winnings, Wild Panda, and Wolf Moon.
Aristocrat continues to be a major player in the slots industry today, producing more modern games like Britney Spears, Dumb & Dumber, Game of Thrones, Sons of Anarchy, The Big Bang Theory, The Sopranos, and The Walking Dead
6. Konami
Where Are Slot Machines Manufactured Sold
Konami is far from the biggest slot machine manufacturer on this list. But they're definitely one of the most famous due to their success in the arcade and video game industries.
Launching as a repair and jukebox rental business in 1969, this Japanese company began developing arcade games in the 1970s. Konami achieved great success in the 80s with hit games like Frogger, Scramble, and Super Cobra.
They saw more success in the console gaming market with NES / Famicom releases like Castlevania, Contra, and Metal Gear – all of which have spawned sequels and been adapted to later consoles.
In 2005, Konami opened an office in suburban Las Vegas, which marked their move into casino gaming. They've since opened an office in Australia too because of the heavy interest in gambling there.
Some of the slot machines that Konami has produced for both online and brick and mortar casinos include African Diamond, African Treasure, Ancient Dragon, China Shores, Full Moon Diamond, and Treasure Voyage.
7. WMS Gaming
A subsidiary of the Williams Manufacturing Company, which launched in 1943, WMS Gaming gained notoriety for producing arcade and pinball games in the 1970s and 80s.
Both industries began declining in the 90s, though, leading WMS Gaming to focus on slot machines. And the Chicago based company quickly made its mark in 1996 by introducing multi line and multi coin secondary payouts through Reel 'em In.
These two innovations helped accelerate a slots industry that had previously relied on simple themes and payout structures.
Although WMS Gaming makes over 70% of its revenue in the US casino market, their products are also found in other countries like Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, and the UK.
Some of WMS' notable slot machines include Amazon Queen, Bruce Lee, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Giant's Gold, King of Africa, Kronos, Reel 'em In, Star Trek: Red Alert, Wizard of Oz, and Zeus.
Conclusion
IGT PLC, Bally, and Aristocrat are a few of the giants that have shaped the slots industry. These companies have developed hundreds of slot machines that can be found in casinos around the world.
But as Microgaming has proven, you don't need to have a brick and mortar presence to be an industry heavyweight. Microgaming supplies slots to dozens of online casinos and has paid out the largest online jackpots in history.
Some of the new players in the industry like Amaya, Konami, and WMS have already made impacts as well.
We have WMS to thank for more complex slots due to the multi coin payouts and secondary bonus features that they introduced.
Despite launching in 2014, Amaya has already become the world's biggest online gaming company. It'll be interesting to see what lies in their future after expanding so rapidly.
Konami is a newer slots company, but based on their long history of success with video games I expect them to continue doing well with slots.
Today, I’m going to answer another reader question which I received recently by email. It comes from Sarah in Scotland who wants to know “Are slot machines rigged?” I’ve copied the email directly below with her permission.
Dear GamblingSites.org team,
I’m Sarah McKeown, and I’ve been a long-time reader of your blog. I’ve found lots of interesting content over the years. I even won a healthy jackpot after playing one of your recommended jackpot slots.
However, I’ve been keeping a record of my bets versus my wins, and I’ve noticed that no matter how many big wins I have, I always end up losing it all again over the long term. Can you tell me if slot machines are rigged? Can casinos fix slot machines to make sure players lose?
Any insights you can share with me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Sarah McKeown
Sarah, I’m going to answer your questions directly. Yes, slot machines are rigged. However, they’re not rigged in the way you think they are
In this post, I’ll explain how slot machines work, why you lose in the long-term, and I’ll give you some useful tips for beating slot machines more often. Let’s begin!
Where Are Slot Machines Manufactured Cars
Are Casino Slot Machines Rigged?
I guarantee you that if you walk through any Vegas casino, or any casino in the world for that matter, and ask every slots player if they won, the vast majority of them will tell you no.
It’s difficult to understand how this could be the case unless slot machines are rigged. And if they are, how in the heck is that legal? Are casinos actively keeping slot machines rigged so that you can’t win? If so, what about all those stories of players who won huge jackpots?
This can all seem rather confusing, but it’s not. The simple answer is that the vast majority of players lose, and a few lucky players win. Each machine is programmed to pay out less than what’s put into it, ensuring that the casino makes a continuous profit over the long run. This could be anything from a 2% advantage on the best slot machines, to a 10% or greater advantage on some of the big-money jackpot slots.
So, in a nutshell, casino slots are rigged to make sure the casino makes a profit, but that does not mean you can’t win on any given gaming session.
Gaming commissions would never allow casinos to run games you can’t win, nor would it be good for business. Players would soon figure out that the games were unwinnable and would stop playing.
Let’s take a closer look at how slot machines work. This will help you understand that while the house always wins, you can win, too.
How Slot Machines Are Rigged
Understanding how slot machines are rigged requires you to understand how they work. Each slot has its game odds, but they all use a similar method of paying out jackpots. Here are some important things to know about slot machines.
Understand Slot Machine RTP
RTP is an acronym for “return to player.” If you read slot machine reviews, you’ll usually find each game has a specific RTP published by the developer. For example, on NetEnt.com, you can find the RTP of Starburst and other games.
RTP is a percentage.
For Example:Based on Starburst from above, the RTP is 96.09%. What does this mean in terms of money, jackpots, and wins and losses? It means that, for every £100 bet on these games, players win back £96.09.
It’s important to remember that this does not mean you’ll make back £96.09 for every £100 you bet on Starburst. It means that the casino returns £96.09 to all players spinning the reels at every casino which offers Starburst. This includes all of the small wins and losses each player wins on every spin. In the long run, the casino will make £3.91 on every £100 bet on that game, regardless of what happens in the short term.
Hopefully, this concept of RTP helps you understand how slot machines are rigged in favor of the game developers and casinos but are not rigged in absolute terms. You can win when playing slots, but you can’t win in the long run.
Where Are Slot Machines Manufactured Homes
Understand Random Number Generators
Even though the house has a built-in advantage on slot machines, it’s clear that some players do win massive jackpots. Just take a look at this story about a British soldier winning a record-breaking jackpot from a £0.25 spin.
Lots of players wonder when the best time to play slot machines is, which slots are “loose,” and all sorts of other questions. They hope that figuring out the answers will help them win slots more often, but the truth is that this is all a waste of time.
Slot machines decide when to pay out in accordance with a Random Number Generator (RNG). Believe it or not, it’s possible for a slot machine to pay out a jackpot on two spins in a row, although it is unlikely. A Random Number Generator is a piece of software which spits out billions of numbers per second, and if it happens to spit out a number associated with a jackpot, you’ll see the high-value symbols line up across a payline and you win.
There’s no way to manipulate RNGs. You can’t cheat online slot machines no matter how hard you try. Some smart players note that RNGs can’t be truly random since humans create them, but for all reasonable and practical purposes, you can’t manipulate them.
Perhaps, someone will someday spot a pattern in the apparent randomness by using a quantum computer to crunch numbers. But until then, just assume they’re random.
While the slots developer can control the RTP via programming, it can’t control the RNG. There are third-party games testing organizations such as eCogra which test RNGs and verify that they are fair. This doesn’t mean all slots developers play fair, but big names like Microgaming and NetEnt do.
How to Win at Slots — Tips and Tricks
Now that you understand how slot machines work, and how they are rigged without being unfair, it’s time to turn the tables on the casinos. I’ve learned a lot about slot machines throughout my career as a player, and I’m going to share my best tips on how to win slots more often.
Pick Slot Machines With a High RTP
One of the first and most obvious tips is to select high RTP slot machines. These games pay back the most to players in the long run, so you’re better off playing them even if the jackpots are smaller.
Very often, the jackpots are smaller. Since the casinos have less risk to deal with when a smaller jackpot is involved, they can afford a higher payback percentage to players. It makes sense, doesn’t it?
So, which slot machines have the highest RTP? Here are five to get you started.
- Blood Suckers by NetEnt – 98%
- Rags to Riches by Cryptologic – 98%
- Good Girl, Bad Girl by Betsoft – 97.8%
- Kings of Chicago by NetEnt – 97.8%
- Wolfpack Pays by NextGen – 97.8%
Those slots have a variety of excellent bonus features, decent jackpots, and higher than average RTPs. If you want to get the most bang for your buck as a long-term player, it’s wise to play them.
Pick the Right Volatility for Your Bankroll
There’s a top-notch article on slot machine variance and volatility here. If you want a more detailed breakdown of what they are, check that out.
Slot machine volatility is important to understand because it will tell you which slots are suitable for your bankroll. Volatility indicates both how often a slot should pay and the average size of the payouts.
- Low volatility slots pay smaller amounts more often.
- Medium volatility slots pay decent amounts fairly often.
- High volatility slots pay less frequently, but wins are more explosive.
If I had a smaller bankroll, say £20, I’d start by playing a low volatility slot such as Starburst. I find that it’s a good slot to build your bankroll with. Once I double up, I usually switch to a higher volatility slot with bigger payouts which occur less frequently.
Managing your bankroll effectively is about the only slot machine strategy which works. Therefore, knowing the volatility of a game is useful information.
Use Free Spins With Low Wagering Requirements
Most online casinos offer free spins bonuses for new players. Lots of them also offer free spins to loyal players who spin slots daily or weekly.
Where Are Slot Machines Manufactured For Sale
I’ve learned the hard way that not all free spins bonuses give me an advantage. Sometimes, the wagering requirements are so high that the bonus is a liability. This is especially true if it comes with predatory terms such as that I can’t withdraw my deposit until I meet the wagering requirements. Yes, such bonuses exist, I’ve seen it all over the years I’ve been playing!
There are other free spins bonuses you will want to take. They’ll give you a chance to beat the house with its own money and have these characteristics.
- They won’t require excessive minimum deposits.
- The wagering requirements will be low, around 20x or less.
- You’ll be able to keep all of what you win when you wager the bonus.
Free spins with low wagering requirements are available at lots of top UK casinos. There are even casinos with no wagering requirements, and they’re especially popular in the UK market.
Used Slot Machines For Sale
Final Words
Buy New Slot Machines
Thanks for writing to me with this question, Sarah. It’s given me a chance to cover lots of ground with regards to slot machines, and I hope that it answers your question. Are slot machines rigged? Yes, the house has a mathematical advantage which you can’t alter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win.
Beating slot machines is a case of picking the right games, managing your bankroll effectively, and getting lucky. Don’t forget the last part! Luck is essential. There’s no effective way to beat the slots every time. Happy spinning, and don’t forget to pick up a casino bonus before you begin!