On the old machines, the number of symbols on each reel, when combined with the natural randomness of a spring loaded mechanism, guaranteed that jackpots and other winning combinations would be produced according to sound mathematical principles. But they could be rigged...to pay better, by thieves, or to pay worse, by unscrupulous casino owners.

In essence, a computer microchip determines which symbols will be produced, in what order, and at what time. This computer chip is commonly referred to as the RNG (Random Number Generator).

To simplify, think of the Slot Machine as a computer. It would be good to do so because that's exactly what it is. Think about the computer you have at home or the office. It is programmed to do certain chores. The basic hardware is in there, but it needs instructions in order to perform. That's why you purchase software. Same idea with a Slot Machine, except that the software is designed only for Slot Machines...more specifically, the software is designed for the exact Slot Machine game you are playing. The computer is programmed to generate every possible combination of symbols, over and over again. You think in terms of minutes or hours. The computer works in nanoseconds. In the time is takes for you to deposit coins or play credits, the computer may have gone through every possible combination a hundred times.

It is not necessary for any of us to understand how all of this magic occurs, but interesting nonetheless. Each symbol on each reel is represented in the computer by an icon which only computers can read and understand (sorry, but it's necessary to use "that word" here). The computer is instructed to constantly mix and churn these icons so that all combinations are random. Then, at the precise instant that you insert coins or play credits, the computer projects onto the screen one of the 8,000 or more combinations it has been churning. To the computer the icons it has been juggling may look like @&#+%. But when they appear on the screen the symbols look like bars, or cherries, or 7's. Kind of like part of the computer is a universal translator. It thinks in terms of icons but then generates the symbols in a form you can understand.

If you are fortunate enough to push the Bet Max Coins button or pull the handle at precisely the exact nanosecond when the RNG is generating a winning combination, you will collect a lot of money. This is the odds of hitting a jackpot Slot Machine.

When these new "computer generation" machines hit the market, they almost failed to gain an audience. People simply didn't like the idea of a computer chip controlling their destiny. They preferred the older machines where the reels looked like reels. They didn't want to watch a video representation of reels, they wanted the reel thing. Consequently, what you see now on the reel type machines is actual reels which are governed by a computer chip. In business, you would call this a win-win situation. People wanted reels, they have reels. Casinos wanted the more reliable computer chip, they got the computer chip.