Standard slot machines do not get "hot"
or "cold". The chances of hitting a winning
combination are exactly the same with every spin.
(Exception: UK-style AWP machines are progressive
which means chances of winning will increase over
time if the machine has not paid any wins out. Many
also "force" wins on players in order to
meet the payout percentage)
Except possibly in a few jurisdictions, slot machines
are never "due to be hit" if they haven't
paid out a jackpot in a while.
There is a science to the placement of slot machines
on the gaming floor, but the highest paying machines
are not necessarily placed in high-traffic areas.
Typically, machines of similar payback percentages
are grouped together, with 1% or less difference from
machine to machine in the group.
Using your slot club card does not affect the machine's
payout percentage.
In most jurisdictions, casinos cannot alter the machine's
percentages by time of day, day of week, or remotely
via a computer. Changing the percentage payouts on
these machines is an involved process of physically
replacing parts inside the machine, and can't be done
without regulatory oversight.
(Exception 1: UK-style AWP machines can have their
percentage easily altered via a percentage key (inserted
onto the machines motherboard) or by the setting of
dip switches. There is no requirement for this to
be supervised or reported in the UK.)
(Exception 2: In many markets where central monitoring
and control systems are used to link machines for
auditing and security purposes, usually in wide area
networks of multiple venues and thousands of machines,
player return must usually be changed from a central
computer rather than at each individual machine. A
range of percentages are preprogrammed into the game
software and selected by configuring the machine remotely.)
