Nowadays, slot games are one of the most popular casino games in the world. This isn't really a surprise, as slots are now called video slots and are created and designed by numerous game providers with years of experience in the field. 

In other words, there are literally thousands of different slot games with different themes, graphics, number of reels, different symbols, bonus levels, and even unique music. That's one of the reasons why slot games are so popular even today. Way back when slot games were machines that accepted coins in order for someone to play, they usually had the same name and three or four reels with different fruit symbols. 

People over the course of history tried and some even succeeded in cheating these machines and other casino games as well. Today, however, video slots accept electronic payments and are purely software-based, even those in land-based casinos. But can these slot games be cheated?

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Can casino slot games be cheated?

The short answer is no, they can't. Actually, they can but you'd need a programmer who has direct access to the slot game's development code which is almost impossible. Old slot machines on the other hand were quite easy to hack. 

You could use a magnet or tie a string to the coin and pull it back up before the machine 'swallows' it. You could even scrape the coins to make sure that even if the machine does ‘swallow’ it, you could pull it back up as it would be smaller than the usual coin. 

But back in the day, people cheated slot machines just to see if they could and that was the thrill of it. Modern video slots cannot be tampered with so easily, but people do get points for trying. It normally doesn't go so well, so they give up altogether. 

How do casinos prevent players from cheating at slot games?

Would you be surprised to learn that the best licensed slot sites in the UK have anti-cheating systems, but they don't prevent people from trying to cheat? The main reason is that they don't have to. As mentioned before, software-based slots aren't so easy to hack without you being detected. 

Fair play is all that is needed to discourage people from cheating. Video slots have a predetermined RTP (Return-To-Player) ratio, meaning it pays off users based on prescribed rates. In other words, you'll win eventually as long as the slot game is working properly and if it's not, you won't be able to play at all. 

How do casinos make money from slot games?

It's actually very simple. Casinos earn money from slot games by leveraging the house edge. Every slot game has it despite the RTP. A percentage of what people put in to play or what they earn in the process goes to the casino while the rest goes back to game developers. 

Also, bonuses and promotions for slot games have wagering requirements, meaning casinos get a chance to win back what they gave players for free. This also generates income from slot games for casinos that host them on their websites, apps or even land-based establishments. 

Some people may think it's possible to cheat casino slot games, but the truth is it's really not. Not these days.