People tend to play slots around 8 pm until 5 am because they believe games are looser during this time. Is there any truth to the urban legend of slots paying out more when the sun goes down?
As a reminder, slot machines and online slots have their payout rate, called the RTP, programmed by the game developer. Payouts should normally not be decided based on the time of the day.
Let us answer that question by looking into the effects of time on slot machines.
Slot Payout Rate at Night
Slots do pay out the most at night since this is when there are more players on the casino floor. This includes slots within the highest-paying Las Vegas casinos.
During this time, locals and tourists will return come back to their lodging after visiting the city or workers will use their free time on the slots before going home. With more people playing a specific title frequently, the higher the payout rate of the slot gets during that time. This is the same answer to the question "do online slots pay more at night?"
If your question of "do slot machines pay more at night" means an increase in payout rates, It does not. When slot machines are deciding which of the symbols will appear on the reels, they use a random number generator (PRNG) system to do so. An RNG is a program that creates statistical random results, making them useful tools for statistical studies, experiments, video games, and cryptography.
To create results that no one can predict, PRNG systems derive their result from seed or key value. This seed is taken from external sources that are influenced by real-world factors. Unfortunately, none of these factors includes the time of day or any parts of the month.
Every slot machine of a specific title has the same payout rate or hit frequency no matter what time of day. For those who are thinking if the crowd has any way to influence the game at night, this is not possible. There is no room for a PRNG system to consider the number of spins and the total bet amount of its game. Not even the casino itself have any control over the outcome of each PRNG algorithm. Even online casino slots use the same RNG system as their land-based counterpart.
On the bright side, you do not have to worry about playing slots at any time of day if you are aiming for a high payout. This means you can avoid crowds when visiting any casino. If the gambling floor is full, this is the best time to play slots online.
How To Increase Slot Payouts at Night
Instead of asking "do slot machines pay more at night", it should be "how can I get better payouts while playing slots at night?" Below are three useful tips to consider when you visit any casino.
Max Your Bets
When your goal is to get the best possible payout from a game, always set your bets to the maximum. Do not be afraid of going through your entire bankroll within an hour since max bet puts you in a better position when you trigger one of the slot's features in your spins.
One of the features that let you get the most out of your bets is the interactive mini-games where you get several choices. These choices include random cash prizes, which can be around 3x to 10x your bet. Bet multipliers are also another feature to aim for with your max wager, which can appear during the base game or free-spins mode.
Open All Paylines
Imagine getting free-spins with max bet, but only have one payline open. This scenario is a missed opportunity, especially when the bonus mode has a multiplier or free-game extender mechanic.
For any slots with adjustable paylines, always have every payline open in each spin. This concept is the same as setting your bets to a maximum where you can take advantage of any gameplay opportunity.
Take Advantage of Casino Promotions
Plenty of promotions can happen at night such as free spins or deposit bonuses. One example is the Wizardslots Happy Hours bonus where you receive 10 free spins on various slots every 3 to 7 pm each Wednesday.
It pays to check a physical casino's website before visiting them. They could also offer evening or night promotions on their slot selection during certain days of the week.
Slots do pay out more at night, but only because there are more playing in the evening. You can still get better payouts at night by maximizing your bet and opening all paylines as well as taking up any casino's promotional offer.
This article was published on July 18, 2021, and last updated on October 25, 2022.