Loose Slot Machines - Here’s How You Can Find Them!

Slot machines have established themselves as the most enjoyable casino game, at least for the majority of players. When you walk around the casino floor, you'll hear terms like "hot slots", "cold slots", "high roller slots", "loose slots", tight slots, etc. thrown around.

Although there is no scientific or mathematical basis for these assumptions, players from all over the world tend to believe and act upon them.

For this Slotsmentor guide, our focus is on loose slots. We'll start by simply explaining what a loose slot is. Then, we'll move forward with how to find loose slots and how to use strategies to get the best of them.

What Are Loose Slots?

If you hear a fellow player on the casino floor talking about a loose slot, they're simply referring to a machine with a generous payout. And no, there are no concrete metrics to classify a slot machine as a loose slot.

For example, if you were to find what casino has the loosest slot in California, the answer may not be the same as the loosest slot in New Jersey.

What we're trying to say is that the definition of the loosest slot machines is subjective to the player and the region.

But you can expect one thing from all loose slots; they pay pretty frequently and they pay more than other slot machines in the same vicinity.

What Makes a Slot Machine Loose?

Slot machines may seem simple on the surface but there are lots of metrics that go into them. For example, the programming of the RNG algorithm primarily determines how random the game results are.

But the main metric that goes into making a slot loose is its RTP. The RTP or "Return to Player" is the theoretical return of a game, programmed for every dollar you spend. For example, a 96% RTP slot means you can get up to 96% of your bets back if you keep playing the game.

Mathematically, there's no point in relying on the RTP because the percentage is determined after the provider tests it for millions of spins.

In practice, however, high RTP slots tend to be the loosest.

Another metric that contributes to a slot machine being loose is its volatility. To be considered generous, a slot must pay frequently. And by the classification of volatility, slots on the lower side of the spectrum pay most frequently.

So, what did you learn from this section?

For us, it's the fact that when learning how to find loose slots, you should look at the RTP and the volatility of the game before anything else. Of course, there is no guarantee that you'll succeed every time but it's definitely a good start.

How to Find Loose Slot Machines at Casinos?

This is arguably the most important part of our guide where we go on a journey to learn how to tell if a slot machine is loose. Keep in mind that none of these tricks are guaranteed. If they were, a slot machine wouldn't be a "game of chance" anymore.

Since the advent of slots, players have tried to resort to all kinds of strategies to get an edge. Playing loose slots exclusively is one of the most widely used strategies. But to use this strategy successfully, you have to find them first.

Let's see how you can do that.

Start by Testing the RTP

As we've already said, the RTP is a theoretical measure to determine slot machine payouts. You're looking for loose slots so the first thing you should do is test the RTP.

Although you can't bust out the trusty old calculator to figure out the active RTP, you can always keep track of your bankroll. Start by playing a few rounds. We recommend keeping the bets on the smaller size. It's also important that you keep it consistent throughout the testing phase.

After a while, look at your bankroll. As long as you're breaking even or making a little money, you're on the right track. You may have found a loose slot that's going to keep paying as you play more.

But if you're down on your funds by a fair margin, you, my friend, have encountered a tight machine, also known as a cold slot.

What do you do from here? Keep on reading to know!

Play Multiple Machines, Side by Side

A common belief among casino players is that loose slots are housed in the same area as tight slots. Even if it's not the case across all casinos, the loose machines should be nearby. Expert players recommend that you always play multiple slots when testing the RTP.

In this case, you can use Professor Slots's 5 spin method to your advantage. In short, the method dictates that you should spin a reel no more than 5 times. If you win within the 5 spins, it's awesome. And if you don't, no big deal. Just move on to the next machine.

But don't keep switching the machine if you get the promised RTP or higher. You may miss out on a loose slot.

Go for Max Bet

This might sound counterintuitive to our advocacy for responsible gambling, but hear us out. Although slot machines are completely random, some of them are programmed to pay out when a player plays for max bet.

A max bet is nothing but the maximum bet value you can set on a machine. This method of finding loose slot machines works wonders for jackpots. Of course, it's still important to stick to responsible gambling habits.

The best way to balance the boat is to play slots with a low maximum bet. For example, a game where the max bet is set to $1 is better than a slot with a $100 max bet.

Then again, it's going to depend on the size of your bankroll and how much you can stand to lose. The key is to never spend more than you can endure to lose.

Stay Away from Progressive Jackpots

Progressive jackpots are by far the most popular form of slot machines. They're "progressive", meaning they keep accumulating from player bets over a long time. Most progressive titles feature jackpots that pay millions of dollars to the lucky players.

Now, the reason to stay away from them is simple. The odds of you hitting the jackpot is slimmer than you getting a good parking spot during rush hour in New York City.

It's almost non-existent.

So, there's no point in playing these games if loose slots are what you're after. Of course, if you can sustain the max bet for long enough on one of these machines, it's worth a shot. Winning a million-dollar jackpot can be life-changing for most players.

Multi Payline Slots are Also Not a Good Idea

A payline in a slot is the line that pays if your luck lands the appropriate symbol combination. On paper, slot machines with many paylines sound very fancy. And they are if you're playing to enjoy the theme and the complex payout mechanism rather than focusing on the payout alone.

But when you're looking for a loose slot machine, multi-line slots are not always a good idea. Although it sounds like they're increasing the number of ways you can win, your odds to get paid are actually slimming down.

This is why single-line classic slots are often the highest-paying loose slots. They're not hard to find on land-based casino floors. But if you're solely focusing on online slots, it might be tricky to find good-quality titles with a high enough RTP.

Ask Other Players

We're effectively moving out of the casino floor and entering the "prospecting" zone. If you truly want the loosest slot machines, you need to find the ideal prospects first.

The perfect place to start is by asking other players you know. If you don't, hop onto various online forums where slot players discuss their findings. If you look hard enough, you're bound to find many threads discussing what casino has the loosest slots in your particular area.

This is also a great way to become a part of the community. You never know what you can learn in the coming days as slot players are very active in these forums.

Ask a Casino Employee

In popular culture as well as in many online education platforms, casinos are portrayed as the big bad wolf of the gambling industry. They're always preying on the players with their house edge and everything.

While it's partially true, the employees do not share the same belief. The best way to test this theory is to ask casino floor employees about where the hot slots are located. They have nothing to lose if you win; and nothing to win if you lose. But they stand to earn a good tip if they help you out.

They're by far the best prospect you can ask where to find these machines simply because they're witnessing thousands of loose slot machine spins every single week.

If you have a particular genre of game in mind, don't forget to mention it to the employee as well.

Try the Machines in the High-Traffic Area

Again, there is no guarantee that this will work. But it's widely believed that casino operators put loose machines in high-traffic areas to encourage people to play as they walk in. When on the hunt for loose slots, you shouldn't leave any stones unturned.

So, go to your nearest casino and try out the machines that you find first. Be sure to use all the strategies we've listed so far as well to get the biggest edge on the casino possible.

Can You Find Loose Online Slot Machines?

Well, the idea of loose slots is based on a lot of psychological triggers. When it comes to online variants, it's hard for the operators to apply those triggers. In turn, it makes it hard for players to find loose online slot machines. But it doesn't mean you won't find them.

All you have to do is learn how slots work properly and apply the tips we've shared in this post. Apart from some minor changes, there is practically no difference between a land-based slot and an online slot.