Do slot managers change a machine right before it pays out?
Would a Casino or a slot manager change a machine right before it is due to pay out?
It doesn’t make sense for the Casino to do that. The only thing that the Casino or the Slot manager looks at is the overall payout, not whether it is “due to hit.”
The operators in the industry look at what is called “coin in.” This means that they are looking at the total amount wagered in the machine.
So, for example, if you put in $10 and play for few minutes you may go up to $15 and then down to $5 and then up $20 and then down to $5 and then to zero dollars or to $20 to double your money.
Because you are winning and losing a little at a time that $10 that you put into the machine may mean that you actually bet $25 of money during your gaming session.
The slot machine manufacturers stand behind their payouts. The State or Government agency as well as the testing labs will stand by their tests of the machines as well. If they say that it will pay 90% then it will pay that and the casino will keep it in there based on that assumption. They will keep it in there even if in the short term it pays 150% or 50%.
So the answer is: Slot managers and Casinos keep machine in play as long as it is popular. They don’t care whether it pays a lot or a little in the short term as long as people are playing it.