Free spins are usually triggered via a scatter of at least three designated symbols (with the number of spins dependent on the number of symbols that land). Some games allow the free spins bonus to “retrigger”, which adds additional spins on top of those already awarded. Some games may have other features that can also trigger over the course of free spins. slot88 refers to a payout made by an attendant or at an exchange point (“cage”), rather than by the slot machine itself.
Optimal play is a payback percentage based on a gambler using the optimal strategy in a skill-based slot machine game. Carousel refers to a grouping of slot machines, usually in a circle or oval formation. In short, the regulations allowing “stock”, “renchan”, and tenjō transformed the pachisuro from a low-stakes form of entertainment just a few years back to hardcore gambling. Many people may be gambling more than they can afford, and the big payouts also lure unsavory “hyena” types into the gambling halls. Because of the “stock”, “renchan”, and tenjō systems, it is possible to make money by simply playing machines on which someone has just lost a huge amount of money.
Each machine has a table that lists the number of credits the player will receive if the symbols listed on the pay table line up on the pay line of the machine. Some symbols are wild and can represent many, or all, of the other symbols to complete a winning line. Especially on older machines, the pay table is listed on the face of the machine, usually above and below the area containing the wheels.
Tilt is a term derived from electromechanical slot machines’ “tilt switches”, which would make or break a circuit when they were tilted or otherwise tampered with that triggered an alarm. While modern machines no longer have tilt switches, any kind of technical fault (door switch in the wrong state, reel motor failure, out of paper, etc.) is still called a “tilt”. Hopper fill slip is a document used to record the replenishment of the coin in the coin hopper after it becomes depleted as a result of making payouts to players. The slip indicates the amount of coin placed into the hoppers, as well as the signatures of the employees involved in the transaction, the slot machine number and the location and the date. When the displayed amount is smaller than the one it is supposed to be, the error usually goes unnoticed.
Machines are also known to intentionally set aside money, which is later awarded in a series of wins, known as a “streak”. The minimum payout percentage is 70%, with pubs often setting the payout at around 78%. The credit meter is a display of the amount of money or number of credits on the machine. On mechanical slot machines, this is usually a seven-segment display, but video slot machines typically use stylized text that suits the game’s theme and user interface.