Interesting Question...

[sirius7]

Ok, here's a test of forum knowledge (and I don't pretend to know the answer)... 


I know that on video gambling machines that simulate real-world gambling items (such as a deck of cards, dice, roulette wheel etc), by law the item has to behave as it does in real life.  For example if there is a dice roll, there has to be an equal chance of each number coming up, just as in real life.  That's why with video poker the pay tables are only defined by the actual Pay Chart -- because it would be illegal for them to make the cards "weighted" for different hands.


Now here's my question:


It's common on video slot bonus rounds for the player to choose 1 of several selections to reveal the bonus value.  Usually the software then "reveals" what you would have gotten if you had chosen the other selections.  So, is there any law that requires those other choices to be real?  For example, if you are presented with 4 selections, do the options really have to be weighted at 25% each?  It's absolutely possible the software could be faking it.  Meaning, the higher paying selections could actually be weighted lower, and after you've made your selection the options are then arranged and displayed after the fact giving you the illusion that you had an equal chance of selecting the highest bonus.  While it may seem you have a 25% chance of getting the highest bonus, in reality it could actually only be 5%.


Are the game developers allowed to do something like that, or are there similar laws governing it like they do with a simulated deck of cards?  I ask this question because it sure seems like I select the better bonuses less often when I have switched the game to a lower pay table -- but I could just be really unlucky and imagining things.

[rickhunter]

Depends on jurisdiction.  In class II machines the choices are are pre-determined and the game will display what you you "should" have won.  In class 3 machines, the choices are not weighted.  The higher pay is already considered in the paytable holdback percentage.  You will also note that most of the time the values within the choices vary from bonus to bonus.

Other things that change in jurisdictions that are not commonly known is things like timeout values in making choices during bonus rounds, some don't proceed until you make a choice, some will make a choice for you if a predetermined amount of time lapses without a choice.  Other things like pay tables hold back % allowed and min bet requirements can vary from one jurisdiction to the next.

[sirius7]

Great info!  Where does Nevada fall on that scale?

[rickhunter]

Nevada is class III and player must initiate bonus rounds, there's no timeout on bonus rounds.  Class II are the "bingo" type slots commonly found on Native American reservations and I believe Washington state gaming (class II is also known as central determination).