A special feature of the particular game theme activated when certain symbols appear in a winning combination is Bonus. In the bonus, the player is presented with several items on a screen from which to choose. A number of credits is revealed and awarded to the player when items are chosen. Some bonuses use a mechanical device, such as a spinning wheel. It is used in conjunction with the bonus for displaying the amount won.
A light on top of the slot machine is Candle. It alerts the operator that change is needed, hand pay is requested or there is a potential problem with the machine.
The term carousel is used to denote a grouping of slot machines, usually in a circle or oval formation.
Coin hopper contains the coins that are immediately available for payouts. The hopper is a mechanical device that rotates coins into the coin tray when a player collects credits. A coin diverter automatically redirects excess coins into a drop bucket, or drop box when a certain preset coin capacity is reached.
Credit meter is used for displaying the amount of money or credits on the machine.
Drop bucket or Drop box is a container located in a slot machine's base where excess coins are diverted from the hopper. Typically low denomination slot machines use a drop bucket. As for high denomination slot machines they use a drop box. A drop box contains a hinged lid with one or more locks whereas a drop bucket doesn't contain a lid. The casino collects and counts the contents of drop buckets and drop boxes.
EGM is used as a short-hand for Electronic Gaming Machine.
To denote a payout made by a slot attendant or cage, rather than the slot machine the term Hand pay is used. A hand pay occurs when the amount of the payout exceeds the maximum amount that was preset by the slot machine's operator. At the level where the operator must begin to deduct taxes the maximum amount is set. A hand pay can also be a result of a short pay.
Hopper fill slip is a document used to record the replenishments 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 coins placed into the hoppers, the signatures of the employees involved in the transaction, the slot machine number and the location and the date.
Low Level or Slant Top slot machines include a stool so you can sit and play. You can only stand playing Stand Up or Upright slot machines.
A payback percentage based on a gambler using the optimal strategy in a skill-based slot machine game is called Optimal play.
Payline is a straight or zigzagged line that crosses through one symbol on each reel, along which a winning combination is evaluated. There are up to nine pay lines in classic spinning reel machines while there can be one hundred pay lines in video slot machines.
While the meters count up to the amount that has been won the process of dramatizing a win by playing sounds happens which is called Rollup.
The term Short pay is used to mean a partial payout made by a slot machine, which is less than the amount due to the player is called Short pay. It can happen if the coin hopper has been depleted as a result of making earlier payouts to players. Then the remaining amount is paid as a hand pay or the machine is re-filled by an attendant.
A document provided by the manufacturer for all slot machines is called Theoretical Hold Worksheet. It indicates the theoretical percentage that the slot machine should hold based on adequate levels of coin-in. The worksheet also indicates the reel strip settings, number of coins that may be played, the payout schedule, the number of reels and other information.
Weight count is an American term, referring to the dollar amount of coins or tokens removed from a slot machine's drop bucket or drop box and counted by the casino's hard count team through the use of a weigh scale.

There are a lot of myths and superstitions about slots.
You can spot a winning slot machine.
The only way one can say that theslot machine is a winning one is only to catch this moment, when the machine pays out. RNG is the main element of every slot machine and one never knows what combination it will form.
Casinos place loose slots near the cashier, aisle ways, etc.
If this were true, it would be the only machines anyone would play. A casino mixes slots all over the casino floor. No one with any experience at playing slots would make a statement like this.
Count the number of symbols on the reels to determine your odds.
It is a rude mistake. RNG decides when the machine will stop and there are thousands of combination available on a 3 reel slot machine.
Casinos can tighten or loosen slot machines from the back office.
It is not as simple as that. The casino can’t just change the chip of the slot machine. It is illegal and it has to be permitted by the commission.
A slot machine that has not been paying is due to hit.
It is not so. With every game the chances of winning are the same.
Pulling the slot machine handle produces more wins than pressing the spin button and visa versa.
Again false. It makes no difference, as the computer only uses these as mechanisms to start the game. Only the computer determines a win or a loss and it has already determined if you are a winner or loser even before the first reel stops spinning.
Playing with hot coins improves your chances.
It is false. Nothing can affect the outcome, the machine doesn’t care and doesn’t know whether your coins are cold or hot.
Casinos set slot machines to payback more on the weekends.
One more rude mistake. The chances and odds are always the same. It doesn’t matter when you play.

Like any casino game slots have their own rules of etiquette. Even though playing the slots is primarily a solo activity, there are definite do's and don'ts when it comes to playing the slots. First of all decide whether to deal or not to deal with this very slot machine. As a gambler you are sure to have faced such a problem: you want to go to the bar or to the restroom, but still want to keep this slot. How can other understand that your machine is in play? If you hang a coin cup over the handle of the slot machine it will mean that this slot is in play by you. Another signal is to place the coin cup on the seat. If you play in the casino that uses a cashless system you can just leave the jacket or one of your belongings on the seat. In your turn you should respect other players and never sit to a slot that is in play. It happens very often that a player leaves his card and walks away. If it happens to you, put the card on the top of the slot machine. The player will come back and find it easily. Now smoking is allowed in most of the casinos. So if you smoke respect other players and place the ashtray as far from other players as possible. The last etiquette rule is tipping a person, who brings you the winning. If you win a jackpot you should tip the attendant with a tip equal to one half of one percent of the jackpot.

Slot machines are honest because state gaming commissions make sure they are. What you can really doubt is the honesty of some manufactures.
When the first slots only appeared cheating was impossible because they worked mechanically, with independent wheels spinning and then stopping randomly. Today’s slot machines are light years away from those lumbering machines of old. There is a chip inside of every slot machine, this chip is programmed to select numbers randomly. After selecting a number a corresponding symbol appear on the screen. The computer code that generates the random numbers is responsible for whether the machine is “loose” or “tight,” so gaming inspectors look at the machine’s code to make sure that a slot machine doesn’t cheat. The machine has to pay out either to the legal rate or better. Of course the latter happens very seldom.
Because slot machines don’t pay off with every spin, it’s difficult for customers to tell whether a slot machine’s chip has been programmed to pay off less often than is legally required. Before the machines are installed in casinos they are examined by inspectors. But you must understand that inspectors can’t examine every machine. They examine the brands. In the case of the approval of the brand the manufactures can produce the slot machines, even change them if it doesn’t go out legal bounds. Manufacturers can change chips to make a machine pay less as long as the inspectors have approved that particular chip.
In one of the casinos the chip was programmed in such a way that royal flushes would never come out. Similarly, Universal Distributing Company was caught programming machines to show a “near miss” of a jackpot. The effect was two-fold: the machine didn’t pay off, and customers continued to play the machine, thinking that they were very close to a big jackpot. Don’t keep silent if you come across such slot machine. In the case if the complaint the inspectors will visir the casino and check whether the machines have a legal chip. Manufacturers that cheat are fined or they can lose their license.

There are many types of slot machine configurations but all work according to the same principles - put the money in the slots and pull the handle! Traditionally two main types of slots are distinguished: straight and progressive slots. If you play slots then you are paid in accordance with the payout schedule, which is always shown on the slot. Straight slots in their turn can be divided into multiplier, bonus multiplier, multiple payline and buy-a-pay slots. The main principle of bonus multiplier slots is a bonus round, which becomes active if you play with maximum bets. When playing multiple payline slots remember that the number of coins being bet determines the winning amount. The Buy-a-Pay slots are profitable only if you place maximum bets. The jackpot for Progressive slots is never the same as it grows higher with every coin put in the machine. The jackpot total is posted above the machine and can grow to enormous sums of money.