When certain symbols appear in a winning combination a special feature of the particular game theme is activated, which is a Bonus. Several items on the screen are presented to the player to choose. After choosing items a number of credits is revealed and awarded. Some bonuses use a mechanical device, such as a spinning wheel. It is used in conjunction with the bonus for displaying the amount won.
There is a light on top of the slot machine called Candle. It flashes to alert the operator that change is needed, hand pay is requested or a potential problem with the machine.
Slot machines in a circle or oval formation are usually called Carousel.
A container where the coins that are immediately available for payouts are held is coin hopper. When a player collects credits this mechanical device rotates coins into the coin tray. A coin diverter automatically redirects excess coins into a drop bucket, or drop box when a certain preset coin capacity is reached.
A visual display of the amount of money or credits on the machine is called Credit meter.
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. And a drop box is used for high denomination slot machines. A drop box contains a hinged lid with one or more locks whereas a drop bucket doesn't contain a lid. There is a scheduled basis on which the contents of drop buckets and drop boxes are collected and counted.
EGM is a short-hand for Electronic Gaming Machine.
The term Hand pay means a payout made by a slot attendant or cage, rather than the slot machine. 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.
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 is Hopper fill. There is the slip that 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.
Playing Low Level or Slant Top slot machines you can sit as they have a stool. 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.
The term Payline is used to denote a straight or zigzagged line that crosses through one symbol on each reel, along which a winning combination is evaluated. Up to nine pay lines are contained by classic spinning reel machines and video slot machines contain up to a hundred ones.
The process of dramatizing a win by playing sounds while the meters count up to the amount that has been won is Rollup.
If a partial payout made by a slot machine is less than the amount due to the player it is called Short pay. This occurs 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.
Theoretical Hold Worksheet is a document provided by the manufacturer for all slot machines. 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.