5 ms·

So if the outcome of the slot machine is determined by the outcomes of other slot machines in the casino, then the slot machine ceases to be a game of chance?

• mattmaroon 18y ago
  Each slot machine has its own independent RNG. Even if they shared one, it's still an RNG. Many forms of gambling involve skill. For instance, I can achieve a higher return (though still negative) at a craps table than your average Vegas gambler because I know which bets pay the best odds. That doesn't make them any less gambling. How much skill vs. chance constitutes gambling varies from state to state. But no state would define a system in which there is no random element as gambling. If the outcome is 100% the result of the actions of the "betters" it's clearly a game of skill. (If it's based on the actions of third party humans and contests, it's usually illegal, such as betting on sports or elections). Interestingly, in many states instant bingo machines are legal games of skill due to that very reason. They look and feel just like a slot machine, but the payouts are predetermined, just like a box of instant bingo cards, so there's no element of chance, even though the person playing them has no idea what the next payout will be. States have been/are closing that loophole fast.
  • mattmaroon 18y ago
    On a related note, I've been interviewed a number of times about poker and am always asked whether it's a game of chance or skill. I always tell them both, which people just don't want to accept as an answer. I don't know why people think all games are one or the other. Sure, some games you can be +EV, some you can't without cheating, but that doesn't mean it's binary.