Published on: September 15, 2025, at 07:21h. 

Updated on: September 15, 2025, at 09:50h.

• A common misconception suggests that Las Vegas casinos alter their slot machines to offer better payouts on Fridays and reduce them on Sundays.
• In reality, the outcomes of casino slots are entirely random and governed by a random number generator (RNG) created by the manufacturer.
• Moreover, the Nevada Gaming Control Board oversees the games to guarantee fair operation and prevent tampering with the payouts.

Recently, a user on a Las Vegas subreddit inquired about a claim made by a friend who enjoys slots: “Are casinos more generous with payouts on Fridays to encourage players to keep gambling over the weekend and then tighten the payouts on Sundays to regain losses before players leave?”

We’ve discussed similar myths before, and the conclusion remains unchanged … it’s simply false.

Such beliefs persist because humans have an intrinsic tendency to recognize patterns, even in random occurrences. This ability was crucial for our ancestors, but it doesn’t serve any purpose in casinos, like those in Caesars Palace.

Players often recall significant wins during lively Friday nights when slot machines are buzzing, surrounded by other players hitting jackpots. Conversely, they may remember losses from quieter Sundays. However, the slots themselves do not differentiate between days.

The Reality

Each result on a slot machine is determined by the RNG, which generates a sequence of numbers that corresponds to the positions of the reels. This mechanism is completely random and does not take into account what happened in prior spins. There’s no memory, no discernible pattern, and no adjustments based on the day of the week or any superstitions.

For a typical slot, if a jackpot appears on one reel once in 100 tries, and on another reel once in 1000, the odds of hitting both at the same time are 1 in 100,000. Newer slots may utilize intricate algorithms with multiple reels and paylines, but randomness remains a constant.

How can results be truly random if a house edge exists?

The house edge is integrated into the payout structure and is separate from the randomness of the RNG. The game’s paytable is engineered to ensure that over extensive play, the casino secures a predictable share of all bets.

For a slot boasting a 96% return-to-player (RTP) percentage, it means the design aims to return $96 for every $100 bet—on average, over time. Thus, $4 accounts for the house edge.

However, every spin’s outcome remains wholly random.

While it is impractical to monitor all 165,000 slot machines consistently, the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s Enforcement Division performs random checks to confirm adherence to standards. They also mandate casinos to keep comprehensive performance records of their machines, including payouts and win rates, which are reviewed periodically.

Therefore, casinos have no motivation to jeopardize their gaming licenses by cheating players, given that they already profit through the house edge.