No other segment of the gaming industry has benefited more from the technology revolution than the slot machine. Once considered the ugly stepdaughter placed on the gaming floor to appease the spouses of table players, the slot machine has been transformed into the fairy princess of the gaming world. With her, she has brought a dowry of riches no one would have imagined for the casino and a few lucky players as well. Over twenty years ago the slot machine accounted for 30 percent of the casinos' profits. Today it accounts for about 70 percent. Computer technology and the ability to play with little to no gambling knowledge makes it possible to offer life-changing jackpots big enough to turn a pauper into a king.
The loop at one end of the spring, which is small diameter and about 1.5 inches long (rough estimate) was stretched out, which no doubt caused it to fall out of the mechanism. Now, the machine accepts coins, but there is no payout. I have checked, the mode switch, and it is in the payout mode with the red lever in the up position.
However, the fact that it doesn't take much gambling knowledge to play means that most people don't understand the inner working of the slots -- which makes it easy to explain a loss or a win with some false logic. Like any other 'wives tales' these are passed from person to person until they become gospel. Most of these myths and misconceptions are harmless but they can add to your frustration and take away some of the enjoyment of your casino visit. Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular myths and the truth behind them.
Myth #1
Someone hit a jackpot on the machine you just left -- so you would have won that jackpot if you kept playing.
This is probably one of the most common notions about slot machine gambling -- but it's patently false. The slot machines have a computer chip inside that runs the Random Number Generator (RNG). The RNG is continuously cycling through numbers even when the machine is not being played. These numbers correspond to the stops on the wheel that display the winning or losing symbols that you see when the reels stop. When you hit the spin button or pull the handle, the RNG picks the combination at that given microsecond. If you had stayed at the machine, it is highly unlikely that you would have stopped the RNG at the exact nano-second to display that same combination of numbers. In the time it takes to talk with a friend or sip your drink the RNG has cycled through thousands of combinations.
Myth #2
You can tell the odds of winning by counting the symbols on each wheel.
Actually, you can't. The RNG generates a number for each spin. There can be hundreds of virtual stops on each wheel even though you only see a few symbols. For example, you may see 20 symbols on each wheel of a three-reel machine. You figure 20 x 20 x 20 = 8,000 combinations and your chance of hitting the jackpot is 1 in 8000. In reality, the computer chip may program 256 stops for each wheel which makes the odds 256 x 256 x 256 =16,777,216 combinations. Being able to generate millions of combinations is the reason that slots can offer large paybacks.
Myth #3
Casinos can loosen or tighten the slot machines with the flip of a switch.
In actuality, the slot machines have a computer chip in them that determines the payback percentage. These are preset at the factory. In order for a casino to change the payback, they would have to change the chip. In most jurisdictions, there is paperwork that has to be filled and submitted to the Casino Control Commission for each machine if the chip is changed. It's time-consuming and the chips are very expensive. For this reason, it is more economical to decide on the payback percentages before purchasing the machines and having the factory ship them with the proper chip.
Myth #4
A machine that has not been paying out is due to hit.
There is no way to determine if a machine is due to hit. Each spin is a random occurrence and has no bearing on what has happened previously. Don't ever play more than you should because of this misconception -- it will be devastating to your bankroll if you do.
Myth #5
The temperature of the coins played will affect the way a machine pays.
Unfortunately, the machine is not affected by temperature. It doesn't matter if you play hot, cold, old or new coins. The coin slot is a mechanical device and has no feeling.
Myth #6
If you use your slot club card the machine will pay back less.
This may well be the most damaging myth of them all. There is no link between the card reader and the RNG, but by not using your player's card you are denying yourself valuable comps and sometimes cash back from the casino.
- A fun and interactive new slot from WMS based on the famous TV series, The Simpsons
- Housed in the Gamescape cabinet, players can use their hands to play the bonuses
- Lots of rewards and big payouts available through different features, with all your favourite characters from the show
The Simpsons is one of the best known and widely loved TV series across the Globe. With its brilliant humour, and characters we can all relate to, The Simpsons has grown to become a household name that is instantly recognizable. Is it any wonder then that SG Gaming, and the subsidiary WMS have created a fantastic slot from this hit TV series?
Originally showcased at the Global Gaming Expo back in 2016, The Simpsons slot has since become hugely popular and there are plenty of reasons for this. Firstly let’s start with the housing unit, the Gamescape cabinet, featuring three gorgeous HD displays including a huge 40 inch screen at the top, an extra wide display panel and an interactive 10.4 inch tablet at the bottom with multitouch support for players to interactive with. It’s fair to say that even the stunning display used for Willy Wonka Dream Factory slot isn’t at this high a standard. At the very top is an eye-catching, rather elegant display of some of the most well-known Simpsons characters which feature in the slot itself, and to top it all off the machine features motion detectors to add a truly immersive experience and make the bonuses a lot more fun. In all, the Gamescape cabinet really brings players into the Simpsons world and truly stands out from the crowd, so you’ll know exactly where to find it at the casino.
CANADIAN Players | USA Players Welcome | USA Players Welcome |
The Simpsons Slot Bonuses and Features
Simpsons Slot Machine
Going into more detail about the game itself, The Simpsons slot features a 5×5 layout, which is slightly unusual, with wins triggered from left to right. The idea is to obtain a winning combination using symbols that, of course, feature our favourite characters from the show. Here I have ranked them in ascending order based on their value:
- Duff Beer, Santa’s Little Helper, Snowball II, Blinky (Three-eyed Fish) and Milkshake (lowest value)
- Chief Wiggam, Krusty the Clown, Moe Sizlack and Apu
- Homer Simpson
- The Simpsons Logo (most valuable)
The Simpsons Logo is wild for all symbols apart from Homer Jackpot and The Doughnut symbols. The Homer Jackpot symbol is wild for the Homer symbol, and only appears on line 2. Five of these at max bet awards the Top Jackpot.
The Mystery Symbol Feature: Before the reel spin begins, The Mystery Symbol Feature is activated and each of the four corner reels contains a number of positions which are randomly replaced with symbols excluding Homer Jackpot. Each of the remaining reels contains positions which are replaced with all symbols that appear in the base game apart from Homer Jackpot, The Doughnut and The Simpsons Logo.
Cloning Feature: During the base game, if a spin doesn’t contain 4 matching Respin Feature or Donut Wheel Bonus trigger symbols on the 4 corner reels, the Cloning Feature may be triggered. During this, before the reel spin initiates, any column may switch to an alternate set of reels, excluding the 4 corner reels. For each column that switches, all positions on that column apart from the 4 corner reels will stop at the same symbol. If the position on line 2 stops at Homer Jackpot, all other positions in that column apart from the 4 corner reels will also stop at Homer Jackpot.
Slot Payouts By Casino
Respin Feature: If 5 Homer Jackpots do not appear on line 2, 4 matching Homer, Apu, Moe, Krusty or Chief Wiggam symbols on the 4 corner reels will trigger the respin feature, moving the game to the associated character’s location of the triggering symbol. Note that The Simpsons Logo does not count towards this feature. A single respin is awarded. Any Simpsons Logo symbols transform into the respin character symbol, while Homer Jackpot transforms into Homer if he is the respin character symbol. These are held for the duration of the feature. If the up arrow appears on the screen, pays are increased and the arrow transforms into the respin character symbol, with up to 4 of these being available. If an additional respin character symbol appears, another respin is awarded. All respin scatter pays are multiplied by the bet multiplier. Below is a table of the respin scatter pays:
If 5 Homer Jackpots do not appear on line 2 during any wagered spin that doesn’t trigger the Respin Feature or Donut Wheel Bonus, then the following features with the associated locations may be triggered:
Homer’s Monorail Madness – Springfield Nuclear Power Plant
Each monorail car displays a credit prize of between 5x and 1000x the bet multiplier. A win window, 1-7 cars wide and 3 cars tall will appear over part of the monorail. After it stops, all credit prizes within the window are awarded.
Apu’s Scrat-cha-pa-looza – Kwik-E-Mart
With the provided ticket, reveal all 6 sections to find 1-3 pairs of matching symbols before the reels stop spinning. For each pair you reveal, each of that symbol on the screen is replaced with the Wild symbol, or Double Wild when high roller bets are active. If a pair of Homer symbols are revealed, both Homer and Homer Jackpot will be replaced. One or more Double Wild doubles the pay line when involved in a winning combination.
Moe’s Pranks a Lot – Moe’s
Again before the reels stop spinning, choose 1 of the 4 names presented to reveal a random multiplier, which will be applied to all wins. This is between 2-50x for non-high roller bets, and 5-100x for high roller bets.
Krusty’s It’s Cobblering Time – Krustylu Studios
Fire the pies at Krusty before the reels stop spinning, with 3-25 pies landing on random reel positions, placing a Wild symbol when non-high roller bets are active, or Double Wild symbols when high roller bets are active. These are wild for The Simpsons logo. One or more Double Wild doubles the pay line if involved in a winning combination. Pies cannot land on either of these two symbols.
Wiggum-a-rol – Lard Lad Donuts
This feature can only be triggered if at least 3 Chief Wiggum symbols appear on the screen and is chosen for at least one of the replacements in the Mystery Symbol Feature. The Wiggum Card symbol is placed over each Chief Wiggum symbol. Choose one to obtain an award which differs for high and non-high rollers bets.
Donut Wheel Bonus: This is one of the more exciting bonuses in the game, and is triggered by four Doughnut symbols on the four corner reels. Catch between 7-26 doughnut sprinkles as they fall with your hands using the motion sensors; if none are attempted to be caught the game will automatically collect them for you. The colour of the sprinkles presents different rewards:
- Blue Sprinkles: Each blue sprinkle awards an additional free spin, with a maximum of 5 to be collected.
- Red Sprinkles: These award a Wild that locks into a random reel position at the start of the free spins and remains locked for the entire bonus. Up to 10 can be collected.
- Green Sprinkles: Up to 9 of these can be collected, each increasing the multiplier by 1 during the free spins.
- White Sprinkles: These award a mystery symbol that locks into a random reel position at the start of the free spins and remains locked for the remainder of the bonus. Between 5 and 15 of these can be collected.
After the sprinkles stop falling, the number of free spins appears on the doughnut (between 3 and 15). Homer then bites a number to award the free spins. A different set of reels is used for this bonus, with the winning combinations identical apart from Homer Jackpot and The Doughnut symbol do not appear, and the respin feature and location features are unavailable.
Conclusion
The Simpson’s Slot is easily one of the most, if not the most, interactive and entertaining slots there is. The motion sensors add a brilliant new element to the game making it significantly more fun, and that’s very fitting for a slot which is based on The Simpsons. The bonuses are plentiful with various rewards available, and if played right The Simpsons slot can bring in significant profits. It’s definitely one of our favourite slots out there, and definitely worth trying out.