Slot Machine Odds & Payout Configuration

This document explains how odds, payouts, RTP, and bonuses work in the slot machine configuration, and how you can safely tune them to reduce profitability without breaking gameplay balance.

High‑Level Concepts

RTP (Return to Player)

• RTP is the long‑term average payout of the machine.

• Example: 96% RTP means that for every $100 wagered over time, $96 is paid back to players.

• RTP is not affected by max bet size.

  • Increasing max bet only increases volatility (bigger wins & losses).

👉 If players are winning too much too fast, the issue is odds and multipliers, not RTP alone.

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How Winning Works

A win occurs when:

1. A payline matches the same symbol across enough reels

2. The match count meets paylineWinThreshold

3. The corresponding multiplier is applied to the bet

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Key Configuration Sections

1️⃣ reels — Symbol Appearance Odds

reels = {10, 10, 10, 10, 10}

• Each number represents the relative chance of that symbol appearing on each reel.

• Higher number = higher chance

• Lower number = rarer symbol

Example:

reels = {15, 12, 10, 10, 15}

• Reel 1 & 5 → more likely

• Reel 3 & 4 → less likely

📉 Lowering these values reduces win frequency.

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2️⃣ pay — Payout Multipliers (Per Reel Count)

pay = {0, 0, 0.2, 0.35, 1.25}

Each index represents the multiplier based on how many matching reels you hit:

Matches	Multiplier
1	0x
2	0x
3	0.2x
4	0.35x
5	1.25x

Example Calculation

• Bet: $10

• Hit 3 symbols → 0.2x

• Payout: $10 × 0.2 = $2

⚠️ This means not every win is profitable — low multipliers intentionally cause losses.

📉 Lowering pay values reduces payout size.

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3️⃣ Bonus Symbols & Bonus Odds

["Bonus Symbol"] = {
    image = "bonus.png",
    reels = {8, 8, 1, 1, 1},
    pay = {0, 0, 0, 0, 0},
}

How Bonus Odds Work

• Bonus symbols use the same reel odds system

• In this example:

  • Reels 1 & 2 → common

  • Reels 3–5 → rare

This creates a "tease effect" where players frequently see partial bonuses.

Reducing Bonus Frequency

To make bonuses harder to hit:

reels = {4, 4, 1, 1, 1}

✅ This halves bonus chance ❌ Does NOT affect normal symbol odds

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4️⃣ bonusFreeSpins

bonusFreeSpins = 15

• Controls how many free spins are awarded

• Directly affects profitability

📉 Reducing this is one of the safest ways to lower payout without impacting normal gameplay.

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5️⃣ Paylines & Win Frequency

paylines = {
  {1,1,1,1,1},
  {0,0,0,0,0},
  {2,2,2,2,2},
  ...
}

• More paylines = more chances to win

• Fewer paylines = lower hit rate

📉 Removing high‑coverage paylines reduces win frequency.

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How to Reduce Player Profitability (Recommended Order)

If players are winning too much:

✅ Best Options (Safe)

1. Lower bonus symbol reel odds

2. Reduce bonusFreeSpins

3. Slightly reduce high‑tier multipliers (4–5 matches)

⚠️ Use Carefully

• Lowering base symbol odds too much can make machines feel "dead"

• Over‑nerfing RTP causes player churn

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Common Misconceptions

❌ "Max bet affects RTP" ✔️ Max bet only affects volatility

❌ "You only win with 5 symbols" ✔️ You can win with 3+, depending on pay

❌ "Pay is per reel" ✔️ Pay is based on total matching reels on a payline

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TL;DR

• reels → controls how often symbols appear

• pay → controls how much they pay

• Bonus symbols use the same odds logic

• RTP stays constant unless you rebalance payouts

If bonuses are too profitable: make them rarer, not bigger.

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If you want, this doc can be expanded with:

• RTP math examples

• Recommended default tuning values

• "High volatility" vs "casual" presets