Whether you are new to casino games or you have been playing for a long time, you have most probably heard of hot and cold slots. In fact, these terms can also be found in other casino games, representing pretty much the same thing. While some players believe they can use the knowledge of a hot or cold slot can be an indicator of the game they should play next.
While there are many gambling strategies that players can follow when they play casino games, hot and cold slots are not exactly something you should be influenced by. There are numerous myths related to these terms and we will explain whether slots can really get hot and cold and what exactly that means.
At the end of the day, one should always keep in mind that a trustworthy virtual casino is always using an RNG (Random Number Generator) to ensure that the result of every slot spin is truly random. That is why hot and cold spin cycles should not be something you should base your betting decisions on. To get a better idea of hot and cold slots and what these terms mean, you should keep on reading.
What Does Hold and Cold Mean in Online Slots?
Whenever you play a slot variation, you may notice that the game is going through winning or losing streaks. Whenever a slot is awarding several continuous wins, it can be described as the game entering a hot cycle. Meanwhile, if the game is going through a losing streak, it can be said that it has entered a cold cycle.
To be able to determine whether a slot is hot or cold, you will need to know the results of several past spins of the same game. Based on the history of the slot, we are able to determine that a long streak of wins indicates a hot cycle, while consecutive losses show that the slot is currently cold. Of course, since there is no specific number of wins or losses that would determine whether a slot is hot or cold, every player could categorise slots differently.
Hot slots
As mentioned above, hot slots are typically considered to have been paying out multiple wins in the last few spins. After one fruitful spin follows another one, it is easy to determine that a slot has been generous with you, hence, it is a hot slot that may continue to award bountiful payments.
There is also another, less common, the definition of the term “hot slot”. Some players consider that a slot is hot if it has not awarded a single win in a series of spins. That would indicate that a huge win is due to drop any time soon, hence the slot is hot, or at least some players believe so.
Cold Slots
The most common definition of a cold slot is a game that seems to be going through your bankroll with a devastating speed, not awarding any wins in a series of unfortunate spins. Many players believe such slots should not be played as you cannot expect a decent win any time soon.
It is also possible to find players who consider slots cold if they have just given a huge win. The reason for this is they think the game should compensate for the major payout and will not award any satisfying wins in the upcoming spins.
Can Slots Really Go Through Hot or Cold Cycles
If you think about it, hot and cold are just other terms for winning and losing strings that simply depend on the player’s luck. While there is nothing wrong in determining whether the game has been more generous or it has been exhausting your balance in the last few spins, some players base their next moves on the concept of slots getting hot or cold.
Reputable online casinos are utilising RNG to ensure that the result of every slot spin is free of any bias. That is why every new spin is in no way related to the previous ones and the result cannot be influenced by the outcomes of preceding spins. This eliminates the possibility of hot or cold cycles having any meaning for your upcoming bets.
As virtual slots have no memory of past losses or wins, you should not base your next move on the previous spinning rounds of a slot. Factors like RTP, EV, and volatility are the things that should help you decide whether it is worth playing a slot. That being said, if you end up in a winning or losing streak, this has all to do with your luck and nothing to do with the previous spin results.
While it is possible for slots to get hot or cold in the sense of going through long winning or losing streaks, these trends indicate in no way what the outcome of the next spin is going to be. This is why players should not believe the myth that any slot can be hot or cold, meaning it cannot predict the result of the next spins.
How Players Get Fooled to Believe Hot and Cold Slots
Even though many players are aware of the fact that the results of online slots are always random and depend on luck, there are still numerous slot lovers who believe slots can get hot or cold. The reason for that is even with random data on the results of multiple slot spins there is a huge possibility for some trends. It is completely normal for slots to have a series of wins or losses that would still be random.
However, as humans are used to spotting trends even when there are none, they tend to be fooled that a certain slot is getting hot or cold, indicating that it will continue to award wins or will bring more unsuccessful spins. Even though this contradicts the truth about the outcome of every spin being random, trends still get players fooled.
While most players have similar definitions for hot and cold slots, not all of them act the same way when they believe the game has started a hot or cold cycle. The ways that players who believe such trends act are very opposite and mostly depend on their willingness to take some risks.
- If a slot is hot, some players believe they should continue playing it as it promises more upcoming payouts
- Other players consider hot slots to be quickly exhausted and avoid such variations as they believe they will enter losing cycles
- Cold slots which are going through losing streaks are avoided by some players as they fear the losing rounds will continue
- Quite the opposite is the strategy of other players who believe cold slots are the ones they should play as this may indicate they will soon award a payout
Is It Possible for Slots to Get Hot/Cold or Is It All a Myth?
One thing you should remember is that there is no such thing as hot and cold slots, at least not in the sense of previous spins having any effect on the following spins. Of course, this is 100% true for the slots offered by reputable virtual casinos, offering a fair casino experience. Any licensed slot will use an RNG to generate a random outcome on every spin of the reels.
Online casinos must also obtain a licence from different jurisdictions to be able to legally operate in specific markets. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) is the authority that issues the licences to operators that would like to cater to UK players. The gambling regulator is extremely strict with their licensees, with providing a fair gaming experience being one of the conditions casino operators must meet.
Gaming operators must incorporate RNG software to ensure that all casino games offered on their websites will produce random and fair results. Moreover, the casino’s RNG software must be regularly audited by independent third parties like eCOGRA, ITech labs, and TST, to name a few.
With both software providers and licensed operators being required to ensure the fairness of the games they distribute and offer, you can be sure that the outcome of every spin of the slot you play is free of any bias. That is why the theory about slots getting hot or cold is not correct.
If we think critically, we will come to the conclusion that online casinos always have an advantage over the player. Even if a slot is going through a winning cycle, this does not bother the virtual casino as it will get its profit in the long run. This is a particularly good reason to be certain that licensed casinos do not bother meddling with online slots so each spin is completely random.
Slots that run on rigged software platforms award winnings based on the outcomes of previous spins. That is why, if such slots have been awarding big payouts in the previous spins, it can be expected that the upcoming spins will be less rewarding. Meanwhile, a long losing streak would indicate that a more generous win is about to land soon.
Conclusion
The lesson to draw from this article is to stop believing the myth of slots getting hot or cold, basing your next move on this false knowledge. Licensed casinos will always use an RNG to randomly generate the outcome of every slot spin. If every spin is random, there is no point in following hot and cold trends as they are not real and cannot help you determine the results of the next spinning rounds.
If an online slot is ever truly hot or cold, then this is because it runs on a fake or rigged software platform. In that case, payouts are not awarded randomly and you can predict the results of the next spins based on the previous rounds. However, such slots are not fair so you are recommended to avoid unlicensed casinos and games. Even if you use their hot and cold cycles, you risk not getting your wins as you will be playing at a shady, unregulated gaming website.
