One thing I am 100% certain of is that the slots are not completely random.
This isn't just a couple of players who have had a bad run.
Like myself other MG slot players with years of play time are experiencing the same results time and time again. That's the beauty of forums like this, it allows everyone to draw on hindsight.
From my personal perspective things have gone pear shaped with all MG slots. Sure the new releases seem to pay-out fairly decent for the first month, but they too turn stingy.
For example. Over the course of the past 3 months I've had up to an amazing 7x re-triggered free spins on the following MG slots. Free spin winning amounts are all very pissy indeed.
Isis: 145 free spins from one initial free spin round
Won at $1 a bet
Each free spin equals 6x original bet ($6) a wild doubles this win on any winning pay line (except scatters).
Total amount won $131
Spring Break: 105 free spins from one initial free spin round
Won at .45 cents a bet
Each spin equals 3x original bet ($1.35) a wild doubles a win on any winning pay line (except scatters).
Total amount won $53
Thunderstuck: 105 free spins from one initial free spin round
Won at .90 cents a bet
Each spin equals 3x original bet ($2.70) a wild doubles a win on any winning pay line (except scatters).
Total amount won $97
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Although I've never had so many re-triggered free spins ever, when I did get re-triggered free spins previously (to the MG slots going pear shaped), I could guarantee within 99.999% accuracy that I'd get a decent pay-out when the re-triggered free spins activated on any MG slot.
Long gone are the days of getting 5 hammers or 5 staffs & a wild on the free spins in Thunderstuck. It's the same status quo for the others too.
Up until the last MG update (beginning of this month March 2009) Isis was although producing some sh#t it was also paying out some decent wins too. This month I've noticed a drastic change is Isis also.
Reiterating the people (like myself) who are noticing these MG slot peculiarities are long term MG slot players. Speaking for myself I know I have untold
millions x millions x millions of spins under my belt. All of which I can form an educated evaluation that something is not kosha with MG slots any more.
It got so bad this month that I contacted casino management on two separate occasions. On both times I was informed that my session gave me less that 1/2 what is an expected pay-back return on Isis.
Although I did receive a comp both times, that's not the point.
I would choose to play MG slots because I honestly felt I had a chance of winning. Granted not every time but a chance all the same. If I didn't get to cash out I at least benefited from the knowledge that in most times I'd get decent play period for my deposit(s).
As far as MG slots being random I don't think they've every been random in the true sense of that meaning. However as said above at least I always felt I had a chance.
Besides Lady Luck seems to favour me playing on MG slots. But even she has done an exit stage right
It's not until I have sat back and taken a good hard look at all my MG slots play that I can now see I huge divergence in what I considered to be acceptable play and to what I see as less than acceptable now.
On reflection over the last 14 months or so MG slots IMHO have gone from worse to worse. Again IMHO this is just not isolated to FL group either. It's global on all casinos running MG software.
[
derail]
Playing the devils advocate, the indisputable fact is that since the UIGEA online casinos have suffered big losses. The collateral damage has been evident with the closure of such trusted names as Global Player and both of Lasseters online casinos.
Marketing of casinos that are still operations has become in some parts militant & properties that you could testify would not spam, have been busted spamming. To me that's a clear indication that desperate times are calling for desperate measures.
[
/derail]
When one combines this with players stating that MG slots have noticeably changed in their pay-outs, I think it's time that these claims were taken seriously.
Players are no longer the mindless fools that will swallow the usual excuses given by MG support staff "Our games operate on a RNG (random number generator)" or words to that affect.
From where I'm standing (again IMHO) if this was any other casino software questions of legitimacy would have been asked and proof sought.
Has anyone approached eCogra on this - they do after all run the auditing percentage returns of all sealed MG casinos, do they not?
Then again (and no this is not a snide back handed slap) just another point of factual reference, although Roger Raatgever has stepped down from the board of eCogra, in his place has stepped Chris Hobbs (Head of Corporate Affairs for Microgaming Software Systems).
As the non executive directors hold the final vote over all eCogra board decisions, this only leads itself to further speculation of "conflict of interest", especially at a time like this.
Cheers
T
In essence, it's not, because I should subtract the deposit, but it makes you feel much better if you don't.
