Does Slot Machine Free Play Differ from Cash Play?

Land-based casinos commonly give free play as a promotion to slots players. Slot machine free play gives you the chance to play for real money without spending any of your own.

But some players wonder if slot machines treat free play differently from cash. In other words, do you win less often when using free play?

Find out the answer to this question as I cover the reality behind slot machine free play.

Results are the Same with Free Play and Cash

Some players are skeptical that their free play doesn’t give them the same chance to win as real money spins do. But the truth is that the random number generator (RNG) doesn’t see a difference between cash and free play.

An RNG is programmed to cycle through number combinations to determine spin results. Any qualifying spin will set the RNG in motion.

Free play counts as real money in the machine’s eyes. Therefore, your spin will be treated just like if you were to bet your own money.

Free Play Doesn’t Always Generate Rewards Points

The one difference with slot machine free play can be seen with how it’s treated regarding rewards points.

Many casinos don’t count free play towards comp points. Instead, you need to make cash spins to collect rewards.

Some players may see this as a bummer. But the truth is that you don’t miss out on much when it comes to comp points.

Casinos usually only comp players on around 0.1% of their total play. This means that you’d need to bet $1,000 just to earn $1 in comps.

Players should welcome the free play over missing out on the tiny amount of value that comp points offer.