When you’re playing online slot, there are many things that can affect your chances of winning. These include the house edge, which is calculated over a large number of spins; variance, which is how often a slot pays out and its size; and special symbols and features, such as wilds and scatters.

Another thing that can impact your odds is the luck factor, which determines how much you win or lose on any given spin. However, a bit of knowledge about the maths behind slots can help you reduce your house edge and increase your chances of winning over the long run.

There are several myths about online slots that can confuse new players, so it’s important to dispel them. For example, some people believe that machines take advantage of players who don’t watch the screen during automatic spins by rewarding them with fewer wins. This is not true, and gambling regulators regularly test RNGs to ensure they are fair.

The basic idea behind online slots is that a random number generator (RNG) selects a random set of numbers every millisecond. When you press the “spin” button, the RNG finds a combination of those numbers and determines where the reels should stop. The game then uses the mathematical module in the software to calculate the outcome of the spin. In addition, a game’s paytable will give you details about the payouts for various combinations of symbols and how many paylines are available.