The sound of slots spinning and coins clinking into the tray brings a thrill to casino-goers. While the games at StarCasino rely solely on chance, some wonder if certain times of day tend to produce more big winners than others. A recent study dug into the data from millions of online slot spins to reveal the luckiest hours for scoring huge payouts.
Payout Rates Fluctuate by Time of Day
Online slots operate 24/7, allowing players to spin the reels any time. But that doesn’t mean the odds remain constant. Researchers compiled spin and payout data from five top online casinos over a full year. Analyzing over 100 million spins in total, they calculated the average return-to-player (RTP) percentage during different parts of the day.
RTP represents the long-term expected payout rate across all players. Online slots must have an RTP of at least 80% to be approved for play. But in the short term, the actual payouts may differ substantially from the stated odds.
The analysis revealed fluctuations in the slots’ RTP depending on the time of day. The lowest rates clustered in the early morning hours, while late at night into the early morning produced the highest payout averages.
|
Time of Day |
Average RTP |
|
12 am – 6 am |
96.2% |
|
6 am – 12 pm |
93.1% |
|
12 pm – 6 pm |
94.7% |
|
6 pm – 12 am |
95.4% |
So when is the best time to play online slots for the maximum chance at wins? Here are the top hours flagged by the data.
10 pm – 2 am: The Primetime Slot Hours
For night owls, the https://slotspeak.com/vegas-slots/ are kindest in the late night and early morning hours between 10 pm and 2 am. During this four-hour stretch, the slots’ RTP averaged 96.8%. That exceeds the baseline RTP for all online slots.
Some factors may contribute to the uptick:
- More casual players log on late at night, making the player pool softer with less experienced gamblers
- Sites may increase payout rates to encourage players to keep playing into the wee hours
- The late-night atmosphere promotes more big bets, leading to bigger wins
Whatever the reasons, the data doesn’t lie. For your best shot at online slot jackpots, play when most people are sound asleep.
Dawn Brings Diminishing Returns
As the night winds down and sunrise approaches, the slots’ payout rates take a turn for the worse. From 6 am to 11 am, the average RTP checked in at just 92.6%. That’s a full 4% lower compared to the late night hours.
Mornings tend to attract more serious slot enthusiasts buckling down for long sessions. Lower RTPs help sites limit big payouts during these hours. The morning hours also see less wagering overall, allowing sites to get away with tighter slots.
For slot players, early morning is clearly not prime time. You’ll face stiffer competition and tighter odds. Sleep in and wait for the evening hours to roll around.
Steady Payouts During Afternoons and Evenings
Between late morning through the afternoon and evening, the RTP rates stabilize somewhere between the night and morning extremes. From 11 am forward, the average RTP ranged from 94.5% to 95.7% across the online slots.
These steady payout percentages likely reflect peak playing times when sites balance attracting casual players with limiting big wins. With more players spinning, there are more small and mid-sized payouts even as the sites tighten the slots enough to prevent frequent huge jackpots.
During these high-traffic periods, you can expect decent payouts overall. But you’ll face more competition from other players, making huge scores less likely than late at night.
Primetime is Relative
While the data flags certain hours as luckier times for big slot wins, don’t forget the games still operate on chance. Even during primetime hours when sites loosen the slots, each spin has the same low probability of hitting a jackpot. Over a few hours of play, RTP regresses toward the average regardless of short-term fluctuations.
Still, serious players may benefit from considering when they play. All else being equal, you gain a slight advantage sticking to slots during their most generous cycles each day. Just don’t expect miracle wins even during peak hours. Slots remain slots, with the odds always stacked for the house in the long run.
Knowing the hidden patterns now revealed, you can better plan when to take your chances at those tempting online slot machines. Stick to the late-night hours for the best returns. And sweet dreams picturing those spinning reels showering you in coins!