Seriously, How Do They Make Money

[Garethp123]

In last 3 weeks I've turned £15 into around £60 from Deal or No Deal. How do they make money as I consistently profit from it.

Three weeks I was on holiday, I went into a pub and they had a new version of Deal or No Deal and won £36 from £1.50.

I was ill for a week so played a different version on Sky Bet. It set a limit of £$ but won £25 after £2.60.

I consistently profit from this game. I lost around £10-£12 in between these two wins but still just about quadruple my money.

[weemac]

That's a great streak — turning £15 into £60 is no small feat when it comes to gambling-style games like Deal or No Deal. But your question is a smart one: if you're consistently profiting, how does the machine/operator make money?

Let’s break it down.

How Deal or No Deal Machines Make Money
Long-Term RTP (Return to Player)

Most gambling machines (including fruit machines and games like Deal or No Deal) are legally required to have a set RTP, usually around 85% to 94% in the UK.

This means that for every £100 put into the machine over time, it’s designed to pay back £85–£94 on average — but that doesn’t mean every player will see that. Some win big (like you), others lose it all quickly.

Your Wins = Someone Else’s Losses

The machine doesn’t have to make money from you individually.

It just needs to make sure that across hundreds or thousands of plays, it pays out less than it takes in.

Your recent win streak likely came from a "hot" cycle — or from money fed into it by previous players who lost.

Volatility and Psychology

These games are designed to feel exciting and winnable. The gameplay — boxes, offers, tension — is crafted to keep you emotionally engaged.

Wins like yours are essential to the game’s business model — they hook people and create stories that attract others (and encourage repeat play).

Randomness and Streaks

Machines often use pseudo-random number generators, so even though you’ve done well in 3 weeks, it doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed continued profit.

You might just be in a lucky patch — which can flip without warning.

The Pub Machine Example (£1.50 → £36)
That big win likely came from a combination of:

Hitting a bonus round or rare outcome

The machine being in a "loose" state to encourage early wins

Maybe someone previously lost money in it, and your win was part of the payout cycle

Why You’re Beating It Right Now
You may be playing selectively (e.g., walking away after wins, not feeding more money in)

You might have gotten lucky during a payout cycle

You’re not playing constantly, which avoids the slow drain effect most players suffer

Final Thoughts
While you're in profit now (awesome!), remember:

Machines are stacked against you in the long term

Your wins are likely variance, not guaranteed skill or strategy

The house always wins eventually — unless you quit while ahead (which you seem to be doing well!)

Want tips on how to keep ahead, or spot when a machine is worth playing (like “credit sniffing” or “banker behavior patterns”)?

[Garethp123]

That's the thing. The machines are basically computers which you can't beat. I just rotate them around alot. I limit myself to £2 and will often cash out when I am ahead. My limit was £4 today online as I haven't been able to go into town all week as I have been ill.

I just went onto PaddyPower and lost £2 but still £18 up today.

I also look for machines that credit left on. Then you can have a spin for a few pence.

[weemac]

It's just remarkable.

[Kai]

It's just remarkable.

Indeed. To consistently win from 23 different sidehustles is something else

Logically there are only two conslusions at this point. One is that GarethGPT is an absolute genius whose skills redefine the laws of mathematics and defy statistical variance.

[wearthefoxhat]

It's just remarkable.

Indeed. To consistently win from 23 different sidehustles is something else

Logically there are only two conslusions at this point. One is that GarethGPT is an absolute genius whose skills redefine the laws of mathematics and defy statistical variance.

What's the other conclusion? Asking for a friend.

[Kai]

It's just remarkable.

Indeed. To consistently win from 23 different sidehustles is something else

Logically there are only two conslusions at this point. One is that GarethGPT is an absolute genius whose skills redefine the laws of mathematics and defy statistical variance.

What's the other conclusion? Asking for a friend.

Ah, right. Sorry, forgot to mention the other conclusion there. Apologies, won't happen again.

[ODPaul82]

I tend to stay silent on the forum unless it's tennis related but Gareth you seem to be taking up a lot of time of people who are actually trying to make a living from trading.
Your "exploitation" of machines is just fanciful and anyone who falls into their trap then more the sucker you.
You've spoken about random machines, car boot sales, "upselling", it's just utter shite.

I honestly don't think this is the appropriate forum for you as so far as I can I see you add nothing to the ecosystem of the liquidity to Betfair, you just put fanciful shite up.
Please do the rest of us a favour and fuck right off.

[Garethp123]

I tend to stay silent on the forum unless it's tennis related but Gareth you seem to be taking up a lot of time of people who are actually trying to make a living from trading.
Your "exploitation" of machines is just fanciful and anyone who falls into their trap then more the sucker you.
You've spoken about random machines, car boot sales, "upselling", it's just utter shite.

I honestly don't think this is the appropriate forum for you as so far as I can I see you add nothing to the ecosystem of the liquidity to Betfair, you just put fanciful shite up.
Please do the rest of us a favour and fuck right off.

I'm just trying to understand how fruit machines work and what experiences other people have with them.

It's just so weird how I seem to profit from them.

[Kai]

I'm just trying to understand how fruit machines work and what experiences other people have with them.

Try https://www.desertislandfruits.com/forum/index.php

According to AI it should be the most active such forum, I think the feedback you'd get would be very different

Or better yet, ditch these side hustles altogether and invest that time into something more productive and scalable

I also don’t see why you need to open so many threads on the same topic, stricter admins would consider it spam a long time ago

[Garethp123]

Thanks, i didn't know there was dedicated forum to fruit machines!

I just do it for a bit of fun when I'm walking between pubs. I'm just puzzled how the economics of it actually work. I've seen people walk away with £100 and other people lose £150. There is one pub I go to only on Fridays and I do terrible there. Its as if there is a pattern or certain pubs don't pay out at all.

[ShaunWhite]

I'm just puzzled how the economics of it actually work.

I've seen people walk away with £100 and other people lose £150.

You've answered your own question.

[goat68]

I tend to stay silent on the forum unless it's tennis related but Gareth you seem to be taking up a lot of time of people who are actually trying to make a living from trading.
Your "exploitation" of machines is just fanciful and anyone who falls into their trap then more the sucker you.
You've spoken about random machines, car boot sales, "upselling", it's just utter shite.

I honestly don't think this is the appropriate forum for you as so far as I can I see you add nothing to the ecosystem of the liquidity to Betfair, you just put fanciful shite up.
Please do the rest of us a favour and fuck right off.

I'm just trying to understand how fruit machines work and what experiences other people have with them.

It's just so weird how I seem to profit from them.

Dont complain, just keep doing it for a year then report back here and let us know how you did?

[ForFolksSake]

Thanks, i didn't know there was dedicated forum to fruit machines!

I just do it for a bit of fun when I'm walking between pubs. I'm just puzzled how the economics of it actually work. I've seen people walk away with £100 and other people lose £150. There is one pub I go to only on Fridays and I do terrible there. Its as if there is a pattern or certain pubs don't pay out at all.

You'll need to be quick... as all the pubs are closing down

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... body-warns

[Kai]

Thanks, i didn't know there was dedicated forum to fruit machines!

It's the Internet Rule 34... If it exists, there's a forum for it!