For vlt players

How to play a video lottery terminal

• Insert your money into the bill acceptor 
• Select the game you want to play
• Learn how to play a specific game by pressing the "Help" button on the screen; you will be able to see how to play that game and how the line combinations work

VLT Features/Terminology 

We often get questions on how bonus rounds work; here is some information that may be helpful:

• Bonus Pots - pots that increment based on symbol combinations and cash played

• Cascading/Tumbling Reels - reels that cascade instead of spin; any symbols creating line wins will award and then exit causing new symbols to tumble into their place

• Double-Up Feature - a game of chance where any winnings could be doubled

• Expanding WILD/Full Reel Wild - wilds that expand to adjacent symbols

• Forced Bet - a wager is needed to cover all lines of a game

• Free Spins/Free Games - a bonus round where free plays are awarded at no cost to the player

• Hot Roll Dice - roll the dice to receive multipliers

• Locking Symbols - symbols that lock into place and remaining non-locking symbols are spun again

• Multipliers - symbols that can multiply the amount won

• Onscreen Bonus - this type of bonus remains on the main game screen for the player to choose from a selection of additional awards

• Pays L-R or R-L - a game that pays left to right OR right to left

• Persistence Bonus Trigger - a bonus which is activated once a specific number of symbols or game events have accumulated

• Pick-A-Prize - players choice pick that presents multiple options for a player to pick and reveal their prize

• Progressive Pots - pots that increment based on line wagers and cash played

• Reveal-A-Wheel or Spin-The-Wheel - a wheels bonus which presents multiple prizes

• Scatter Pays - symbols that pay when a set amount appears on any reel regardless of location/alignment

• Split Symbol - two symbols that occupy the space of one symbol

• Stacked Wilds - stacks of wild symbols

• Sticky Wilds - wilds that lock in the position they land and remain

• Super Stacks - stacks of the same symbols on a reel

• Wild Stays 4 Plays - wilds that stay on screen for multiple spins

• Wild Symbol - a wild symbol is generally used as a symbol substitute to fill out reel combinations that produce a line win

What are the rules of play at a video lottery terminal site?

Players should be aware that there are Rules of Play posted at every vlt site. These rules provide information on wagers, time limits, claiming a prize and retailer responsibilities.  

• Vlt retailers are PROHIBITED from granting credit or providing cash advances on credit cards to enable a person to play a video lottery terminal (vlt)

• No person under the age of 18 is permitted to play vlts

• Alberta law prohibits any vlt retailer from permitting a person who is apparently intoxicated by liquor or a drug to take part in any gaming activity conducted in the licensed premises

• Vlts will not accept additional cash from players when the terminal cash balance is more than $100

• Vlts require players to select a session time limit prior to playing and will automatically cash-out after the player’s second time session expires

• Any malfunction voids all plays and pays

• If a vlt appears to be malfunctioning, play should be discontinued and the malfunction should be reported to site staff immediately

• Game prize limits may be capped by game or may have a specified maximum prize

• When the cash balance on the terminal reaches $1,250 or more, a cash-out ticket will be generated for $1,250; any balance will remain on the terminal until played or cashed-out

• If a single spin results in a prize award greater than $1,250, a cash-out ticket will be generated for a value equal to the individual prize award; any balance will remain on the terminal until played or cashed-out

• Vlt cash-out tickets must be claimed within thirty (30) days from the date of issue; players are encouraged to print their name on the back of their cash-out ticket as a means of identifying ownership of the ticket

• Cash-out tickets up to and including $1,250 can only be redeemed at the vlt retailer from where they were issued; if cashed on a day other than the day issued, identification may be requested to confirm the name printed on the back of the cash-out ticket

• If the vlt retailer location is unable to pay a cash-out ticket of a value more than $1,250 the retailer will provide the player with a list of AGLC designated cross-validation sites that can accommodate payment of the cash-out ticket

• At the cross-validation site, the ticket must be cashed by the person who has signed their name on the back of the cash-out ticket; the person cashing the ticket will be asked to provide identification that matches the name that appears on the back of the ticket

Claiming Your Prize

• Cash-out tickets up to and including $1,250 can only be redeemed at the vlt retailer from where they were issued; if cashed on a day other than the day issued, identification may be requested to confirm the name printed on the back of the cash-out ticket

• if the vlt retailer location is unable to pay a cash-out ticket of a value more than $1,250 the retailer will provide the player with a list of AGLC designated cross-validation sites that can accommodate payment of the cash-out ticket

Cross-Validation Sites

• All vlt retailers have a listing of cross-validation sites at their cash-out counter; please ask the staff for this listing

Ticket Expiry

• All vlt prize tickets must be validated within 30 days at the location they were generated or at a cross-validation site

• If you have not been able to cash out your ticket, please complete the “Expired Ticket Form” 

• For more information, please call AGLC Hotline:1-800-742-7818

Odds and Payout Information

• Vlt machines in Alberta are programmed to pay out a cumulative average of 92 per cent of all money wagered over all of the machines in the vlt network; the payout rate of 92 per cent is averaged over millions and millions of plays, not one playing session  

• The programmed machine payout rates vary based on line counts, denomination, maximum bet and various other variables; for example, some machines may be programmed at 92.00 per cent or 91.89 per cent

• It’s important to note that vlts operate randomly at all times, no matter how many wins or losses have occurred in the past; altering play patterns, time of day, or position of the machine within a video lottery retail location or the result of your last game has no bearing on the result of your next game

• Each spin on a vlt is random and is independent of the amount wagered; this means that the machine randomly picks the outcome and then evaluates it against the wager to determine the prize amount

• Every time the “Spin” button is pressed on a vlt machine, including progressives, the outcome is determined by a computer chip called a Random Number Generator (RNG) located inside each machine; a new independent random draw is made each time the “Spin” button is pressed then computer program within the machine uses sophisticated random mathematical processes to determine the outcome of each game

• The random draw cannot be influenced by anything other than the RNG and there are not patterns or clues to indicate when a win will happen; randomness means that all future outcomes are unpredictable

• No matter the type of game you are playing, the outcome of every bet is ultimately determined by random numbers; the game will choose one random number for each reel, map that number onto a position on the reel, stop the reel in the appointed place and score whatever the outcome is; the outcome is randomly determined at moment you press the button; your odds are the same for every spin on a given machine

• The odds of winning smaller prizes are much greater than the odds of winning the top prize; the laws of probability will allow players to win, lose or leave and others to walk away even

• On an on-going basis, AGLC technical staff carefully monitor every vlt in Alberta for security purposes and to ensure the integrity of the games

• AGLC continually researches player interests and regularly refreshes the game mix to meet player demand

GameSense/Responsible Gambling 

• It is important to note that electronic gaming terminal games are developed based on randomness, which means that the outcome is not predictable, so when you gamble the odds always favour the house; AGLC encourages all players to get to know the games they play and set limits on the amount they are prepared to bet and potentially lose

• AGLC asks you to remember that electronic gaming terminals are a game of chance and are based on random outcomes; these games of chance should be considered a form of entertainment as winning a prize is never guaranteed

• AGLC provides GameSense, an awareness and education program, to support Albertans in making informed decisions when they choose to participate in gaming activities; For information on this program, please visit GameSense