What is the difference between a table game and a slot machine in terms of how the outcome is decided?

Slots and table games are both random in the long-run sense — the house always has an edge — but the mechanism that produces each result is completely different, and that difference matters more than most players realize.

Slots: the outcome is a number, not a spin

The Random Number Generator (RNG) is a computer chip inside every slot machine that makes a thousand mathematical calculations per second. As soon as you hit the button to initiate a spin, the RNG freezes on a random set of numbers that determine the corresponding symbols on the reels — the outcome is decided the instant you press spin. The reel animation you watch afterward is purely cosmetic. The spinning symbols just add entertainment to the game.

A few things follow from this that are worth knowing before you play. Each spin is completely independent from the last, and all previous spins. There is no memory, no "due" cycle, no hot or cold streak — it's a computer chip that is constantly running, so every win or loss is entirely random, and there's no such thing as a machine that's due to win. Every slot machine arrives from the manufacturer with a computer chip capable of pre-determining how much of the overall player spend the machine will pay back over its lifetime — that's the RTP figure baked into the game's design — but it says nothing about when any individual spin will pay out.

Table games: physics, cards, and (sometimes) decisions

Table games work on physical or mathematical randomness that unfolds in real time and, crucially, in front of you. In roulette, the ball lands in a pocket on the wheel and the croupier announces the winning number, colour and whether it's odd or even — gravity and wheel physics determine the result, not a chip. In card games like blackjack and baccarat, the outcome comes from a shuffled deck dealt sequentially. No RNG is involved in the core randomization.

The bigger structural difference is that some table games let your decisions influence the result. Blackjack is the one game compared to others that can give you a better chance through skill. Although most forms of gambling require no skill, skill can be applied to card games such as blackjack and poker — players have some room to apply their knowledge, but the gambling operator will always have the house advantage. Slots give you zero input into the outcome; there are simply no strategies to beat a slot machine — the RNG makes every win purely random.

Online live-dealer games: a hybrid worth understanding

On Ontario-regulated sites, you'll also find live-dealer table games — real dealers, real cards or wheels, streamed via video. These use the same physical randomization as a land-based table, not an RNG. Standard RNG-based virtual table games (digital blackjack, digital roulette) do use an RNG for each card draw or wheel spin, similar in principle to how slots work, but the game rules and player decisions still apply exactly as they would at a felt table.

Quick note since you're playing online in Ontario: you're 19+ and you're on a legitimate regulated site — look for both the iGaming Ontario and BetGuard logos on any site you use; their presence confirms the operator is managed by iGaming Ontario and regulated by the AGCO. If you ever want to check whether a specific operator is registered, the iGaming Ontario registry is the definitive source. And if gambling stops being fun, ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) is the province's free support line.