I wasn't sure if this is really the case, it definitely makes the most sense. The code behind the casino games should know instantly if we lost or won, and only takes a longer time to display the results to make it more interesting and exciting for us. Slot machines are very visual games that use different themes to attract players. Even in online roulette games I would expect it to be the same. It's only in physical casinos where we have to wait for the wheel to stop spinning before we can see who won and who lost. Like your friends I also don't like the autoplay button and always spin myself. It's more time consuming but I feel more in control and can stop when winning some money. So far I haven't noticed any patterns in slot games and aren't really looking for some. My favourite pattern in gambling is at roulette to pick the opposite color when there are 6-7 reds or blacks in a row. This is of course superstitious and no real pattern.