Whether or not you are playing on a machine that might be tight or loose would likely depend on whether the machine you are playing on is in a legal jurisdiction or not. Illegal operators would probably set the machine for the highest house setting whereas legal establishments probably have to abide by some sort of regulation.
You reminded me when no regulation at all was some years ago in the Western Balkans and the houses were setting up these type of slots in such a way that the house would get 86% and the people 14%,this was the highest of the slot machines namely Apex from Austria let the maximum to be permitted as a house edge.This was in Montenegro,Kosovo,Serbia,Albania and North Macedonia that I have experienced first hand as I was having work trips in such countries many years ago and I still remember the rage of people in all these countries when losing money while I imagined how much the owners of landline casinos would be laughing at people stupidity.