It is a relatively frequent occurrence due to frustration, animosity against other players, or simply bad luck. The term originated from pinball where physically tilting the machine causes some games to flash the word "TILT" and freeze the flippers. Tilt is also common in other games, especially chess and esports.

If a slot machine malfunctions it cannot complete the random selection process, and therefore reverts to a "tilt" mode. When a malfunction occurs some slot machine manufacturers, for engineering purposes, set the reels to stop briefly in a "jackpot" position.