why do slot machines cluster losses like you're not supposed to win

It always feels like slots go cold right after a couple small hits, then drain you for what seems like way more spins than should be possible. I get the whole RNG thing and how the math “evens out over time,” but sometimes it feels almost personal how brutal the losses get, like there’s some hot streak of taking your credits. I’ve played a lot of roulette and blackjack online and you at least sense rhythm or patterns there, but slots just seem to be designed to keep you hoping and then crush you all at once.

Do you think the payout clustering is just pure luck and we’re overanalyzing, or is there really something about the way slots are programmed that groups the losses so heavy? Anyone ever tracked their own spins to check if this streaky losing happens more than it should by math alone?