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Slot machines are the most popular gambling game in most United States casinos, but the number of players who really understand how they work is terribly small.
The purpose of this post is to explain what slot machines are and how they work in language anyone can understand.
A slot machine (American English), known variously as a fruit machine (British English), puggy (Scottish English), the slots (Canadian English and American English), poker machine/pokies (Australian English and New Zealand English), fruities (British English) or slots (American English), is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers.
Frankly, I think most people who understand how slot machines really work avoid playing them. And I think some of the people who play slot machines and think those games are cheating are daft in their reasoning, too.
If you pay attention to what I’ve written in this post, you’ll know the truth about slot machines.
And when you know the truth, you can make a decision about whether to play as an educated person instead of as a rube.
Modern slot machines are powered by computers and electronic devices, but that wasn’t always so. Understanding how those computers and electronics produce results requires some understanding of the history of slot machines and how they worked in the past.
What makes a slot machine a slot machine is the presence of spinning reels with symbols on them. Early version of slot machines used actual physical reels, springs, and gears to create random results.
On the front of these machines was a window with a horizontal line across it. This represented the “payline.” If symbols lined up and matched on the payline, you won a prize amount.
At first this was money, but eventually, slots were outlawed. Many bar and pub owners replaced the monetary prizes with fruit-flavored candy and sticks of candy to get around the new laws.
The traditional, classic symbols on slot machine reels are still based on those older machines. This is why you find so many slot machines with cherries, apples, and bars on them. (The bars represent sticks of gum.)
The early slot machines used the same strategy to make money in the long run that modern slot machines do. They gave you odds of winning that weren’t commensurate with the payout amount.
This is best explained using some mathematical examples.
Let’s say you have a simple 3-reel slot machine game with 10 symbols on each reel. This slot machine only has 1 winning combination, too, and it costs $1 per spin to play.There are 1000 possible combinations of symbols on a 3-reel slot machine of that description, but only one of them is a possible winner.
If that winning combination pays off 950 for 1, the casino has a clear advantage, right?
Over 1000 spins, you’ll lose $1000, but on that single winning spin, you’ll win $950 of it back. You’ll lose $50.
That is, of course, a theoretical result based on long-term mathematical expectations. In the short run, anything can and often will happen when you’re playing slots.
And real slot machines are more robust than that. They have more winning combinations with lower prize amounts, but all the prize amounts multiplied by all the probabilities of winning always result in a number less than 100%.
That number is called the payback percentage.
Modern slot machines use the same kind of math and game-play, but instead of using a complicated system of gears and stops, they use computer programs to create the same kind of odds. This has perks for the player, but it has drawbacks, too.
On a traditional mechanical slot machine, the probabilities are straightforward. If you have 10 different symbols, the probability of that symbol showing up on a payline in a spot is 1/10.
With a computerized slot machine, the designers can use any kind of weighting that they want to. One symbol might be programmed to show up 1/20 of the time, while another might be programmed to show up 1/5 of the time.
You have no way of knowing or estimating what the probability is, either.
To make things even more interesting, 2 identical slot machines might have different programming “under the hood.”
You might be playing The Price Is Right slot machines at a casino and be facing a 95% payback percentage.
You might switch to the same game at the same stakes at the machine next to it and be facing a payback percentage of 85%. There’s no way to tell the difference.
This change in the way the games work enables casinos to offer larger jackpots than they would be able to offer otherwise.
But you trade transparency for that.
I prefer to play games where I can figure out how much of a mathematical disadvantage I have.
That’s impossible with most modern slot machine games.
Random Number Generator Programs and Why Slot Machines Don’t Cheat
The computer program that powers these results is called a random number generator. That’s almost always referred to by an acronym of “RNG.”
It’s a simple enough computer program. It’s just a program that continually thinks of numbers—thousands of them per second. When you press the spin or stop button on a slot machine, the computer program stops on one of those numbers.
That number corresponds to a combination on the reels of the machine.
The outcome has been determined by the computer program before the reels stop spinning.
This doesn’t mean that the machine is cheating. You’re not more likely to lose after a winning streak, and you’re not more likely to win after a losing streak. Every spin of the reels is an independent event.
The difference between the odds of winning and the payout odds for each bet is what creates an edge for the house. Cheating isn’t necessary for the casinos or the slot machine designers.
The math takes care of that for them.
I have a paranoid friend who literally believes the world is flat. He also thinks slot machines are rigged.
He’s wrong about both, but he’s less wrong about the slot machines.
They ARE rigged, mathematically, by providing payouts that are lower than the odds of winning.
But they work honestly in terms of providing completely random results and independent trials. In fact, in any jurisdiction where such games are legal, they’re heavily regulated, inspected, and audited.
Casinos make more money from slot machines than they’d probably make with a printing press that printed new money in that same amount of floor space.
The Difference between Short Term Results and Long Term Expectations
The mathematical examples I’ve used assume you’re interested in predicting results in the long run. That’s the entire point of gambling math as it relates to probability.
But long term expectations have little to do with what happens in the short run.
The long run can be defined as an infinite number of bets. Every bet you place brings you closer to the long run, but you’ll never get there.
The Law of Large Numbers is a mathematical principle that says the more independent trials you run, the closer you’ll get to the theoretical expectation.
In the short term, though, you’re possibly going to win. I’ve seen surveys that showed that roughly 20% of the gamblers at a casino leave with some winnings in their pocket on any given visit. The casinos don’t mind. In fact, they’re counting on it.
If no one ever won, people wouldn’t play. And without gamblers, casinos make no money and can’t stay in business.
My best advice to someone who’s playing slot machines is to not spend much time in front of them. If you get a reasonable sized win when you sit down, be willing to quit and walk away.
The longer you play, the more likely you are to see results that mirror the long term expectation.
Your goal should be to take advantage of those short term aberrations called luck or deviation. You can’t count on that in any given situation,
The longer you play, the more your results are going to resemble the mathematically expected results.
And with a negative expectation game like a slot machine, you’re going to lose all your money if you play long enough. That’s how a negative expectation gambling game works.
What about the Other Bells and Whistles on Modern Slot Machine Games?
When I use the expression “bells and whistles,” I’m talking about features of slot machine games other than the standard 3 spinning reels. Some of these additions and changes are complicated, but some of them are simplicity itself to understand.
One example of a bell and whistle is the number of reels on a slot machine game. Traditional slot machines just had 3 reels, and one of the reasons for that was the size of the reels and the machine that housed them.
The number of symbols also used to depend on the size of the reels—the smaller the reels, the fewer symbols you can print on them.
Additional paylines are another bell and whistle on most modern slot machines. The traditional machine just has a payline horizontally across the center, but modern slot machines have various patterns similar to the various patterns you might use on bingo cards.
They might run diagonally, or they might run in a zig zag pattern.
To activate multiple paylines, you must make multiple bets. Each payline gets activated by a wager, and the payout is based on the combination that appears on that line and the wager on that line only.
On larger machines with lots of paylines, you can win on multiple paylines but still be a net loser. For example, if you bet a nickel on each of 20 paylines, you’ll have put an entire dollar in action. If one of those paylines wins for 50 cents, you’ve still lost 50 cents on the game.
But the slot machine still lights up and shows you the payout as if you were a net winner.
Wild symbols are another example of a bell and whistle on a modern slot machine. If you’ve played cards, especially poker, you are probably already familiar with the concept of a wild symbol.
It’s a symbol that can be used to complete any winning combination. It acts as a replacement for the symbol that you needed to make that combination.
Scatter symbols are a little more confusing, but they’re similar to wild symbols. A scatter symbol is one that doesn’t have to be on a payline to trigger a payoff. You just need enough of those scatter symbols to show up somewhere on the screen at once.
Many times, on a 5-reel machine, you’ll get a payoff if 3 scatter symbols or more show up from left to right. They don’t need to be along a payline or anything like that. They can literally be “scattered” across the screen.
Sometimes scatter symbols and/or wild symbols trigger bonus games or free spins. Free spins are a simple enough concept to understand—they’re just extra spins on the reels that you don’t have to pay for.
On some machines, they’re always winning spins—the only thing in question is how much you’re going to win on each spin.
Bonus games can be more interesting, but they’re almost always entirely random. Often the bonus games involve choosing from a video display of multiple boxes or treasure chests. Depending on which one you choose, you get a prize amount.
There’s no skill involved in these kinds of bonus games.
Slot machine designers are now experimenting with design elements that borrow from video games like Space Invaders, though. If you get a certain number of symbols, you can trigger a bonus game, and the amount you win from that bonus game might depend on how many aliens you can shoot from the skies overhead.
Slot Machine Strategies and Systems Don’t Work, So Don’t Even Bother
If I could teach you only one thing about slot machine games, it’s this:
They’re entirely random. Each spin is an independent event. This means that what’s happened on previous spins has no effect on what’s going to happen on a subsequent spin. Most strategies and systems assume that the previous spins have some relationship to subsequent spins.
I once read an entire book of slot machine systems that were supposed to help you win at slots. The guy who wrote it was a total cornball. I’m not even going to mention the name of the book or the author here.
I will describe what he suggested, though. His first piece of advice was to track how many “naked pulls” you’ve had in a row.
A naked pull on a slot machine is one that results in no winnings at all.
His advice was to switch machines any time you get 5 or 7 naked pulls in a row. (I don’t remember the exact number, but it was something arbitrary like that.)
The idea behind this advice is that any machine which hasn’t paid out in the last 5 or 7 spins must be running cold, so you should find a machine that’s NOT running cold.
He also offered advice about setting loss limits and win goals. This idea has some merit, but not much.
A loss limit is the amount of your session bankroll that you’re willing to lose before walking away from a game. 20% is a commonly suggested number. So if you put $100 in a slot machine game and lost $20, you’d cash out and walk away for that session.
A win goal is just the opposite. It’s an amount that you will win which will signal that it’s time to quit playing. You might have a 20% win goal, too, which means that once you’re up to $120, you’ll call it a day for that playing session.
This can help you avoid having huge losing sessions. It can also help you have book occasional winning sessions.
What it doesn’t do is change the odds in your favor in any way. In the long run, you should think of playing slot machine games as one long game that lasts for the rest of your life.
Eventually the odds are going to even out to a point where you see the kind of results the math would predict, regardless of what happens during those individual sessions.
I’ll confess that when I play slot machines, I do use a variation of this strategy. My loss limit, though, is always 100% of the amount I put in the machine. I either want to hit my win goal or lose all my money trying.
That’s as effective as any other loss limit, but people never suggest that.
Raising and lowering the sizes of your bets don’t change the odds on the machines, either. Don’t pay attention to any advice which suggests otherwise.
Other Lame Pieces of Slot Machine Strategy Advice You’ve Probably Heard (Or Will Hear)
One of my favorite pieces of advice from slot machine gurus is to try to find loose slot machines on the ends of the rows of slots at the casinos.
The idea is that the casino managers put the loose machines there to attract more customers.
You’ll find superstitious types who believe that playing with you slot machine card inserted is also a mistake. They think having the card inserted makes it impossible to win.
They don’t understand how the computer programs in question work at all. They’re not connected. The random number generator determines the results of each spin. The card reader just tracks how much money you’ve put into action.
The 2 have no relation to each other.
In fact, it makes no sense that a casino would want to discourage you from using the card reader. They have a slots club for a reason—they want to encourage people to play at their casino.
In the long run, the math behind their games ensures them a healthy profit. They count on a percentage of their gamblers going home a winner.
They also want their gamblers to take advantage of the free stuff they’re earning with their slot machine club cards, because that means it’s working. It’s motivating them to play more.
Why Almost Every Other Game in the Casino Is Better than Slot Machines
The traditional way that gambling experts measure one casino game against the other is by comparing the house edge. The higher the house edge, the more the casino expects to win over time on average for each bet you place.
Slot machines generally have the highest house edge in the casino. Some of them might be exceptional, but you have no means of comparing them, because a slot machine is like a black box. You put money in and get money back.
Compare that to a video poker game, where you can calculate the payback percentage based on the probability of getting specific poker hands against the payout for those hands.
Since those games use a 52-card deck to determine your probabilities, it’s a simple enough matter to compare one video poker game to another.
Table games make it even easier to compare house edge figures.
But even if a slot machine had the same house edge as all the other games (or lower), it’s still one of the fastest-playing games in the casino. An average slot machine gambler makes 600 spins per hour.
This means slots players are putting more money into action and losing more money over time as a result.
Finally, slot machines are proven to have an addictive effect on the human brain. Addiction is bad. Alcohol can be fun. Some drugs can be fun, too.
But addiction takes something that would otherwise be fun and turns it into something that’s NOT fun.
Slot machines are the most popular games in the casinos, but that’s only because most gamblers are stunningly ignorant of how they work. You don’t have that excuse any more.
Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | California |
Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida |
Georgia | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana |
Iowa | Kansas | Louisiana | Maine |
Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota |
Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska |
Nevada | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York |
North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma |
Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina |
South Dakota | Texas | Washington | West Virginia |
Wisconsin | Wyoming |
ALABAMA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Alabama has three Indian casinos that offer Class II video gaming machines. They are not required to release payback statistics about their machines.
ARIZONA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
In mid-1993 Arizona’s Governor Symington signed a compact with the state’s tribes that allowed them to offer slot machines on their reservations.
The compact originally didn’t allow for any table games but in early 2003 blackjack was added as a permissible table game.
Arizona tribes aren’t required to release information on their slot machine percentage paybacks, however, according to the Arizona Department of Gaming, the terms of the compact require eachtribes’ machines to return the following minimum and maximum paybacks: video poker and video blackjack - 83% to 100%, slot machines - 80% to 100%, keno - 75% to 100%. Each tribe is free to setits machines to pay back anywhere within those limits.
ARKANSAS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Arkansas has two pari-mutuel facilities featuring “electronic games of skill,” which are defined as “games played through any electronic device or machine that affords an opportunity for theexercise of skill or judgment where the outcome is not completely controlled by chance alone.”
The games offered are video poker, video blackjack, and “skill” slots where you have two opportunities to spin the reels. The “skill” factor comes into play because after seeing the results ofyour first spin you then have to decide whether to keep none, one, two, or all three of the symbols on each reel before you spin them again. Gaming regulations require that all of theelectronic games of skill must return a minimum of 83%.
For the one year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average gaming machine’s return at Oaklawn was 92.81% and at Southland, it was 92.72%
CALIFORNIA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
California’s Indian casinos are legally allowed to offer electronic gaming machines, blackjack, and other house-banked card games. The games of craps and roulette are not permitted. However,some casinos do offer modified versions of craps and roulette that are played with cards rather than dice or roulette wheels.
Most California card rooms also offer some form of player-banked blackjack, but because they are prohibited by law from playing blackjack, the game is usually played to 22 rather than 21.Additionally, players must pay a commission to the house on every hand they play. The amount will vary depending on the rules of the house but, generally, it’s about two to five percent of thetotal amount bet. There are about 90 card rooms in California and you can see a listing of them on the Internet at http://www.cgcc.ca.gov
California’s tribes aren’t required to release information on their slot machine percentage paybacks and the state of California does not require any minimum returns.
COLORADO SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here’s information, as supplied by Colorado’s Division of Gaming, showing the slot machine payback percentages for each city’s casinos for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June30, 2019:
Black Hawk | Central City | Cripple Creek | |
1¢ Slots | 89.80% | 90.43% | 91.89% |
5¢ Slots | 92.85% | 93.93% | 93.50% |
25¢ Slots | 92.30% | 94.06% | 95.45% |
$1 Slots | 93.69% | 94.82% | 94.83% |
$5 Slots | 93.69% | 93.76% | 95.03% |
All | 92.35% | 92.30% | 93.53% |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including video poker and video keno. The best returns for eachcategory are highlighted in bold print.
CONNECTICUT SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
The following information is from Connecticut’s Division of Special Revenue regarding Foxwoods’ slot payback percentages:
Denomination | Payback % |
1¢ | 90.09 |
2¢ | 91.38 |
5¢ | 90.73 |
25¢ | 91.34 |
50¢ | 90.77 |
$1.00 | 92.99 |
$5.00 | 93.67 |
$10.00 | 94.29 |
$25.00 | 96.51 |
$100.00 | 94.14 |
Average | 91.95 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each denomination of slot machine from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019.
Here's information from Connecticut's Division of Special Revenue regarding Mohegan Sun's slot payback percentages:
Denomination | Payback % |
1/4¢ | 86.30 |
1/2¢ | 85.91 |
1¢ | 88.86 |
2¢ | 86.65 |
5¢ | 92.08 |
25¢ | 91.01 |
50¢ | 91.73 |
$1.00 | 92.94 |
$5.00 | 94.41 |
$10.00 | 97.41 |
$25.00 | 95.50 |
$100.00 | 94.55 |
Average | 91.90 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each denomination of slot machine from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019.
DELAWARE SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Delaware’s three pari-mutuel facilities all feature slot machines. Technically, the machines are video lottery terminals (VLT’s) because they are operated in conjunction with the DelawareLottery. Unlike VLT’s in other states, however, Delaware’s machines payout in cash. The VLT’s also play other games including video poker, video keno, and video blackjack.
By law, all video lottery games must return between 87% and 95% of all wagers on an annual basis. Games can return above 95% but only with the Lottery Director’s approval.
According to figures from the Delaware Lottery for the twelve-month period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average VLT return at Dover Downs was 92.59%, at Delaware Park itwas 92.12%, and at Harrington Raceway it was 92.03%.
In mid-2018 a U.S. Supreme Court decision legalized sports betting at all U.S. casinos. Delaware was one of the first states to act on the ruling and all three of the state’s casinos offersportsbooks.
In January 2010 the Delaware legislature approved the addition of table games for the state’s casinos.
FLORIDA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Florida has three forms of casino gambling: casino boats, Indian casinos and gaming machines at pari-mutuels in two south Florida counties.
The casino boats offer gamblers the opportunity to board ships that cruise offshore where casino gambling is legal. From the East Coast, the boats sail three miles out into the Atlantic Oceanand from the west coast the boats travel nine miles out into the Gulf of Mexico. Since the casino boats travel in international waters they are free from regulations and the machines can be setto pay back whatever the operator wants without regard to a minimum payback percentage.
Florida has eight Indian gaming locations. The Seminole Tribe has seven and the eighth is on the Miccosukee Tribe’s reservation.
The Seminoles signed a compact with the state that allows them to offer both Class II and traditional Class III gaming machines. As part of their compact, five Seminole casinos are also allowedto offer the following:
- blackjack
- baccarat
- mini-baccarat
- three-card poker
- let it ride
- pai gow poker
The Miccosukee Tribe has not signed a compact and they only offer Class II gaming machines at their casino.
Class II video gaming devices look like slot machines but are actually bingo games and the spinning reels are for “entertainment purposes only.” No public information is available concerningthe payback percentages on any gaming machines in Florida’s Indian casinos.
The other games allowed in all Indian casinos include
- high-stakes bingo
- video pull tabs
- poker
All of the casinos are open 24 hours (except Big Cypress) and all offer bingo except for both Seminole Hard Rock Casinos and the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. The minimum gambling age is18 at all Indian casinos for bingo or poker and 21 for electronic gaming machines.
Broward County (home county of Fort Lauderdale) and Miami-Dade County both have four pari-mutuel facilities that each offer electronic gaming machines, but no table games.
Florida gaming regulations require a minimum payback of 85% on all gaming machines. From July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the gaming machines at Magic City returned 93.43%, CasinoMiami returned 92.34%, Hialeah Park returned 93.55%, Gulfstream Park returned 92.16%, Dania Casino returned 92.68%, Big Easy returned 91.50%, Calder returned 91.32%, and The Isle returned90.22%.
GEORGIA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
There are two casino boats in Georgia which both sail three miles out into international waters where casino gambling is permitted.
Since the casino boats travel in international waters they are free from regulations and the machines can be set to pay back whatever the operator wants without regard to a minimum paybackpercentage.
IDAHO SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Idaho has six Indian casinos that offer electronic pull-tab machines and other video games. The machines don't pay out in cash. Instead they print out a receipt which must be cashed by a floorattendant or taken to the cashier’s cage. Some casinos also offer bingo (BG) and off-track betting (OTB).
The terms of the compact between the tribes and the state do not require any minimum payback percentage that the gaming machines must return to the public.
ILLINOIS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here’s information from the Illinois Gaming Board showing each casino’s average slot payback percentage for the one-year period from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018:
CASINO | PAYBACK % |
Casino Queen | 92.05 |
Harrah's Joliet | 91.98 |
Hollywood Joliet | 91.18 |
Argosy Alton | 90.83 |
Par-A-Dice | 91.02 |
Grand Victoria | 91.02 |
Hollywood - Aurora | 90.42 |
Jumer's | 89.94 |
Rivers Casino | 90.35 |
Harrah's Metropolis | 89.39 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines. As you can see, the Casino Queen returned the most to its slot machine players, whileHarrah's in Metropolis returned the least.
INDIANA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Following is information from the Indiana Gaming Commission regarding average slot payout percentages for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019:
CASINO | PAYBACK % |
Hoosier Park | 90.05 |
French Lick | 91.55 |
Rising Star | 91.38 |
Indiana Grand | 90.88 |
Blue Chip | 91.40 |
Belterra | 90.76 |
Majestic Star | 90.25 |
Hollywood | 89.96 |
Horseshoe Casino SI | 90.09 |
Majestic Star II | 89.88 |
Horseshoe Hammond | 90.07 |
Ameristar | 89.92 |
Tropicana | 89.61 |
These figures reflect the average percentage returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines including slot machines, video poker, video keno, etc.
IOWA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here’s information, as supplied by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, showing the electronic gaming machine payback percentages for all non-Indian locations for the one-year period fromJuly 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019.
LOCATION | PAYBACK % |
Prairie Meadows | 91.67 |
Wild Rose- Emmetsburg | 90.61 |
Wild Rose- Clinton | 90.56 |
Wild Rose- Jefferson | 90.52 |
Q Casino | 90.63 |
Diamond Jo Worth | 90.52 |
Catfish Bend | 90.42 |
Riverside | 90.40 |
Diamond Jo Dubuque | 90.49 |
Grand Falls | 90.36 |
Casino Queen Marquette | 90.19 |
Ameristar | 90.05 |
Rhythm City | 90.26 |
Hard Rock | 90.29 |
Isle Bettendorf | 90.04 |
Harrah's | 89.77 |
Isle Waterloo | 89.73 |
Horseshoe Council Bluffs | 89.66 |
Lakeside Casino | 88.91 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each riverboat casino or pari-mutuel facility for all of its electronic machines including: slots, video poker, video keno, etc.
KANSAS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
In April 2007 the Kansas legislature authorized local referendums to allow state-run casinos in four counties.
The Kansas Racing & Gaming Commission does not release information about the payback percentages on electronic gaming machines in Kansas. However, gaming regulations require that allmachines return no less than 87%.
There are also five Indian casinos in Kansas and they are not required to release information on their slot machine payback percentages. However, according to officials at the Kansas StateGaming Agency, which is responsible for overseeing the tribal-state compacts, 'the minimum payback percentage for electronic gaming devices is 80%.'
LOUISIANA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Gaming regulations require that gaming machines in casinos be programmed to pay back no less than 80% and no more than 99.9%. For video gaming machines at locations other than casinos, the lawrequires a minimum return of 80% and a maximum return of 94%.
Louisiana gaming statistics are not broken down by individual properties. Rather, they are classified by region: Baton Rouge (BR), Lake Charles (LC), New Orleans (NO) and Shreveport/BossierCity (SB).
The Baton Rouge casinos consist of the Belle of Baton Rouge, Hollywood Casino, L'Auberge and Evangeline Downs. The Lake Charles casinos include Isle of Capri, L’Auberge du Lac and Delta Downs.New Orleans area casinos are Amelia Belle, Boomtown, Harrah’s (landbased), Treasure Chest and Fairgrounds Raceway. The Shreveport/Bossier city casinos include Boomtown, Diamond Jack’s, Sam’sTown, Eldorado, Horseshoe, and Harrah’s Louisiana Downs.
Here’s information, as supplied by the Louisiana State Police-Riverboat Gaming Section, showing the average electronic machine payback percentages for each area’s casinos for the 12-monthperiod from June 1, 2018, through May 30, 2019:
BR | LC | NO | SB | |
1¢ | 88.70% | 88.57% | 88.96% | 89.01% |
5¢ | 91.69% | 94.31% | 93.31% | 93.12% |
25¢ | 92.30% | 93.08% | 92.43% | 90.73% |
$1 | 93.56% | 92.33% | 92.72% | 93.03% |
$5 | 94.49% | 92.99% | 92.93% | 92.70% |
All | 90.50% | 90.63% | 90.23% | 90.43% |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including video poker and video keno. The best returns for eachcategory are highlighted in bold print and you can see that the Baton Rouge area casinos offered the best returns in most categories.
MAINE SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Maine has two racetrack casinos (racinos) that offer electronic gaming machines, as well as live table games.
State gaming regulations require a minimum return of 89% on all machines and during the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average return on gaming machines atHollywood Casino was 90.15% and at Oxford Casino, it was 90.01%.
MARYLAND SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Maryland has five casinos that are allowed to offer electronic gaming machines, as well as live table games. However, Ocean Downs has no table games.
No public information is available about the actual payback percentages on gaming machines in Maryland. However, gaming regulations require a minimum payback of 87% on any one machine and allmachines within a casino must have an average payback of 90% to 95%.
MASSACHUSETTS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill in late 2011 that legalized casinos. The law allows three casinos, in three different geographic regions, plus one slot parlor.
The slot parlor, Plainridge Park Casino, a harness racing track located about 40 miles southwest of Boston, opened June 24, 2015.
The first resort-casino license in Region B (Western Massachusetts) was awarded to MGM Resorts and their $1.3 billion casino, MGM Springfield, opened August 24, 2018.
The second license for Region A (Eastern Massachusetts) was awarded to Wynn Resorts and their $2 billion, Encore Everett, is expected to open in mid-2019. The final license for Region C(Southeastern Massachusetts) had not yet been awarded as of late 2018.
Additionally, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is planning to build a destination resort casino near Taunton. That facility, First Light Casino, was expected to open by late 2019. However, theproject has been hampered by lawsuits that might stop it from being completed.
Massachusetts gaming regulations require a minimum payback of 80% on all gaming machines. From July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the gaming machines at Plainridge Park returned 92.03%,91.39% at MGM Springfield* and 91.49% at Encore.**
* Stats for MGM Springfield began August 23, 2018, when it opened
** Stats for Encore are June 23- July 31, 2019.
MICHIGAN SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
There are 17 Indian casinos in Michigan and the tribes are not required to release information on their slot machine payback percentages. However, according to officials at the Michigan GamingControl Board, which is responsible for overseeing the tribal-state compacts, 'the machines must meet the minimum standards for machines in Nevada or New Jersey.' In Nevada, the minimum returnis 75% and in New Jersey, it's 83%. Therefore, Michigan's Indian casinos must return at least 75% in order to comply with the law.
There are also three privately owned casinos in Detroit, but their slot payback information is not made available to the public.
MINNESOTA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
All Minnesota casinos are located on Indian reservations and under a compact reached with the state the only table games permitted are card games such as blackjack and poker. Additionally, theonly kind of slot machines allowed are electronic video slot machines. Therefore, you will not find any mechanical slots that have traditional reels - only video screens
According to the terms of the compact between the state and the tribes, however, the minimum and maximum payouts are regulated as follows: video poker and video blackjack - 83% to 98%, slotmachines - 80% to 95%, keno - 75% to 95%. Each tribe is free to set its machines to pay back anywhere within those limits and the tribes do not release any information regarding their slotmachine percentage paybacks.
MISSISSIPPI SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
The Mississippi Gaming Commission does not break down its slot statistics by individual properties. Rather, they are classified by region.
The Coastal region includes Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay Saint Louis.
The North region includes Tunica, Greenville, and Lula.
The Central region includes Vicksburg and Natchez.
With that in mind here’s information, as supplied by the Mississippi Gaming Commission, showing the machine payback percentages for each area’s casinos for the one-year period from July 1,2018, through June 30, 2019:
Coastal | North | Central | |
1¢ Slots | 91.99% | 91.95% | 91.73% |
5¢ Slots | 94.78% | 94.96% | 95.73% |
25¢ Slots | 93.91% | 92.41% | 93.78% |
$1 Slots | 93.28% | 93.51% | 94.10% |
$5 Slots | 93.78% | 95.16% | 95.52% |
All | 92.18% | 91.87% | 92.32% |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including video poker and video keno. The best returns for eachcategory are highlighted in bold print and you can see that all of the gaming areas offer rather similar returns on their machines.
MISSOURI SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
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Here's information from the Missouri Gaming Commission regarding the payback percentages for each casino's electronic machines for the 12-month period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019:
CASINO | PAYBACK % |
Ameristar- St. Charles | 91.0 |
River City | 90.6 |
Hollywood | 90.6 |
Ameristar- K.C. | 90.4 |
Harrah’s - N.K.C | 90.1 |
Lumiere Place | 90.0 |
Isle of Capri - Booneville | 90.1 |
Argosy | 89.9 |
Isle of Capri - Cape Girardeau | 89.7 |
Lady Luck | 89.3 |
Isle of Capri - K.C. | 88.9 |
St. Jo Frontier | 88.9 |
Mark Twain | 88.7 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines including slot machines, video poker, video keno, etc.
MONTANA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Montana law permits bars and taverns to have up to 20 video gaming devices that play video poker, video keno, or video bingo. These machines are operated in partnership with the state and arenot permitted to pay out in cash; instead, they print out a receipt which must be taken to a cashier. The maximum bet on these machines is $2 and the maximum payout is limited to $800. Montanagaming regulations require these machines to return a minimum of 80%.
There are seven Indian casinos offering video gaming machines that also print out a receipt. The maximum bet on these machines is $5 and the maximum payout is capped at $1,500. According toMontana's Gambling Control Division, there are no minimum payback percentages required for gaming machines on Indian reservations.
NEBRASKA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
No public information is available concerning the payback percentages on gaming machines in Nebraska.
NEVADA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
NEVADA - Lake Tahoe
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the south shore casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1,2017 and ending June 30, 2018:
Denomination | Payback % |
1¢ Slots | 88.94 |
25¢ Slots | 91.24 |
$1 Slots | 92.55 |
All Slots | 93.33 |
And here's that same information for the north shore casinos:
Denomination | Payback % |
1¢ Slots | 92.81 |
25¢ Slots | 91.40 |
$1 Slots | 91.52 |
All Slots | 94.29 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned to the players on each denomination of machine. All electronic machines including slots, video poker and video keno are included in thesenumbers.
NEVADA - Las Vegas
Unlike New Jersey, the Nevada Gaming Control Board does not break down its slot statistics by individual properties. Rather, they are classified by area.
The annual gaming revenue report breaks the Las Vegas market down into two major tourist areas: the Strip and downtown. There is also a very large locals market in Las Vegas and those casinosare shown in the gaming revenue report as the Boulder Strip and North Las Vegas areas.
When choosing where to do your slot gambling, you may want to keep in mind the following slot payback percentages for Nevada's fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018, and ending June 30, 2019:
1¢ Slot Machines
The Strip - 88.33%
Downtown - 88.96%
Boulder Strip - 90.53%
N. Las Vegas - 90.79%
5¢ Slot Machines
The Strip - 91.96%
Downtown - 93.32%
Boulder Strip - 96.30%
N. Las Vegas - 95.24%
25¢ Slot Machines
The Strip - 89.34%
Downtown - 93.91%
Boulder Strip - 95.77%
N. Las Vegas - 96.27%
$1 Slot Machines
The Strip - 92.34%
Downtown - 94.12%
Boulder Strip - 95.49%
N. Las Vegas - 95.62%
$1 Megabucks Machines
The Strip - 87.31%
Downtown - 86.40%
Boulder Strip - 87.61%
N. Las Vegas - 86.98%
All Slot Machines
The Strip - 91.84%
Downtown - 92.22%
Boulder Strip - 94.26%
N. Las Vegas - 93.34%
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned to the players on each denomination of machine. All electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno are included in thesenumbers and the highest-paying returns are shown in bold print. As you can see, the machines in downtown Las Vegas pay out slightly more than those located on the Las Vegas Strip.
Returns even better than the downtown casinos can be found at some of the other local casinos along Boulder Highway, such as Boulder Station and Sam's Town and also in the North Las Vegasarea which would include the Fiesta, Santa Fe and Texas Station casinos. Not only are those numbers among the best returns in the Las Vegas area, but they are also among the best paybackpercentages for anywhere in the United States.
NEVADA - Laughlin
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of Laughlin’s casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1,2018, and ending June 30, 2019:
Denomination | Payback % |
1¢ Slots | 89.11 |
5¢ Slots | 92.59 |
25¢ Slots | 93.44 |
$1 Slots | 94.92 |
$1 Megabucks | 88.27 |
$5 Slots | 94.33 |
All Slots | 92.15 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned to the players on each denomination of machine. All electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno are included in thesenumbers.
NEVADA - Reno
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the Reno area casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017and ending June 30, 2018:
Denomination | Payback % |
1¢ Slots | 92.69 |
5¢ Slots | 95.10 |
25¢ Slots | 92.16 |
$1 Slots | 95.38 |
$1 Megabucks | 87.40 |
$5 Slots | 95.06 |
All Slots | 94.56 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno.
NEVADA - Sparks
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the Sparks area casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1,2018, and ending June 30, 2019:
Denomination | Payback % |
1¢ Slots | 92.98 |
5¢ Slots | 97.19 |
25¢ Slots | 95.43 |
$1 Slots | 96.17 |
$5 Slots | 97.32 |
All Slots | 94.55 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno.
NEVADA - Wendover
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the Wendover area casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1,2018 and ending June 30, 2019:
Denomination | Payback % |
1¢ Slots | 93.41 |
5¢ Slots | 96.80 |
25¢ Slots | 93.34 |
$1 Slots | 95.86 |
$5 Slots | 96.39 |
All Slot | 94.32 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including slots, video poker and video keno.
NEW JERSEY SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Following is information from the New Jersey Casino Control Commission regarding average slot payout percentages for the 12-month period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019:
CASINO | PAYBACK |
Harrah’s | 91.79 |
Borgata | 91.66 |
Hard Rock | 91.41 |
Caesars | 91.03 |
Bally's A.C. | 90.76 |
Golden Nugget | 90.57 |
Resorts | 90.78 |
Tropicana | 90.35 |
Ocean Resort | 90.49 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines which includes slot machines, video poker, etc.
NEW MEXICO SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
New Mexico's Indian casinos offer an assortment of table games and electronic gaming machines. Additionally, slot machines are allowed at the state's racetracks as well as at about 40 variousfraternal and veterans clubs.
New Mexico gaming regulations require that electronic machines at racetracks and fraternal/veterans organizations return a minimum of 80%.
New Mexico's Indian tribes do not make their slot machine payback percentages a matter of public record but the terms of the compact between the state and the tribes require all electronicgaming machines to also return a minimum of 80%.
NEW YORK SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
There are several Indian casinos located in upstate New York which offer traditional Class III casino gambling.
The terms of the compact between the tribes and the state allow table games and slot machines, including video keno and video poker. These machines do not pay out in cash. Instead, they printout a receipt which must be exchanged for cash.
There are also some Indian casinos that offer Class II gambling which consist of electronic gaming machines which look like slot machines, but are actually games of bingo and the spinning videoreels are for 'entertainment purposes only.' No public information is available concerning the payback percentages on gaming machines at Indian casinos.
Here’s information, as supplied by the New York Gaming Commission, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the casinos for the fiscal year from April 1, 2018, through March31, 2019:
LOCATION | PAYBACK % |
Tioga Downs | 91.62 |
Resort's World Catskills | 91.40 |
Del Lago | 90.94 |
Rivers | 90.50 |
In October 2001, legislation was passed to allow for the introduction of slot machine-type video lottery machines at New York racetracks. Officially referred to as Video Gaming Machines(VGM’s), they are regulated by the New York State Lottery Division.
All VGM's offer standard slot machine-type games, plus keno in denominations from five cents to $10. The machines all accept cash but do not pay out in cash. They print a receipt which must betaken to a cashier.
The legislation authorizing the VGM’s states, “the specifications for video lottery gaming shall be designed in such a manner as to pay prizes that average no less than ninety percent ofsales.”
Here's information, as supplied by the New York Lottery, showing the video gaming machine payback percentages for each of the state's racetracks for the fiscal year from April 1,2018, through March 31, 2019:
LOCATION | PAYBACK % |
Resorts World | 94.16 |
Jake's 58 | 93.73 |
Empire City | 93.06 |
Monticello | 92.40 |
Saratoga | 92.35 |
Finger Lakes | 92.12 |
Batavia Downs | 91.66 |
Fairgrounds | 91.66 |
Vernon Downs | 91.74 |
NORTH CAROLINA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
North Carolina has two Indian casinos and both are affiliated with the state's Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians which signed a compact with the state. According to the terms of thecompact, the video gaming machines are required to return a minimum of 83% and a maximum of 98%.
NORTH DAKOTA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
North Dakota has more than 800 sites throughout the state that offer blackjack, with betting limits of $1-$25, for the benefit of charities.
There are also six Indian casinos which are limited by law to the following maximum bet limits: blackjack-$100 (two tables in a casino may have limits up to $250), craps-$60, roulette-$50,slots/video poker-$25 and poker-$50 per bet, per round with a maximum of three rounds.
The terms of the state's compact with the tribes require gaming machines to return a minimum of 80% and a maximum of 100%. However, if a machine is affected by skill, such as video poker orvideo blackjack, the machines must return a minimum of 83%.
OHIO SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Ohio voters passed a statewide referendum in November 2009 to allow one casino to open in each of four major cities: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo. There are also seven racetracksthat offer video lottery terminals.
Here’s information from the Ohio Casino Control Commission regarding the payback percentages for each racino and casino’s electronic machines for the twelve-month period from July 1,2018, through June 30, 2019:
CASINO | PAYBACK % |
JACK Cleveland | |
Hollywood Columbus | 92.09 |
JACK Cincinnati | |
Miami Valley | 90.73 |
Belterra Park | |
MGM Northfield | 91.09 |
Eldorado Gaming | |
Hollywood Toledo | 90.73 |
JACK Thistledown | |
Hollywood Dayton | 90.27 |
Mahoning Valley |
OKLAHOMA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
All Oklahoma Indian casinos are allowed to offer both Class II and Class III gaming machines.
Most casinos offer only Class II machines which look like slot machines, but are actually games of bingo and the spinning video reels are for 'entertainment purposes only.' Some casinos alsooffer traditional Class III slots.
In either case, the gaming machines are not allowed to accept or payout in coins. All payouts must be done by a printed receipt or via an electronic debit card. No public information isavailable concerning the payback percentages on gaming machines in Oklahoma.
OREGON SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Oregon law permits bars and taverns to have up to six video lottery terminals that offer various versions of video poker. Racetracks are allowed to have no more than 10 machines. The maximumbet allowed is $2.50 and the maximum single payout on any machine is capped at $600.
These machines are the same as regular video gaming devices but are called lottery terminals because they are regulated by the state’s lottery commission which receives a share of eachmachine’s revenue. The machines accept cash but do not pay out in cash; instead, they print out a receipt which must be taken to a cashier.
According to figures from the Oregon Lottery, during its fiscal year from June 28, 2018, through June 25, 2019, the VLT’s had an approximate return of 92.34%.
There are nine Indian casinos in operation in Oregon. According to the governor’s office which regulates the Tribe’s compacts, 'there is no minimum payback percentage required on the Tribe’smachines. Each Tribe is free to set their own limits on their machines.'
PENNSYLVANIA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Pennsylvania gaming regulations require that gaming machines return a minimum of 85%.
The following is information from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board regarding average slot payout percentages for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019:
CASINO | PAYBACK % |
Parx Casino | 90.70 |
Valley Forge | 90.68 |
The Meadows | 90.14 |
Mount Airy | 90.31 |
Sugar House | 90.03 |
Wind Creek Bethlehem | 90.09 |
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs | 89.90 |
Harrah's Philadelphia | 89.82 |
The Rivers | 89.87 |
Lady Luck Nemacolin | 89.34 |
Hollywood Casino at Penn National | 89.38 |
Presque Isle | 89.31 |
RHODE ISLAND SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Rhode Island has two pari-mutuel facilities which both feature video lottery terminals (VLT’s). These machines are the same as regular video gaming devices but are called lottery terminalsbecause they are regulated by the state’s lottery commission which receives a share of each machine’s revenue. The machines accept cash but don’t pay out in cash; instead, they print out areceipt which must be taken to a cashier.
All VLT’s are programmed to play at least six different games: blackjack, keno, slots and three versions of poker (jacks or better, joker poker and deuces wild).
According to figures from the Rhode Island Lottery for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average VLT return at Twin River was 92.10% and at Tiverton, it was91.63%.
SOUTH CAROLINA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
South Carolina has two gambling cruise ships which sail three miles out into international waters where casino gambling is permitted. Since the casino boats travel in international waters theyare free from regulations and the machines can be set to pay back whatever the operators want without regard to a minimum payback percentage.
SOUTH DAKOTA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here are statistics from the South Dakota Commission on Gaming for the payback percentages on all of Deadwood’s slot machines for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30,2019:
Denomination | Payback % |
1¢ Slots | 90.73 |
5¢ Slots | 93.56 |
25¢ Slots | 91.18 |
$1 Slots | 92.58 |
$5 Slots | 92.51 |
Average | 91.05 |
In addition to the Deadwood casinos, there are also nine Indian casinos in South Dakota. No information is available on the payback percentages of the video gaming machines.
TEXAS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Texas has one Indian casino which offers gaming machines based on bingo. It also offers pull tab machines, bingo, poker and a player-banked blackjack game where each player must pay acommission to the house for each bet that is made. The commission is 50¢ for $3-$50 bets and $1 for bets over $50. The minimum gambling age is 21 and the casino is open 24 hours daily.
Class II video gaming devices look like slot machines, but are actually bingo games and the spinning reels are for “entertainment purposes only.” No public information is available concerningthe payback percentages on any gaming machines in Texas’ Indian casino.
WASHINGTON SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
There are 28 Indian casinos operating in Washington and they all have compacts with the state allowing them to offer table games, as well as electronic ‘scratch’ ticket games which use a finitenumber of tickets with a predetermined number of winners and losers.
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All of the state’s Tribes are not required to release information on their slot machine percentage paybacks. However, according to the terms of the compact between the Tribes and the state, theminimum prize payout for electronic ‘scratch’ ticket games is 75%.
WEST VIRGINIA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
West Virginia has four pari-mutuel facilities and one resort hotel that feature video lottery terminals. The VLT’s are the same as regular video gaming devices but are called lottery terminalsbecause they are regulated by the state’s lottery commission which receives a share of each machine’s revenue.
West Virginia law requires that VLT’s return a minimum of 80% to a maximum of 95%. VLT games include slots, blackjack, keno and numerous versions of poker. The minimum gambling age is 21.
For the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average return on VLT’s was: 88.97% at Mountaineer Park, 90.81% at Mardi Gras, 89.46% at Wheeling Island, 89.53%at Charles Town Races.
WISCONSIN SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
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All Wisconsin casinos are located on Indian reservations and the Indian tribes are not required to release information on their slot machine percentage paybacks. However, according to the termsof the compact between the state and the tribes 'for games not affected by player skill, such as slot machines, the machine is required to return a minimum of 80% and a maximum of 100% of theamount wagered.'
WYOMING SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Wyoming has Indian casinos that offer Class II bingo-type gaming machines, plus traditional Class III slot machines.
The machines don't pay out in cash. Instead they print out a receipt which must be cashed by a floor attendant or taken to the cashier's cage. You can also make bets via a cashless systemwhereby you get a 'smart' card and deposit money to that card's account. The machines will then deducts losses from, or credit wins to, your account.
No public information is available regarding the payback percentages on Wyoming's gaming machines.
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