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Jan 08, 2015 Slot machines are programmed computers that are designed to seperate you from your money as quickly as possible without it appearing like you lost. Slot machines are programmed with a PAR or Hold percentage checkout Wikipedia's defintion on exactly how it works. This means a mathmatical algorithm determines the outcome of the slot machine. Mar 11, 2018 A 'loose' machine in reality applies to a slot machine that is on a higher pay cycle. Remember that they have to pay a certain percentage. If the RNG (random number generator) has lacked the percentage payout over a period of time, it may start paying higher win amounts in order to reach a percentage threshold.
Remember the movie National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation, when gambling fever consumes Chevy Chase’s character, Clark W. Griswold? He goes on a losing streak to beat all losing streaks while his son, Rusty, wins four cars by playing the slot machines. Maybe Clark would have done better if he had read Probability For Dummies! In this article, you discover the basic ideas behind slot machines and how they work, so that you can get past the myths and develop a strategy based on sound probability.
Understanding average payout
When casinos advertise that their slot machines pay out an average of 90 percent, the fine print they don’t want you to read says that you lose 10 cents from each dollar you put into the machines in the long term. (In probability terms, this advertisement means that your expected winnings are minus 10 cents on every dollar you spend every time the money goes through the machines.)
Suppose you start with $100 and bet a dollar at a time, for example. After inserting all $100 into the slot, 100 pulls later you’ll end up on average with $90, because you lose 10 percent of your money. If you run the $90 back through the machine, you’ll end up with 90 percent of it back, which is 0.90 x 90 = $81. If you run that amount through in 81 pulls, you’ll have $72.90 afterward (0.90 x 81 = 72.90). If you keep going for 44 rounds, on average, the money will be gone, unless you have the luck of Rusty Griswold!
How many pulls on the machine does your $100 give you at this rate? Each time you have less money to run through the machine, so you have fewer pulls left. If you insert $1 at a time, you can expect 972 total pulls in the long term with these average payouts (that’s the total pulls in 44 rounds). But keep in mind that casinos are designing slot machines to go faster and faster between spins. Some are even doing away with the handles and tokens by using digital readouts on gaming cards that you put into the machines. The faster machines can play up to 25 spins per hour, and 972 spins divided by 25 spins per minute is 38.88 minutes. You don’t have a very long time to enjoy your $100 before it’s gone!
The worst part? Casinos often advertise that their “average payouts” are even as high as 95 percent. But beware: That number applies only to certain machines, and the casinos don’t rush to tell you which ones. You really need to read or ask about the fine print before playing. You can also try to check the information on the machine to see if it lists its payouts. (Don’t expect this information to be front and center.)
Implementing a simple strategy for slots
Advice varies regarding whether you should play nickel, quarter, or dollar slot machines and whether you should max out the number of coins you bet or not (you usually get to choose between one and five coins to bet on a standard slot machine). In this section, you’ll find a few tips for getting the most bang for your buck (or nickel) when playing slot machines.
Basically, when it comes to slot machines, strategy boils down to this: Know the rules, your probability of winning, and the expected payouts; dispel any myths; and quit while you’re ahead. If you win $100, cash out $50 and play with the rest, for example. After you lose a certain amount (determined by you in advance), don’t hesitate to quit. Go to the all-you-can-eat buffet and try your luck with the casino food; odds are it’s pretty good!
Choosing among nickel, quarter, and dollar machines
The machines that have the higher denominations usually give the best payouts. So, between the nickel and quarter slots, for example, the quarter slots generally give better payouts. However, you run the risk of getting in way over your head in a hurry, so don’t bet more than you can afford to lose. The bottom line: Always choose a level that you have fun playing at and that allows you to play for your full set time limit.
Deciding how many coins to play at a time
When deciding on the number of coins you should play per spin, keep in mind that more is sometimes better. If the slot machine gives you more than two times the payout when you put in two times the number of coins, for example, you should max it out instead of playing single coins because you increase your chances of winning a bigger pot, and the expected value is higher. If the machine just gives you k times the payout for k coins, it doesn’t matter if you use the maximum number of coins. You may as well play one at a time until you can make some money and leave so your money lasts a little longer.
For example, say a quarter machine pays 10 credits for the outcome 777 when you play only a single quarter, but if you play two quarters, it gives you 25 credits for the same outcome. And if you play the maximum number of quarters (say, four), a 777 results in 1,000 credits. You can see that playing four quarters at a time gives you a better chance of winning a bigger pot in the long run (if you win, that is) compared to playing a single quarter at a time for four consecutive tries.
The latest slot machine sweeping the nation is the so-called “penny slot machine.” Although it professes to require only a penny for a spin, you get this rate only if you want to bet one penny at a time. The machines entice you to bet way more than one penny at a time; in fact, on some machines, you can bet more than 1,000 coins (called lines) on each spin — $10 a shot here, folks. Because these machines take any denomination of paper bill, as well as credit cards, your money can go faster on penny machines than on dollar machines because you can quickly lose track of your spendings. Pinching pennies may not be worth it after all!
Find out what slot machines actually returned to the public. Just click below to see slot machine payback statistics for casinos in all U.S. states.
| 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 each tribes’ 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 set its 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 the exercise 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 of your 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 the electronic games of skill must return a minimum of 83%.
For the one year period from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018, the average gaming machine’s return at Oaklawn was 93.04% and at Southland it was 92.86%
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 the total 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, 2017 through June 30, 2018:
| Black Hawk | Central City | Cripple Creek | |
| 1¢ Slots | 89.73% | 90.47% | 91.85% |
| 5¢ Slots | 93.16% | 94.07% | 93.51% |
| 25¢ Slots | 92.70% | 93.94% | 95.54% |
| $1 Slots | 93.69% | 94.66% | 95.07% |
| $5 Slots | 94.05% | 94.01% | 94.96% |
| All | 92.41% | 92.38% | 93.61% |
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 each category 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¢ | 89.92 |
| 2¢ | 91.76 |
| 5¢ | 90.80 |
| 25¢ | 91.31 |
| 50¢ | 90.99 |
| $1.00 | 93.12 |
| $5.00 | 93.63 |
| $10.00 | 94.29 |
| $25.00 | 94.82 |
| $100.00 | 92.61 |
| Average | 91.91 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each denomination of slot machine from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018.
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¢ | 89.05 |
| 2¢ | 87.62 |
| 5¢ | 89.97 |
| 25¢ | 91.53 |
| 50¢ | 91.98 |
| $1.00 | 92.91 |
| $5.00 | 93.80 |
| $10.00 | 97.26 |
| $25.00 | 95.01 |
| $100.00 | 94.69 |
| Average | 91.86 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each denomination of slot machine from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018.
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 Delaware Lottery. Unlike VLT’s in other states, however, Delaware’s machines pay out 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, 2017 through June 30, 2018 the average VLT return at Dover Downs was 92.63%, at Delaware Park it was 92.08%, and at Harrington Raceway it was 92.00%.
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 offer sports books.
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 offers 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 Ocean and 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 set to 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 allowed to offer blackjack , baccarat , mini-baccarat , three card poker , let it ride and 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 concerning the payback percentages on any gaming machines in Florida’s Indian casinos.
The other games allowed in all Indian casinos are: high-stakes bingo, video pull tabs, and 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 is 18 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, 2017 through June 30, 2018 the gaming machines at Magic City returned 93.38%, Casino Miami returned 93.17%, Hialeah Park returned 93.41%, Gulfstream Park returned 92.24%, Dania Casino returned 92.41%, Mardi Gras returned 91.74%, Calder returned 91.16%, and The Isle returned 90.22%.
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 payback percentage.
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 floor attendant 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 | 92.34 |
| Harrah's Joliet | 92.10 |
| Hollywood Joliet | 91.16 |
| Argosy Alton | 90.82 |
| Par-A-Dice | 91.02 |
| Grand Victoria | 91.03 |
| Hollywood - Aurora | 90.44 |
| Jumer's | 90.10 |
| Rivers Casino | 90.20 |
| Harrah's Metropolis | 89.47 |
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, while Harrah'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, 2017 through June 30, 2018:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| Hoosier Park | 91.70 |
| French Lick | 91.67 |
| Rising Star | 91.63 |
| Indiana Grand | 91.63 |
| Blue Chip | 91.49 |
| Belterra | 90.92 |
| Majestic Star | 90.48 |
| Hollywood | 90.15 |
| Horseshoe Casino SI | 89.95 |
| Majestic Star II | 89.95 |
| Horseshoe Hammond | 89.92 |
| Ameristar | 89.86 |
| Tropicana | 89.53 |
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 from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018:
| LOCATION | PAYBACK % |
| Prairie Meadows | 91.77 |
| Wild Rose- Emmetsburg | 90.97 |
| Wild Rose- Clinton | 90.63 |
| Wild Rose- Jefferson | 90.59 |
| Q Casino | 90.59 |
| Diamond Jo Worth | 90.49 |
| Catfish Bend | 90.45 |
| Riverside | 90.41 |
| Diamond Jo Dubuque | 90.39 |
| Grand Falls | 90.32 |
| Casino Queen Marquette | 90.30 |
| Ameristar | 90.30 |
| Rhythm City | 90.25 |
| Hard Rock | 90.11 |
| Isle Bettendorf | 90.04 |
| Harrah's | 89.60 |
| Isle Waterloo | 89.53 |
| Horseshoe Council Bluffs | 89.50 |
| Lakeside Casino | 88.69 |
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 all machines 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 State Gaming 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 law requires 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/Bossier City (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’s Town, 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-month period from June, 2017 through May, 2018:
| BR | LC | NO | SB | |
| 1¢ | 88.71% | 88.43% | 88.90% | 88.82% |
| 5¢ | 91.70% | 92.50% | 94.02% | 92.40% |
| 25¢ | 93.03% | 92.50% | 92.78% | 90.88% |
| $1 | 93.81% | 93.10% | 92.60% | 92.36% |
| $5 | 93.59% | 93.48% | 93.41% | 92.22% |
| All | 91.28% | 90.63% | 90.34% | 90.30% |
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 each category 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, 2017 through June 30, 2018, the average return on gaming machines at Hollywood Casino was 89.70% and at Oxford Casino it was 89.88%.
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 all machines 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, the project has been hampered by lawsuits which might stop it from being completed.
Massachusetts gaming regulations require a minimum payback of 80% on all gaming machines. From July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018, the gaming machines at Plainridge Park returned 92.03%
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 Gaming Control 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 return is 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, the only kind of slot machines allowed are the electronic video variety. 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%, slot machines - 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 not release any information regarding their slot machine 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, 2017 through June 31, 2018:
| Coastal | North | Central | |
| 1¢ Slots | 91.72% | 92.20% | 91.83% |
| 5¢ Slots | 95.06% | 94.90% | 95.48% |
| 25¢ Slots | 94.33% | 93.14% | 93.72% |
| $1 Slots | 93.65% | 94.41% | 93.93% |
| $5 Slots | 94.16% | 95.47% | 94.87% |
| All | 92.33% | 92.06% | 92.25% |
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 each category 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
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, 2017 through June 30, 2018:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| Ameristar- St. Charles | 91.1 |
| River City | 90.7 |
| Hollywood | 90.7 |
| Ameristar- K.C. | 90.4 |
| Harrah’s - N.K.C | 90.4 |
| Lumiere Place | 90.4 |
| Isle of Capri - Booneville | 90.2 |
| Argosy | 90.0 |
| Isle of Capri - Cape Girardeau | 89.7 |
| Lady Luck | 89.2 |
| Isle of Capri - K.C. | 88.9 |
| St. Jo Frontier | 88.9 |
| Mark Twain | 88.6 |
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 are not 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. Montana gaming 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 to Montana'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 | 89.17 |
| 25¢ Slots | 91.43 |
| $1 Slots | 93.08 |
| All Slots | 93.31 |
And here's that same information for the north shore casinos:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 92.72 |
| 25¢ Slots | 91.59 |
| $1 Slots | 92.08 |
| All Slots | 94.40 |
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 these numbers.
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.
Slot Machine Payout Percentages
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 casinos are 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, 2017 and ending June 30, 2018:
1¢ Slot Machines
The Strip - 88.38%
Downtown - 89.15%
Boulder Strip - 90.38%
N. Las Vegas - 90.88%
5¢ Slot Machines
The Strip - 91.64%
Downtown - 93.40%
Boulder Strip - 96.21%
N. Las Vegas - 95.29%
25¢ Slot Machines
The Strip - 89.35%
Downtown - 94.25%
Boulder Strip - 96.13%
N. Las Vegas - 96.41%
$1 Slot Machines
The Strip - 92.43%
Downtown - 94.63%
Boulder Strip - 96.13%
N. Las Vegas - 95.39%
$1 Megabucks Machines
The Strip - 87.83%
Downtown - 89.07%
Boulder Strip - 91.35%
N. Las Vegas - 88.52%
All Slot Machines
The Strip - 91.96%
Downtown - 92.67%
Boulder Strip - 94.34%
N. Las Vegas - 93.53%
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 these numbers 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 locals casinos along Boulder Highway such as Boulder Station and Sam's Town and also in the North Las Vegas area 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, they are among the best payback percentages 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, 2017 and ending June 30, 2018:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 89.24 |
| 5¢ Slots | 92.86 |
| 25¢ Slots | 93.83 |
| $1 Slots | 94.30 |
| $1 Megabucks | 88.67 |
| $5 Slots | 94.57 |
| All Slots | 92.21 |
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 these numbers.
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, 2017 and ending June 30, 2018:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 92.78 |
| 5¢ Slots | 94.00 |
| 25¢ Slots | 92.43 |
| $1 Slots | 95.60 |
| $1 Megabucks | 89.33 |
| $5 Slots | 95.49 |
| All Slots | 94.62 |
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, 2017 and ending June 30, 2018:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 93.38 |
| 5¢ Slots | 96.71 |
| 25¢ Slots | 95.70 |
| $1 Slots | 96.35 |
| $5 Slots | 97.32 |
| All Slots | 94.60 |
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, 2017 and ending June 30, 2018:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 93.47 |
| 5¢ Slots | 96.80 |
| 25¢ Slots | 93.57 |
| $1 Slots | 95.84 |
| $5 Slots | 96.30 |
| All Slot | 94.35 |
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, 2017 through June 30, 2018:
| CASINO | PAYBACK |
| Harrah’s | 91.77 |
| Borgata | 91.72 |
| Hard Rock* | 91.5 |
| Caesars | 91.11 |
| Bally's A.C. | 90.99 |
| Golden Nugget | 90.86 |
| Resorts | 90.75 |
| Tropicana | 90.36 |
| Ocean Resort* | 89.8 |
* These figures reflect one month of results from June 2017 as these casinos just opened.
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 various fraternal 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 electronic gaming 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 print out 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 video reels 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, 2017 through March 31, 2018:
| LOCATION | PAYBACK % |
| Tioga Downs | 91.79 |
| Resort's World Catskills | 91.49 |
| Del Lago | 91.20 |
| Rivers | 90.60 |
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 be taken 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 of sales.”
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, 2017 through March 31, 2018:
| LOCATION | PAYBACK % |
| Resorts World | 94.16 |
| Jake's 58 | 93.53 |
| Empire City | 93.12 |
| Monticello | 92.29 |
| Saratoga | 92.29 |
| Finger Lakes | 92.03 |
| Batavia Downs | 91.58 |
| Fairgrounds | 91.56 |
| Vernon Downs | 91.56 |
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 the compact, 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.
Slot Machine Payout Patterns Online
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 or video 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 racetracks that 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, 2017 through June 30, 2018:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| JACK Cleveland | |
| Hollywood Columbus | 92.04 |
| JACK Cincinatti | |
| Miami Valley | 91.44 |
| Belterra Park | |
| Hard Rock Rocksino | 91.04 |
| Eldorado Gaming | |
| Hollywood Toledo | 90.70 |
| JACK Thistledown | |
| Dayton Raceway | 90.11 |
| Hollywood 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 also offer 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 is available 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 maximum bet 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 each machine’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, 2017 through June 25, 2018, the VLT’s had an approximate return of 92.21%.
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’s machines. 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, 2017 through June 30, 2018:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| Parx Casino | 90.95 |
| Valley Forge | 90.71 |
| The Meadows | 90.26 |
| Mount Airy | 90.24 |
| Sugar House | 90.02 |
| Sands Bethlehem | 90.00 |
| Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs | 89.97 |
| Harrah's Philadelphia | 89.94 |
| The Rivers | 89.76 |
| Lady Luck Nemacolin | 89.43 |
| Hollywood Casino at Penn National | 89.30 |
| Presque Isle | 89.26 |
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 terminals because 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 a receipt 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 August 1, 2017 through July 31, 2018 the average VLT return at Twin River was 90.89% and at Newport Grand it was 91.05%.
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 they are 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, 2017 through June 30, 2018:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 90.70 |
| 5¢ Slots | 93.34 |
| 25¢ Slots | 91.01 |
| $1 Slots | 92.39 |
| $5 Slots | 91.20 |
| Average | 90.91 |
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.
Slot Machine Payout Patterns Free
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 a commission 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 concerning the payback percentages on any gaming machines in Texas’ Indian casino.
WASHINGTON SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Slot Machine Payout Patterns Printable
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 finite number of tickets with a predetermined number of winners and losers.
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, the minimum 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 terminals because 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, 2017 through June 30, 2018 the average return on VLT’s was: 91.13% at Mountaineer Park, 90.90% at Mardi Gras, 91.03% at Wheeling Island, 91.02% at Charles Town Races.
WISCONSIN SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
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 terms of 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 the amount wagered.'
Casino Slot Payouts By State
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 system whereby 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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