Slot Machine Guide

1. Antique Slot Machine Price Guide
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3. Value Of Old Slot Machines
4. Azteca Legend Slot Machine Guide
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Slot Machine Guide. Slot Machine Guide is proud to present the best directory, basic notions for amateurs and skillful tips for pros. Unlike other games, slot machines are without doubt the most successful games in the industry. The players are not required to learn anything, neither tricky rules nor complicated guidelines that can have one stuck in impossible, time consuming, and endless games. Jun 28, 2019 How to Play Slot Machines: A Step-by-Step Guide. Call them one-arm bandits, fruit machines, pokies; puggy, poker machines, or just slots— slot machines are truly the hallmark of casino gambling. Whether you have visited a land-based casino or tried your luck online, you are probably familiar with them.

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:

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:

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:

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.

Slots 4 free. 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:

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:

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.

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:

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:

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

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:

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:

And here's that same information for the north shore casinos:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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.

Antique Slot Machine Price Guide

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:

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:

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.

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

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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Introduction to How to Play Slot Machines

Do you remember the first time you entered a casino as a beginner slots player? I know I do. What I remember most is being extremely confused. It was so dark, yet with so many lights. And the smoke was everywhere! Perhaps you remember something similar.

My intent is to be genuinely helpful to slots players. While I think I still have a long way yet to go, I also believe I have been somewhat of service so far.

But, perhaps you are only just beginning your slots journey. What have I done for you to ease your way into becoming a healthy, happy slots enthusiast? So, this blog is for you, the beginner slots player, to, well, help.

Throughout this blog article, I'll be referencing other articles I've written on various aspects of slot machine casino gambling. These articles are freely available to all.

This article has the following sections:

• Introduction to Learn How to Play Slot Machines
• Entering a Casino for the First Time
• My Initial Gambling Rules
• The Changing State of Gambling, in Brief
• Beginning Your Slots Journey
• The Golden Rule
• Journey into the Unknown
• Summary of Learn How to Play Slot Machines

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Entering a Casino for the First Time

My first experience at slot machine gambling was in 2003 at a small tribal casino (Kewadin Casino) in the upper peninsula of Michigan. I was taking a long drive back to graduate school in Iowa after visiting family in the lower peninsula and had found a hotel at which to spend the night.

A casino was located just down the highway from that hotel. I wasn't aware of the casino being there until the hotel provided $20 worth of tokens to play at it.

I remember feeling a little nervous about entering a casino for the first time in my life. I mean, what would my family of non-gamblers think? But, I gathered up my courage and went on in.

I found it to be a highly distracting place: loud, lots of flashing lights, and smoke. This was a time when smoking was more fashionable than it is today, so there was a great deal of cigarette and cigar smoke in the air. This is still true today in some states, such as Nevada, although ventilation has gotten a whole lot better.

I distinctly remember rapidly spending the $20 worth of tokens on slots. Plus, another $50 besides which I could ill afford to lose. At the time I was a poor graduate student on a research stipend working a side job as a temporary instructor of college physics. I'd just spent my food money for the trip home.

Did I win anything that first time at a casino? No, I don't think so. Why don't I know if I had won or not? Frankly, how would I have known if I had? If I did, it wasn't enough to grab my attention.

Maybe a few numbers changed on the player's console, and the slot machine made an unusual sound. So? What of it? From my perspective, it was doing that every time I made a bet anyway.

I left the casino after having spent $50 I could barely afford to lose. As I continued home on that long road trip, I started thinking about gambling with slot machines. Since then, I've more-or-less never really stopped doing so.

After a few months of dwelling on that first experience, I happened to be visiting the Omaha Zoo just over the western border of Iowa in Nebraska. There, I saw a casino on the river. Hint: it was a riverboat casino.

With those months of thinking figuratively behind me, I'd concluded from my first visit that I needed a rule for how much I should allow myself to spend whenever, or if ever, I entered another casino.

The careful rule I came up with was this: 'Take a fixed amount into the casino, say $25, and spend only that plus whatever you make from it.'

With this simple rule and $25 in hand, I entered this second casino at about 2 o'clock in the afternoon on a Saturday … and left almost 12 hours later at 1 a.m. Yes, that's right, 12 hours. Why? Because I'd carefully followed my rule.

My error was that I hadn't been prepared for success. This has continued to plague me, by the way. The error which my simple rule didn't account for was this: Almost immediately after entering this second casino, I won $500 on a 25-cent slot machine.

Doing so left me feeling quite emotional, which inclined me to try to stick firmly to the rule – which I proceeded to do. As the afternoon and evening passed into the early morning, I continued to win additional small, nontaxable jackpots.

Eventually, I spent my $25 along with what I'd won with it. And so, this was my second experience at a casino. I'd gone from slots gambling for 10 minutes to a marathon 12-hour session.

I did try to find a hotel that morning, instead of driving home at such a late hour (and coming as close as I've ever gotten to hitting a deer on the highway), but the nearby hotel wouldn't accept a credit card – only cash.

The hotel staff insinuated that people would provide a credit card to the hotel upon arrival, but afterward max out their credit limit at the casino. At check-out, they wouldn't be able to pay their hotel bill the following morning. That shocked me.

My point here isn't about my not being able to get a hotel room, but that this was my first real clue that gambling was … complicated. It consisted of more than just the act of making a bet by pushing a button.

It exists in a unique environment where loud sounds, flashing lights, second-hand smoke, and even gambling abuses can occur. How fascinating!

My Initial Gambling Rules

After these first two casino gambling experiences, I spent more and more time thinking about them without much progress in learning how to win. I wasn't yet thinking about how to win, however. Rather, I was mostly thinking about the potential dangers of what I was getting myself into.

Eventually, I made a decision to keep trying to figure out this whole slots gambling thing. I wasn't expecting to win any significant amount of money, not ever. But, I was hoping not to lose a significant amount of money.

At the time, for me, my primary motivation was wanting to develop better control over my emotions while gambling at a casino. When there, I was feeling overwhelmed by my strong emotions. I didn't like feeling ruled, at times almost controlled, by my emotions.

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If my reaction to these strong emotions was a personal weakness, I knew I wouldn't just find myself exposing this behavior at a casino. I could potentially be surprised by it at any other time. For example, while living my life or when working professionally. I felt I needed to understand and, if I could, address it.

So, with this reasoning in mind for proceeding with gaining additional slot machine gambling experiences, I took a long look around where I lived for any nearby casinos within driving distance. As it happened, there was a nice casino relatively nearby.

This local casino (Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa) had table games, floors of slot machines, a high limit slot room, and horse racing. And, oh, the splendor of the buffet!

To all my senses, it was simply delightful. So, with that limited assessment of a gambling establishment, about every month or more I'd take about $25 from my monthly stipend to go there with the full expectation of gambling it all away on slot machines.

But, would I…? For what happened next, you'll need to take a look at another article called How to Win at Slots at Older Casinos Built Before 2012. But, that's my story. Instead, let's talk about your story.

The Changing State of Gambling, in Brief

Legal large-scale gambling in the U.S. started in Nevada in 1931. There was Las Vegas, of course, but also Reno, Lake Tahoe, and others. It basically stayed there until legalized in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1978.

Legalized gambling in Atlantic City provided casinos convenient to gamblers on the east coast. And, this balance of gambling between Nevada and Atlantic City continued until around the end of the 1980s. At that point, everything started changing more and more rapidly.

Basically, in 1988 tribal casinos became permitted by federal law. Although, tribes did need to negotiate state-tribal compacts with the state their reservations were located within. These negotiations typically took years.

Another substantial change happened in the early 1990s when riverboat casinos became legal in several midwestern states. Originally, state law required these casinos to travel on water, or at least unmoor from a dock, before any gambling could occur.

In the mid-90s, online gambling started up outside of the U.S. This got out of control fast, until various legal restrictions began protecting players. For a while, this protection was to block online gambling in the continental U.S.

By doing so, the U.S. Senate was not just protecting players, but also land-based casinos hurt by online gambling from outside the U.S. Not long after, Canada did much the same. Besides tribal gaming, this was the limit of federal laws restricting gambling in the U.S. until the banning and recent un-banning of sports betting at the federal level.

What all this means is simple. Gambling has become prevalent in the U.S., especially the most popular type of gambling there is: slot machine casino gambling.

There is another side of the coin, as it were, to all this growth and expansion of gambling. All through these changes to the gaming industry in the U.S. and abroad, the technology of gambling was also growing and expanding.

For example, as you might imagine, the impact of microchips and the internet was profound to slots. For a succinct article capturing these near-constant technological developments of slots machines, see my article on it called The Ultimate Guide to Slot Machine History.

My point of view is that slot machine casino gambling has changed a lot in the last few decades. Further, I believe that these changes will keep on happening. Knowing what has happened in the past will help us understand the future.

Some of the biggest changes occurring right now are related to slot machines no longer being fully random. Frankly, there are degrees of randomness. In the past, most casinos controlled the odds of winning on a slot machine by having slots mechanics physically adjust the odds on a regular schedule perhaps 2 weeks long.

Nowadays, at casinos built or heavily renovated since 2012, this is automated. Doing so both reduced the casino labor force and provided a near real-time understanding of the performance of the casino for its operator.

And therein lies the secret to winning at slot machine casino gambling. But, all that is a bit much for the beginner slots player. What you need to know is, the randomness of slot machines isn't always fully random. There are patterns to this randomness and, if you know to look for them, you can find them.

Beginning Your Slots Journey

Maybe you've yet to visit a casino. Maybe you have visited a casino and wondered what the heck just happened. You might even have gone many times, but want to restart your slots journey for one of several reasons.

If you're just started on your slots journey, you may not know how much playing slots has changed so much in the last few years. That's fine, as more than a few regular slots players haven't kept up with all the changes of late. Or, rather, what the changes mean.

So, let us begin your journey together. Your first step? Well, it's probably not visiting a casino. Your first step is getting online. Most people have several casinos near them. In Iowa, for instance, every resident has at least one casino within an hour drive.

So, what about you? How many casinos are near you? Well, I shouldn't explain how to use Google, but here's a hint: Type 'casinos near me' in Google. Doing so will show a map with all the casinos in your area. Cool, huh?

What you want to do is visit their websites. See what they have to offer that you might like. You're likely not entirely focused on gambling. For instance, you'll probably want a nice meal occasionally. So, look at what nearby casinos have to offer which might interest you.

That's about all the preparation you'll need to start, other than the Golden Rule.

The Golden Rule

There is a danger to gambling for the first time. I'm not a medical professional, so I cannot explain this danger as well as I would like. But this is the danger: You don't know how you will involuntarily react to gambling until you do it the first time.

It's kind of like that first alcoholic drink. With it, some people immediately realize they are an alcoholic. It can ruin lives, and doing something about it successfully will be a life-long endeavor.

I don't mean to scare you. Not at all. Many people find recreational gambling to be quite entertaining. But, others find out they are compulsive gamblers. This can be hard on everyone. So, I have a few things to share about it.

First, please understand that casino's reprimand employees, or fire them, if they tell a casino patron they are spending too much money and should go home. That's just the sad truth. On the other hand, advertisements all over casinos explain how to get help.

Second, I don't encourage non-gamblers to gamble. Win free money casino. I assume anyone who finds me is deliberately looking for information on slots gambling. But, if you decide you want to gamble, then I take it as my responsibility to explain how to do it.

Third, there truly is a Golden Rule. Here it is: Don't spend any money at a casino which you cannot afford to comfortably lose. That means you're spending disposable income, which is money left over after all your bills are paid along with an additional amount put into your savings account of choice.

Journey into the Unknown

I suppose we should also discuss how a slot machine operates. Most newcomers sit down at a slot machine, put some money in, and start pushing some buttons. But, what do the buttons do?

There are several physical components to slot machines, including various interfaces with the player. I've already written an article about the common elements of a slot machine called How Slot Machines Work from a Player's Perspective.

That article, or at least the schematic of a slot machine found in it, should go a long way toward taking the mystery out of how all the buttons, etc., work on a slot machine.

Another thing you'll want to do is get a player's club card from the casino. At its simplest, this is like your grocery card. In exchange for your contact information, you can earn points by spending money on gambling. They'll also make some interesting offers.

You'll get free stuff from the casino, most likely starting when you sign up. Sometimes, in the long term, it's often the only way gamblers make a profit. Here's another article with my explanation about these casino rewards clubs called Seven Advantages of Players Clubs for Playing Slots.

So, let's recap what I've pulled together for you to start at slots:

1. Go to the websites of casinos near you to understand their differences relative to your wants and needs.
2. Check to make sure you have some amount of disposable income if you want to play slots.
3. Visit your casino of choice and get a player's club card at the front counter or kiosk.
4. Pick a slot machine, make a bet, and see what happens next.

So, what does happen next? One example would be what happened to me, as explained. Or, something similar. If I had one wish for you, it would be this. I hope you don't win.

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That's probably shocking, but it really is for the best. If you win big at your first visit to a casino, it sets an unrealistic expectation you might take years to recover from … if ever. I hope you win big on your second visit to a casino. That's what happened to me.

Once you've visited the casino a few times, maybe you'll want to know more about why casinos are the way they are. If so, I have plenty of articles about them. But, they may be too soon. When you're ready, they'll be waiting here for you.

I hope you have a good time at the casino playing slots. As I'm always saying: Have fun, be safe, and make good choices.

Summary of Learn How to Play Slot Machines

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Too often a beginner slots player gets lost. So much is happening at once in a casino! Lights! Sounds! Smoke! There really is a lot going on for beginners. And, unfortunately, a casino doesn't help. After all, it isn't in their best interest to help.

Savvy slots enthusiasts understand what they are doing. They are all self-taught. Well, it's time to fix that. With this primer, a beginner slots player doesn't start from zero.

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Why? Because I've explained the basics. When you're ready for more information on playing and winning at slots, it'll be here for you. Best of luck and let me know if you have any questions!

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Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC