In one of the last battles over the 2017 gambling expansion bill, slots-style video gaming machines were permitted in qualifying truck stops. So, one major convenience store chain is asking, what. A gaming industry expert explains how casinos' ability to hide the price of a slot spin ensures a reliable stream of revenue from even the savviest of gamblers. How slot machines work – and why.
By Shawn Tinling
Over the past many years we've done hundreds of casino parties, one of the more common requests from customers (aside from blackjack, a timeless classic!) are slot machines.
Years ago when 21 Nights was first starting out, I was reluctant to offer slots for casino parties at all. I'll admit, my personal bias as a blackjack junkie used to get in the way of renting out slot machines to customers as I felt they went against everything I stood for. I've let all that go long ago, and for the most part I've given my slot-loving customers what they want. However, I have made the decision to stop offering slot machines at our events for reasons that go way beyond my personal dislike for them. In short, they do you all a disservice.
For starters, if you called 21 Nights Entertainment - or just about any other company - for slot machines...
1) You'd get slot machines - but not really
When our customers think of slot machines when they book casino parties with us, they probably close their eyes and picture a machine that looks something like the classic three-reel, 'one-armed bandit' style of slot machine, which has been a staple of pretty much every single casino, everywhere, since the dawn of time ever.
Pop in some coins, grab the handle and let it rip - what else could be more fun?
Except... the machines you'll get won't have a handle, but rather these three buttons in the front of the machine:
You see, this isn't an ordinary slot machine. The machines that most casino party operators carry are called pachislo machines, popular amusement and gambling devices in Japan. The three buttons in the front are to stop the reels manually - one by one - making these a lot more like games of skill than games of chance. So, party guests looking to just pull a handle a few times and hope for the best are in for almost instant disappointment.
Players will usually regroup, and be game to trying their skill at this newfangled game that they've never seen before, until they discover...
2) Most (if not all) of the instructions on the machines are in Japanese
The casino party setup guys probably get the best of things here, as the manufacturers are so kind to give us instructions as to how to set up the machines written in English.
And guests ask about the rules of the machine - or just dive right in and try to figure it out themselves - but all they see is this:
Unfortunately, our English-language booklets say little (if anything) about how to actually play these things - they simply go into some useful-enough detail about how to set them up. That means, come event time we're left to stand there, try in vain to decipher some Japanese and pretty much guess what's going on - just like you are.
At the end of the day, the mere thought that we not know absolutely everything about the very equipment we rent is a very, very bad thing.
But, hey, at least we've got that handy English manual going for us because...
3) These machines malfunction - a lot
Pachislo machines have very, very delicate electronics inside of them. That's not so much a problem in Japan, where a machine gets unboxed, installed and stays put for months or years - as they were designed for.
What they were not designed for were to be jiggled back and forth in the back of a truck as they make their way from event to event. A speed bump, pothole or short stop can be all it takes for something important to a pachislo machine's normal operation to become misaligned, loose, or flat-out broken.
There's no way of knowing until shortly after we plug the machines in at your event if they made it to your event in one piece. Many times it's the job of one person on staff to act as an attendant for the machines, making sure that they stay functional and play nice long enough to survive a typical 4 hour event - and the trip back to our office.
Guests at casino parties will inevitably tell us that they wish we brought 'regular' slot machines to their event - and we're absolutely with them! - but in most states...
4) Bringing a 'real' slot machine is against the law
State laws in our service areas restrict the ownership of real slot machines to real casinos. Not only is it illegal for casino party companies to have authentic slot machines for casino parties, in many of our service area states it's illegal to own one privately. You can own a blackjack table, but not a slot machine. Go figure. New York's gambling laws can be found here.
5) They're next to impossible to incorporate into the rest of a casino party
Why Aren't Slot Machines In Truck Stop Casinos Reopen
Even if the pachislo machines haven't acted up and many of your casino party guests haven't been turned off from them, they're usually part of a bigger casino night where other games like blackjack and roulette are around as well.
Usually at these parties, prizes go out to whoever has the most in funny money at the end of the night. This leaves a slot player to bring fake quarters to a fake $1,000 chip fight.
The math just doesn't add up! It would be virtually impossible for anyone to win a casino night from the slots It can be done, but you'd need much longer than 4 hours to do it.
In lieu of slot machines, we'd be happy to offer an extra one of our casino table games instead. We guarantee you'll have a much better time!
The ultimate goal for a slot player is finding a loose machine amidst the vast sea of machines on the casino floor. Some equate the task equal to finding the proverbial needle in a haystack while others concede it is more like looking for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Players dream of finding a loose slot machine but few achieve their goal. One reason for this is that the term “loose” when describing a slot machine is relative to the location and casino.
Why Aren't Slot Machines In Truck Stop Casinos Near Me
A player from Las Vegas who plays slots at a local’s casino getting 98 percent payback would not consider a slot machine in Atlantic City that is set to payback 94 percent as a loose machine. However the player from Atlantic City where the average slot return is 91 percent would consider this same machine a loose one. Older slot machines were set at a higher house percentage than new machines are.
First, we should define the term loose slot machine. Payback is the overall percentage that a machine will return to the player in the long run. A loose machine is one that is set to pay back a higher percentage than other machines so the term loose would be relative to the other machines in the same casino.
Fact or Myth
Over the years there has been much speculation and conjecture amongst slot players as to where the loose slot machines are located. There are many myths that have been circulating associated with the placement these loose slot machines on the casino floor. Here are a few to consider and some reasoning behind the myth.
- Loose machines are surrounded by tight machines. The reasoning behind this myth is that many players like to play more than one machine at a time. If a loose machine is surrounded by a tight machine a player will give back the winnings from the loose machine if they simultaneously play the machines on either side.
- Loose machines are placed by the entrance. The reasoning behind this myth is that people will see players winning and this will entice them to come into the casino and play. The basis for this myth can probably be traced back to downtown Las Vegas where the casinos were in walking distance of each other. People walking down the street could see the players winning at the slots and walk into the casino. Most of the new mega-resorts have multiple entrances so I would doubt the validity of this myth.
- Machines near the table games are tight. The reasoning behind this myth is that the noise of the machines will distract the table game players. Another reason is that a table game player will be tempted to play any coins they have when they leave the table on their way to the cashier’s cage.
- Machines near the end of the row are loose. The reasoning behind this myth is that players seeing other players win will be likely to go down into the row to play the machines.
- Machines near the showroom and buffet are tight. The reasoning behind this myth is that players waiting in line for a show or for the buffet are a captive audience. They may be tempted to play a few coins to kill time while they wait. The machines are tight because they can’t leave the area to play other machines.
- Machines near the casino cage are loose. The reasoning behind this myth is that the casino wants you to see people winning while you are waiting in line. This will entice you to play more.
- Round Carousals of machines are looser that rows of machines. The reasoning behind this myth is that the carousels can bee seen from any direction in the casino. They want to put the loose machines where they winners are highly visible.
Think Like a Casino Executive
One of the problems with the myths is that no two casinos are the same. Each casino has a VP of slots who makes the decision about the placement of the machines. Try to think like a casino executive. Where would you put the loose machines?
Casino executives have heard all the myths concerning the placement of loose machines that the players have. If I were the manager I would not put a loose machine on the aisle. I would bury it further down the row. Think of this as reverse psychology. If I know where the players think the loose machines are I would want to put tight machines there instead.
Why Aren't Slot Machines In Truck Stop Casinos Open
Be Realistic
Why Aren't Slot Machines In Truck Stop Casinos Near
Unless you play an exorbitant amount of slots, the chances of really identifying a loose slot machine will be slim. You could just as easily have a very lucky winning session on a low payback machines as a losing session on a machine with a high payback percentage. You might never play enough to be sure.
This does not mean you should give up your quest to find loose slot machines. Playing different machines in search of a loose one will add some variety to your slot play. You might not find a loose slot but you might find a new game that you enjoy playing. The hunt for a loose slot machine can be fun and that’s what casino gambling should be.