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Find out what slot machines actually returned to the public. Just clickbelow 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 eachtribes’ machines to return the following minimum and maximum paybacks: video poker and video blackjack - 83% to 100%, slot machines - 80% to 100%, keno - 75% to 100%. Each tribe is free to setits machines to pay back anywhere within those limits.
ARKANSAS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Arkansas has two pari-mutuel facilities featuring “electronic games of skill,” which are defined as “games played through any electronic device or machine that affords an opportunity for theexercise of skill or judgment where the outcome is not completely controlled by chance alone.”
The games offered are video poker, video blackjack, and “skill” slots where you have two opportunities to spin the reels. The “skill” factor comes into play because after seeing the results ofyour first spin you then have to decide whether to keep none, one, two, or all three of the symbols on each reel before you spin them again. Gaming regulations require that all of theelectronic games of skill must return a minimum of 83%.
For the one year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average gaming machine’s return at Oaklawn was 92.81% and at Southland, it was 92.72%
CALIFORNIA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
California’s Indian casinos are legally allowed to offer electronic gaming machines, blackjack, and other house-banked card games. The games of craps and roulette are not permitted. However,some casinos do offer modified versions of craps and roulette that are played with cards rather than dice or roulette wheels.
Most California card rooms also offer some form of player-banked blackjack, but because they are prohibited by law from playing blackjack, the game is usually played to 22 rather than 21.Additionally, players must pay a commission to the house on every hand they play. The amount will vary depending on the rules of the house but, generally, it’s about two to five percent of thetotal amount bet. There are about 90 card rooms in California and you can see a listing of them on the Internet at http://www.cgcc.ca.gov
California’s tribes aren’t required to release information on their slot machine percentage paybacks and the state of California does not require any minimum returns.
COLORADO SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here’s information, as supplied by Colorado’s Division of Gaming, showing the slot machine payback percentages for each city’s casinos for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June30, 2019:
| Black Hawk | Central City | Cripple Creek | |
| 1¢ Slots | 89.80% | 90.43% | 91.89% |
| 5¢ Slots | 92.85% | 93.93% | 93.50% |
| 25¢ Slots | 92.30% | 94.06% | 95.45% |
| $1 Slots | 93.69% | 94.82% | 94.83% |
| $5 Slots | 93.69% | 93.76% | 95.03% |
| All | 92.35% | 92.30% | 93.53% |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including video poker and video keno. The best returns for eachcategory are highlighted in bold print.
CONNECTICUT SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
The following information is from Connecticut’s Division of Special Revenue regarding Foxwoods’ slot payback percentages:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ | 90.09 |
| 2¢ | 91.38 |
| 5¢ | 90.73 |
| 25¢ | 91.34 |
| 50¢ | 90.77 |
| $1.00 | 92.99 |
| $5.00 | 93.67 |
| $10.00 | 94.29 |
| $25.00 | 96.51 |
| $100.00 | 94.14 |
| Average | 91.95 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each denomination of slot machine from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019.
Here's information from Connecticut's Division of Special Revenue regarding Mohegan Sun's slot payback percentages:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1/4¢ | 86.30 |
| 1/2¢ | 85.91 |
| 1¢ | 88.86 |
| 2¢ | 86.65 |
| 5¢ | 92.08 |
| 25¢ | 91.01 |
| 50¢ | 91.73 |
| $1.00 | 92.94 |
| $5.00 | 94.41 |
| $10.00 | 97.41 |
| $25.00 | 95.50 |
| $100.00 | 94.55 |
| Average | 91.90 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each denomination of slot machine from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019.
DELAWARE SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Delaware’s three pari-mutuel facilities all feature slot machines. Technically, the machines are video lottery terminals (VLT’s) because they are operated in conjunction with the DelawareLottery. Unlike VLT’s in other states, however, Delaware’s machines payout in cash. The VLT’s also play other games including video poker, video keno, and video blackjack.
By law, all video lottery games must return between 87% and 95% of all wagers on an annual basis. Games can return above 95% but only with the Lottery Director’s approval.
According to figures from the Delaware Lottery for the twelve-month period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average VLT return at Dover Downs was 92.59%, at Delaware Park itwas 92.12%, and at Harrington Raceway it was 92.03%.
In mid-2018 a U.S. Supreme Court decision legalized sports betting at all U.S. casinos. Delaware was one of the first states to act on the ruling and all three of the state’s casinos offersportsbooks.
In January 2010 the Delaware legislature approved the addition of table games for the state’s casinos.
FLORIDA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Florida has three forms of casino gambling: casino boats, Indian casinos and gaming machines at pari-mutuels in two south Florida counties.
The casino boats offer gamblers the opportunity to board ships that cruise offshore where casino gambling is legal. From the East Coast, the boats sail three miles out into the Atlantic Oceanand from the west coast the boats travel nine miles out into the Gulf of Mexico. Since the casino boats travel in international waters they are free from regulations and the machines can be setto pay back whatever the operator wants without regard to a minimum payback percentage.
Florida has eight Indian gaming locations. The Seminole Tribe has seven and the eighth is on the Miccosukee Tribe’s reservation.
The Seminoles signed a compact with the state that allows them to offer both Class II and traditional Class III gaming machines. As part of their compact, five Seminole casinos are also allowedto offer the following:
- blackjack
- baccarat
- mini-baccarat
- three-card poker
- let it ride
- pai gow poker
The Miccosukee Tribe has not signed a compact and they only offer Class II gaming machines at their casino.
Class II video gaming devices look like slot machines but are actually bingo games and the spinning reels are for “entertainment purposes only.” No public information is available concerningthe payback percentages on any gaming machines in Florida’s Indian casinos.
The other games allowed in all Indian casinos include
- high-stakes bingo
- video pull tabs
- poker
All of the casinos are open 24 hours (except Big Cypress) and all offer bingo except for both Seminole Hard Rock Casinos and the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. The minimum gambling age is18 at all Indian casinos for bingo or poker and 21 for electronic gaming machines.
Broward County (home county of Fort Lauderdale) and Miami-Dade County both have four pari-mutuel facilities that each offer electronic gaming machines, but no table games.
Florida gaming regulations require a minimum payback of 85% on all gaming machines. From July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the gaming machines at Magic City returned 93.43%, CasinoMiami returned 92.34%, Hialeah Park returned 93.55%, Gulfstream Park returned 92.16%, Dania Casino returned 92.68%, Big Easy returned 91.50%, Calder returned 91.32%, and The Isle returned90.22%.
GEORGIA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
There are two casino boats in Georgia which both sail three miles out into international waters where casino gambling is permitted.
Since the casino boats travel in international waters they are free from regulations and the machines can be set to pay back whatever the operator wants without regard to a minimum paybackpercentage.
IDAHO SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Idaho has six Indian casinos that offer electronic pull-tab machines and other video games. The machines don't pay out in cash. Instead they print out a receipt which must be cashed by a floorattendant or taken to the cashier’s cage. Some casinos also offer bingo (BG) and off-track betting (OTB).
The terms of the compact between the tribes and the state do not require any minimum payback percentage that the gaming machines must return to the public.
ILLINOIS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here’s information from the Illinois Gaming Board showing each casino’s average slot payback percentage for the one-year period from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| Casino Queen | 92.05 |
| Harrah's Joliet | 91.98 |
| Hollywood Joliet | 91.18 |
| Argosy Alton | 90.83 |
| Par-A-Dice | 91.02 |
| Grand Victoria | 91.02 |
| Hollywood - Aurora | 90.42 |
| Jumer's | 89.94 |
| Rivers Casino | 90.35 |
| Harrah's Metropolis | 89.39 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines. As you can see, the Casino Queen returned the most to its slot machine players, whileHarrah's in Metropolis returned the least.
INDIANA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Following is information from the Indiana Gaming Commission regarding average slot payout percentages for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| Hoosier Park | 90.05 |
| French Lick | 91.55 |
| Rising Star | 91.38 |
| Indiana Grand | 90.88 |
| Blue Chip | 91.40 |
| Belterra | 90.76 |
| Majestic Star | 90.25 |
| Hollywood | 89.96 |
| Horseshoe Casino SI | 90.09 |
| Majestic Star II | 89.88 |
| Horseshoe Hammond | 90.07 |
| Ameristar | 89.92 |
| Tropicana | 89.61 |
These figures reflect the average percentage returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines including slot machines, video poker, video keno, etc.
IOWA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here’s information, as supplied by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, showing the electronic gaming machine payback percentages for all non-Indian locations for the one-year period fromJuly 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019.
| LOCATION | PAYBACK % |
| Prairie Meadows | 91.67 |
| Wild Rose- Emmetsburg | 90.61 |
| Wild Rose- Clinton | 90.56 |
| Wild Rose- Jefferson | 90.52 |
| Q Casino | 90.63 |
| Diamond Jo Worth | 90.52 |
| Catfish Bend | 90.42 |
| Riverside | 90.40 |
| Diamond Jo Dubuque | 90.49 |
| Grand Falls | 90.36 |
| Casino Queen Marquette | 90.19 |
| Ameristar | 90.05 |
| Rhythm City | 90.26 |
| Hard Rock | 90.29 |
| Isle Bettendorf | 90.04 |
| Harrah's | 89.77 |
| Isle Waterloo | 89.73 |
| Horseshoe Council Bluffs | 89.66 |
| Lakeside Casino | 88.91 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each riverboat casino or pari-mutuel facility for all of its electronic machines including: slots, video poker, video keno, etc.
KANSAS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
In April 2007 the Kansas legislature authorized local referendums to allow state-run casinos in four counties.
The Kansas Racing & Gaming Commission does not release information about the payback percentages on electronic gaming machines in Kansas. However, gaming regulations require that allmachines return no less than 87%.
There are also five Indian casinos in Kansas and they are not required to release information on their slot machine payback percentages. However, according to officials at the Kansas StateGaming Agency, which is responsible for overseeing the tribal-state compacts, 'the minimum payback percentage for electronic gaming devices is 80%.'
LOUISIANA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Gaming regulations require that gaming machines in casinos be programmed to pay back no less than 80% and no more than 99.9%. For video gaming machines at locations other than casinos, the lawrequires a minimum return of 80% and a maximum return of 94%.
Louisiana gaming statistics are not broken down by individual properties. Rather, they are classified by region: Baton Rouge (BR), Lake Charles (LC), New Orleans (NO) and Shreveport/BossierCity (SB).
The Baton Rouge casinos consist of the Belle of Baton Rouge, Hollywood Casino, L'Auberge and Evangeline Downs. The Lake Charles casinos include Isle of Capri, L’Auberge du Lac and Delta Downs.New Orleans area casinos are Amelia Belle, Boomtown, Harrah’s (landbased), Treasure Chest and Fairgrounds Raceway. The Shreveport/Bossier city casinos include Boomtown, Diamond Jack’s, Sam’sTown, Eldorado, Horseshoe, and Harrah’s Louisiana Downs.
Here’s information, as supplied by the Louisiana State Police-Riverboat Gaming Section, showing the average electronic machine payback percentages for each area’s casinos for the 12-monthperiod from June 1, 2018, through May 30, 2019:
| BR | LC | NO | SB | |
| 1¢ | 88.70% | 88.57% | 88.96% | 89.01% |
| 5¢ | 91.69% | 94.31% | 93.31% | 93.12% |
| 25¢ | 92.30% | 93.08% | 92.43% | 90.73% |
| $1 | 93.56% | 92.33% | 92.72% | 93.03% |
| $5 | 94.49% | 92.99% | 92.93% | 92.70% |
| All | 90.50% | 90.63% | 90.23% | 90.43% |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including video poker and video keno. The best returns for eachcategory are highlighted in bold print and you can see that the Baton Rouge area casinos offered the best returns in most categories.
MAINE SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Maine has two racetrack casinos (racinos) that offer electronic gaming machines, as well as live table games.
State gaming regulations require a minimum return of 89% on all machines and during the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average return on gaming machines atHollywood Casino was 90.15% and at Oxford Casino, it was 90.01%.
MARYLAND SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Maryland has five casinos that are allowed to offer electronic gaming machines, as well as live table games. However, Ocean Downs has no table games.
No public information is available about the actual payback percentages on gaming machines in Maryland. However, gaming regulations require a minimum payback of 87% on any one machine and allmachines within a casino must have an average payback of 90% to 95%.
MASSACHUSETTS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill in late 2011 that legalized casinos. The law allows three casinos, in three different geographic regions, plus one slot parlor.
The slot parlor, Plainridge Park Casino, a harness racing track located about 40 miles southwest of Boston, opened June 24, 2015.
The first resort-casino license in Region B (Western Massachusetts) was awarded to MGM Resorts and their $1.3 billion casino, MGM Springfield, opened August 24, 2018.
The second license for Region A (Eastern Massachusetts) was awarded to Wynn Resorts and their $2 billion, Encore Everett, is expected to open in mid-2019. The final license for Region C(Southeastern Massachusetts) had not yet been awarded as of late 2018.
Additionally, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is planning to build a destination resort casino near Taunton. That facility, First Light Casino, was expected to open by late 2019. However, theproject has been hampered by lawsuits that might stop it from being completed.
Massachusetts gaming regulations require a minimum payback of 80% on all gaming machines. From July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the gaming machines at Plainridge Park returned 92.03%,91.39% at MGM Springfield* and 91.49% at Encore.**
* Stats for MGM Springfield began August 23, 2018, when it opened
** Stats for Encore are June 23- July 31, 2019.
MICHIGAN SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
There are 17 Indian casinos in Michigan and the tribes are not required to release information on their slot machine payback percentages. However, according to officials at the Michigan GamingControl Board, which is responsible for overseeing the tribal-state compacts, 'the machines must meet the minimum standards for machines in Nevada or New Jersey.' In Nevada, the minimum returnis 75% and in New Jersey, it's 83%. Therefore, Michigan's Indian casinos must return at least 75% in order to comply with the law.
There are also three privately owned casinos in Detroit, but their slot payback information is not made available to the public.
MINNESOTA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
All Minnesota casinos are located on Indian reservations and under a compact reached with the state the only table games permitted are card games such as blackjack and poker. Additionally, theonly kind of slot machines allowed are electronic video slot machines. Therefore, you will not find any mechanical slots that have traditional reels - only video screens
According to the terms of the compact between the state and the tribes, however, the minimum and maximum payouts are regulated as follows: video poker and video blackjack - 83% to 98%, slotmachines - 80% to 95%, keno - 75% to 95%. Each tribe is free to set its machines to pay back anywhere within those limits and the tribes do not release any information regarding their slotmachine percentage paybacks.
MISSISSIPPI SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
The Mississippi Gaming Commission does not break down its slot statistics by individual properties. Rather, they are classified by region.
The Coastal region includes Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay Saint Louis.
The North region includes Tunica, Greenville, and Lula.
The Central region includes Vicksburg and Natchez.
With that in mind here’s information, as supplied by the Mississippi Gaming Commission, showing the machine payback percentages for each area’s casinos for the one-year period from July 1,2018, through June 30, 2019:
| Coastal | North | Central | |
| 1¢ Slots | 91.99% | 91.95% | 91.73% |
| 5¢ Slots | 94.78% | 94.96% | 95.73% |
| 25¢ Slots | 93.91% | 92.41% | 93.78% |
| $1 Slots | 93.28% | 93.51% | 94.10% |
| $5 Slots | 93.78% | 95.16% | 95.52% |
| All | 92.18% | 91.87% | 92.32% |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including video poker and video keno. The best returns for eachcategory are highlighted in bold print and you can see that all of the gaming areas offer rather similar returns on their machines.
MISSOURI SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here's information from the Missouri Gaming Commission regarding the payback percentages for each casino's electronic machines for the 12-month period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| Ameristar- St. Charles | 91.0 |
| River City | 90.6 |
| Hollywood | 90.6 |
| Ameristar- K.C. | 90.4 |
| Harrah’s - N.K.C | 90.1 |
| Lumiere Place | 90.0 |
| Isle of Capri - Booneville | 90.1 |
| Argosy | 89.9 |
| Isle of Capri - Cape Girardeau | 89.7 |
| Lady Luck | 89.3 |
| Isle of Capri - K.C. | 88.9 |
| St. Jo Frontier | 88.9 |
| Mark Twain | 88.7 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines including slot machines, video poker, video keno, etc.
MONTANA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Montana law permits bars and taverns to have up to 20 video gaming devices that play video poker, video keno, or video bingo. These machines are operated in partnership with the state and arenot permitted to pay out in cash; instead, they print out a receipt which must be taken to a cashier. The maximum bet on these machines is $2 and the maximum payout is limited to $800. Montanagaming regulations require these machines to return a minimum of 80%.
There are seven Indian casinos offering video gaming machines that also print out a receipt. The maximum bet on these machines is $5 and the maximum payout is capped at $1,500. According toMontana's Gambling Control Division, there are no minimum payback percentages required for gaming machines on Indian reservations.
NEBRASKA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
No public information is available concerning the payback percentages on gaming machines in Nebraska.
NEVADA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
NEVADA - Lake Tahoe
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the south shore casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1,2017 and ending June 30, 2018:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 88.94 |
| 25¢ Slots | 91.24 |
| $1 Slots | 92.55 |
| All Slots | 93.33 |
And here's that same information for the north shore casinos:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 92.81 |
| 25¢ Slots | 91.40 |
| $1 Slots | 91.52 |
| All Slots | 94.29 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned to the players on each denomination of machine. All electronic machines including slots, video poker and video keno are included in thesenumbers.
NEVADA - Las Vegas
Unlike New Jersey, the Nevada Gaming Control Board does not break down its slot statistics by individual properties. Rather, they are classified by area.
The annual gaming revenue report breaks the Las Vegas market down into two major tourist areas: the Strip and downtown. There is also a very large locals market in Las Vegas and those casinosare shown in the gaming revenue report as the Boulder Strip and North Las Vegas areas.
When choosing where to do your slot gambling, you may want to keep in mind the following slot payback percentages for Nevada's fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018, and ending June 30, 2019:
1¢ Slot Machines
The Strip - 88.33%
Downtown - 88.96%
Boulder Strip - 90.53%
N. Las Vegas - 90.79%
5¢ Slot Machines
The Strip - 91.96%
Downtown - 93.32%
Boulder Strip - 96.30%
N. Las Vegas - 95.24%
25¢ Slot Machines
The Strip - 89.34%
Downtown - 93.91%
Boulder Strip - 95.77%
N. Las Vegas - 96.27%
$1 Slot Machines
The Strip - 92.34%
Downtown - 94.12%
Boulder Strip - 95.49%
N. Las Vegas - 95.62%
$1 Megabucks Machines
The Strip - 87.31%
Downtown - 86.40%
Boulder Strip - 87.61%
N. Las Vegas - 86.98%
All Slot Machines
The Strip - 91.84%
Downtown - 92.22%
Boulder Strip - 94.26%
N. Las Vegas - 93.34%
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned to the players on each denomination of machine. All electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno are included in thesenumbers and the highest-paying returns are shown in bold print. As you can see, the machines in downtown Las Vegas pay out slightly more than those located on the Las Vegas Strip.
Returns even better than the downtown casinos can be found at some of the other local casinos along Boulder Highway, such as Boulder Station and Sam's Town and also in the North Las Vegasarea which would include the Fiesta, Santa Fe and Texas Station casinos. Not only are those numbers among the best returns in the Las Vegas area, but they are also among the best paybackpercentages for anywhere in the United States.
NEVADA - Laughlin
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of Laughlin’s casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1,2018, and ending June 30, 2019:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 89.11 |
| 5¢ Slots | 92.59 |
| 25¢ Slots | 93.44 |
| $1 Slots | 94.92 |
| $1 Megabucks | 88.27 |
| $5 Slots | 94.33 |
| All Slots | 92.15 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned to the players on each denomination of machine. All electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno are included in thesenumbers.
NEVADA - Reno
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the Reno area casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017and ending June 30, 2018:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 92.69 |
| 5¢ Slots | 95.10 |
| 25¢ Slots | 92.16 |
| $1 Slots | 95.38 |
| $1 Megabucks | 87.40 |
| $5 Slots | 95.06 |
| All Slots | 94.56 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno.
NEVADA - Sparks
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the Sparks area casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1,2018, and ending June 30, 2019:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 92.98 |
| 5¢ Slots | 97.19 |
| 25¢ Slots | 95.43 |
| $1 Slots | 96.17 |
| $5 Slots | 97.32 |
| All Slots | 94.55 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno.
NEVADA - Wendover
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the Wendover area casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1,2018 and ending June 30, 2019:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 93.41 |
| 5¢ Slots | 96.80 |
| 25¢ Slots | 93.34 |
| $1 Slots | 95.86 |
| $5 Slots | 96.39 |
| All Slot | 94.32 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including slots, video poker and video keno.
NEW JERSEY SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Following is information from the New Jersey Casino Control Commission regarding average slot payout percentages for the 12-month period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019:
| CASINO | PAYBACK |
| Harrah’s | 91.79 |
| Borgata | 91.66 |
| Hard Rock | 91.41 |
| Caesars | 91.03 |
| Bally's A.C. | 90.76 |
| Golden Nugget | 90.57 |
| Resorts | 90.78 |
| Tropicana | 90.35 |
| Ocean Resort | 90.49 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines which includes slot machines, video poker, etc.
NEW MEXICO SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
New Mexico's Indian casinos offer an assortment of table games and electronic gaming machines. Additionally, slot machines are allowed at the state's racetracks as well as at about 40 variousfraternal and veterans clubs.
New Mexico gaming regulations require that electronic machines at racetracks and fraternal/veterans organizations return a minimum of 80%.
New Mexico's Indian tribes do not make their slot machine payback percentages a matter of public record but the terms of the compact between the state and the tribes require all electronicgaming machines to also return a minimum of 80%.
NEW YORK SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
There are several Indian casinos located in upstate New York which offer traditional Class III casino gambling.
The terms of the compact between the tribes and the state allow table games and slot machines, including video keno and video poker. These machines do not pay out in cash. Instead, they printout a receipt which must be exchanged for cash.
There are also some Indian casinos that offer Class II gambling which consist of electronic gaming machines which look like slot machines, but are actually games of bingo and the spinning videoreels are for 'entertainment purposes only.' No public information is available concerning the payback percentages on gaming machines at Indian casinos.
Here’s information, as supplied by the New York Gaming Commission, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the casinos for the fiscal year from April 1, 2018, through March31, 2019:
| LOCATION | PAYBACK % |
| Tioga Downs | 91.62 |
| Resort's World Catskills | 91.40 |
| Del Lago | 90.94 |
| Rivers | 90.50 |
In October 2001, legislation was passed to allow for the introduction of slot machine-type video lottery machines at New York racetracks. Officially referred to as Video Gaming Machines(VGM’s), they are regulated by the New York State Lottery Division.
All VGM's offer standard slot machine-type games, plus keno in denominations from five cents to $10. The machines all accept cash but do not pay out in cash. They print a receipt which must betaken to a cashier.
The legislation authorizing the VGM’s states, “the specifications for video lottery gaming shall be designed in such a manner as to pay prizes that average no less than ninety percent ofsales.”
Here's information, as supplied by the New York Lottery, showing the video gaming machine payback percentages for each of the state's racetracks for the fiscal year from April 1,2018, through March 31, 2019:
| LOCATION | PAYBACK % |
| Resorts World | 94.16 |
| Jake's 58 | 93.73 |
| Empire City | 93.06 |
| Monticello | 92.40 |
| Saratoga | 92.35 |
| Finger Lakes | 92.12 |
| Batavia Downs | 91.66 |
| Fairgrounds | 91.66 |
| Vernon Downs | 91.74 |
NORTH CAROLINA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
North Carolina has two Indian casinos and both are affiliated with the state's Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians which signed a compact with the state. According to the terms of thecompact, the video gaming machines are required to return a minimum of 83% and a maximum of 98%.
NORTH DAKOTA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
North Dakota has more than 800 sites throughout the state that offer blackjack, with betting limits of $1-$25, for the benefit of charities.
There are also six Indian casinos which are limited by law to the following maximum bet limits: blackjack-$100 (two tables in a casino may have limits up to $250), craps-$60, roulette-$50,slots/video poker-$25 and poker-$50 per bet, per round with a maximum of three rounds.
The terms of the state's compact with the tribes require gaming machines to return a minimum of 80% and a maximum of 100%. However, if a machine is affected by skill, such as video poker orvideo blackjack, the machines must return a minimum of 83%.
OHIO SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Ohio voters passed a statewide referendum in November 2009 to allow one casino to open in each of four major cities: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo. There are also seven racetracksthat offer video lottery terminals.
Here’s information from the Ohio Casino Control Commission regarding the payback percentages for each racino and casino’s electronic machines for the twelve-month period from July 1,2018, through June 30, 2019:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| JACK Cleveland | |
| Hollywood Columbus | 92.09 |
| JACK Cincinnati | |
| Miami Valley | 90.73 |
| Belterra Park | |
| MGM Northfield | 91.09 |
| Eldorado Gaming | |
| Hollywood Toledo | 90.73 |
| JACK Thistledown | |
| Hollywood Dayton | 90.27 |
| Mahoning Valley |
OKLAHOMA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
All Oklahoma Indian casinos are allowed to offer both Class II and Class III gaming machines.
Most casinos offer only Class II machines which look like slot machines, but are actually games of bingo and the spinning video reels are for 'entertainment purposes only.' Some casinos alsooffer traditional Class III slots.
In either case, the gaming machines are not allowed to accept or payout in coins. All payouts must be done by a printed receipt or via an electronic debit card. No public information isavailable concerning the payback percentages on gaming machines in Oklahoma.
OREGON SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Oregon law permits bars and taverns to have up to six video lottery terminals that offer various versions of video poker. Racetracks are allowed to have no more than 10 machines. The maximumbet allowed is $2.50 and the maximum single payout on any machine is capped at $600.
These machines are the same as regular video gaming devices but are called lottery terminals because they are regulated by the state’s lottery commission which receives a share of eachmachine’s revenue. The machines accept cash but do not pay out in cash; instead, they print out a receipt which must be taken to a cashier.
According to figures from the Oregon Lottery, during its fiscal year from June 28, 2018, through June 25, 2019, the VLT’s had an approximate return of 92.34%.
There are nine Indian casinos in operation in Oregon. According to the governor’s office which regulates the Tribe’s compacts, 'there is no minimum payback percentage required on the Tribe’smachines. Each Tribe is free to set their own limits on their machines.'
PENNSYLVANIA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Pennsylvania gaming regulations require that gaming machines return a minimum of 85%.
The following is information from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board regarding average slot payout percentages for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| Parx Casino | 90.70 |
| Valley Forge | 90.68 |
| The Meadows | 90.14 |
| Mount Airy | 90.31 |
| Sugar House | 90.03 |
| Wind Creek Bethlehem | 90.09 |
| Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs | 89.90 |
| Harrah's Philadelphia | 89.82 |
| The Rivers | 89.87 |
| Lady Luck Nemacolin | 89.34 |
| Hollywood Casino at Penn National | 89.38 |
| Presque Isle | 89.31 |
RHODE ISLAND SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Rhode Island has two pari-mutuel facilities which both feature video lottery terminals (VLT’s). These machines are the same as regular video gaming devices but are called lottery terminalsbecause they are regulated by the state’s lottery commission which receives a share of each machine’s revenue. The machines accept cash but don’t pay out in cash; instead, they print out areceipt which must be taken to a cashier.
All VLT’s are programmed to play at least six different games: blackjack, keno, slots and three versions of poker (jacks or better, joker poker and deuces wild).
According to figures from the Rhode Island Lottery for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average VLT return at Twin River was 92.10% and at Tiverton, it was91.63%.
SOUTH CAROLINA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
South Carolina has two gambling cruise ships which sail three miles out into international waters where casino gambling is permitted. Since the casino boats travel in international waters theyare free from regulations and the machines can be set to pay back whatever the operators want without regard to a minimum payback percentage.
SOUTH DAKOTA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here are statistics from the South Dakota Commission on Gaming for the payback percentages on all of Deadwood’s slot machines for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30,2019:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 90.73 |
| 5¢ Slots | 93.56 |
| 25¢ Slots | 91.18 |
| $1 Slots | 92.58 |
| $5 Slots | 92.51 |
| Average | 91.05 |
In addition to the Deadwood casinos, there are also nine Indian casinos in South Dakota. No information is available on the payback percentages of the video gaming machines.
TEXAS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Texas has one Indian casino which offers gaming machines based on bingo. It also offers pull tab machines, bingo, poker and a player-banked blackjack game where each player must pay acommission to the house for each bet that is made. The commission is 50¢ for $3-$50 bets and $1 for bets over $50. The minimum gambling age is 21 and the casino is open 24 hours daily.
Class II video gaming devices look like slot machines, but are actually bingo games and the spinning reels are for “entertainment purposes only.” No public information is available concerningthe payback percentages on any gaming machines in Texas’ Indian casino.
WASHINGTON SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
There are 28 Indian casinos operating in Washington and they all have compacts with the state allowing them to offer table games, as well as electronic ‘scratch’ ticket games which use a finitenumber of tickets with a predetermined number of winners and losers.
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 Slot Machine Payout Returns
So, imagine you’re playing a slot machine. How good is it? Are you winning anything? Losing? Do you know how well your slot machine performed last month or last year? What about the casino: How well did slots enthusiasts perform there last month or last year? Each of these questions is centered around a single concept I’ll be discussing in this post: slot machine payout returns.
As I’ve been discussing in other blogs and podcast episodes, one way to improve slot machine gambling performance is to better understand:
- Slots History;
- Existing and Emerging Gaming Technology; and
- Ongoing Development of State Gaming Regulations.
To provide a better understanding of slot machines for each of these slot-related areas of knowledge, this post highlights slot machine payout returns. This post has the following sub-sections:
- Introduction
- The Importance of Slot Machine Payout Returns
- Slot Machine Payout Returns and Bankroll Cycling
- Theoretical Slot Machine Payout Returns
- Actual Slot Machine Payout Returns
- Extremes of State Gaming Requirements
- Summary
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The Importance of Slot Machine Payout Returns
Let’s examine the importance of slot machine payout returns. Note that returns is plural. This is due to there being two types of payout returns: theoretical and actual.
Theoretical return is an electronic setting for the slot machine. Actual return is what was recorded once the machine had been played for some period of time. I’ll be describing both of these returns in the next few sections.
Beforehand, let’s focus on the importance of slot machine payout returns. A lot of slots enthusiasts use the term “loose” and “tight.” These popular terms are entirely about slot machine payout returns. Loose slot machines means it has higher payout returns, while tight slot machines have lower payout returns.
“Our slots are the loosest in the state!”, some casinos advertise. But, what does that really mean? If they are being truthful in their marketing, which is possible, then they are saying that their slot machines have either the highest theoretical and/or actual payout return percentages of any other casino in the state.
It is possible that such marketing is truthful due to the constant oversight of all casino activities by the state gaming commission. Loss of the casino’s gambling license might well result from untruthful marketing.
However, despite this protection, that doesn’t mean you can’t be tricked. For instance, perhaps it’s the only casino in the state. Or, perhaps it said “#1 in jackpots in Cincinnati”, when it’s Cincinnati’s ONLY casino!
The importance of slot machine payout returns comes down to an understanding for slots enthusiasts of both what is possible, determining the highest baseline returns of any available casinos, and comparing their gambling performance to others.
A later section will be about both what is possible due to state gaming regulations as well as how some states require public reporting of payout returns. In the next section, I’ll be covering how to use payout returns to provide insight into your own slots gambling performance.
Slot Machine Payout Returns and Bankroll Cycling
Each slot machine has both a theoretical as well as an actual payout return, usually given in percentages. A term similar to slot machine payout returns is hold percentages. Hold and Return can be related as follows: Hold% equals 100% minus Return%.
In essence, payout return is the amount of money won divided by the amount of money lost during a gambling period. These gambling periods might be for a single session of play at a casino, over the course of a month of gambling, or even for a full year.
As you might imagine, an electronic record is kept for each slot machine’s performance. This record can be used by the casino operator to understand actual performance versus planned performance of the slot machine. Other statistical information can also be gleaned, if desired, such as the performance of groups of slots machines as well as the overall casino property.
Typically, payout returns are only discussed in terms of slot machines. It isn’t practical to have this information in terms of a player. Why? Because this statistical information is only useful if there is a lot of data, and even the most ardent slots enthusiasts doesn’t play much when compared to groups of slot machines at a casino.
Besides not having data lakes of statistical information, slots enthusiasts have no practical way in which to collect the amount of each individual bet along with its outcome. Doing so would require using some kind of electronic “gaming tool” device, which is typically strictly illegal in most U.S. states.
What is important for a slots players is to record their overall performance, including date, gambling establishment, bankroll, and any winnings. As previously mentioned, I’ll be detailing gambling recordkeeping in an upcoming post. But, for now, a player’s actual payout return can’t, in general, be accurately calculated by winnings divided by bankroll due to bankroll cycling.
In the busy casino environment, and adhering to the restriction on using an electronic gaming tools, there is a simple way to keep track of a player’s payout return. I use it all the time, in part to keep track of when I’ve spent my original bankroll amount. Knowing when this happens, when the first cycle of a bankroll ends and the second begins, can be difficult to guess. So, don’t guess. Count!
When you put some or all of your bankroll into a slot machine, note how many credits that is. You’ll need to remember that number of bankroll credits for later. Then, as you play, keep track of how many credits you’ve bet. When credits bet equals the original bankroll, you’ve completed your first bankroll cycle.
Next, how many credits remain in the machine? Divide this by the original bankroll credits to get the player’s return. If you’ve won more than your bankroll, this return will be over 100%. If less, than the return is under 100%.
Time for a couple of caveats. First, don’t spend your bankroll on that slot machine if you’re not winning anything. I usually try to let the machine run for 15-20 bets before making a decision about whether or not to continue of that slot machine, but sometimes stop earlier if I’m seeing absolutely no wins.
Second, you may not win back your entire bankroll. For most slots players, this is highly typical. This is where the tough decision lies. If you’re winning a little, are you winning enough? This entirely depends on your own gambling goals.
For entertainment gamblers, the bankroll brought to the casino is essentially meant to be spent on entertainment. For those trying to earn maximum comps, bankroll cycling is the best way to earn comps. But, will it cycle as many times as needed if the bankroll at the beginning of each cycle significantly diminishes?
For maximizing take-home, is enough bankroll cycling occurring to give the slot machine enough time to play such that a bigger jackpot becomes more likely?
Theoretical Slot Machine Payout Returns
Each slot machine has a theoretical hold percentage or, when subtracted from 100%, a theoretical return percentage for the casino. The expression payout return is often used, but those two words is redundant. A return from a casino is actual the same as a payout.
Slot machine manufacturers design the electronics of slot machines to have a range of possible or theoretical payout percentages, from which casino operators can select as needed.
In general, slot machine manufacturers don’t share how this is accomplished, not specifically. But, they don’t really have to. It’s done in the usual ways. As the saying goes, and with all due respect to slots manufacturers, it’s not rocket science.
One enterprising individual has created a YouTube video about how theoretical odds are selected after opening a slot machine. How was he able to do this? He personally bought a slot machine, then created a video of how to do it using the equipment manual from the slots manufacturer.
While I have most recently been unable to re-locate that specific YouTube video, so will have to explain it here. If anyone locates it, please comment with a link on this post. In it, he showed that there were 6 theoretical hold settings possible to encode into the machine.
Further, he explained that the highest setting made almost every bet a win. And, for the lowest setting, any winnings at all were quite rare.
If the hold percentage is high, meaning that the casino retains a relatively high amount of the players cash-in over time, then the player considers the slot machine to be “tight”. If the hold percentage is relatively low, so less of the player’s cash-in is lost to the casino, it is considered a “loose” slot machine.
Slot machine manufacturers and casino operators do not make hold or payout percentages of specific slot machines available to the public, naturally enough. And, with technology marching forward as it tends to do, the number of settings has likely increased somewhat alongside adding remote access to adjusting the odds electronically.
This assumes any such changes in technology have been approved, as required, by the gaming jurisdictions into which they will be installed. This tends to not be a fast process, and has slowed down the advancement of new gaming technologies to something which, in my opinion, is almost manageable.
So, a set of theoretical slot machine payout returns is provided by slots manufacturers to their customers. At any given time, a casino operator selects one specific theoretical return setting.
This setting, however, must first be determined by the casino operator, who evaluates it for both desired casino performance metrics as well as for complying with their gaming jurisdiction requirements.
What I think is interesting about theoretical slot machine payout returns is how they are different from any other game available at a casino. Roulette, craps, and any card game is based on rules. These rules, which are provided to any player of the game, very specifically define the odds of winning.
Therefore, websites like Michael Shackleford’s The Wizard of Odds can exist to provide those various odds of winning to a fair degree of accuracy by simply calculating them. They are not perfectly accurate, but they are certainly, as usual for these sorts of calculations, “good enough” for this application. Again, it isn’t rocket science, folks.
My point here is that most games in casinos have known odds of winning, to a high degree of accuracy, and slot machines do not. For slot machines, the odds of winning are never known outside of a very few employees at casinos, and they’re not sharing due to serious legal ramifications if they were to do so.
So, without theoretical slot machine payout returns being available to slots enthusiasts, what are we to do? What we do is take a close look at any available actual slot machine payout returns that might be available to us.
Best Payout Slot Machine
Actual Slot Machine Payout Returns
Actual slot machine payout returns are the results obtained from playing slot machines. The theoretical payout return is just that: theoretical. Statistical variation around that setting is expected, which is why actuals are important.
I’ll put this another way: First you plan (theoretical), then you see what happens (actual).
Some level of actual slot machine payout returns can be gotten in 5 different ways. I’ll go over each of these sources of information. They are:
- Looking at one’s own performance;
- Historical performance as noted on a specific slot machine;
- Analyzing the performance of many slot machines;
- Public posting of payout returns in various online forums and groups; and
- Public posting of actual payout returns by a gaming jurisdiction such as a U.S. state government.
A strictly limited amount of actual slot machine payout returns can be known based on your own performance, as mentioned in the prior section on bankroll cycling.
This set of data is what is known to statisticians as a relatively small sample size, which is of limited usefulness. Yet, it’s not completely useless!
Another way actual slot machine payout returns can be known is if they are provided by the casino to the player. At some casinos, the amount and times of taxable jackpots from within the last week may be posted on the side of slot machines.
I’ve seen this done at Horseshoe Casino Southern Indiana. However, this practice of posting a machine’s jackpots on the side of that machine is very casino specific and is not typically available.
A player will need investigate if doing so occurs at any casinos they visit. Also, these posted jackpots are for only taxable jackpots, jackpots over $1,200.
With an extraordinary amount of time along with a huge financial investment, it would be indeed possible to fully map out the payout percentages of a single slot machine.
Keep in mind that each slot machine has several possible payout percentage settings available to it, which complicates both performing this procedure as well as successfully using that extensive information afterwards in an advantageous manner.
Simply put, it is a highly impractical strategy given vast amount of money required as well as the lengthy time involved betting, recording each result, and post-processing the results.
Further, doing so provides only an understanding of a machine’s settings at that time, and ignores potential changes to those settings that may be instituted by the casino immediately following that data collection period.
Online forums and gaming magazines publish payout percentages for players interested in finding supposedly “loose” slot machines. If reviewing such sites, be careful to ask and look for the source of this information.
As usual, a player needs to trust their instincts. I’m certainly not the first person to say this, but… if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
From a high level perspective, let us consider that there are only four possible sources for payout percentages of specific game themes. These four sources are:
- employees of game manufacturers;
- employees of casino operators
- extensive player statistics; and
- outright guesswork with no real value.
While three of these could potentially provide accurate information, two of those would have to have been obtained illegally. So, be wary of public forums and groups trying to provide you with slot machine payout returns, especially if a payment is required. I’d be very, very cautious unless you can confirm that the information has been obtained directly from a gaming jurisdiction such as a U.S. state gaming commission.
Finally, there are actual slot machine payout returns obtained from a gaming jurisdiction, which they have because of their legally established gaming regulations. Put another way, casinos provide these statistics when gaming jurisdictions require them to do so.
At the time of this writing, I’ve published 40 posts on slots-specific gaming regulations for the 56 U.S states, territories, and federal district. I’m writing them weekly, and proceeding through them alphabetically. I’ve currently at Oklahoma, with both Oregon and Pennsylvania to be published within the next two weeks.
These state-by-state reviews of slot machine casino gambling are available on my website as an online resource for slots enthusiasts. A summary article, Slot Machine Gambling, State-By-State: A Weekly Blog, has weekly updated links to each U.S. state, territory, and federal district as the next blog article is posted.
Myths of Slot Machine Payout Returns
As previously mentioned, theoretical slot machine payout returns are not known except to a few employees at casinos. This lack of knowledge has, as is often the case, generated quite a few myths. I talk about a few of these myths next, and provide a few reasons why some of them may or may not be true.
One myth often said is that it is a good rule of thumb for players that slots with higher denominations tend to have a higher payout percentage. The best way to analyze this myth is to look at the six state gaming commissions that provide actual payout statistics for slot machines with different denominations.
- Colorado: The highest slot machine payout returns appear mostly centered on $1 slots, with the lowest returns entirely on penny slots;
- Connecticut: Slot machine payout returns mostly increase with denomination all the way up to $100 at Foxwoods, but peak at $25 before decreasing at higher denominations for Mohegan Sun’s slot machines;
- Louisiana: The lowest slot machine payout returns across all four of Louisiana’s gaming regions are for penny slots. Otherwise, two regions peak at 5-cents and two regions peak at the maximum $5 denomination;
- Mississippi: Two of Mississippi’s three gaming regions have slot machine payout returns that peak at the 5-cent denomination, while the third peaks at the maximum $5 denomination;
- Nevada (listed separately for multiple locations), and
- Lake Tahoe, North Shore: Peaks at the maximum $1 denomination, but penny slots have the second highest;
- Lake Tahoe, South Shore: Steadily increases to peak at the maximum $1 denomination;
- Las Vegas, Boulder Strip: The highest return is for the 25-cent denomination;
- Las Vegas, Downtown: The highest return is for the $1 denomination non-Megabucks slot machines, with the lowest being the $1 denomination Megabucks slot machines;
- Las Vegas, North Las Vegas: The highest return is for the 25-cent denomination
- Las Vegas, The Strip: The highest return is for the $1 denomination, with the second highest for the 5-cent denomination;
- Laughlin: The highest return is for the 25-cent denomination;
- Reno: The highest return is for the 5-cent denomination;
- Sparks: The highest return is for the maximum $5 denomination; and
- Wendover: The highest return is for the maximum $5 denomination.
- South Dakota: The highest return is for the 5-cent denomination.
As shown, almost exactly half of the locations that provide denomination-specific slot machine payout returns show maximum denomination machines have the highest return. However, the other half do not show this. However this is interpreted, it is safe to say that maximum denominations having the best payout return is not a very good rule of thumb.
Another myth also considered to be a good rule of thumb is that the more active a bank of slot machines are, the higher the payouts tend to be. I know of no way to prove or disprove this rule of thumb with state-provided statistical data. However, I will point out that the actual saying doesn’t make logical sense or, more specifically, doesn’t provide a lot of value.
Why? Because of the two slot machine odds of winning, which again are: 1) if you win, and 2) how much you win. Based on this understanding of the odds of winning, a bank of slot machines that is actively providing wins is separate from how much is being won.
As is starting to become apparent to me, this myth is a slight misunderstanding of what is actually occurring. Whoever created the myth is on the right track, but hasn’t quite clarified it well enough.
The winning strategy this relates to, detailed above, is to try to continue to play slot machines which cycle bankrolls in the hopes of letting the slot machine run long enough to more likely generate a higher amount jackpot.
Players should keep in mind that these “good rules of thumb” are general trends, at best, and may not have much grounding in actual practices. In other words, be careful if planning to make extensive use of them.
Alternatively, send me your slot machines rules of thumb, and I’ll evaluate them for you. I’ll be your very own slots Myths Buster!
State Gaming Requirements for Actual Slot Machine Payout Returns
Some gaming jurisdictions such as U.S. states, territories, and federal district have made it a gaming regulation that casinos within their borders provide them with weekly or monthly actual slot machine payout returns. A few of them then provide this statistical data to the public.
To see if your state provides these statistics, or legal limits on slot machine payout returns, check with your state’s gaming control board. Alternatively, you can check the free online resource I’m building: A weekly state-by-state review of slot machine casino gambling for each U.S. state, territory, and federal district available at Slot Machine Gambling, State-By-State: A Weekly Blog.
In terms of slots history, I’ve compared the annual return statistics for states with casinos in both 2007 and 2017. While most states show actual return percentages to have dropped by as much as 1.5%, some states showed no changes while a very few states showed only slight increases.
Biggest Payout Slot Machines
In addition, gaming jurisdictions can choose to set higher and lower legal limits on slot machine payout returns. The lower legal limits on slot machine payout returns are of the greatest interest, of course. However, this isn’t quite as easy as it seems.
Casino properties don’t often set these limits as low as they are legally allowed to, in part because it’s not good for business. Casino properties are very much aware that their business depends on having a good reputation.
If it becomes known as a place to lose money, whether or not this is actually true, such a blow to their hard-won reputation may have dire financial consequences.
Another reason is due to the nature of a theoretical setting versus an actual result. Casinos have to be careful their actual returns stay above the lower legal limit. Otherwise, their gambling license could be put at risk.
If they attempt to carefully keep their theoretical slot machines payout returns only slightly above the legal requirements, a short-term drop in actual slot machine payout returns near the end of the reporting period could potentially result in being non-compliant to state gaming regulations. That wouldn’t be good. That wouldn’t be good, at all.
Summary to Benefits of Slot Machine Payout Returns
In summary, how well slots enthusiasts perform is primarily centered around both the theoretical and actual aspects of slot machine payout returns. Slot machine payout returns are how much a player wins divided by how much is bet. It is how much a casino returns to a player as a percentage of the total amount a player bets.
These slot machine payout return percentages determine what is possible for a slot machine player to achieve over long-term play. This is typically calculated for a single slot machine.
Hold percentages, which is how much the casino keeps of the total amount bet by the player, are simply 100% minus return percentages.
Personal returns can also be calculated, but is practically difficult as well as problematic for individual players to either record or calculated based on their own play on every slot machine which they gamble on.
Using the concept of payout returns, I provided a simple way to count bankroll cycles as a way to gain insight into individual slots gambling performance.
Theoretical returns are relatively unknown to anyone except for the slots manufacturers who design a set of possible settings to the casino that chooses one precise setting at a time. Actual returns are the financial results of slot machines from being played.
Further, using actual payout return statistics of state gaming control boards, I broke the myth that higher denomination slot machines have higher payout returns. Using 2017 actual payout returns, I showed that this phenomenon only occurred 50% of the time.
Another potentially mythical rule of thumb, that an active bank of slot machines have a higher payout return, was shown to be nonsensical from a logic point-of-view. This was done by explaining how slot machines have to independent calculations for determine the odds of winning:
- If there is a win; and
- The amount of that win.
Also, I’ve reviewed several different state gaming requirements for actual slot machine payout returns, so-called slot machine performance statistics. A 2007 to 2017 historic comparison was provided of actual payout returns between the same casinos 2007, where:
- Most states showed a 1.5% drop in actual slot machine payout returns;
- Some states showed no change in actual slot machine payout returns; and
- Very few states showed slight increases in actual slot machine payout returns.
Finally, I went over some of the dangers to casino for non-compliance towards legal limits on slot machine payout returns. The danger lies in the fact that actual payout returns statistically vary from set theoretical values.
Casinos have to make sure their actual slot machine payout returns ALWAYS stay about the legal limits, but can only attempt this by carefully controlling theoretical payout returns for their slot machines.
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By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
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