Slot Machines in Las Vegas

[JHZR2]

I’ll start off by saying I’m not a gambler. I understand blackjack, can play poker, and find roulette and craps mildly entertaining to watch for about five minutes. If I’m going to a casino for something, like a concert, I’ll “waste” my money at the buffet, not on the machines or tables.

I was in NV recently, and saw a $1.99 margarita deal and decided to go get one after dinner (I understand generally that you can get free drinks while playing, but see above). I walked around and watched the slot machine games.

While I did see some bonuses giving some decent wins to people (who knows how much they lost before), what was crazy was the setup to play. Often it was 75c minimum, and folks were pushing a lot to get a single win. And then the wins weren’t actually even money. I saw 4c wins on 75c pulls, often 50c wins.

On the poker machine, I thought you win with a high card pair. That doesn’t even pay 1:1.

Was I just in a chintzy low paying casino, or is this the reality? I was in sunset station in Henderson.

I don’t really play but this sure doesn’t seem like the payouts for my penny/nickel/quarter slots I have played some times in the past. Seems really cheap.

I guess gambling competition hasn’t resulted in benefit to the consumer??!?

 

[iCurious]

I guess gambling competition hasn’t resulted in benefit to the consumer??!?

Good job detective.

It was meant to kill time in a lavish way.

 

[GON]

I’ll start off by saying I’m not a gambler. I understand blackjack, can play poker, and find roulette and craps mildly entertaining to watch for about five minutes. If I’m going to a casino for something, like a concert, I’ll “waste” my money at the buffet, not on the machines or tables.

I was in NV recently, and saw a $1.99 margarita deal and decided to go get one after dinner (I understand generally that you can get free drinks while playing, but see above). I walked around and watched the slot machine games.

While I did see some bonuses giving some decent wins to people (who knows how much they lost before), what was crazy was the setup to play. Often it was 75c minimum, and folks were pushing a lot to get a single win. And then the wins weren’t actually even money. I saw 4c wins on 75c pulls, often 50c wins.

On the poker machine, I thought you win with a high card pair. That doesn’t even pay 1:1.

Was I just in a chintzy low paying casino, or is this the reality? I was in sunset station in Henderson.

I don’t really play but this sure doesn’t seem like the payouts for my penny/nickel/quarter slots I have played some times in the past. Seems really cheap.

I guess gambling competition hasn’t resulted in benefit to the consumer??!?

I think an increasing amount of people no longer challenge what they sign, don't read the contracts, as long as they get what they want now---- they will pay to play. Why should Vegas/ gambling corporations operate with fairness, when the consumer no longer requires anything but instant gratification?

 

[PF52]

Like they say, the house always wins. I go to Las Vegas occasionally, but have never spent a dime on gambling. It's not that I am anti-gambling, I just acknowledge it as a quick way to throw away a lot of money. No thanks.

I do hate the way the slot machines tie up a lot of real estate at the airport. That place gets real crowded sometimes, but you can't just sit at the machines and not put money in. Well, I don't know.... Maybe you can.

 

[wings&wheels]

Whenever I go to a casino, which isn't often, I always look around at the (usually) extravagant facilities, decor, staff and wonder "Wow, who pays for all this?".

 

[GON]

Good job detective.

It was meant to kill time in a lavish way.

If gambling was meant to kill time, every casino in the world would be shuttered.

Gambling is considered immoral due to its association with greed, addiction, and financial ruin, promoting quick riches over honest work and responsible stewardship, leading to family breakdown, poverty, and crime, and being viewed by many as wasteful, exploitative, and contrary to principles of fairness and honest living. It's seen as a shortcut to wealth, fostering an unhealthy reliance on luck instead of effort, while creating negative social impacts and potential harm to individuals and communities.

 

[JHZR2]

Good job detective.

It was meant to kill time in a lavish way.

No kidding. Places used to note that they had 90-whatever percent payouts. Maybe the still do.

Most slots sure weren’t lavish. Sure didn’t look like the people sitting there pushing a button to kill time could afford to do it.

 

[JustinH]

So for slot machines the penny machines are usually 50 credits minimum per spin, all the way up to 500-1000 credits per spin or more.

If you are at a station casino sit at the bar and play video poker they will give you a two dollar frozen margarita, with an option for extra shot of liquor for 2 dollars more or something.

I've been going to vegas for 30 years and never really won anything. But station is a locals casino and they usually are fairly clean and have decent restaurants for cheap.

I've been told to find a machine you can afford to max bet on each spin and if you can't do that stop playing. My last trip I was max betting $5 per spin thats all I really wanted to do.

 

[JHZR2]

I think an increasing amount of people no longer challenge what they sign, don't read the contracts, as long as they get what they want now---- they will pay to play. Why should Vegas/ gambling corporations operate with fairness, when the consumer no longer requires anything but instant gratification?

Fairness? Nah. Everyone knows the house wins.

I was just surprised to see 4c payouts on 75c pulls. Seemed obnoxiously low.

Whenever I go to a casino, which isn't often, I always look around at the (usually) extravagant facilities, decor, staff and wonder "Wow, who pays for all this?".

Of course. But it seems that it has become more excessive than I had thought. I figured at least if you win you’d get your quarter (75c) back. Not 4c or 50c.

Of course most will always win. Occasionally something will pay. The house gets theirs in spades. It’s just the pays that were striking.

Once casinos stopped having $5 tables I never looked back. Not that I ever played hardly at all anyway.

 

[JHZR2]

So for slot machines the penny machines are usually 50 credits minimum per spin, all the way up to 500-1000 credits per spin or more.

If you are at a station casino sit at the bar and play video poker they will give you a two dollar frozen margarita, with an option for extra shot of liquor for 2 dollars more or something.

I've been going to vegas for 30 years and never really won anything. But station is a locals casino and they usually are fairly clean and have decent restaurants for cheap.

I've been told to find a machine you can afford to max bet on each spin and if you can't do that stop playing. My last trip I was max betting $5 per spin thats all I really wanted to do.

Yeah, smoking in there aside, it was decent. I wasn’t in Vegas and didn’t want to go there. The Sonoma Cellar had a nice grass fed steak.

 

[GON]

Fairness? Nah. Everyone knows the house wins.

I was just surprised to see 4c payouts on 75c pulls. Seemed obnoxiously low.

Guess I live in fantasy land- I do expect corporations, even gambling/ gaming organizations--- to treat their customers with dignity and respect. 4c payouts on 75c pulls is not treating its customers with dignity and respect, even in the gaming business.

 

[Panda87]

No kidding. Places used to note that they had 90-whatever percent payouts. Maybe the still do.

Most slots sure weren’t lavish. Sure didn’t look like the people sitting there pushing a button to kill time could afford to do it.

Earlier this year at the Windcreek Casino (not in Vegas), I literally watched an old man with his head cocked sideways, his dentures had come unglued and were partially slid out of his mouth and closed, and he was just blank staring at the video slot machine mindlessly pressing buttons. It made me genuinely sad for him. He wasn’t the only one in the mouth open, poke at screen style stupor.

I was there for an event, my wife and I don’t enjoy gambling, but said, “Hey, let’s put in $10 each. If we lose $20, it sucks, but whatever.” We both ended up bringing in a combined $70 in our first runs, so we cashed out, got our money and left.

 

[GON]

Earlier this year at the Windcreek Casino (not in Vegas), I literally watched an old man with his head cocked sideways, his dentures had come unglued and were partially slid out of his mouth and closed, and he was just blank staring at the video slot machine mindlessly pressing buttons. It made me genuinely sad for him. He wasn’t the only one in the mouth open, poke at screen style stupor.

I was there for an event, my wife and I don’t enjoy gambling, but said, “Hey, let’s put in $10 each. If we lose $20, it sucks, but whatever.” We both ended up bringing in a combined $70 in our first runs, so we cashed out, got our money and left.

A member of BITOG posted he was a security guard at a casino. His post briefly discussed what a security guard witnesses at a casino, and it implied it was beyond, well beyond tragic.

 

[Dave Hess]

Whenever I go to a casino, which isn't often, I always look around at the (usually) extravagant facilities, decor, staff and wonder "Wow, who pays for all this?".

Vegas was built by losers squandering their money.

 

[Geekhead]

If gambling was meant to kill time, every casino in the world would be shuttered.

Gambling is considered immoral due to its association with greed, addiction, and financial ruin, promoting quick riches over honest work and responsible stewardship, leading to family breakdown, poverty, and crime, and being viewed by many as wasteful, exploitative, and contrary to principles of fairness and honest living. It's seen as a shortcut to wealth, fostering an unhealthy reliance on luck instead of effort, while creating negative social impacts and potential harm to individuals and communities.

And then came the lotteries

 

[Vercingetorix]

They now have three card poker. Read about it. Also adding another 0 to the the roulette wheel.

 

[Mechanician]

It's almost as if the only reason they made those machines is to take your money.

 

[Patman]

I was there for an event, my wife and I don’t enjoy gambling, but said, “Hey, let’s put in $10 each. If we lose $20, it sucks, but whatever.” We both ended up bringing in a combined $70 in our first runs, so we cashed out, got our money and left.

About 15 years ago my ex wife and I were at a wedding and the reception was being held in one of the conference rooms at Casinorama. Neither of us are gamblers but just for fun we said we would put $20 into a slot machine and see what happens. We won $80 so we stopped at that and had a nice steak dinner a few days later In 2017 we went to Las Vegas and even though we walked through many of the big casinos there we didn’t gamble at any of them.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I’ll start off by saying I’m not a gambler. I understand blackjack, can play poker, and find roulette and craps mildly entertaining to watch for about five minutes. If I’m going to a casino for something, like a concert, I’ll “waste” my money at the buffet, not on the machines or tables.

I was in NV recently, and saw a $1.99 margarita deal and decided to go get one after dinner (I understand generally that you can get free drinks while playing, but see above). I walked around and watched the slot machine games.

While I did see some bonuses giving some decent wins to people (who knows how much they lost before), what was crazy was the setup to play. Often it was 75c minimum, and folks were pushing a lot to get a single win. And then the wins weren’t actually even money. I saw 4c wins on 75c pulls, often 50c wins.

On the poker machine, I thought you win with a high card pair. That doesn’t even pay 1:1.

Was I just in a chintzy low paying casino, or is this the reality? I was in sunset station in Henderson.

I don’t really play but this sure doesn’t seem like the payouts for my penny/nickel/quarter slots I have played some times in the past. Seems really cheap.

I guess gambling competition hasn’t resulted in benefit to the consumer??!?

There are numerous types of video poker games and the pay tables which change based on the game type and amount wagered. For example Double Double Bonus poker will pay 400:1 on quad 2's-4's w/A, 2's-4's kicker. To balance that out is pays 1:1 for one pair Jacks or better or two pair. Other video poker games might pay 2:1 for two pair but you don't have that 400:1 for quad 2's-4's with ace kicker. Getting one pair in video poker is rather easy. Depending on the game settings and type a perfect strategy will reduce the house edge to 2% or less.

Slots are what they are but there are advantage players who know when certain machines are going to pop for some amount. In fact in Las Vegas there are groups of locals who go from property to property looking for machines which are likely to pay a decent payout. The casinos don't care because by law the machines must pay out X%.

 

[rijndael]

Why should Vegas/ gambling corporations operate with fairness, when the consumer no longer requires anything but instant gratification?

I've always viewed that stuff as entertainment, not true gambling, so instant gratification seems fitting.

I have to go to Vegas at least annually. I don't gamble or drink, so I'm not too fond of the whole place.