Answer 1 of 5: Since I own stock in a casino, based on state laws there, the Annual Report for stockholders shows the exact money in, money out total for the year and per machine which is $220 per day average. Yes they put totals in and how many machines per day.
We have already put emphasis on the importance of understanding the basics of slot machines and have acquainted you with the most popular myths about them. In the previous articles, we have also provided hints that might be useful during your game session. Now, it is time to discuss another serious topic and help you determine how much time to spend playing a single slot machine and how to determine if it is a “loose” one.
Money Slot Machine Games
As mentioned earlier, your bankroll is broken down into stakes. Here is an example. Presumably, your bankroll is equal to €200, while your stake amounts to €20. So, before you get started, you have to take out the stake first.
Sign Up100% up to
€140
Sign Up100% up to
$/£/€100
Sign Up100% up to
$/£/€200
+ 200 Spins
Sign Up100% up to
$/£/€100
As soon as you finish reading, you will be quite familiar with the best slot machine strategies that ensure your utmost gaming experience and most of all, the profitability of your gaming session.
Loose Slot Test Technique
Have you ever heard of the so-called Loose Slot Test technique? If not, you better read the lines below carefully to avoid overspending at a slot machine that will probably not grant you a decent payout.
First of all, you have to think about the number of credits you want to play. This can be estimated by multiplying the number of activated paylines by the multiplier (the number of coins bet per spin on each active line). It is important to note that this is not a random number. On the contrary – the type of slot machine you have chosen plays a great role in determining the number of credits.
The next thing is to select the number of spins you would like to make. In most cases, players choose to play ten spins but this does not mean you cannot opt for another number. However, you have to stick to your chosen number.
The next step you have to take before you start spinning the reels is to set an amount you want to invest in playing your preferred slot game. The best way to determine the right amount is to multiply the number of credits by the number of spins.
Let's see what would happen in the following situation. You have an overall bankroll of 2,000 credits, want to bet 56 credits per round and intend to play 10 spins during a session. You, therefore, would wager 560 credits in total.
Slots Bankroll Management
Finding Slot Machine to Play
Slots Rules
Choosing Line Number and Multiplayer
How Much Time to Spend at a Slot
When the ten spins are over, you should have a total of 2,000 credits minus the 560 credits you wagered during the session. In other words, your credits should amount to 1,440 plus those you have won during the ten spins.
In order to determine your profits, you are supposed to calculate the difference between the aforementioned 1,440 credits and those that are in the machine, provided that you have generated some winnings during the ten spins, of course.
The number is divided by 56 and you get the number of spins you can perform.
Stay or Change the Machine?
Then, you have to set the number of spins and repeat the above-mentioned steps. If your credits reach the critical 1,440 or go down, you better cash out and finish your game session at this slot machine.
However, if you win a prize during the second “set” of spins, that means you can continue playing and this time, you are enabled to choose more than 10 rounds per betting session. It all depends on the credits you have earned. Repeat the steps above and cash out whenever the number of your credits reaches the critical level.
Let's give another example. If you have 2,450 credits after the second “set” of spins and you take out 1,440, you are enabled to wager the other 1,010, which makes 18 more spins. If you continue winning, then you must have found a loose slot machine. In this case, applying the Box technique is recommended, so whenever you decide to stop playing, you will be able to take home some winnings.
There is an easier way to determine whether a particular slot machine is worthy of playing, though. You can just play with a small amount of money and you have two options: you will either lose your money or you will start winning. Yet, the first technique is considered more effective by experienced players as it requires them to think of the winning strategy and decide when it is time to stop playing.
Thus, there is a chance to have only a few pennies left and to trigger a bonus game on the last spin. There is something like an unwritten law – always make your final spin with the total amount you have been playing.
Another thing worthy of emphasizing is that the amount you have to set aside to determine which slot machine is loose, depends greatly on the bankroll and most of all, on your stakes. Anyway, the amount of stakes is variable but the technique for playing with a fixed number of spins stays the same.
The easiest thing is to keep investing money into a slot machine that gives back insignificant wins on occasion but this is not going to be too profitable for you. That is why it is critically important to change the machines you are playing until you find a loose one.
It does not matter which one of the aforementioned strategies you use, you do have to move from one slot machine to another until you find the one that meets your requirements.
FAQs
It would be great, of course, to be able to predict if not a whooping jackpot, then a bigger payout or, at worst, arriving of a bonus feature. Perhaps absolutely possible in some dreamlike universe, in our real world is nothing more than just an unfulfilled desire.
Once and again, state-of-the-art RNG (Random Number Generator) is King and the only one to determine the outcome of every single spin.
Well, it is not an easy question, all the more so, a lot depends on your gambling style, preferences, and titles you want to put on test. Slots have higher volatility than the majority of card games or, even, video poker. Plus, gripping one-armed bandits are no stranger to pretty long losing streaks.
Taking into consideration all said above, maybe the best measure for a fruitful evening could be, let’s say, a bankroll that can cover at least your 200 bets. Again, there is no guarantee, you will get expected results.
Often called Play and Run, this special approach is quite popular among the punters. The main idea is to limit the length of sessions played at a certain slot machine. Time frames vary greatly, from a couple of minutes to whatever you can set as a limit to spend on the same seat.
The result? A lot of fuss and bother over nothing much. Plus, a pretty dubious fun.
While all existing betting systems can be roughly divided into two categories: positive and negative progression, none of them is 100% reliable. What’s more, when it comes to modern slots, such techniques is too hard to apply at all.
Generally speaking, the main difference between the positive and negative progression strategies lies in the moment of increasing stakes: after each win in the first case, and after each losing round using the second option respectively.
If we talk about money, negative series calls for a way past hefty bankroll, while a positive sequence requires less funds.
Quite on the contrary, it is one of the easiest methods to implement – all you need to do is double your bet after every losing spin, and stake one pre-decided base unit after every winning strike.
But here comes one downside: as a negative progression, this strategy insists on solid capital – even if you start spinning the reels with just $1, after seven unsuccessful hits you will have to wager $128, while your bankroll is already „lighter“ for $127.
Similarly, if you begin, let’s say, with $10, then after just five fruitless hits you will have to place a pretty impressive bet of $320. You do not have to be a math genius to figure out an obvious failure of this method.
The powers of casino stuff are seriously overestimated by too many punters used to tip slot personnel in order to get secret “instructions”.
Think twice before spending more money than you otherwise would just because you believe that casino staff knows that this particular machine is “due” to hit. If they knew, they would get rich and wouldn’t work there anymore, right?
Broadly speaking, classic titles usually have higher winning potential than their video counterparts.
Theoretically, one has better chances at a decent payout on classic 3-steppers than on video slots, since the latter have more frequent small hits intended to extend the gameplay. Again, in the long run, which means it is not necessary to be right for you.
It is a widespread belief, which is just one more myth in the gambling world, that floor managers place so-called loose slots in such a way these machines can be seen from many directions, by the biggest possible number of players.
No, it is not how casinos try to attract new visitors and keep loyal customers. Quality service, rewarding programs, various bonuses, and fair play – that’s how they do business.
Players that run between the rows struggling with coins and trying to keep track of eventual wins are seen pretty often throughout casino floors. Usually, they cause broad smiles on the faces of other visitors accompanied by a couple of sloppy comments.
If a strategy at all, it is far from being a worthy piece of advice to follow. After all, it is too far from the main idea of playing slots – to have fun!
by Steve Bourie
The Seminole Tribe of Florida has six casinos in the state: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino-Tampa; Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino-Hollywood; Seminole Casino-Coconut Creek; Seminole Classic Casino-Hollywood; Seminole Casino-Brighton; and Seminole Casino-Immokalee.
All of their casinos offer slot machines and five of them also offer blackjack, as well as other kinds of house-banked card games. According to the Miami Herald, it was estimated those casinos generated about $2.3 billion in profits in 2016 http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/article166085722.html. Since the average U.S. casino generates about 65% of its profits from its electronic gaming machines, it would be fair to estimate that the Tribe’s machines earn about $1.5 billion a year for them.
The only other competition for the Tribe’s casinos are the eight local pari-mutuels in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties which all offer slot machines, but are not allowed to offer live table games, such as blackjack. All of these pari-mutuel casinos, also known as racinos, are in competition with the Seminole’s three Broward county casinos, but the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood alone generates more profits than all eight of the racinos combined.
Florida gaming regulations require all of the pari-mutuel casinos to report how much their slot machines actually pay back to the public. This “Average Payout Percentage” information is available to the public and can be seen on the state’s website at http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/pmw in the “Slot Revenues” section. Additionally, each racino must post a sign in the casino showing the average monthly payback percentage for all of their gaming machines. Usually, the average for all of the casinos is around 92.5%
The Seminoles are not required to release information on the payout percentages for any of their casinos and they keep this information a closely guarded secret. They say that their machines pay out at a rate comparable to the pari-mutuels, but no one knows for sure, and the topic is sometimes a source of controversy.
If you read reviews of Seminole casinos on Yelp, Tripadvisor, or on our website at americancasinoguide.com you will see some reviewers say they believe the machines are set to around 60%, or lower. As someone who has written about casino gambling for more than 25 years, I know that isn’t true. The procedure for deciding what a slot machine is set to pay back to the public is rather simple. When a casino orders a slot machine the manufacturer will offer them a choice of chips to put in the machine and that chip is what controls the long-term payback percentage in that machine. Generally, there are about six to eight different chips to choose from and the payback percentages can be as high as 98 percent to as low as 82 percent.
Casinos, almost universally, put the highest-paying chips in the highest denomination machines and the lowest-paying chips in the lowest denomination machines. This means that $25 slots will have chips returning around 95-98 percent and the penny machines will have chips returning around 86-89 percent.
The lowest payback I ever heard of for a chip was about 80 percent, so I knew that the 60 percent number in the user reviews was not correct, but could there be some way to find out what the machines at the Seminole casinos really paid back to the public? After a lot of research, I believe that I have correctly calculated this information and what follows is my story of how I did it, plus a simple formula to show how anyone can do it. Additionally, we’ll take a look at the returns on some specific machines at some Seminole Casinos and see how they compare to the returns at other casinos. Now, in order to start this discussion properly, you’ll first need some background information on how casinos work.
When discussing how casinos make money, it is important to know the term “theo,” which is short for theoretical. This is how a casino expects to make money on its games. It’s referred to as “theo” because it is a theoretical number that is not guaranteed. However, the casino knows that the longer you play, the more likely your loss will approach the theoretical win for that particular game.
As an example, if you play a slot machine that has a 10% theo, then the casino would expect to keep about 10% of all the money you play through that machine. So, if you played $1,000 through that slot machine, the casino would calculate its theoretical win as $100 because 10% of $1,000 is $100. Now, since this is gambling, anything can happen when you play that machine. You may win $600, or you may lose $400 and, actually, the casino itself doesn’t know what will happen. All they know is that as long as people continue to play that machine, the casino will end up keeping about 10% of the money that goes through that machine because the machine has a “theo” of 10%.
In order for a casino to calculate your total theo for your visit, and what you are worth as a player to them, your play must be tracked and that is done by the player’s club at each casino. All casinos have a player’s club where visitors can join and have their play tracked on the machines in order to earn “comps” such as free food, free drinks, free shows, free gifts, invitations to special events and more.
To track your play you are issued a card, similar to a magnetic-striped credit card, that is inserted into the machine and it will track your wins and losses, as well as the total amount of all your bets. Naturally, the more you play on the machines, the more free stuff you will get from the casino. When deciding how much to give you back in benefits for your play, the casino must first calculate your total theoretical loss to determine how much they have earned from you. Then, based on that total, they will rebate a certain percentage back to you in the form of comps and free play. The actual percentage rebated to the player is a trade secret for each casino but, again, it is always based on a player’s tracked theoretical loss.
I live only one mile from the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood and I joined their Seminole Wild Card player’s club shortly after the property opened in 2004. Although I did not play much in the ensuing years, in late 2013 I began to play rather heavily and it continued through early 2017. My game of choice was video poker rather than slot machines because there is a skill involved in video poker and I used software to learn how to play my hands properly. Eventually, I played at an expert level that allowed the casino to have only a slight mathematical edge over me.
Overall, my results were pretty good as I hit quite a few royal flushes in 2016 and that helped me to come out ahead for my three years of play. In early 2017 the casino made some changes to their video poker games, which made them less desirable, and I stopped playing. During my period of play I used that opportunity to analyze the Seminole Wild Card Player’s club and, following, is what I discovered.
The set-up of the Seminole Wild Card Player’s club is somewhat unusual because at most casinos when you play a machine you will earn points based on the total amount of money you put through a machine. On some machines it may be that $5 earns one point, while on other machines it may be $10 or $25 earns one point.
Try an online casino for FREE. We have over 15 No Deposit Bonus Codes. No credit card needed, just sign up and start playing!
The Seminole Wild Card Player’s club is different because players don’t earn points on each machine, instead they earn comp dollars. As an example, for playing $10 through one machine you might earn six cents, while on another machine you might only earn three cents. So, if you ended up playing $1,000 for the day on the same machine, your comps would total $6 on the first machine, or $3 on the second machine. As a player, you wouldn't really know why one machine gave more comps, but you could correctly theorize that the machines that had a higher rate meant that the casino was making more of a theoretical win from you and that's why they could give you back more comps.
The comps you earned could then be spent like regular dollars at hotels, restaurants, bars, lounges and retail stores at any of the six Seminole Casinos. Besides earning comps, each day's play also earned you status credits and those enabled you to reach a higher player's card level. Interestingly, there was no information on a formula for how the status credits were earned. As a player all you knew was that you could check your account each day to see how many status credits you earned for your previous day's play.
The player's club only has three tiers: Platinum, Elite and X Card. All players start at Platinum and to reach Elite you need to earn 3,750 status credits within a three-month period. X Card is reserved for the casino's biggest players, but there is no public information available on what is needed to attain that level.
I easily attained Elite level and after tracking the comps and status credits I earned each day, within a few months I began to realize that the status credits actually represented my total theoretical loss for each day. I was able to confirm this through test play on certain machines, as well as speaking with other knowledgeable players.
Once I knew that the earned status credits represented my total theoretical loss I was then able to compare that number to the total comps I earned on that same day and I realized that there was a relationship between those two numbers. As an example, one day I earned $48.75 in comps and I was awarded 828 status credits. By multiplying $48.75 by a factor of 17 the result was 828. Another day I earned $30.83 in comps and 524 status credits. Once again, by multiplying $30.83 by 17 the result was 524. That relationship was absolute and no matter what day I played, I found that I could always multiply the amount of my earned comps by 17 to determine my status credits (theoretical loss) for that day.
Since I now knew how to calculate my theoretical loss for the day, based on the comps I earned, I then realized that I would be able to calculate what the casino had set as its theoretical payback percentage for any electronic game on the floor.
How to Calculate the Theoretical Payback Percentage on a Slot Machine - I believe that anyone can calculate the theoretical payback percentage on any gaming machine in a Seminole Casino by using a formula that I created. The key to calculating a machine’s theoretical payback percentage is to track how many comp dollars you earn for putting exactly $100 in play through a machine. For example, if you bet $1 a spin, just track how many comp dollars you have earned after making 100 bets. Once you know that number, you can simply multiply it by 17 and you will know the casino’s theoretical win rate for that machine. Deduct that number from 100, and you will then know the theoretical payback for that machine.
As an example, let’s say you put $100 through a penny slot machine and you earn 54 cents in comps. Just multiply .54 x 17 and you will get 9.18, which represents the casino’s theoretical win rate for that machine - 9.18%. Then, deduct 9.18 from 100 and you get 90.82 which would represent the casino’s theoretical payback percentage for that particular machine - 90.82%.
I found this method to be accurate and I tested it on dozens of machines at four different Seminole casinos. It should also work at the other two Seminole casinos since they all share the same player’s club. One word of warning, however, is that I found the method to only be accurate for single-denomination machines. If you play a multi-denomination machine the method cannot be relied upon to give you an accurate payback percentage for all of the denominations.
How Do Slot Paybacks at the Hard Rock in Hollywood Compare to the Other Local Casinos? In trying to determine an average payback percentage for slot machines at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, I realized that it would not be possible to get an actual accounting and I would just have to make an educated guess based on the results of playing some machines in different denominations.
Therefore, I randomly played 10 different machines throughout the casino in three different denominations: pennies, quarter and dollars. As mentioned previously, I had to play exactly $100 through each machine and in some instances it wasn’t possible to play exactly $100, so I might have gone over by a few pennies.
In the table below you can see the results for playing 10 random penny slots and the average theoretical return was 88.37%
Date Played | Machine # | Name | comps earned for $100 coin-in | Theoretical Hold | Theoretical Payback |
30-Nov | 012714 10130 | Moon Maidens | $0.68 | 11.56% | 88.44% |
17-Aug | 040312 04892 | Quick Strike Mystery Rewards | 0.69 | 11.73% | 88.27% |
30-Nov | 010103 11114 | Desert Dawn | 0.59 | 10.03% | 89.97% |
17-Aug | 034106 09083 | Quick Hit Platinum | 0.64 | 10.88% | 89.12% |
17-Aug | 050907 10010 | Fu Dao Le | 0.69 | 11.73% | 88.27% |
30-Nov | 012106 11952 | Jungle Riches | 0.69 | 11.73% | 88.27% |
17-Aug | 013504 10609 | Super Wheel Blast Lion of Venice | 0.70 | 11.90% | 88.10% |
17-Aug | 013510 10618 | Wild Leprecoins | 0.70 | 11.90% | 88.10% |
17-Aug | 043702 08245 | Buffalo Special Edition | 0.72 | 12.24% | 87.76% |
14-Oct | 051502 12178 | Rumble Rumble Bison | 0.74 | 12.58% | 87.42% |
Average | 11.63% | 88.37% |
In the table below you can see the results for playing 10 random quarter slots and the average theoretical return was 90.89%
Date Played | Machine # | Name | comps earned for $100 coin-in | Theoretical Hold | Theoretical Payback |
30-Nov | 067510 11231 | The Enforcer | $0.45 | 7.65% | 92.35% |
30-Nov | 032301 32091 | Triple Double Diamond | 0.53 | 9.01% | 90.99% |
30-Nov | 013704 09830 | Thunder Eyes | 0.54 | 9.18% | 90.82% |
30-Nov | 074701 11731 | Quick Hit Platnum Plus | 0.63 | 10.71% | 89.29% |
30-Nov | 101406 08598 | Cash Cove | 0.49 | 8.33% | 91.67% |
16-Oct | 064103 09534 | Colossal Cash Grand Dragon | 0.47 | 7.99% | 92.01% |
16-Oct | 034708 12048 | Double Hot Fire | 0.54 | 9.18% | 90.82% |
16-Oct | 075307 10059 | Black Diamond | 0.59 | 10.03% | 89.97% |
16-Oct | 101309 09950 | Mystery Rewards Glistening Jade - Rapid Hit Fever | 0.53 | 9.01% | 90.99% |
30-Nov | 075305 09528 | Crystal Star | 0.59 | 10.03% | 89.97% |
Average: | 9.11% | 90.89% |
In the table below you can see the results for playing 10 random dollar slots and the average theoretical return was 91.40%
Date Played | Machine # | Name | comps earned for $100 coin-in | Theoretical Hold Hold | Theoretical Payback |
17-Aug | 075504 50787 | Spin & Win Instant Spin | $0.47 | 7.99% | 92.01% |
17-Aug | 069001 09079 | Quick Hit Platinum | 0.51 | 8.67% | 91.33% |
12-Oct | 069710 09348 | Wild Red Sevens | 0.44 | 7.48% | 92.52% |
12-Oct | 069707 09345 | Triple 777 Red Hot 3 Reels | 0.44 | 7.48% | 92.52% |
12-Oct | 041806 05563 | Black & White 7s | 0.47 | 7.99% | 92.01% |
30-Nov | 067804 10546 | Double Jackpot Lions Share | 0.59 | 10.03% | 89.97% |
14-Oct | 065405 10508 | Midnight Eclipse | 0.47 | 7.99% | 92.01% |
30-Nov | 068904 08728 | Dragons Luck | 0.59 | 10.03% | 89.97% |
30-Nov | 068105 10158 | Sky Rider | 0.58 | 9.86% | 90.14% |
16-Oct | 055307 50806 | Blazing 7s 3 Reel | 0.50 | 8.50% | 91.50% |
Average: | 8.60% | 91.40% |
So, now that we have analyzed the theoretical payback percentages on these machines, how do they compare to the actual returns on slots at other South Florida casinos in those same denominations?
Well, unfortunately, Florida’s Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, which compiles the statistics on payback percentages for all racetrack casinos only releases information on the average payout for all machines within each casino and not for specific denominations. We did put in a public records request asking for a breakdown of those stats by denomination, but we received the following reply: “The Division does not maintain information responsive to the following request: slot machine gaming revenue reports by denomination (one cent, nickel, quarter, dollar, etc.).”
Since we couldn’t get information on payback percentages by denomination, it was not possible to compare the Hard Rock’s machines with those at the pari-mutuels. However, it was possible to make an educated guess about the overall returns on the Hard Rock’s machines. For the 12-month period from July 2016 through June 2017, the pari-mutuel casino with the highest average returns was Magic City at 93.55% and the lowest returns could be found at the Isle in Pompano where they averaged 90.91%. Therefore, based on the numbers shown in the tables above, I would have to agree that the Hard Rock Hollywood’s slot paybacks are “comparable” to those at other local casinos and they are not set to pay back at the low rates that some people would suggest.
How Do Returns on Machines at The Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa Compare to Returns at Casinos in South Florida? On the American Casino Guide website visitors can leave a review for any U.S. casino and the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa has gotten almost 200 reviews - https://www.americancasinoguide.com/florida/seminole-hard-rock-hotel-a-casino-tampa.html The vast majority of those reviews are complaints about how bad the paybacks are on the slot machines. The thinking seems to be that, once again, the machines are set to pay back at a very low rate, especially since the Tampa casino has no competition because the nearest non-Seminole casino is about 250 miles away. That sentiment seemed somewhat logical to me so I thought I would investigate further by making a trip to Tampa to visit the casino.
I arrived late in the day and I spent a few hours that evening, as well as a few more hours the next morning testing various machines using my formula. My thought was to find some of the exact same machines I played at the Hard Rock in Hollywood and to see if the theoretical payback percentages were lower. This turned out to be harder than I expected as I found it difficult to find the same machines in the same denominations. One other thing I noticed was that there did not seem to be too many penny slots. Instead, the vast majority of the lower denomination games were two-cent slots. This was not the case at the Hard Rock casino in Hollywood, where penny machines were abundant.
Eventually, I did find a few machines, in three specific denominations, that were the exact same as the ones I played in Hollywood and the table below shows how the results compared.
For penny games there were three machines I tested and, interestingly, all three had the same theoretical payback percentage as at the Hollywood Hard Rock.
Slots For Money Online
Date Played | Machine # | Name | comps earned for $100 coin-in | Theoretical Hold | Theoretical Payback | Location |
14-Oct | 051502 12178 | Bison Rumble Rumble | $ 0.74 | 12.58% | 87.42% | Hollywood |
23-Oct | 082802 05797 | Bison Rumble Rumble | $ 0.74 | 12.58% | 87.42% | Tampa |
17-Aug | 050907 10010 | Fu Dao Le | $ 0.69 | 11.73% | 88.27% | Hollywood |
23-Oct | 092206 6026 | Fu Dao Le | $ 0.69 | 11.73% | 88.27% | Tampa |
17-Aug | 070712 04056 | Buffalo Special Edition | $ 0.72 | 12.24% | 87.76% | Hollywood |
23-Oct | 043702 08245 | Buffalo Special Edition | $ 0.72 | 12.24% | 87.76% | Tampa |
Finding quarter games proved to be a bit harder. I only found two machines that were identical to ones at the Hollywood casino and, once again, the theoretical payback percentages matched up for both casinos.
Date Played | Machine # | Name | comps earned for $100 coin-in | Theoretical Hold | Theoretical Payback | Location |
16-Oct | 075307 10059 | Black Diamond | $ 0.59 | 10.03% | 89.97% | Hollywood |
23-Oct | 324002 30380 | Black Diamond | $ 0.59 | 10.03% | 89.97% | Tampa |
30-Nov | 075305 09528 | Crystal Star | $ 0.59 | 10.03% | 89.97% | Hollywood |
23-Oct | 015205 30371 | Crystal Star | $ 0.59 | 10.03% | 89.97% | Tampa |
At the dollar level I found four machines that matched up with their Hollywood casino counterparts. On the first one, Triple 777 Red Hot Three Reels, the comps earned were the same as at the Hollywood casino. This was great because the comp rate on every machine was matching up perfectly, so far, but that soon stopped.
Date Played | Machine # | Name | comps earned for $100 coin-in | Theoretical Hold | Theoretical Payback | Location |
17-Aug | 069707 09345 | Triple 7 Red Hot Three Reels | $ 0.44 | 7.48% | 92.52% | Hollywood |
23-Oct | 380605 50232 | Triple 7 Red Hot Three Reels | $ 0.44 | 7.48% | 92.52% | Tampa |
16-Oct | 055307 50806 | Blazing 7s Three Reel | $ 0.50 | 8.50% | 91.50% | Hollywood |
23-Oct | 040111 50330 | Blazing 7s Three Reel | $ 0.39 | 6.63% | 93.37% | Tampa |
17-Aug | 069001 09079 | Quick Hit Platinum | $ 0.51 | 8.67% | 91.33% | Hollywood |
23-Oct | 180209 50437 | Quick Hit Platinum | $ 0.41 | 6.97% | 93.03% | Tampa |
17-Aug | 075504 50787 | Spin And Win Instant Spin | $ 0.47 | 7.99% | 92.01% | Hollywood |
23-Oct | 353601 50197 | Spin And Win Instant Spin | $ 0.56 | 9.52% | 90.48% | Tampa |
On the three-reel blazing 7’s machine the comp rate was 39 cents, which would correspond to a theoretical payback percentage of 93.37%, which was higher than the 91.50% figure for the same machine in Hollywood. A similar thing happened with the next machine I tested: Quick Hit Platinum. The comp rate on this game was 41 cents which would equal a theoretical payback percentage of 93.03% which, again, was higher than the 91.33% figure for the same machine in Hollywood.
Real Money Slot Machine Apps
Then, on the last dollar machine I played, Spin & Win Instant Spin, the results were slightly worse. That machine gave 56 cents in comps, which would correspond to a theoretical return of 90.48%, versus the same machine in Hollywood which came in at 92.01%
So, interestingly, the theoretical payback percentages for the first eight slot machines in Tampa were either equal to, or better than, the same machines in Hollywood. This was very surprising as I thought they would be lower at the Tampa casino because they had no direct competition.
But what about all those player reviews complaining that the slots in Tampa paid less than the slots in Hollywood? Well, my research showed that the machines were set to pay back at about the same rate in both places. However, there didn’t seem to be quite as many penny machines in Tampa, most of them were 2-cents and higher, and this could offer an explanation.
Penny machines are the most common denomination found in U.S. casinos. For example, at the two Indian casinos in Connecticut, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, penny machines make up about 60% of all the slots on the floor. While I didn’t take an inventory of all the machines in Tampa I was struck by the fact that penny machines were not in abundance. Since the Tampa casino has no competition, it could be that they were forcing players to make a higher average bet simply by having fewer penny machines available. If so, a higher average bet would result in players losing their money faster, thus explaining the sour sentiments of some players. Keep in mind that the Hollywood casino would not be able to easily do the same thing because of competition from other casinos. If a player in Hollywood didn’t think there were enough penny games available they could just go to a different casino. A player in Tampa would not have that option.
Now, looking back, it is true that one slot machine in Tampa did come in with a lower theoretical rate, but that could have simply been a mistake. Keep in mind that the casino knows what the chip in each machine is set to pay back to the public on a long-term basis and, in turn, they will set the player’s club comp rate to approximate that number. Sometimes mistakes are made and the rate could be set too high, or too low. That could be what happened here, or perhaps it was intentional and there was a specific reason for that particular setting.
In conclusion, I hope that everyone reading this report understands that it is not a complete analysis of all machines at either casino. To undertake such a project would have required a huge amount of manpower, plus a rather large bankroll to withstand the gambling losses that would be expected.
I am just one person who set out to investigate this subject as it is my area of expertise. I have been writing about payback percentages at casinos for more than 25 years and I believe that my work is accurate. Should anyone from Seminole casino operations want to present any further information on this subject I would welcome hearing from them. I would be also be glad to print any rebuttal that they might want to send to me concerning this article.