Your odds of winning are better than this, as you can hit five bells, five whistles or five of any other set of symbols, so on this machine your odds of any set of five are actually 5 x 0.032%, or 0.16%. So once in every 625 spins of this hypothetical machine, you’ll hit your set of five identical symbols for the jackpot. The slot machines at McCarran airport are calibrated to a significantly lower payout percentage. So, while there are always people who win, your chances of winning are lower than they would be at any casino in Vegas.
We may earn money from the companies and products mentioned in this post.
Casinos in Las Vegas are required to report their gaming win to include slot hold percentage (amount they win from players) to the Nevada Gaming Control Board. With 2018 behind us, the Board recently reported their gaming win statistics for the past year which we will break down below. This data should assist us in identifying where we can find the loosest slots in Las Vegas!
We will be looking at all “non-restricted” locations (essentially the big casinos) and their data from the past year (Jan 1, 2018 – Dec 31, 2018).
The reporting we’re looking at doesn’t drill down to the individual casino level, rather, groupings of casinos by geography. We’ll help you identify the casinos in each reporting zone that have machines featuring a lower casino win percentage (or hold) so you can play where your money will last.
Related:$20 trick in Vegas: What is it? Should you give it a shot?
As a matter of housekeeping, casino slot “win percentage” is defined as the % of the total amountwagered by the player that the casino held as profit. For instance, a 7% casino win percentage means the casino, on average, kept 7 cents of every dollar bet on slot machines.
Example: A player put $10 into a slot machine and made his money last for a bit playing a total of $100 in spins before losing it all. The total amount wagered by the player was $100 and the casino won, or held, $10 resulting in a 10% casino win rate.
Now we get down to brass tacks. Where will we find the loosest slots in and around Vegas in 2019? Slot machines in the North Las Vegas and the Boulder reporting areas tended to be looser than those on the Strip and on Fremont with a 6.58% and 5.81% casino win percentage respectively.
Las Vegas Airport Slot Machine Payout Problems
If chasing slots that pay out is more important than being in Vegas, the slots in Reno offered a player friendly casino win rate of only 5.45% in 2018.
Since the area immediately surrounding Las Vegas is divvied up in to separate reporting areas, it can be difficult to know which casinos fall into which.
Casinos in the looser Boulder reporting area include: Sam’s Town, Eastside Cannery, Arizona Charlie’s, Boulder Station, Sunset Station, M Resort, Fiesta Henderson and Green Valley Ranch.
Casinos in the looser North Las Vegas include: Jerry’s Nugget, Silver Nugget, The Cannery, Fiesta Hotel and Casino, Texas Station, Cannery and Aliante.
It’s clear from the chart above that the more popular an area is with tourists, the tighter the slots get. Slots on the Las Vegas Strip had a win percentage of 8.12% and Downtown Las Vegas was only slightly better at 7.64%.
It’s also interesting that slots on the Strip and Downtown have gotten continuously tighter over time – 2018 was no exception. Slots on the Strip held 8.12% of money in 2018 vs. 8.04% in 2017. In the year 2000, slots on the Las Vegas Strip held only 6.02%. We’re going the wrong direction!
The same tightening trend is apparent Downtown as slots held 7.64% in 2018 vs 7.34% in 2017. Looking back to the year 2000, slots Downtown held only 5.33%.
Was there a specific denomination of slot that rewarded players more regularly in 2018? It won’t likely surprise you that higher denominations are looser than smaller.
Megabucks were by far the tightest slots in Vegas at an astounding 13.12% casino win percentage. Penny slots, the most popular denomination with gamblers, were not overly generous at a 10% casino win rate.
One mistake I see many gamblers make is playing $1, $2, $3, or more per pull on a penny slot. If you are wagering that much per pull anyway, play a larger denomination to improve your chances of winning.
We hope this helps you find slots that pay out in and around Las Vegas! Just remember, it’s better to get off the beaten path and play larger denominations when it makes sense.
Las Vegas Airport Slot Machine Payout Percentages
See Also:Yes, you can buy the exact same fragrances Las Vegas casinos use for home use!