Worst Slot Machine Ever
Slot machines have a reputation for being extremely expensive. Assuming you’ve ever quickly lost $100 with one of these games, you can understand this reputation’s origin. However, slot machines don’t have to be expensive. In fact, you can actually enjoy them pretty cheaply. Sep 03, 2010 However, the award-winner for the worst online slot machine has to be the “Russian Rock” slot machine. Who knows about Russian rock anyway? I do not even think Russians are too aware of the topic. The slot is poorly developed and appeals to a very selected audience who happen to know a couple Russian rock bands.
- Worst Slot Machine Ever Win
- Slot Machine For Sale
- Worst Slot Machine Ever Recorded
- Worst Slot Machine Ever Wanted
Slot machines are the most popular games in land-based and online casinos. However, they’re also the worst-paying games.
Slots in brick and mortar casinos especially carry poor odds. Some of them feature return to player (RTP) as low as 88%. Online slots pay much better than this. But with the average online game featuring 96% RTP, they offer below-average odds compared to many table games.
As if the weak payout percentages aren’t bad enough, slot machines also feature a fast play rate. You’ll play approximately 10x faster with a slot than you will most other games. Considering the sizeable house edge, you’re going to lose more money with slots as well.
At this point, you may be wondering, “Why do people even play slots!?” Below, you can see the biggest reasons why slot machines are still viable games despite the bad odds
Win Big With a Small Bet
Slot machines originally became popular in casinos because of their top prizes. Back in the 1960s, gamblers were pumped to play for payouts worth up to 500 coins.
Those same players would be overwhelmed with excitement to spin for the jackpots available today. Certain games feature top prizes worth millions of dollars or more.
The nice thing about playing for these jackpots is that you don’t have to bet much in relation to the payouts. Slots with seven-figure jackpots cost anywhere from $0.25 to $3 to play.
Microgaming’s Mega Moolah and NetEnt’s Mega Fortune both commonly feature multimillion-dollar jackpots. Each costs just a quarter to play.
IGT’s Megabucks, which is found in Las Vegas, costs more at $3 per spin. However, it has also paid a record jackpot worth $39.7 million.
Slot machines are essentially like the lotteries of the casino, except with animations, bonuses, and more action.
Dream Big and Get Rich
Games like baccarat and blackjack are certainly fun to play. They give you close to a 50% chance of beating the casino and allow you to extend your bankroll.
Unfortunately, you can’t win big with these games unless you bet big. Assuming you don’t have $100 or more to wager per hand, then you’re highly unlikely to make serious money.
Slot machines differ, because they don’t require you to be a high roller to win. Instead, you can walk into the casino with $20 and hit a life-changing jackpot.
Of course, odds are that you’re going to lose the $20 before this happens. But you can at least dream of winning the big one with a relatively small bet.
Play in Solitude
Table games can be intimidating. They feature more complex rules than slot machines along with unspoken etiquette.
For Example:You’re not supposed to say the word “seven” at a craps table. You should also bet with the shooter (e.g. pass line wager) to stay in the good graces of other gamblers.
Even strategy mistakes draw the ire of a table. Blackjack players are particularly notorious for getting salty if you make a mistake that helps the dealer win.
You don’t have to worry about any of this on a slot machine. Sure, you need to keep a reasonable level of good behavior by not yelling over wins and losses.
However, you needn’t fret over strategy mistakes, saying certain things while paying, or any other unspoken rules. You may also appreciate the sheer solitude of slot machines. If you just want to gamble by yourself, then you can do so with both land-based and online slots.
Control the Game Pace
Many casino games are run by a dealer or multiple dealers (e.g. craps table). The croupier’s main job is to facilitate the game and make sure that everybody follows the rules.
Their secondary role is to ensure that games move at a reasonable pace. They don’t want you or anybody else halting the action and costing the casino money.
On the other hand, croupiers can only deal so quickly. You can’t get action any faster than the dealer and other players move. Slot machines have yet another advantage in this department. They allow you to control the game speed and when the action stops.
If you want to enjoy 800 spins per hour, then you can hit spin as quickly as possible. Assuming you want to slow the game down and take frequent breaks, then this path is fine, too.
In the end, slot machines give you far more control over the pace than almost any other casino game.
Enjoy the Theatrics of Slot Machines
Jackpots and solitude are definitely big reasons why slots have become popular. However, these games would be mere relics if they still operated on mechanical reels and had just one payline.
The slots of today are loaded with paylines (or “ways”), features, and animations. Some slots offer over 100,000 ways to win in each round and lucrative bonuses to boot.
These games also feature cool themes that make them more enjoyable. You can spin the reels and watch animations involving Egyptian gods, pirates, wildlife, and much more.
Modern slot machines also offer high-quality graphics. Slots are becoming more and more lifelike thanks to these impressive visuals.
Try the Latest Features
Slot machines are constantly evolving. The same type of games that are popular today may not be so hot in the future.
The industry is always looking for new ways to entice players. “Megaways” slots are the latest hot invention that’s drawing hordes of players.
A Megaways game features reels that carry different amounts of symbols in each round. For example, one reel may hold five symbols during one spin and three the next.
The higher reels can grow, the more winning possibilities there are. For example, a six-reel slot that holds up to seven icons in each reel features up to 117,649 ways.
Older features that are still popular today include 243 ways, cascading reels, second-screen bonuses, and random wilds.
Play for Cheap (Especially Online)
Slot machines have a reputation for being extremely expensive. Assuming you’ve ever quickly lost $100 with one of these games, you can understand this reputation’s origin.
However, slot machines don’t have to be expensive. In fact, you can actually enjoy them pretty cheaply.
Brick-and-mortar casinos offer slots that cost as little as $0.20 to play. With a $20 bankroll, you’d have 100 units (20 / 0.2) in this scenario.
Online slots are even cheaper to play. Some internet games give you control over the coin size and number of paylines. With a $0.01 coin and just one line, you can spin the reels for a single cent.
I don’t recommend that you use a single line. After all, this severely reduces your chances to win and leaves you waiting forever for payouts.
But the point is that you can play slots cheaper than any other casino game. Even if you’re spending $0.20 or more, you should still last for a relatively large amount of rounds.
Here’s an example:
- $100 bankroll
- You play a slot with 96% RTP (4% house edge)
- You wager $0.25 per spin
- You perform 500 spins per hour
- 500 x 0.25 x 0.04 = $5 in hourly losses
- 100 / 5 = 20
- Your bankroll will theoretically last for 20 hours
The high volatility of slot machines make it difficult to predict exactly how long your bankroll will last. However, you can see that you at least have a chance to play quite a while with slots under the right circumstances.
Conclusion
Slot machines will always be considered among the most-expensive games in casinos. After all, they feature a quick play rate and, in some cases, carry really high house advantages.
But gamblers don’t seem to care about the drawbacks. In fact, land-based and online slots are just as popular as ever.
Going back decades, slots have always been popular thanks to their ability to deliver huge prizes. Some games give you the opportunity to win millions of dollars for bets as small as a quarter.
Slots also feature solitude that only video poker and a few other games offer. This seclusion is perfect for when you want to gamble in a non-intimidating environment or just play alone.
You can also control the pace with slot machines. These games let you dictate how slow or fast you want to go in any given session.
Slot machines have also evolved to deliver the latest features, animations, and graphics, You can now enjoy advanced gaming that’s complete with 3D graphics, detailed bonuses, and numerous winning ways.
Finally, slots aren’t as expensive as you think. You can theoretically enjoy some of these games with light losses, especially at online casinos.
In summary, slot machines boast many attractive qualities. They may have high house edges in some cases, but they’re still very popular games from an overall standpoint.
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It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that slot machines on The Strip are “tighter” than the alternatives found outside of the Las Vegas Boulevard bubble.
And no, I’m not talking about individual machines set up to pay out less frequently by the casino overlords above. That notion of “tight” and “loose” slot gameplay has always been a myth passed around by uninformed gamblers.
Instead, I’m referring to the way casino operators with properties on The Strip carefully curate their slot machine selection.
Let’s say Slot X offers a 95.50 percent payback rate, which you might know as the return to player (RTP) rate, while Slot Y and Slot Z offer paybacks at 93.25 percent and 91.10 percent, respectively. In this example, a casino on The Strip will have no problem whatsoever ordering hundreds of Slot Y and Slot Z, while only spreading a dozen or so of the Slot X machines.
The big corporate casinos on The Strip can get away with offering lower average payback rates because they have a captive audience of sorts. Over 40 million tourists visit Las Vegas every year, and when they get there, the vast majority will never leave The Strip. Knowing this, corporations like MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and Las Vegas Sands Corp. show no compunction about sticking it to their slot players with tighter machines.
On the other side of the spectrum, all of those casinos located far from the action on Las Vegas Boulevard have no choice. In order to attract customers and retain the loyalty of local regulars, off-Strip casinos must compete by taking the opposite tack. Mid-major operators like Station Casinos, Boyd Gaming, and others stay afloat by choosing a higher ratio of loose slots to balance out a handful of tight machines.
This strategy creates a higher overall payback percentage on average when you play slots in an Off Strip casino. As you can see below, using data compiled by the annual Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) survey of Las Vegas slot payback rates by region, playing away from The Strip always provides a more player-friendly experience:
Las Vegas Slot Machine Payback Percentage Rates (by Coin Denomination and Region)
Worst Slot Machine Ever Win
1¢ Slot Machines
| Region | Average Payback |
|---|---|
| The Strip | 88.38% |
| Downtown | 89.15% |
| Boulder Strip | 90.38% |
| North Las Vegas | 90.88% |
5¢ Slot Machines
| Region | Average Payback |
|---|---|
| The Strip | 91.64% |
| Downtown | 93.40% |
| North Las Vegas | 95.29% |
| Boulder Strip | 96.21% |
25¢ Slot Machines
| Region | Average Payback |
|---|---|
| The Strip | 89.35% |
| Downtown | 94.25% |
| North Las Vegas | 96.41% |
| Boulder Strip | 96.13% |
$1 Slot Machines
| Region | Average Payback |
|---|---|
| The Strip | 92.43% |
| Downtown | 94.63% |
| North Las Vegas | 95.39% |
| Boulder Strip | 96.13% |
$1 Megabucks Machines
| Region | Average Payback |
|---|---|
| The Strip | 87.83% |
| North Las Vegas | 88.52% |
| Downtown | 89.07% |
| Boulder Strip | 91.35% |
All Slot Machines
| Region | Average Payback |
|---|---|
| The Strip | 91.47% |
| Downtown | 92.67% |
| Boulder Strip | 94.34% |
| North Las Vegas | 93.53% |
Nonetheless, not all off-Strip slot parlors are built the same way…
It got me thinking about all of the off-Strip properties that try to have it both ways, by marketing themselves as the “home of loose slots” even though their machines are tighter than the baseline average for their region.
With that in mind, the list below serves as a warning for slot players, so do your best to avoid the seven worst off-Strip casinos where tight slots reign supreme.
1 – McCarran International Airport
For millions of visitors to Sin City, the first sin they’ll commit is parting ways with even a single penny playing slots at McCarran International Airport.
In case you’re close enough to drive to Las Vegas, and thus haven’t had the “pleasure” of seeing the airport up close and personal, the place is lined with slot machines in a scene straight out of a typical casino. At first glance, these slots can seem like a cool novelty, a welcome mat greeting new arrivals and letting them know they’re in for a little something different.
And on the other side of the coin, when you’re heading home and want to take one last crack at landing that elusive jackpot score, a few spins on the airport slots can’t hurt, right?
Well, you should definitely consider the 85.02 percent average payback rate found on McCarran slots to be painful…
When compared to other off-Strip locales, the airport puts players at a disadvantage equal to 8 percent off their average payback. And even when sized up against The Strip, airport slots are 6 percent worse overall.
You’re already going to face the indignities of modern air travel when passing through McCarran, so stay smart and don’t add industry-worst slot payback to the pain.
2 – Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino
Best known as the site of the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP), the Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino is a place where life-changing fortunes are won dozens of times over every summer.
Unfortunately for gamblers who prefer the slots over Texas Hold’em, however, the Rio is relentlessly bad for reel spinners. Likely owing to its parent company Caesars Entertainment struggling through bankruptcy, management has made sure the Rio’s slot selection spits out an average payback rate of only 88.72 percent.
Slot Machine For Sale
To get a sense of just how bad that payback rate really is, consider this – only the Venetian (86.66 percent) and the Bellagio (87.42 percent) are worse for slot players, and those casinos are on The Strip. In terms of proper casinos found away from Las Vegas Boulevard, you simply can’t do any worse than the Rio if the slots are your game of choice.
3 – Fremont Hotel & Casino
A member of the Boyd Gaming family found in Downtown Las Vegas, the Fremont has been an iconic fixture along Fremont Street since Sinatra and the “Rat Pack” were strutting their stuff.
Sin City has changed a ton over that time, and most of the action has moved to The Strip, but Fremont is still considered to be a home away from home for many locals and longtime visitors. Even so, Fremont’s slot selection still manages to offer the worst payback average of any casino in the Downtown district at 90.37 percent. To wit, the average for all Downtown casinos stands at 92.67 percent, so you’re shaving more than 2 percent off your overall payback rate by spinning at Fremont.
4 – Main Street Station Casino Brewery Hotel
Folks who call Las Vegas home love the Station Casinos brand, which encompasses several reasonably priced venues found all over the city.
Main Street Station is typical of the Station Casinos concept, combining affordable fare with the best odds on table games and video poker. Unfortunately for slot players, Main Street Station found a way to mess up a good thing, as it’s the worst of all Station casinos in terms of slot payback with a 90.56 percent average rate.
5 – Silverton Casino Hotel
One of the rare independent casinos still going strong in Sin City, the Silverton is a holdover from a bygone era of Las Vegas lore.
Even though its relatively new, having opened its doors in 1994, the Silverton looks and feels like it belongs in the 1970s in Nevada’s other gambling locale of Lake Tahoe. The vibe is rustic and intimate, and you’ll easily save a pretty penny eschewing The Strip to stay here.
On the flip side, however, those savings will be eaten up quickly playing slots at the Silverton, thanks to a lower than average 90.57 percent payback rate.
6 – Golden Gate Casino Hotel
The Golden Gate Casino first opened its gaming floor all the way back in 1906, making it the oldest casino in all of Las Vegas – and anywhere in America for that matter.
Golden Gate is a fixture on Fremont Street, surviving for more than a century while rivals came and went with the desert winds.
But while the $0.99 shrimp cocktails and classic coin-in pull-lever slot machines offer a certain sense of nostalgia, Golden Gate’s slot menu gooses its owner’s bottom line with a regrettable 90.64 percent payback rate on slots.
7 – Golden Nugget Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
Personally speaking, I still love to take a stroll through the Golden Nugget’s iconic gaming floor whenever I’m in the Downtown district.
Everywhere you look is shining gold, and unlike many other casinos on Fremont Street, the Golden Nugget somehow manages to feel new again despite its age.
So, while I still enjoy visiting the old gal from time to time, playing slots at the Golden Nugget will always be a nonstarter in my book.
Conclusion
Worst Slot Machine Ever Recorded
Visiting an off-Strip casino to score improved odds and an increased chance of winning has become a rite of passage for sharp gamblers. Many take pride in avoiding the money pit of Las Vegas Boulevard, choosing to preserve their bankroll by staying at a more budget-conscious casino instead.
Worst Slot Machine Ever Wanted
And while that’s all well and good, it can be all too easy to find yourself spinning slots in an off-Strip casino that still doesn’t serve its players honorably. To help you avoid that fate, this list should serve as a guide to all of the off-Strip casinos that just aren’t worth a slot player’s time.