Ask the Slot Expert: Can casinos change the way slot games play?
Dear John,
Love your articles!
My question is: Are casinos allowed to make changes in the way games play?
I have been playing Three Kings slot machines and have done well on them, however just recently the casinos in Arizona seem to have changed the way they play. And it's obvious too.
Before, whenever you were to go into a bonus, the third king would spin slowly to give you that excitement of maybe getting into the bonus, but NOW it no longer does the slow spin, it just stops with no spin all.
Thank you.
Thanks for the kind words about my column.
Casinos do have the ability to configure some aspects of how their machines perform. For example, the casino can set the volume level on a machine. They can sometimes set how quickly a video poker machine deals its cards, or set the machine so the player can set the speed. Note that none of these settings affect a machine's long-term payback, just some aspects of how the machine plays.
It's possible that the casino has some control over how quickly the third king stops. By making it stop more quickly, the casino can get more spins per hour on the machine.
Jackpots for all,
John
Dear John,
My wife and I enjoy what we call machine hopping. We get bored playing one machine. We play $.25 to $5 and have done quite well -- two $5 slots hit for over $25,000, both on the first spin. I am well aware that was pure luck.
What puzzled us at first was, even on busy days, certain machines were not being played. I am sure they probably hit sometime. After talking to other players and from our play, we soon realized the problem is many machines will not hit a symbol on the first reel even after six to eight spins. What a turn off!
Are casinos not smart enough to to realize players will walk away from these machines? Our two favorites are Blazing 7s and Triple Stars. Both have low symbol counts -- but that is a topic for another day.
Long time fan. Always look forward to your helpful advice.
Paul
Dear Paul,
Congratulations on your jackpots.
Most first virtual reels are set up to have more symbols than blanks. Casinos know that players know that when a blank lands on the payline on the first reel, the game is over -- unless the machine pays for three blanks. When a symbol lands on the first reel, on the other hand, there are possibilities and players can root for a winning combination. As a result, more on-the-payline near misses have a blank on the third reel than on either of the first two reels.
That said, we have to remember that the results of a spin are chosen at random. Even when it's more likely to have a symbol land on the payline than a blank, it's possible to have many spins in a row that land a blank.
Jackpots for all,
John
Hi John,
Hopefully you can answer this before my cruise in October.
I am wondering how the payouts are on cruise ships that have casinos? I am going on a Carnival cruise. Are they at all regulated or can they have whatever percentages they want?
Thanks,
Colleen
Dear Colleen,
Cruise ships operate in international waters, so they are not subject to any regulations.
How are the paybacks? Lousy. If you don't like how well the machines are paying, where are you going to go? There's no casino down the street that might have better-paying machines.
The paybacks will probably be among the lowest available for the games. You might be better off throwing your money overboard and collecting what washes up on shore.
Best of luck on your cruise,
John
Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert™, at slotexpert@slotexpert.com. Because of the volume of mail I receive, I regret that I can't reply to every question.
Copyright © John Robison. Slot Expert and Ask the Slot Expert are trademarks of John Robison.