Loosest Slots At Four Winds Casino

Loosest Slots At Four Winds Casino

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Loosest Slots At Four Winds Casino Slots
Loosest Slots At Four Winds Casino Las Vegas
Loosest Slots At Four Winds Casino New Buffalo
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A Tribal-State Gaming Compact inked Thursday will allow standard slot machines, table games, and sports wagering at the Four Winds Casino in South Bend. Unbelievable Jackpots. At Four Winds New Buffalo, the excitement never stops. Whether you like to play penny slots or $100 machines, you'll find more than 2,600 of your favorite slot machines including some of the area's biggest jackpots with. 1 day ago  At Four Winds South Bend, players can find a 12 table live poker room and 1,400 of the latest games ranging from $.01 to $25. Four Winds New Buffalo features a variety of table games along with more than 2,400 slot machines ranging from penny slots up to $100 machines. The Pokagon band says guests will be able to play a variety of games while also making the same sports bets online as they do inside Four Winds Casinos' Michigan locations. Game play includes a variety of slots and table games.
Las Vegas — the 'Sin City' that can blind you with its sparkling architecture and make you fall in love with the 24/7 service of almost anything you can imagine.
One of the most popular places to visit either before your wedding or for the wedding, Las Vegas certainly is on everyone's bucket list.
Yet the main reason that brings people from different parts of the world to this fabulous city is definitely the vast number of hotels and casinos offering entertainment games on the highest possible level.
Although they are mainly created for the wealthy part of the population, no one will forbid you to enter a casino with a little less money. However, in that case, you should probably do quick research to learn all about the best establishments for your financial status.
The information you should look for doesn't include only the cheapest accommodation or places to eat, but also which casino is most likely to return the money you have decided to play with.
This text will mainly be based on the game of slots — one of the most popular games in casinos for both novices and regulars, so if you are interested in finding out where you can find the best slots in Vegas, you can start taking notes.
While you are here have a look at our slot YouTube channel where we post regular live slot play videos from the Vegas casino. Please subscribe to get notification whenever we post new videos.
So which casino has the loosest slots in Vegas?Before we provide you with a list of the best casinos for slots in Las Vegas, we would like to clarify a few things. A loose slot in one casino can be programmed at a payback of 99%, while the same slot in another casino will be programmed at 90% payback. The programming is not universal and almost always differs from one casino to another.
Also, do not expect that you will win every round with a loose slot. Though it might happen, it usually takes some time to get your winnings, even with the loosest slot that exists.
Now let's get back to business. We have the NGCB reports, but they don't examine casinos one by one. They do, however, break it with regards to geographical location. But don't worry, we analysed it for you and organised the list of the casinos that you can follow to find your best slot game ever.
When it comes to the casino that has the loosest slots in Vegas the only evidence we could find was the table ranks of Las Vegas casinos according to the looseness of their video slot machines. The returns are based on sampling only five different types of machines, although the information is dated and goes back more than two years.
The table includes seventy-one casinos in Las Vegas listed according to the loosest slots and we list some of the most renowned casinos and the RTP % of sampled slots indicated.
While you are here have a look at real money slots section if you are looking to play the same Vegas slots for real money on your phone or on your computer.
Without further ado, find the list of casinos that has the loosest slots in Vegas below:
#1 Mandalay BayNot only that it offers over 1,200 machines, but it also gives you the opportunity to collect points when playing your favourite slots and use them for shopping later on.
RTP%: 88.87%
Location: 3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Find it online:https://mandalaybay.mgmresorts.com
#2 Bellagio

Loosest slots at four winds casino resort

This hotel and casino offers a variety of slot machines to choose from and often organizes a number of high-paying slot tournaments.
The casino provides more than 2,300 reels, video reels and video poker games, as well as progressives and jackpots.
RTP%: ??
Location: 3600 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA
Find it online:https://bellagio.mgmresorts.com
#3 Golden Nugget Las VegasFeatures the latest slot games that are highly requested by customers, and has a vast amount of slot machines starting from just one cent.
RTP%: 90.85%
Location: 129 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Find it online:https://www.goldennugget.com/las-vegas
#4 Luxor Las VegasYou can choose among hundreds of slots with denominations starting from $0.01 up to $100. Some of the loosest slots are definitely here since they still own the traditional 'reel' machines, apart from the latest video slots.
RTP%: 91.92%
Location: 3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Find it online:https://luxor.mgmresorts.com
#5 El CortezEven though it's not a part of the Strip squad, this fellow promises 40% looser slots and still features both ticket and coin-operated machines.
RTP%: ??
Location: 600 E Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Find it online:https://elcortezhotelcasino.com
#6 The Venetian Las VegasIts location on Las Vegas Boulevard South allows players to be a part of the gambling elite. It is one of the largest hotels in the world and also one of the best on the Strip.
Coronavirus DashboardHere you will find more than 1,000 slot machines placed on two premier floors, and at least one of them has to be quite loose.
RTP%: 86.66%
Location: 3355 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Find it online:https://www.venetian.com
#7 MGM Grand Las Vegas

The casino possesses a great selection of progressive slots that have turned out to be lucky. Namely, some of the largest jackpots have been paid by this operator.
RTP%: 89.81%
Location: 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Find it online:https://mgmgrand.mgmresorts.com
#8 Treasure Island Hotel and CasinoThe casino floor is not as big as others, but this is what players sometimes need in order to be able to move from one slot to another without waiting in line for too long. They also offer a lot of different prizes including playing free slots.
RTP%: 89.32%
Location: 3300 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Find it online:https://www.treasureisland.com
#9 Harrah's Las VegasThe casino that still has some old-fashioned 3-reel slots promises payouts up to 98% and great progressives on popular games.
RTP%: 89.32%
Location: 3475 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Find it online:https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-las-vegas
#10 Aria Resort and CasinoLast but not least, this casino has been awarded the Best Casino for Slots by CNN Travel. If you take that into consideration, there's no further explanation necessary.
RTP%: ??
Location: 3730 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89158
Find it online:https://aria.mgmresorts.com
A Few Other CasinosAirport in 71st place 85.02%,
Mermaids 88.26%
La Bayou 88.26%
Rio 88.72%
Mirage 89.03%
Stardust 89.97%
Silverton 90.57%
Tropicana 90.71%
Hilton 91.40%
Boulder Station 91.55%
Hard Rock 92.47%
Slots a Fun 92.65%
How Do the Slots Work?There is no surprise that all the casinos in the world usually have a lot of slots filling up every corner of the room. Players like slots since they bring a lot of excitement and are very easy to use.
They do not demand a particular skill or knowledge and have no complicated rules. Also, they require minimal investment in order to let you play, so you can keep yourself amused for a longer period of time.
In case you have wondered how slots work, the explanation is very simple. You put in the amount you want to play with, and after the machine registers it, you are good to go.
The game is pretty easy — just pull the arm or activate it with a lever or a button, depending on the machine type.
This will trigger the reels which hold different symbols to start spinning. Eventually, they will come to a halt, and you will get a combination of symbols that give a certain payout depending on how the pictures got lined up.
Now, the important thing to remember is that the house, a.k.a. the casino, always has the edge regardless of the type of game you play. It doesn't matter if it is the good old dollar slot or a multi-reel penny machine, it is designed in a way that will always keep at least 2% of your money.
However, there is something you can do to give your winnings a little push: choose the loosest slots in the casino.
What Is the Loose Slot?Loosest Slots At Four Winds Casino SlotsTo put it simply, it is the reason why so many players decide to put their money in this machine. Every slot machine gives a different percentage of payout, meaning that some give more than others. Therefore, all players have the same goal: finding the slot machine that pays more than the rest.
That is where the term loose slot comes into the picture. It is used to describe a slot machine that pays the highest percentage and does that frequently. Another term used for such slot machines is hot slots.
Another belief is that these loose slots also have the lowest edge. In other words, if some other slots always keep 5% of your financial input, these will keep less.
Of course, these findings can make you immediately pack your bags and fly to Vegas to earn some money, but then the reason poses a question: How to find the loosest slots in Vegas?

Can Slots Be Loose After All?You might be surprised, but the answer to this question is a big yes. Moreover, there are some tips and tricks that can help you find them in Las Vegas, and they are listed below.

First things first, there are some basic rules that can be applied in case you have never heard of loose slots before. One of them is that the more active a bank of slots is, the higher the chances are to get your money back. Usually, regular customers know which slots are the loosest, so it could be useful to first order a drink and just look around for some time.
Another saying you can often hear from the regulars is that the higher slot denomination brings higher and more frequent payouts. This basically means that a 100$ machine will, in the end, pay more than a penny-slot.
Then we have some new findings regarding the specific brands or slot games that carry the name of a famous movie. Those are said to pay quite less since the casino is also paying a fee for using the already patented product. Furthermore, the older machines are highly likely to pay more because they have already returned the money a casino invested in them.
Apart from these standard stories, there is something more convincing that can help you in your quest. Namely, all the casinos in Las Vegas have to report their revenue to the Nevada Gaming Control Board. This also includes information about the slot hold percentage. The Board then reports the statistics regarding their casino industry in which we can find our answer.
Firsthand InformationTo make this guide completely real, we wanted to incorporate the response of the people who have visited Las Vegas and played slots at some of the best casinos in the world. We have checked the Trip Advisor and found some answers that support the casinos on our list.
Regarding the Mandalay Bay there are some good reviews:
My best luck on the strip over all has to be Mandalay Bay. In maybe a dozen stays, I've never walked away down more than a few hundred bucks, which is a win to me for 3 or 4 days of fun.
On the other hand, for somebody else, something different might work:
Loosest Slots At Four Winds Casino Las VegasI think the term loosest is kinda relative. For me, I have had the best action on the strip for slots at Bellagio and Paris. I have also had some nice handpays at Aria.
Of course, some people put their trust in the casinos which are located outside the Strip, and had a good experience there:
I love this question! It is always fun to hear where people have had the most luck while in Vegas! I always stay on the strip when I'm in Vegas, but I never do any good playing there. I tend to play more downtown, or any local casino I can find. They are so much better! I love most casinos on Boulder Highway, and I love Southpoint and Silverton. But anyway…my biggest win on the strip was at Excalibur, but other than that one big win, I don't think I've ever done any good there. I usually can play a while and don't lose too bad at Harrah's and Wynn. The worst in my opinion is Flamingo. I can't win a dang thing there, and never have. All the others have been pretty much the same, win some, lose more….you know how it goes.

Loosest slots at four winds casino slots

This hotel and casino offers a variety of slot machines to choose from and often organizes a number of high-paying slot tournaments.
The casino provides more than 2,300 reels, video reels and video poker games, as well as progressives and jackpots.
RTP%: ??
Location: 3600 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA
Find it online:https://bellagio.mgmresorts.com
#3 Golden Nugget Las VegasFeatures the latest slot games that are highly requested by customers, and has a vast amount of slot machines starting from just one cent.
RTP%: 90.85%
Location: 129 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Find it online:https://www.goldennugget.com/las-vegas
#4 Luxor Las VegasYou can choose among hundreds of slots with denominations starting from $0.01 up to $100. Some of the loosest slots are definitely here since they still own the traditional 'reel' machines, apart from the latest video slots.
RTP%: 91.92%
Location: 3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Find it online:https://luxor.mgmresorts.com
#5 El CortezEven though it's not a part of the Strip squad, this fellow promises 40% looser slots and still features both ticket and coin-operated machines.
RTP%: ??
Location: 600 E Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101
Find it online:https://elcortezhotelcasino.com
#6 The Venetian Las VegasIts location on Las Vegas Boulevard South allows players to be a part of the gambling elite. It is one of the largest hotels in the world and also one of the best on the Strip.
Coronavirus DashboardHere you will find more than 1,000 slot machines placed on two premier floors, and at least one of them has to be quite loose.
RTP%: 86.66%
Location: 3355 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Find it online:https://www.venetian.com
#7 MGM Grand Las VegasThe casino possesses a great selection of progressive slots that have turned out to be lucky. Namely, some of the largest jackpots have been paid by this operator.
RTP%: 89.81%
Location: 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Find it online:https://mgmgrand.mgmresorts.com
#8 Treasure Island Hotel and CasinoThe casino floor is not as big as others, but this is what players sometimes need in order to be able to move from one slot to another without waiting in line for too long. They also offer a lot of different prizes including playing free slots.
RTP%: 89.32%
Location: 3300 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Find it online:https://www.treasureisland.com
#9 Harrah's Las VegasThe casino that still has some old-fashioned 3-reel slots promises payouts up to 98% and great progressives on popular games.
RTP%: 89.32%
Location: 3475 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Find it online:https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-las-vegas
#10 Aria Resort and CasinoLast but not least, this casino has been awarded the Best Casino for Slots by CNN Travel. If you take that into consideration, there's no further explanation necessary.
RTP%: ??
Location: 3730 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89158
Find it online:https://aria.mgmresorts.com
A Few Other CasinosAirport in 71st place 85.02%,
Mermaids 88.26%
La Bayou 88.26%
Rio 88.72%
Mirage 89.03%
Stardust 89.97%
Silverton 90.57%
Tropicana 90.71%
Hilton 91.40%
Boulder Station 91.55%
Hard Rock 92.47%
Slots a Fun 92.65%
How Do the Slots Work?There is no surprise that all the casinos in the world usually have a lot of slots filling up every corner of the room. Players like slots since they bring a lot of excitement and are very easy to use.
They do not demand a particular skill or knowledge and have no complicated rules. Also, they require minimal investment in order to let you play, so you can keep yourself amused for a longer period of time.
In case you have wondered how slots work, the explanation is very simple. You put in the amount you want to play with, and after the machine registers it, you are good to go.
The game is pretty easy — just pull the arm or activate it with a lever or a button, depending on the machine type.
This will trigger the reels which hold different symbols to start spinning. Eventually, they will come to a halt, and you will get a combination of symbols that give a certain payout depending on how the pictures got lined up.
Now, the important thing to remember is that the house, a.k.a. the casino, always has the edge regardless of the type of game you play. It doesn't matter if it is the good old dollar slot or a multi-reel penny machine, it is designed in a way that will always keep at least 2% of your money.
However, there is something you can do to give your winnings a little push: choose the loosest slots in the casino.
What Is the Loose Slot?Loosest Slots At Four Winds Casino SlotsTo put it simply, it is the reason why so many players decide to put their money in this machine. Every slot machine gives a different percentage of payout, meaning that some give more than others. Therefore, all players have the same goal: finding the slot machine that pays more than the rest.
That is where the term loose slot comes into the picture. It is used to describe a slot machine that pays the highest percentage and does that frequently. Another term used for such slot machines is hot slots.
Another belief is that these loose slots also have the lowest edge. In other words, if some other slots always keep 5% of your financial input, these will keep less.
Of course, these findings can make you immediately pack your bags and fly to Vegas to earn some money, but then the reason poses a question: How to find the loosest slots in Vegas?
Can Slots Be Loose After All?You might be surprised, but the answer to this question is a big yes. Moreover, there are some tips and tricks that can help you find them in Las Vegas, and they are listed below.
First things first, there are some basic rules that can be applied in case you have never heard of loose slots before. One of them is that the more active a bank of slots is, the higher the chances are to get your money back. Usually, regular customers know which slots are the loosest, so it could be useful to first order a drink and just look around for some time.
Another saying you can often hear from the regulars is that the higher slot denomination brings higher and more frequent payouts. This basically means that a 100$ machine will, in the end, pay more than a penny-slot.
Then we have some new findings regarding the specific brands or slot games that carry the name of a famous movie. Those are said to pay quite less since the casino is also paying a fee for using the already patented product. Furthermore, the older machines are highly likely to pay more because they have already returned the money a casino invested in them.
Apart from these standard stories, there is something more convincing that can help you in your quest. Namely, all the casinos in Las Vegas have to report their revenue to the Nevada Gaming Control Board. This also includes information about the slot hold percentage. The Board then reports the statistics regarding their casino industry in which we can find our answer.
Firsthand InformationTo make this guide completely real, we wanted to incorporate the response of the people who have visited Las Vegas and played slots at some of the best casinos in the world. We have checked the Trip Advisor and found some answers that support the casinos on our list.
Regarding the Mandalay Bay there are some good reviews:
My best luck on the strip over all has to be Mandalay Bay. In maybe a dozen stays, I've never walked away down more than a few hundred bucks, which is a win to me for 3 or 4 days of fun.
On the other hand, for somebody else, something different might work:
Loosest Slots At Four Winds Casino Las VegasI think the term loosest is kinda relative. For me, I have had the best action on the strip for slots at Bellagio and Paris. I have also had some nice handpays at Aria.
Of course, some people put their trust in the casinos which are located outside the Strip, and had a good experience there:
I love this question! It is always fun to hear where people have had the most luck while in Vegas! I always stay on the strip when I'm in Vegas, but I never do any good playing there. I tend to play more downtown, or any local casino I can find. They are so much better! I love most casinos on Boulder Highway, and I love Southpoint and Silverton. But anyway…my biggest win on the strip was at Excalibur, but other than that one big win, I don't think I've ever done any good there. I usually can play a while and don't lose too bad at Harrah's and Wynn. The worst in my opinion is Flamingo. I can't win a dang thing there, and never have. All the others have been pretty much the same, win some, lose more….you know how it goes.
There are gamblers who believe that a person can have a dose of luck within themselves and that it has nothing to do with casinos or machines. However, from those that lose frequently, you can hear that there's no such thing as luck and that the payouts are planned ahead.
Whichever belief you hold, only one is certain, and it is hidden in the name of casino games. They are not randomly called games of chance, and this is something you should always have in mind no matter if you find yourself in Las Vegas or any other gambling kingdom in the world.
Which Las Vegas casino has the highest average return slots?
This is awarded to the Palms Casino, It offers an average RTP of 93.42% when factoring in all payouts across all slots machines offered at the casino. Bear in mind, this is based on thousands of slot outcomes over a specified period of time and in no way guarantees that you will experience the same payouts when playing at the Palms Casino.
The best Las Vegas Casino for slots includes the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino offering well over 1,700 slot machines including everything from high limits to progressive and penny slots, the Wynn and Encore casinos combined offer 2,195 slots, while the Palms Casino have over 1,300 slots. Visiting the MGM Grand in Vegas offers access to more than 2,500 slot machines, while the Golden Nugget features 1,400 gaming machines, and Slots n Fun is home to 1,200 slot machines.
According to Statista, The Statistics Portal combining studies and statistics from over 22,500 sources, the number of slots in Nevada in 1965 was 25,450 and have increased to 164,100 by the start of 2018.
Loosest Slots At Four Winds Casino New BuffaloDo Casinos in Las Vegas enjoy the same Popularity now that players can gamble Online?
According to statistics across several years, casinos in Las Vegas do not enjoy an increase in popularity since players can gamble online, although the rise of the Macau gambling capital also has a major impact on the strip. In January 2018 according to CNBC Las Vegas Strip casinos reported a revenue decrease of 3.2% in December 2017 measured against the same month in 2016. The biggest drop in revenue was in Baccarat which dropped by 30% and analysts believe it is due to high rollers from Asia now visiting casinos in Macau.
Is Macau casinos now competing with casinos in Las Vegas?
Macau casinos are now competing with casinos in Las Vegas and by studying the gross gambling revenue since 2007 it is easy to see how much the gambling industry's popularity in Macau has increased. In 2007 the gambling revenue in Macau was $7,461 billion vs $10,378 billion in Las Vegas by 2017 the roles are reversed and the gambling revenue in Las Vegas is $7,092 billion vs $33,217 billion in Macau.
by John Robison
Do the slot machines on the ends of aisles pay better than the machines in the middle? How about the machines near the table games? They'retight, right? And are the machines near the coin redemption booths loose? Join us on our journey for finding loose slot machines.
The loose slot machine is the slot player's Holy Grail. Much as King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table searched Britain for the Holy Grail of myth, slot players search casinos for loosemachines. Slot players have formulated many theories about where casinos place their loose machines to aid them in their quest.

Before we can figure out where the loose machines are, we have to figure out what they are. There is no U.S.D.A. system for grading the looseness of machines and no national orinternational standard that determines whether a machine is tight or loose.
Loosest Slots In Vegas 2017So, what is a loose slot machine? Say we have two 94% payback machines. Are they loose? I bet some people say yes and some say no. Why isn't there agreement? Let me add a little more information to thescenario to see if it gives you an idea of why one person calls a 94% payback machine loose and another calls it tight. What if I told you that one machine was a nickel machine and theother a dollar machine? For most people who play nickel machines, a 94% machine is among the best-paying machines in their area. For most people who play dollar machines, on theother hand, a 94% machine is among the worst-paying machines in their area. The person who called 94% loose probably plays lower-denomination machines, while the person who called 94%tight probably plays higher-denomination machines.
Let me add one more piece of information. The dollar machine is a video poker machine. Dollar video poker players would rather have root canals onall their teeth with no anesthesia while their fingernails and toenails are ripped off than play a 94% payback machine. They have many adjectives for a 94% payback machine, but loose isnot one of them.
You see, loose isn't an absolute. Looseness depends on your frame of reference. Looseness is actually a comparison. We shouldn't say 'loose.' We should really say'looser'. We should really be asking where the looser machines are. But let's bow to common usage and continue using the term loose machine.
Best Slots To Play At Four Winds CasinoSo, what is a loose machine? Quite simply, a loose machine is a machine that has a higher long-term payback percentage than another machine. The loose machines in acasino are those machines that have the highest paybacks. These are the machines that will take the smallest bites out of your bankroll in the long run. No wonder slot players areconstantly searching for them.
Over the years, players have developed a number of theories about finding loose slot machines. Casinos place loose machines near the entrances, for example, so passersby can see playerswinning and are enticed to enter the casino and try their luck. The loose machines are also at the ends of the aisles to draw players into the aisle, where the tight machinesare. 
And, of course, a loose machine is always surrounded by tight machines. You never have two loose machines side by side. That's done for players who like to play more than onemachine at a time. If they should happen to stumble upon one of the loose machines, they'll be pumping their winnings from it into the tight machines around it.
More theories. The machines near the table games are tight because table games players don't want to hear a lot of bells and buzzers going off and happy slot players whooping it up aftera big win. Another reason the machines near the table games are tight is because table games players will occasionally drop a few coins into a slot machine and they don't expect to winanything, so why give them a high payback.
Similarly, the machines near the buffet and show lines are tight. People waiting in line are just killing time and getting rid of their spare change. They're not going to play for along time or develop a relationship with those machines, so the machines can be like piggy banks – for the casino! Money goes in and rarely comes back out.
The machines near the coin redemption booths, on the other hand, are loose. Players waiting in line for coin redemption are slot players and the casino wants them to see other playerswinning. Seeing all those players winning will make them anxious to get back on the slot floor to try their luck again.
Finally, finding loose machines in highly visible locations is most likely. Again, casinos want players to see players winning and be enticed into trying to get a piece of the casino'sbankroll themselves.
These are the theories I can think of off the top of my head. Maybe you know of some others. Most of the theories have a basis in psychology. When we see others winning, we'llwant to play too because 1) we're greedy, 2) we're envious, or 3) we see that at least some machines really do pay off and if we keep trying we might find one too.
Based on my own discussions with slot directors, interviews with slot directors, and seminars I've attended, I don't think these theories are relevant in today's slot world. To see why,we have to look at how slot machines and slot floors have changed. 
Picture a slot floor of 10-20 years ago. Even if you don't go back that far, I'm sure you've seen pictures on TV or in books. The slot machines on a casino floor in that era arearranged in long rows, much like products out for sale in a supermarket aisle. There's no imagination used in placing the machines on the floor. The machines are placed using cold,mechanical precision.
On page 193 in Slot Machines: A Pictorial History of the First 100 Years by Marshall Fey, there's a great picture of Bally's casino floor in Atlantic City that illustrates my point. Thepicture shows hundreds of slot machines all lined up in perfect rows like little soldiers. The caption reads, 'Like a Nebraska cornfield, rows upon rows of Bally slots extend as far asthe eye can see.'
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Compare that image with the slot floor layout at a casino that was designed in the last five or so years. Studies have shown that players feel very uncomfortable playing in longaisles. They feel trapped when they're playing in the middle of a long aisle, particularly if the casino is crowded. As a result, modern casinos have shorter aisles and when a long aislecan't be avoided, it will be wider than others so players won't feel like they can't get out.
One of the finding loose machines theories has casinos placing loose machines at the ends of aisles to draw people into the aisles. Having shorter aisles means having more machinesat the ends of those aisles. Can all of these machines be loose?
In addition to being uncomfortable in long aisles, players are also uncomfortable being put out on display for the other players. Perhaps they feel like they might become a target iftheir good luck is too visible.
One slot director I heard speak said that he tried to create 'comfortable niches' for his players. Instead of being in a fish bowl, visible to most of the slot floor, players in hisniches can be easily seen by only the other players in that niche.
Another theory about loose machine placement is that casinos place them in highly visible areas. Modern casinos still have highly visible areas, but the areas are visible to a smallernumber of players. A loose machine in this area will influence fewer players than before.
The last change in the slot floor that I want to mention is perhaps the biggest change of all. Casinos used to have hundreds of slot machines. Now they have thousands. Oneslot director in Las Vegas said in an interview a few years ago that with so many machines on his floor, he didn't have time to micro-manage them. He and his management decided the holdpercentage they wanted for each denomination and he ordered payback programs close to that percentage for his machines. Furthermore, he said this was the common practice in LasVegas.
As much as the slot floor has changed, the changes on the floor are dwarfed by the changes in the slot machines themselves. One thing that struck me about that picture of Bally's is howall the machines look alike. They really do look like soldiers being inspecting, all standing at attention and in identical uniforms, or like rows of indistinguishable corn plants. In fact, it looks like there are only three different games in the 10 machines in the first row in the picture. Granted, the majority of the machines in Bally's casino were Ballymachines. Still I'm surprised by the lack of variety in the machines in the front row in the picture.
I heard that one theory why Americans have gotten heavier is that we have access to a wider variety of foods today than we had before. When meals consisted of the same thing time aftertime, it was easy to pass up second helpings of gruel and eat just enough to no longer be hungry. But now we have Chinese one night, Mexican the next, followed by Thai, burgers, pizza,and pasta -- it's easy to overeat on our culinary trip around the world.
Just as variety in food creates desire, so does variety in slot machines. 'Hey, I used to watch The Munsters all the time. I'll try that machine.' 'I never miss TheApprentice. I'll give that machine a go.' 'I played Monopoly all the time as a kid.' 'I have a cat and a dog and a chainsaw and a toaster.'
Not only is there more variety in themes on machines, there's also more variety in paytables. Back in the 1920s, a revolutionary change in slot machine design was paying an extra coin fora certain combination. Adding a hopper to the machine in the electro-mechanical era made it possible for the machine to pay larger jackpots itself instead of requiring a handpay from ajackpot girl. Adding a computer to the slot machine made it possible for today's machines to pay modest jackpots of a few thousand coins all the way up to life-changing jackpots ofmillions of dollars.
The computer also makes it possible to add more gimmicks to machines. Gimmicks like 'spin-til-you win,' symbols that nudge up or down to the payline, haywire repeat-pays, and double spinall add more variety and interest to the games.
Today's machines are immeasurably more interesting and fun to play than those of even just a decade ago. Each new generation of machines has crisper graphics and better sound than theprior generation. Slot designers are working overtime to devise compelling bonus rounds that will keep players playing for just one more crack at the round. How many people playingWheel of Fortune are trying to win the jackpot? Not many. Most people keep playing to get one more spin of the wheel.
Slot directors today don't need to pepper their slot floors with loose machines to stimulate play. Today's machines themselves generate more desire to play than seeing a player doingwell.
Now I'll finish our discussion of where slot directors place loose machines with some additional thoughts, with a few anecdotes I've heard at slot seminars, and with what I think will be thefinal nail in the coffin of loose machine placement philosophies.
One of the placement theories says that tight machines should be placed near the table games because the table games players don't like a lot of noise while they're playing. Have the peopleputting forth this theory ever been near a craps table? A craps table with a shooter on a hot roll has to be one of the loudest places -- if not the loudest place -- in the casino. Crapsplayers can be a boisterous lot even when the table isn't hot. Okay, I can see players needing peace and quiet at blackjack tables (It's difficult to count cards even in a quiet casino.), butnot at craps, roulette, Let It Ride, and other tables. In any case, the casino can adjust the volume level on a machine. The slot director can put a very quiet, loose machine near the tablesand not disturb a single table games player.
Another problem with following a loose machine placement philosophy is that it limits the flexibility slot directors have in moving their machines around on the slot floor. If the directors aregoing to give up a little bit in payback on some machines, they certainly will want to get their money's worth and ensure that these machines are in locations where they'll be played, be seenbeing played, and entice other players to play. Slot floors have only a limited number of high visibility areas. Slot directors won't want to waste any of their high-paying machines in the morenumerous less visible areas, where the machines won't be encouraging other players.
Now I'd like to share some anecdotes I've heard at panel discussions during the big gaming show (first the World Gaming Congress, then the Global Gaming Expo) that's held in Las Vegas eachyear. 
First, one slot director described an experiment he conducted in his casino. He had a carousel of 5 Times Pay machines that all had the same long-term payback. He ordered new chips to lower thepayback percentages on a couple of the machines to see if anyone would notice. The machines with the lower long-term paybacks received just as much play as the higher-paying machines. Noplayer, furthermore, ever complained that some of the machines in the carousel were tighter than others.
In another seminar, a slot director shared the philosophy he used to place some machines that he had inherited from another property. These machines, he said, had lower long-term paybacks thanthe payback he usually ordered for machines on his slot floor. He said, 'I read the same books that the players read. I put these lower payback machines in the spots that the books said shouldhave the high payback machines.'
My last anecdote is about a decision made by the slot director at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas many years ago. He was ordering 10 Times Pay machines for his slot floor and he was concerned aboutthe low hit frequencies available for those machines. (Machines with multiplying symbols tend to have low hit frequencies, and usually the higher the multiplier, the lower the hit frequency.)The slot director was afraid that his players would think the machines were very tight because they hit so infrequently. He said that he ordered higher paybacks than he usually does for thosemachines in an attempt to offset the low hit frequency. The machines would still have a low hit frequency, but at least the average value of a hit would be a little higher than if he hadordered a payback percentage nearer the percentage he usually ordered. He hoped that would be enough to keep his players from thinking these were tighter than the other machines on his slotfloor.
Although I think these anecdotes are the exceptions that prove the rule that some casinos at least order the same long-term paybacks for machines of a particular denomination, there is evidencethat some casinos may not. In the first edition of Casino Operations Management, for example, Kilby and Fox list a number of 'general philosophies that influence specific slot placement'including: 'low hold (loose) machines should be placed in busy walkways to create an atmosphere of activity' and 'loose machines are normally placed at the beginning and end of trafficpatterns.' 
They then say that 'high hit frequency machines located around the casino pit area will create an atmosphere of slot activity.' I'm not sure whether they're saying high hit frequencyshould or shouldn't be placed near the pit. In any case, note that one philosophy said that loose machines create an atmosphere of activity and another said that high hit frequency machinesalso create an atmosphere of activity. This is the perfect segue into what I think puts the final nail in the coffin about loose machine placement theories.
There is no correlation between long-term payback and hit frequency. A low hit frequency machine can have a high long-term payback. High hit frequency machines, in addition, can have lowlong-term paybacks. Larry Mak, author of Secrets of Modern Slot Playing, recently queried the Nevada Gaming Control Board to find out the payback reported on penny machines. The Board said itwas 90.167%. Most of the penny video slots have very high hit frequencies, yet the overall average long-term payback is very low.
The usual reasoning behind putting loose machines in highly visible areas is so slot players can see other players winning. Maybe we should be more precise here and say that players will seeother players hitting and assume that they are winning because they are playing loose machines. But because there's no correlation between hit frequency and long-term payback, these players canactually be playing machines with low long-term paybacks.
I don't put much stock in loose machine placement theories, but I do believe slot directors may follow a hit frequency placement philosophy. Slot directors may try to place high hit frequencymachines in visible areas to encourage play. This philosophy says and implies nothing about the long-term payback of the machines.
Blue Chip CasinoJohn Robison is the author of 'The Slot Expert's Guide
to Playing Slots.' His website iswww.slotexpert.com