According to estimates by Harrah’s Entertainment and WMS Gaming, slot machines are responsible for at least three-quarters of the $60 billion or so that American casinos earn in a given year. How popular are slot machines in the United States? These classic casino reel-and-lever games bring in a full 75% of all American casino earnings.
Table games, like blackjack, craps, and roulette, are therefore only worth about 1/4 of the profits a casino in the United States can earn from slot machines. Since the appearance of the first slot machine, invented in the US by a German immigrant named Charles Fey in the late 19th century, Americans have spent a good chunk of their casino gambling bankroll on slots.
Bitcoincasino.io for USA, Asia and European players, which is an attractive option for players who prefer to deposit with bitcoins or altcoins. Cleopatracasino.com which could be attractive for European and Australian players. Cherryjackpot.com, which is an appealing option for American and Canadian players. Without a doubt, online slots are the most popular games at online casinos.In fact, hard data shows that nearly 70% of a casino’s income is from popular slot games.Every casino site out there has a top ten slot machines list on its main page, and those games are the main source of income, you can be sure about that. Slot machines are so popular because they don’t require a great amount of prior gambling knowledge or skill. Plus, they require a much smaller financial commitment upfront; individual bets can start out at small levels. Thank you, penny slots! Anyone can enjoy this cheap and classic form of Vegas entertainment.
Many theories exist as to why slots are so popular in America. Whether
the reason for slot’s popularity is their relative simplicity of play,
compared to table games and their more complex rules, or the wide range of
bet sizes available, from as little as a penny well up into the hundreds of
dollars per spin, doesn’t really matter. Casinos make big money on slot
machines, and as long as that’s the case, slots will take up a majority of
the space on any casino floor.
Slot machines aren’t just popular in the United States, though. They’re
also popular in the UK, where they’re called “fruit machines,” and in
Australia, where they’re called “online pokies” or poker machines.”
The Future of Slots in the United States
As kids raised on video games and the Internet grow up and become old
enough to place wagers in casinos, they’re looking for a different kind of
game than gamblers from previous eras. Slot games have always changed as
technology improves; from the mechanical slots in frontier casinos to
electronically-controlled machines to today’s machines that use random
number generators and film-quality videos to keep slot gamblers entertained,
designers of slot games are willing to do anything they can to keep
Americans pumping quarters into their games.
Slots are already more like video games than traditional casino machine
gambling, incorporating bonus games that require an element of hand-eye
coordination or other skill. For slot machines to stay relevant – and
profitable – they’ll need to appeal to a generation used to the high-tech
gaming found on consoles like PlayStation and Xbox, not to mention the
social aspect of games played among friends on sites like Facebook. Expect
new classes of machines to hit casino floors and Internet gambling venues,
designed to attract a younger audience.
Meanwhile, the casino industry isn’t yet hurting in terms of profits of
slots are still big business in the USA. While online gambling and increased
gaming options provided by state governments have cut into traditional Las
Vegas and Atlantic City profits, slots remain the most popular way to gamble
in all of the United States. For that to remain true into the future, slot
designers need to continue updating their games to appeal to a new kind of
casino customer, one who expects a higher-quality game that’s fully
interactive and not just based on the luck of the draw.
Popular Slot Machines 2015 Reviews
If you want to play slot machines in America, there’s nowhere quite like Las Vegas. Home to some of the biggest and best casinos in the world, let alone in the United States, Las Vegas is virtually synonymous with gambling.
And yet, many players who finally make it out to Vegas are overwhelmed by the sheer number of machines. How is a newbie in this town supposed to know which Vegas slot machines are the best and where to play them?
That’s why I’m here! I’ve been to Vegas a few times, but I’ve also spun the reels in lots of casinos across the states, in the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia, and at The Hippodrome Casino in London, so I know my way around most land-based slot machines.
From all of the slots that I have played and researched for this post, these are the top slots in Vegas. If you’re in Sin City, make sure you check these out.
The Top Five Slot Machines in Las Vegas
Before I give you the lowdown on each of the top five slots in Vegas, there are a few things you should understand. These are concepts which experienced slots players will already be familiar with, so it’s been written with beginner players in mind. Still, even if you’ve spun the reels more times than you can remember, this could be a good refresher for you.
- RTP – This is the payback rate of a slot machine. It’s an acronym for “Return to Player.” For example, a slot with an RTP of 96% generally pays back $0.96 out of every $1 wagered on it.
- Volatility – This determines how frequently a slot machine will pay and how big the wins are likely to be when it does. Low volatility slots pay smaller wins more often, and high volatility slots pay larger wins after longer losing streaks. Here’s a more in-depth article on slot volatility and variance if you’re interested in learning more about these concepts.
- Progressive Jackpot – Most of you will already know that a jackpot is the biggest win a machine can pay. A progressive jackpot is a collective jackpot often contributed to by multiple casinos. For example, every spin on Megabucks slot (which you’ll hear about below) contributes to the Megabucks progressive jackpot. This is why these jackpots can grow so huge.
Now, let’s shift focus and look at some of the best slot machines in Las Vegas.
1. Wheel of Fortune
The first Wheel of Fortune slot was released way back in 1966, and they’ve been a player favorite ever since. You’ll find them in most of the top Las Vegas casinos.
There are two dozen Wheel of Fortune slot machines, and which one(s) you’ll have access to depends on the casino you play at. They all have larger than average jackpots, though, and players are attracted to the money-wheel features.
Just like in the TV game show, you can access a bonus round which gives you the chance to spin a money wheel for cash prizes. If you’re lucky, a Wheel of Fortune slot machine will rain money down on you. These slots have made instant millionaires out of many hundreds of people over the years.
2. Triple Red Hot 7s
Some players don’t like lots of fancy bonus rounds and extra features, they just want to spin the reels, attempt to win jackpots, and enjoy themselves.
If this describes you, Triple Red Hot 7s is for you. It’s an incredibly simple game with an old-school feel. It has three reels and is a high-volatility machine, meaning the wins tend to be explosive when they do come.
That’s not to say that this slot has absolutely no features. It does dish out free games, and some variants have game multipliers which can triple wins. Ask the casino attendant if they offer Triple Red Hot 7s and get started spinning ASAP.
3. Double Jackpot
One of Bally Technologies’ best slot machines, this one will also appeal to players who enjoy classic slot games. You’ll see all the familiar fruit machine symbols on the reels, like cherries, bells, bars, and 7s which can appear as singles, doubles, or triple 7 combos.
Double Jackpot slot can pay big wins. Five Double Jackpot game symbols across the reels pay 50,000. Just landing a Double Jackpot symbol in a regular winning combination can win you multipliers of up to 16x.
This is a simple, no-frills slot machine. You just need to sit, spin, and hopefully win. It’s a Vegas casino favorite!
4. The Monte Carlo
There’s no doubt that the Monte Carlo slot machine is one of the most interesting looking slots ever created. These machines stand taller than the average person, and since you’ll be sitting down to play it at most Vegas casinos, they seem huge.
Monte Carlo slots offer free spins and multipliers, but the main feature of these slots is the roulette wheel above the reels. If you land a Monte Carlo Spin symbol, you’ll get a spin on it. Each pocket has different win amounts in it, and one of them will award the Super Jackpot if you’re lucky.
This unique blend of slot machine crossed with roulette has made this one of the most popular land-based games of all time. I strongly suggest you check it out. Don’t expect to enter the roulette wheel feature too often, and do walk away if you experience a big win.
5. Megabucks
Now we come to the slot machine of all Vegas slot machines, the one that could change your life forever. Before I begin, let me whet your appetite with some of the biggest Megabucks jackpots of all time.
- In 1998, a retired flight attendant played $300 on Megabucks at Palace Station and won $27.5 million.
- Elmer Sherwin, a WWII airman, won $4.6 million on Megabucks at the Mirage in 1989. Lady Luck visited him a second time when he won $21.1 million playing the same slot machine at the Cannery Casino a couple of decades later.
- A 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles won the biggest Megabucks jackpot to date when he scooped $39.7 million at the Excalibur in 2003.
You can read about more Megabucks slot jackpots here.
You can expect some free spins during gameplay, but look out for the Megabucks symbols. They can award multipliers of up to x5, and if you’re lucky enough to get them straight across a payline, you can win the Megabucks progressive jackpot. It’s this jackpot that made the above players filthy rich in a few seconds flat.
Where to Play the Best Las Vegas Slot Machines
This article wouldn’t be complete without an overview of which Las Vegas casinos are best for slots players. There’s no doubt that you’ll have plenty of choice in Las Vegas, but you’ll find that these casinos offer the best slots in town.
The Bellagio
Arguably the most famous casino in Las Vegas, the Bellagio has 2,300 gaming machines including slots and video poker games. Several of its machines offer progressive jackpots, and it also hosts regular slots tournaments with prizes worth up to $2 million.
MGM Grand
With 2,500 slot machines spread across this massive casino, this could be considered a slot player’s paradise. The MGM Grand offers popular machines like Heidi’s BeerHaus, 88 Fortunes, and Frogger: Get Hoppin’. You can play penny slots for $0.01 per spin, or you can wager up to $1,000 per spin on some of the MGM high limit slots.
Treasure Island
Another slots mecca, Treasure Island has 2,200 electronic gaming machines to choose from. Many of these are slot machines, but they also include video poker and keno. Visit the Link Lounge to play 80 progressive jackpot slots for a chance to win the biggest jackpots in Vegas.
Caesars Palace
This casino is associated with Las Vegas in the minds of many tourists. It has a massive floor boasting thousands of gaming machines, including some of the best Vegas slots as well as video poker and keno. If you’re looking for a particular game, the Caesars Palace website has a cool tool called the Slot Finder. Check it out if you ever find yourself in this Las Vegas casino.
Mandalay Bay
No, I’m not being paid by MGM Resorts to promote its casinos, several of which are on this list. They just happen to be some of the best casinos in Las Vegas, so I had to include them here. Mandalay Bay offers thousands of machines including The Goonies, Sphinx 4D, Texas Tea Pinball, and lots of others. Several of the slots listed above are available here including Wheel of Fortune, Monte Carlo, and Megabucks.
How to Win Slots in Vegas
I know you’re in Vegas to have some fun first and foremost, but wouldn’t it be awesome if you could come home with a massive jackpot, too? I can’t provide you with any surefire way to win Vegas slot machines, but I can give you a few pointers on how to win more often.
Forget Finding Loose Slots
When I first started playing slot machines, I wasted lots of time trying to find loose slot machines. What’s a loose slot machine? The idea is that it’s a machine that’s ready to pay anytime.
Slots players have different methods for finding loose slot machines. Some believe in playing after observing another player spin the reels for a long time without success. Others believe in playing a test amount of $10 or $20, and if they’re breaking events, they think this is a signal that the slot may pay soon.
I don’t believe in loose slots. I know that modern slot machines are controlled by Random Number Generators. The machine will not pay until the algorithm spits out the right number at the right time. There’s absolutely no telling when that might be, so just sit down, spin, and have some fun! If Lady Luck arrives, she arrives, and if not, there’s nothing you can do about it.
Don’t Play Progressive Slots at the Start
I know that most of the top Vegas slots I mentioned above are progressive jackpot games. I also know that the temptation of a Megabucks jackpot can be too much to turn away from. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t play progressive jackpot slots in Las Vegas, I’m just saying not to play them at the start of the night.
The chances of winning a progressive jackpot are slim, millions to one at best. Add to this that these slots have a notoriously low payback percentage, and playing them from the outset is the best way to blow your bankroll.
What I prefer to do is play low volatility slots which pay smaller amounts more frequently. It’s even better if they have a high RTP. Once I’m playing with house money and have safely tucked my starting bankroll back into my wallet, I switch to the progressive jackpot slots.
If I lose, it doesn’t matter. It was never my money until I cashed it out anyhow. That’s the mindset you have to have if you want to win in Vegas.
Trust Your Intuition
This is the one tip on this list that I can’t quantify. While I base the others on a hard-won understanding of how Las Vegas slot machines work, this tip is more mysterious, yet countless slots players will attest to its truth.
Sometimes, for some unexplained reason, you just get a feeling about certain slots. You can just know for sure this isn’t your lucky machine, and other times, a seemingly random slot can grab your attention out of nowhere, and lo and behold, you scoop a massive jackpot.
Some players think this is Lady Luck guiding them, while others attempt to understand this intuition as the subconscious mind processing data you aren’t aware of. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s real. Trust your intuition when you play slots in Vegas!
Now you know the best slot machines in Las Vegas and where to play them. With these top slots tips, you’ll have a better chance of winning. Good luck, and enjoy Las Vegas!