Gaming Loyalty Programs - Slot machines in Macau vs Las Vegas

I'm taking my partner and mother in law to Macau in November, since she especially loves the slot machines. She's been to Las Vegas and on cruises, so is used to what I would call the American style slots - actual spinning wheels with 3 symbols needing to be matched to win.

Having recently returned from Melbourne Australia where we went to a casino I noticed that all they had were these electronic machines which had electronic symbols which you had to match 15 of to win. The win line squiggles through the whole thing and for me anyway, its too confusing to be fun - especially after a few gin and tonics!

I suspect that my mother in law wouldn't like these machines either, so does anyone know what kind of slots we can expect so we can maybe rebook something else?

Also, any experience with the casino in SIN yet?

Was wondering the exact same thing as you about the type of slots...

Wondering if they are non-Las Vegas type slots or not...

I stopped in a casino in Macau on a day trip a few months back. Many of the multiline, 100 coin type games. Most were not US style type games. I did see some video poker that seemed the same as the US. I only looked on one floor, and one casino. It was the original Macau casino, I think, and not the Wynn or such.

not really able to answer your question, but pretty much all casinos in vegas have those style slot machines as well, but I think I've only seen them over in the penny and nickel slot areas (I don't understand how the hell they work either).

I remember the advertisements in Vegas: "98 Percent Return on Slots!" I take it the slots in Macau have the same investment opportunities.

I remember the advertisements in Vegas: "98 Percent Return on Slots!" I take it the slots in Macau have the same investment opportunities.

Kinda funny to call it an "investment opportunity" when you lose 2% every time you pull the handle. :D

Mike

Please follow the thread as it moves to our Gaming Loyalty Programs forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

To answer the OP's question, there are (were) definitely some more traditional style slots, but not a whole lot of them. Most common are multi reel, still "traditional" type like double diamond etc, in the larger denominations and machines which are still somewhat traditional but definitely computerized, like 50 lions. The lower denominations are all the fancy computerized 100-line style machines, so as to get the average wager size higher ;)
Places like City of Dreams, Wynn, MGM, and the Venetian are your best bets if she likes Vegas-style, more "familiar" action. If you really want to experience a more unique gaming environment, you can step into some of the older casinos operated by SJM, but they are a bit less user-friendly for the average non-Chinese tourist...

By the way, in case you're not familiar with Macau, the gaming industry runs on Hong Kong dollars--don't bother with changing your money to patacas.

I was surprised to see this thread come to life after so long. Thank you for the information. I ended up contacting an old high school friend of mine who now lives in Shanghai. She and her friends had visited the Venetian in Macau and told me not to worry as they slots were very similar to those in LV.

Got back today from Macau and Hong Kong. Just to wrap up this thread, the answer is: no, they are not the Vegas style slots. If you are looking for a Vegas style trip in Asia, Macau isn't the place. For me anyway, it was a one time trip that won't be repeated.

Got back today from Macau and Hong Kong. Just to wrap up this thread, the answer is: no, they are not the Vegas style slots. If you are looking for a Vegas style trip in Asia, Macau isn't the place. For me anyway, it was a one time trip that won't be repeated.

How are the slots different from Vegas? Sure, they did not have any of the three reel machines and many of the newer video slots but all similar to me when I was in Macau.

I found most of the machines in Macau to be the 15 by 15 "video reels" that you can play in many zig zagging lines, unlike the straight 3 reel ones. I don't understand the video ones at all and to be honest they don't interest me. Even when I saw someone had won, I didn't understand why!

I found most of the machines in Macau to be the 15 by 15 "video reels" that you can play in many zig zagging lines, unlike the straight 3 reel ones.

I was just there and can confirm the above. It took me a while to figure them out but then I was rooting for three hairy crabs. It worked out well initially, with me even hitting a couple squid, but after a while it seemed like things were coming up all roosters, so I ended up quitting and heading over to roullette.

How are the slots different from Vegas? Sure, they did not have any of the three reel machines and many of the newer video slots but all similar to me when I was in Macau.

I had the same question...

Since there hasn't been any further clarification, I'm tempted to think that the posters stating that Macau has many multi-line video slots and concluding that it's NOT like Vegas maybe haven't been to Vegas very recently? Maybe on their next trip they'll find that Vegas itself is not like Vegas either...

Vegas also has switched away from mechanical wheels to glorified vidgames that claim to be 1c but actually require $3 per spin, you never win anything, and there's no figuring out how one could possibly win. They are just arcade vidgames except more expensive.

To be fair to the so-called mechanical slots, the payouts have been determined by a computer chip for many years now and the machinery just stops the wheel at some position that was predetermined by the computer chip.