Las Vegas - How much money is circulated through slots/vp?

I know I've read something like this somewhere before, but I can't seem to find it now. Sorry if this is duplicating another post.

Does anyone have a link (or even the answers) to how much money is circulated through slot and video poker machines? Is there a table somewhere that describes the amount run through a 25cent VP machine in an hour? Or a $1 slot machine in an hour? etc, etc

Just curious how much money I let slip through my fingers....

I've actually read some stuff about this (I work for a company in a related field.) The answer is, "It depends."

The basic aim of slots is to get you to cycle money through the machine as fast as possible so that the rake/vig/take/whatever you want to call it is as high as possible. Casinos have targets for the machines depending on floor area, time of day, day of week, time of year, etc. If the machine doesn't make the targets, they either fiddle with the settings or swap out the machine. The turnover rate is unbelievable.

As you probably know, the machine gives most of the money back to you. (Anywhere from 60% to 90%+, depending on machine and casino.) There's a minimum set by law, most places, but no maximum, and yes, if they want to, they can set it to >100% payout to draw a crowd, although obviously they don't do that a lot. Multiply the amount the casino wants to make per day by the compliment of the payout percentage and divide by 24 (or however many hours the casino is open.) That's how much money moves through a machine on average. Some of those numbers are top secret and some of them are variable. Hence there being no "right answer" to your question. :)

As for the maximum possible, it's high, very high, especially with multi-line video slots with bonus multipliers. On a 24-line dollar machine you can bet $24 a pull. If you're burnin' and churnin' you could cycle thousands of dollars an hour. Even on a penny machine (assuming you can find a penny machine with 24 lines) you could go through hundreds. And don't forget if the machine is on a progressive the progressive payouts count toward the payout percentage, which means you can lose a lot more money at any given machine if you don't hit a progressive.

M

With regard to Nevada gaming,

one can review the Gambling Revenue Reports (http://gaming.nv.gov/gaming_revenue_rpt.htm) online.

All the data, with regard to win (and breakdown) is consistently provided by all regulated gaming entities in the United States (from the respective local gaming commission).

Nevada provides breakdowns of 1 month, 3 month and 12 month summaries in their reports.

for example, July 2008 data-points for Baccarat
[Win Amounts are in Thousands (Add 000)]
BACCARAT (separate data-points are available for Mini-Baccarat)
Number of locations : 21
Number of units : 181
Win amount : 53,948
% Change : -26.02
Win % : 9.60

the same details are provided for slots (broken down by denomination)
for example, $5 slots
Number of locations : 113
Number of units : 2147
Win amount : 15,666
% Change : -44.80
Win % : 5.49

Of course, Native American Tribal Gaming venues are not required to provide these detailed data-points; though, some do provide a limited amount of data. (Personally, one of the issues I have with "Indian Gaming" venues)

Oh, sure, answer his actual QUESTION. Smarty-pants. :)

I hasten to admit that if you want a jurisdiction-wide "average" per machine, the sources given are a perfectly good way to do that. What I was trying to get at was that for any given casino at any given time, the question is very difficult to answer. Those numbers include the machines at gas stations and airports along with the ones in casinos, etc, which are all set to different kinds of paytables. Then there's the question of the type of machine, its volatility, etc. There's even play style - if you use a lever machine, for instance, your burn rate will be much lower than if you use a button machine.

M

Oh, sure, answer his actual QUESTION. Smarty-pants. :)

:D:D

I hasten to admit that if you want a jurisdiction-wide "average" per machine, the sources given are a perfectly good way to do that.

Actually, you can get the breakdown by casino property. Not sure if that data is online for Nevada; but it most definitely is for Atlantic City and Southern Indiana Casino Properties.

What I was trying to get at was that for any given casino at any given time, the question is very difficult to answer.

Well, as we know, for VP (Video Poker), the pay table tells you everything you need to know. That's why, people prefer to play video poker, since you have full disclosure with regard to the long term pay-out of a machine.

For example, a popular variety of video poker is Jacks or Better (JoB). Full pay JoB is basically a 99+% game (more details at the wizard of odds (http://wizardofodds.com/videopoker)).

Of course, everything depends on playing perfect or close to perfect strategy to get the proper long term return.

Also, these are long term numbers, and you have to pay attention to variance and bankroll (now, that's another conversation ;)) to survive playing into the long term. Of course, some luck doesn't hurt. ;)

with regard to slots [reel or video], well, playing slots is always a "crap-shoot!" (pun-intended) ;);)

best advice, play high denomination slots ($5 or more) for the best pay out percentages (though, "best" is quite subjective when you talk about slots). I think that's the only "general" piece of advice one can give with regard to slot machines.

There's even play style - if you use a lever machine, for instance, your burn rate will be much lower than if you use a button machine.

How fast you play doesn't change the odds. ;) Though, other than video poker, you just don't know the payout for any individual [reel or video] slot machine. Even if a casino advertises a promotion (or a specific overall percentage for their slots), that doesn't mean that all the machines are set to the same payout level. It's common knowledge that higher denomination slots have a better payout --- but, still, 2 machines in the same denomination that are right next to each other can be set to different pay percentages; and you would never know.

with regard to slots [reel or video], well, playing slots is always a "crap-shoot!" (pun-intended) ;);)

best advice, play high denomination slots ($5 or more) for the best pay out percentages (though, "best" is quite subjective when you talk about slots). I think that's the only "general" piece of advice one can give with regard to slot machines.

I have it on good authority that it may help if you choose machines as close to doors and/or hotel entrances as possible. Those machines tend to be set a little higher so you see people winning. However, it may also just reflect lower volatility (more frequent wins, but smaller ones.) It can't hurt, it might help. Other than that, you're right. All those books on "how to win at slot machines" are mostly a waste of paper.

How fast you play doesn't change the odds. ;)

Nope. That's why I said "burn rate," not win rate. ;) If you actually pull the lever every spin, it will take you longer to burn credits than if you just hit the "Spin" button on the console. That's why the newer slots don't even have levers. (Well, that and cost.)

Though, other than video poker, you just don't know the payout for any individual [reel or video] slot machine. Even if a casino advertises a promotion (or a specific overall percentage for their slots), that doesn't mean that all the machines are set to the same payout level. It's common knowledge that higher denomination slots have a better payout --- but, still, 2 machines in the same denomination that are right next to each other can be set to different pay percentages; and you would never know.

Quite true. Also, the newer machines can be changed on the fly from the back office at any time, so even if you think you know how the machine is playing, it might change in the next five minutes. There's an episode of CSI where this guy goes around and around and around a bank of machines writing down the output of every pull trying to find a pattern he can use. I'm not an expert, but I think I know enough to state with certainty that he was wasting his time. If it weren't for the anti-lure rules, you could jack a machine to over-unity payout just to mess with him, and then put it back when he started playing it. :)

M