One of the biggest slots myths still hanging around today is that casinos strategically place slot machines to maximize profits. This leads to us hearing things like:
“The loose slots are in remote spots where people won’t play them.”
“Tight slots are in aisle-ways and by entrances.”
“Bribe casino employees to show you where they keep their loose slots.”
While all of these ‘tips’ are interesting, there’s no truth to them. Going further, the idea of slot machine placement is an outdated one that won’t make you any more money than if you blindfolded yourself while picking a game. So where in the world did the slot machine placement myth come from?
An Interview from 20 Years Ago
Noted gambling author Frank Scoblete once interviewed a Vegas gaming manager who revealed to him that there are high and low-paying slots in strategic areas. The idea was to get more play on the low-payback games and maximize profit.
So when was this interview? 20 years ago…and it was only a single manager. So it goes without saying that the slots industry has changed a great deal today.
How are Slot Machines placed Today?
The goal of pretty much any land-based or online casino is to simply maximize play and hours spent on games. The industry realizes that it doesn’t pay (long term) to win all a player’s money upfront. Instead, it’s much more profitable to churn out highly entertaining games with bonus rounds and excellent graphics.
Sure casinos still have an edge. But this isn’t about placing machines so that people are losing more money through an 80-85% payback game, while another person is hitting huge prizes on the 95% payback machine by the restrooms. So next time you go to the casino, don’t worry about trying to find the loose slots based on placement alone.