Nearly everyone who goes to a casino, even for the first time, knows a one-armed bandit and how it works: just put in your cash , pull the handle and wait a few seconds to see if you win. It is not intimidating like blackjack where you really need some knowledge of the rules before you play and it is this basic simplicity that accounts for much of the popularity of slot machines in Las Vegas today.



The slots rake in a vast majority of the income for a casino with approximately 60 to 65 percent of the average casinos profits being generated by slot machine play. As an example, in Nevadas fiscal year ending June 30, 1998 the total of the winnings by all of the states gambling palaces was a little more than $7.8 billion. Of that amount, slightly more than $5 billion, or about 64 percent, was from gamblers losing on slots.









Keeping in mind, you must ask yourself, can I really win money by spinning the reels? The answer is a resounding yes...and no. First the no part: to make a long story short a slot machine makes money for the casino by paying out less money than it takes in. In some states, such as Nevada and New Jersey, the minimum amount to be returned is regulated. In Nevada the minimum is 75 percent and in New Jersey it is 83 percent. However, if you look at the amount of slot returns for those particular states in this book you will see that the actual average payback percentages are much higher. In New Jersey it is about 91 percent and in Nevada it is about 95 percent. Even though the payback percentages are higher than the law requires, you can still see that on average for every $1 you play in an Atlantic City slot machine you will lose 9? and in a Vegas slot you will lose 5?. I could teach a third grader to see that if you stand in front of a slot machine and continue to pump in your money, eventually, you will lose it all. On average, you will put in less money in Vegas Slot Heaven rather than Jersey, but the result is still the same: you will go broke.

You will win cash on slot machines by using a little common sense, practicing some money management and, mostly, having lady luck on your side. First, the knowledge part. You need to know what kind of player you are and how much risk you are willing to bet. Do you want to go for the giant progressive jackpot that could make you a millionaire in an instant or would you be content going home just a few dollars ahead?

By: Steve Bourie

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Steve Bourie writes about the world of Poker Online and Poker. You can read his articles about Bacarrat at www.americancasinoguide.com