Slot Machine Odds By State
The Math of Casino Slot Machines. For every dollar you wager in a slot machine, you will lose 100% - Payback% of that dollar. For example, you're at Bellagio playing the $1 Double Diamond slot, wagering Two Credits ($2) per spin. According to the table, for every $2 spin you will lose 5.33% of that bet. Just shy of 11¢. Your odds of winning are better than this, as you can hit five bells, five whistles or five of any other set of symbols, so on this machine your odds of any set of five are actually 5 x 0.032%, or 0.16%. So once in every 625 spins of this hypothetical machine, you’ll hit your set of five identical symbols for the jackpot.
Find out what slot machines actually returned to the public. Just clickbelow to see slot machine payback statistics for casinos in all U.S. states.
| Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | California |
| Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida |
| Georgia | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana |
| Iowa | Kansas | Louisiana | Maine |
| Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota |
| Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska |
| Nevada | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York |
| North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma |
| Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina |
| South Dakota | Texas | Washington | West Virginia |
| Wisconsin | Wyoming |
ALABAMA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Alabama has three Indian casinos that offer Class II video gaming machines. They are not required to release payback statistics about their machines.
ARIZONA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
In mid-1993 Arizona’s Governor Symington signed a compact with the state’s tribes that allowed them to offer slot machines on their reservations.
The compact originally didn’t allow for any table games but in early 2003 blackjack was added as a permissible table game.
Arizona tribes aren’t required to release information on their slot machine percentage paybacks, however, according to the Arizona Department of Gaming, the terms of the compact require eachtribes’ machines to return the following minimum and maximum paybacks: video poker and video blackjack - 83% to 100%, slot machines - 80% to 100%, keno - 75% to 100%. Each tribe is free to setits machines to pay back anywhere within those limits.
ARKANSAS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Arkansas has two pari-mutuel facilities featuring “electronic games of skill,” which are defined as “games played through any electronic device or machine that affords an opportunity for theexercise of skill or judgment where the outcome is not completely controlled by chance alone.”
The games offered are video poker, video blackjack, and “skill” slots where you have two opportunities to spin the reels. The “skill” factor comes into play because after seeing the results ofyour first spin you then have to decide whether to keep none, one, two, or all three of the symbols on each reel before you spin them again. Gaming regulations require that all of theelectronic games of skill must return a minimum of 83%.
For the one year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average gaming machine’s return at Oaklawn was 92.81% and at Southland, it was 92.72%
CALIFORNIA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
California’s Indian casinos are legally allowed to offer electronic gaming machines, blackjack, and other house-banked card games. The games of craps and roulette are not permitted. However,some casinos do offer modified versions of craps and roulette that are played with cards rather than dice or roulette wheels.
Most California card rooms also offer some form of player-banked blackjack, but because they are prohibited by law from playing blackjack, the game is usually played to 22 rather than 21.Additionally, players must pay a commission to the house on every hand they play. The amount will vary depending on the rules of the house but, generally, it’s about two to five percent of thetotal amount bet. There are about 90 card rooms in California and you can see a listing of them on the Internet at http://www.cgcc.ca.gov
California’s tribes aren’t required to release information on their slot machine percentage paybacks and the state of California does not require any minimum returns.
COLORADO SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here’s information, as supplied by Colorado’s Division of Gaming, showing the slot machine payback percentages for each city’s casinos for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June30, 2019:
| Black Hawk | Central City | Cripple Creek | |
| 1¢ Slots | 89.80% | 90.43% | 91.89% |
| 5¢ Slots | 92.85% | 93.93% | 93.50% |
| 25¢ Slots | 92.30% | 94.06% | 95.45% |
| $1 Slots | 93.69% | 94.82% | 94.83% |
| $5 Slots | 93.69% | 93.76% | 95.03% |
| All | 92.35% | 92.30% | 93.53% |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including video poker and video keno. The best returns for eachcategory are highlighted in bold print.
CONNECTICUT SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
The following information is from Connecticut’s Division of Special Revenue regarding Foxwoods’ slot payback percentages:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ | 90.09 |
| 2¢ | 91.38 |
| 5¢ | 90.73 |
| 25¢ | 91.34 |
| 50¢ | 90.77 |
| $1.00 | 92.99 |
| $5.00 | 93.67 |
| $10.00 | 94.29 |
| $25.00 | 96.51 |
| $100.00 | 94.14 |
| Average | 91.95 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each denomination of slot machine from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019.
Here's information from Connecticut's Division of Special Revenue regarding Mohegan Sun's slot payback percentages:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1/4¢ | 86.30 |
| 1/2¢ | 85.91 |
| 1¢ | 88.86 |
| 2¢ | 86.65 |
| 5¢ | 92.08 |
| 25¢ | 91.01 |
| 50¢ | 91.73 |
| $1.00 | 92.94 |
| $5.00 | 94.41 |
| $10.00 | 97.41 |
| $25.00 | 95.50 |
| $100.00 | 94.55 |
| Average | 91.90 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each denomination of slot machine from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019.
DELAWARE SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Delaware’s three pari-mutuel facilities all feature slot machines. Technically, the machines are video lottery terminals (VLT’s) because they are operated in conjunction with the DelawareLottery. Unlike VLT’s in other states, however, Delaware’s machines payout in cash. The VLT’s also play other games including video poker, video keno, and video blackjack.
By law, all video lottery games must return between 87% and 95% of all wagers on an annual basis. Games can return above 95% but only with the Lottery Director’s approval.
According to figures from the Delaware Lottery for the twelve-month period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average VLT return at Dover Downs was 92.59%, at Delaware Park itwas 92.12%, and at Harrington Raceway it was 92.03%.
In mid-2018 a U.S. Supreme Court decision legalized sports betting at all U.S. casinos. Delaware was one of the first states to act on the ruling and all three of the state’s casinos offersportsbooks.
In January 2010 the Delaware legislature approved the addition of table games for the state’s casinos.
FLORIDA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Florida has three forms of casino gambling: casino boats, Indian casinos and gaming machines at pari-mutuels in two south Florida counties.
The casino boats offer gamblers the opportunity to board ships that cruise offshore where casino gambling is legal. From the East Coast, the boats sail three miles out into the Atlantic Oceanand from the west coast the boats travel nine miles out into the Gulf of Mexico. Since the casino boats travel in international waters they are free from regulations and the machines can be setto pay back whatever the operator wants without regard to a minimum payback percentage.
Florida has eight Indian gaming locations. The Seminole Tribe has seven and the eighth is on the Miccosukee Tribe’s reservation.
The Seminoles signed a compact with the state that allows them to offer both Class II and traditional Class III gaming machines. As part of their compact, five Seminole casinos are also allowedto offer the following:
- blackjack
- baccarat
- mini-baccarat
- three-card poker
- let it ride
- pai gow poker
The Miccosukee Tribe has not signed a compact and they only offer Class II gaming machines at their casino.
Class II video gaming devices look like slot machines but are actually bingo games and the spinning reels are for “entertainment purposes only.” No public information is available concerningthe payback percentages on any gaming machines in Florida’s Indian casinos.
The other games allowed in all Indian casinos include
- high-stakes bingo
- video pull tabs
- poker
All of the casinos are open 24 hours (except Big Cypress) and all offer bingo except for both Seminole Hard Rock Casinos and the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. The minimum gambling age is18 at all Indian casinos for bingo or poker and 21 for electronic gaming machines.
Broward County (home county of Fort Lauderdale) and Miami-Dade County both have four pari-mutuel facilities that each offer electronic gaming machines, but no table games.
Florida gaming regulations require a minimum payback of 85% on all gaming machines. From July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the gaming machines at Magic City returned 93.43%, CasinoMiami returned 92.34%, Hialeah Park returned 93.55%, Gulfstream Park returned 92.16%, Dania Casino returned 92.68%, Big Easy returned 91.50%, Calder returned 91.32%, and The Isle returned90.22%.
GEORGIA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
There are two casino boats in Georgia which both sail three miles out into international waters where casino gambling is permitted.
Since the casino boats travel in international waters they are free from regulations and the machines can be set to pay back whatever the operator wants without regard to a minimum paybackpercentage.
IDAHO SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Idaho has six Indian casinos that offer electronic pull-tab machines and other video games. The machines don't pay out in cash. Instead they print out a receipt which must be cashed by a floorattendant or taken to the cashier’s cage. Some casinos also offer bingo (BG) and off-track betting (OTB).
The terms of the compact between the tribes and the state do not require any minimum payback percentage that the gaming machines must return to the public.
ILLINOIS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here’s information from the Illinois Gaming Board showing each casino’s average slot payback percentage for the one-year period from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| Casino Queen | 92.05 |
| Harrah's Joliet | 91.98 |
| Hollywood Joliet | 91.18 |
| Argosy Alton | 90.83 |
| Par-A-Dice | 91.02 |
| Grand Victoria | 91.02 |
| Hollywood - Aurora | 90.42 |
| Jumer's | 89.94 |
| Rivers Casino | 90.35 |
| Harrah's Metropolis | 89.39 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines. As you can see, the Casino Queen returned the most to its slot machine players, whileHarrah's in Metropolis returned the least.
INDIANA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Following is information from the Indiana Gaming Commission regarding average slot payout percentages for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| Hoosier Park | 90.05 |
| French Lick | 91.55 |
| Rising Star | 91.38 |
| Indiana Grand | 90.88 |
| Blue Chip | 91.40 |
| Belterra | 90.76 |
| Majestic Star | 90.25 |
| Hollywood | 89.96 |
| Horseshoe Casino SI | 90.09 |
| Majestic Star II | 89.88 |
| Horseshoe Hammond | 90.07 |
| Ameristar | 89.92 |
| Tropicana | 89.61 |
These figures reflect the average percentage returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines including slot machines, video poker, video keno, etc.
IOWA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here’s information, as supplied by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, showing the electronic gaming machine payback percentages for all non-Indian locations for the one-year period fromJuly 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019.
| LOCATION | PAYBACK % |
| Prairie Meadows | 91.67 |
| Wild Rose- Emmetsburg | 90.61 |
| Wild Rose- Clinton | 90.56 |
| Wild Rose- Jefferson | 90.52 |
| Q Casino | 90.63 |
| Diamond Jo Worth | 90.52 |
| Catfish Bend | 90.42 |
| Riverside | 90.40 |
| Diamond Jo Dubuque | 90.49 |
| Grand Falls | 90.36 |
| Casino Queen Marquette | 90.19 |
| Ameristar | 90.05 |
| Rhythm City | 90.26 |
| Hard Rock | 90.29 |
| Isle Bettendorf | 90.04 |
| Harrah's | 89.77 |
| Isle Waterloo | 89.73 |
| Horseshoe Council Bluffs | 89.66 |
| Lakeside Casino | 88.91 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each riverboat casino or pari-mutuel facility for all of its electronic machines including: slots, video poker, video keno, etc.
KANSAS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
In April 2007 the Kansas legislature authorized local referendums to allow state-run casinos in four counties.
The Kansas Racing & Gaming Commission does not release information about the payback percentages on electronic gaming machines in Kansas. However, gaming regulations require that allmachines return no less than 87%.
There are also five Indian casinos in Kansas and they are not required to release information on their slot machine payback percentages. However, according to officials at the Kansas StateGaming Agency, which is responsible for overseeing the tribal-state compacts, 'the minimum payback percentage for electronic gaming devices is 80%.'
LOUISIANA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Gaming regulations require that gaming machines in casinos be programmed to pay back no less than 80% and no more than 99.9%. For video gaming machines at locations other than casinos, the lawrequires a minimum return of 80% and a maximum return of 94%.
Louisiana gaming statistics are not broken down by individual properties. Rather, they are classified by region: Baton Rouge (BR), Lake Charles (LC), New Orleans (NO) and Shreveport/BossierCity (SB).
The Baton Rouge casinos consist of the Belle of Baton Rouge, Hollywood Casino, L'Auberge and Evangeline Downs. The Lake Charles casinos include Isle of Capri, L’Auberge du Lac and Delta Downs.New Orleans area casinos are Amelia Belle, Boomtown, Harrah’s (landbased), Treasure Chest and Fairgrounds Raceway. The Shreveport/Bossier city casinos include Boomtown, Diamond Jack’s, Sam’sTown, Eldorado, Horseshoe, and Harrah’s Louisiana Downs.
Here’s information, as supplied by the Louisiana State Police-Riverboat Gaming Section, showing the average electronic machine payback percentages for each area’s casinos for the 12-monthperiod from June 1, 2018, through May 30, 2019:
| BR | LC | NO | SB | |
| 1¢ | 88.70% | 88.57% | 88.96% | 89.01% |
| 5¢ | 91.69% | 94.31% | 93.31% | 93.12% |
| 25¢ | 92.30% | 93.08% | 92.43% | 90.73% |
| $1 | 93.56% | 92.33% | 92.72% | 93.03% |
| $5 | 94.49% | 92.99% | 92.93% | 92.70% |
| All | 90.50% | 90.63% | 90.23% | 90.43% |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including video poker and video keno. The best returns for eachcategory are highlighted in bold print and you can see that the Baton Rouge area casinos offered the best returns in most categories.
MAINE SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Maine has two racetrack casinos (racinos) that offer electronic gaming machines, as well as live table games.
State gaming regulations require a minimum return of 89% on all machines and during the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average return on gaming machines atHollywood Casino was 90.15% and at Oxford Casino, it was 90.01%.
MARYLAND SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Maryland has five casinos that are allowed to offer electronic gaming machines, as well as live table games. However, Ocean Downs has no table games.
No public information is available about the actual payback percentages on gaming machines in Maryland. However, gaming regulations require a minimum payback of 87% on any one machine and allmachines within a casino must have an average payback of 90% to 95%.
MASSACHUSETTS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill in late 2011 that legalized casinos. The law allows three casinos, in three different geographic regions, plus one slot parlor.
The slot parlor, Plainridge Park Casino, a harness racing track located about 40 miles southwest of Boston, opened June 24, 2015.
The first resort-casino license in Region B (Western Massachusetts) was awarded to MGM Resorts and their $1.3 billion casino, MGM Springfield, opened August 24, 2018.
The second license for Region A (Eastern Massachusetts) was awarded to Wynn Resorts and their $2 billion, Encore Everett, is expected to open in mid-2019. The final license for Region C(Southeastern Massachusetts) had not yet been awarded as of late 2018.
Additionally, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is planning to build a destination resort casino near Taunton. That facility, First Light Casino, was expected to open by late 2019. However, theproject has been hampered by lawsuits that might stop it from being completed.
Massachusetts gaming regulations require a minimum payback of 80% on all gaming machines. From July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the gaming machines at Plainridge Park returned 92.03%,91.39% at MGM Springfield* and 91.49% at Encore.**
* Stats for MGM Springfield began August 23, 2018, when it opened
** Stats for Encore are June 23- July 31, 2019.
MICHIGAN SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
There are 17 Indian casinos in Michigan and the tribes are not required to release information on their slot machine payback percentages. However, according to officials at the Michigan GamingControl Board, which is responsible for overseeing the tribal-state compacts, 'the machines must meet the minimum standards for machines in Nevada or New Jersey.' In Nevada, the minimum returnis 75% and in New Jersey, it's 83%. Therefore, Michigan's Indian casinos must return at least 75% in order to comply with the law.
There are also three privately owned casinos in Detroit, but their slot payback information is not made available to the public.
MINNESOTA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
All Minnesota casinos are located on Indian reservations and under a compact reached with the state the only table games permitted are card games such as blackjack and poker. Additionally, theonly kind of slot machines allowed are electronic video slot machines. Therefore, you will not find any mechanical slots that have traditional reels - only video screens
According to the terms of the compact between the state and the tribes, however, the minimum and maximum payouts are regulated as follows: video poker and video blackjack - 83% to 98%, slotmachines - 80% to 95%, keno - 75% to 95%. Each tribe is free to set its machines to pay back anywhere within those limits and the tribes do not release any information regarding their slotmachine percentage paybacks.
MISSISSIPPI SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
The Mississippi Gaming Commission does not break down its slot statistics by individual properties. Rather, they are classified by region.
The Coastal region includes Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay Saint Louis.
The North region includes Tunica, Greenville, and Lula.
The Central region includes Vicksburg and Natchez.
With that in mind here’s information, as supplied by the Mississippi Gaming Commission, showing the machine payback percentages for each area’s casinos for the one-year period from July 1,2018, through June 30, 2019:
| Coastal | North | Central | |
| 1¢ Slots | 91.99% | 91.95% | 91.73% |
| 5¢ Slots | 94.78% | 94.96% | 95.73% |
| 25¢ Slots | 93.91% | 92.41% | 93.78% |
| $1 Slots | 93.28% | 93.51% | 94.10% |
| $5 Slots | 93.78% | 95.16% | 95.52% |
| All | 92.18% | 91.87% | 92.32% |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including video poker and video keno. The best returns for eachcategory are highlighted in bold print and you can see that all of the gaming areas offer rather similar returns on their machines.
MISSOURI SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here's information from the Missouri Gaming Commission regarding the payback percentages for each casino's electronic machines for the 12-month period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| Ameristar- St. Charles | 91.0 |
| River City | 90.6 |
| Hollywood | 90.6 |
| Ameristar- K.C. | 90.4 |
| Harrah’s - N.K.C | 90.1 |
| Lumiere Place | 90.0 |
| Isle of Capri - Booneville | 90.1 |
| Argosy | 89.9 |
| Isle of Capri - Cape Girardeau | 89.7 |
| Lady Luck | 89.3 |
| Isle of Capri - K.C. | 88.9 |
| St. Jo Frontier | 88.9 |
| Mark Twain | 88.7 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines including slot machines, video poker, video keno, etc.
MONTANA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Montana law permits bars and taverns to have up to 20 video gaming devices that play video poker, video keno, or video bingo. These machines are operated in partnership with the state and arenot permitted to pay out in cash; instead, they print out a receipt which must be taken to a cashier. The maximum bet on these machines is $2 and the maximum payout is limited to $800. Montanagaming regulations require these machines to return a minimum of 80%.
There are seven Indian casinos offering video gaming machines that also print out a receipt. The maximum bet on these machines is $5 and the maximum payout is capped at $1,500. According toMontana's Gambling Control Division, there are no minimum payback percentages required for gaming machines on Indian reservations.
Slot Machine Odds By State
NEBRASKA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
No public information is available concerning the payback percentages on gaming machines in Nebraska.
NEVADA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
NEVADA - Lake Tahoe
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the south shore casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1,2017 and ending June 30, 2018:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 88.94 |
| 25¢ Slots | 91.24 |
| $1 Slots | 92.55 |
| All Slots | 93.33 |
And here's that same information for the north shore casinos:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 92.81 |
| 25¢ Slots | 91.40 |
| $1 Slots | 91.52 |
| All Slots | 94.29 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned to the players on each denomination of machine. All electronic machines including slots, video poker and video keno are included in thesenumbers.
NEVADA - Las Vegas
Unlike New Jersey, the Nevada Gaming Control Board does not break down its slot statistics by individual properties. Rather, they are classified by area.
The annual gaming revenue report breaks the Las Vegas market down into two major tourist areas: the Strip and downtown. There is also a very large locals market in Las Vegas and those casinosare shown in the gaming revenue report as the Boulder Strip and North Las Vegas areas.
When choosing where to do your slot gambling, you may want to keep in mind the following slot payback percentages for Nevada's fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018, and ending June 30, 2019:
1¢ Slot Machines
The Strip - 88.33%
Downtown - 88.96%
Boulder Strip - 90.53%
N. Las Vegas - 90.79%
5¢ Slot Machines
The Strip - 91.96%
Downtown - 93.32%
Boulder Strip - 96.30%
N. Las Vegas - 95.24%
25¢ Slot Machines
The Strip - 89.34%
Downtown - 93.91%
Boulder Strip - 95.77%
N. Las Vegas - 96.27%
$1 Slot Machines
The Strip - 92.34%
Downtown - 94.12%
Boulder Strip - 95.49%
N. Las Vegas - 95.62%
$1 Megabucks Machines
The Strip - 87.31%
Downtown - 86.40%
Boulder Strip - 87.61%
N. Las Vegas - 86.98%
All Slot Machines
The Strip - 91.84%
Downtown - 92.22%
Boulder Strip - 94.26%
N. Las Vegas - 93.34%
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned to the players on each denomination of machine. All electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno are included in thesenumbers and the highest-paying returns are shown in bold print. As you can see, the machines in downtown Las Vegas pay out slightly more than those located on the Las Vegas Strip.
Returns even better than the downtown casinos can be found at some of the other local casinos along Boulder Highway, such as Boulder Station and Sam's Town and also in the North Las Vegasarea which would include the Fiesta, Santa Fe and Texas Station casinos. Not only are those numbers among the best returns in the Las Vegas area, but they are also among the best paybackpercentages for anywhere in the United States.
NEVADA - Laughlin
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of Laughlin’s casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1,2018, and ending June 30, 2019:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 89.11 |
| 5¢ Slots | 92.59 |
| 25¢ Slots | 93.44 |
| $1 Slots | 94.92 |
| $1 Megabucks | 88.27 |
| $5 Slots | 94.33 |
| All Slots | 92.15 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned to the players on each denomination of machine. All electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno are included in thesenumbers.
NEVADA - Reno
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the Reno area casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017and ending June 30, 2018:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 92.69 |
| 5¢ Slots | 95.10 |
| 25¢ Slots | 92.16 |
| $1 Slots | 95.38 |
| $1 Megabucks | 87.40 |
| $5 Slots | 95.06 |
| All Slots | 94.56 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno.
NEVADA - Sparks
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the Sparks area casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1,2018, and ending June 30, 2019:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 92.98 |
| 5¢ Slots | 97.19 |
| 25¢ Slots | 95.43 |
| $1 Slots | 96.17 |
| $5 Slots | 97.32 |
| All Slots | 94.55 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno.
NEVADA - Wendover
Here’s information, as supplied by Nevada’s State Gaming Control Board, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the Wendover area casinos for the fiscal year beginning July 1,2018 and ending June 30, 2019:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 93.41 |
| 5¢ Slots | 96.80 |
| 25¢ Slots | 93.34 |
| $1 Slots | 95.86 |
| $5 Slots | 96.39 |
| All Slot | 94.32 |
These numbers reflect the percentage of money returned on each denomination of machine and encompass all electronic machines including slots, video poker and video keno.
NEW JERSEY SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Following is information from the New Jersey Casino Control Commission regarding average slot payout percentages for the 12-month period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019:
| CASINO | PAYBACK |
| Harrah’s | 91.79 |
| Borgata | 91.66 |
| Hard Rock | 91.41 |
| Caesars | 91.03 |
| Bally's A.C. | 90.76 |
| Golden Nugget | 90.57 |
| Resorts | 90.78 |
| Tropicana | 90.35 |
| Ocean Resort | 90.49 |
These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines which includes slot machines, video poker, etc.
NEW MEXICO SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
New Mexico's Indian casinos offer an assortment of table games and electronic gaming machines. Additionally, slot machines are allowed at the state's racetracks as well as at about 40 variousfraternal and veterans clubs.
New Mexico gaming regulations require that electronic machines at racetracks and fraternal/veterans organizations return a minimum of 80%.
New Mexico's Indian tribes do not make their slot machine payback percentages a matter of public record but the terms of the compact between the state and the tribes require all electronicgaming machines to also return a minimum of 80%.
NEW YORK SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
There are several Indian casinos located in upstate New York which offer traditional Class III casino gambling.
The terms of the compact between the tribes and the state allow table games and slot machines, including video keno and video poker. These machines do not pay out in cash. Instead, they printout a receipt which must be exchanged for cash.
There are also some Indian casinos that offer Class II gambling which consist of electronic gaming machines which look like slot machines, but are actually games of bingo and the spinning videoreels are for 'entertainment purposes only.' No public information is available concerning the payback percentages on gaming machines at Indian casinos.
Here’s information, as supplied by the New York Gaming Commission, showing the slot machine payback percentages for all of the casinos for the fiscal year from April 1, 2018, through March31, 2019:
| LOCATION | PAYBACK % |
| Tioga Downs | 91.62 |
| Resort's World Catskills | 91.40 |
| Del Lago | 90.94 |
| Rivers | 90.50 |
In October 2001, legislation was passed to allow for the introduction of slot machine-type video lottery machines at New York racetracks. Officially referred to as Video Gaming Machines(VGM’s), they are regulated by the New York State Lottery Division.
All VGM's offer standard slot machine-type games, plus keno in denominations from five cents to $10. The machines all accept cash but do not pay out in cash. They print a receipt which must betaken to a cashier.
The legislation authorizing the VGM’s states, “the specifications for video lottery gaming shall be designed in such a manner as to pay prizes that average no less than ninety percent ofsales.”
Here's information, as supplied by the New York Lottery, showing the video gaming machine payback percentages for each of the state's racetracks for the fiscal year from April 1,2018, through March 31, 2019:
| LOCATION | PAYBACK % |
| Resorts World | 94.16 |
| Jake's 58 | 93.73 |
| Empire City | 93.06 |
| Monticello | 92.40 |
| Saratoga | 92.35 |
| Finger Lakes | 92.12 |
| Batavia Downs | 91.66 |
| Fairgrounds | 91.66 |
| Vernon Downs | 91.74 |
NORTH CAROLINA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Casino Slot Machine Odds By State
North Carolina has two Indian casinos and both are affiliated with the state's Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians which signed a compact with the state. According to the terms of thecompact, the video gaming machines are required to return a minimum of 83% and a maximum of 98%.
NORTH DAKOTA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
North Dakota has more than 800 sites throughout the state that offer blackjack, with betting limits of $1-$25, for the benefit of charities.
There are also six Indian casinos which are limited by law to the following maximum bet limits: blackjack-$100 (two tables in a casino may have limits up to $250), craps-$60, roulette-$50,slots/video poker-$25 and poker-$50 per bet, per round with a maximum of three rounds.
The terms of the state's compact with the tribes require gaming machines to return a minimum of 80% and a maximum of 100%. However, if a machine is affected by skill, such as video poker orvideo blackjack, the machines must return a minimum of 83%.
OHIO SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Ohio voters passed a statewide referendum in November 2009 to allow one casino to open in each of four major cities: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Toledo. There are also seven racetracksthat offer video lottery terminals.
Here’s information from the Ohio Casino Control Commission regarding the payback percentages for each racino and casino’s electronic machines for the twelve-month period from July 1,2018, through June 30, 2019:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| JACK Cleveland | |
| Hollywood Columbus | 92.09 |
| JACK Cincinnati | |
| Miami Valley | 90.73 |
| Belterra Park | |
| MGM Northfield | 91.09 |
| Eldorado Gaming | |
| Hollywood Toledo | 90.73 |
| JACK Thistledown | |
| Hollywood Dayton | 90.27 |
| Mahoning Valley |
OKLAHOMA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
All Oklahoma Indian casinos are allowed to offer both Class II and Class III gaming machines.
Most casinos offer only Class II machines which look like slot machines, but are actually games of bingo and the spinning video reels are for 'entertainment purposes only.' Some casinos alsooffer traditional Class III slots.
In either case, the gaming machines are not allowed to accept or payout in coins. All payouts must be done by a printed receipt or via an electronic debit card. No public information isavailable concerning the payback percentages on gaming machines in Oklahoma.
OREGON SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Oregon law permits bars and taverns to have up to six video lottery terminals that offer various versions of video poker. Racetracks are allowed to have no more than 10 machines. The maximumbet allowed is $2.50 and the maximum single payout on any machine is capped at $600.
These machines are the same as regular video gaming devices but are called lottery terminals because they are regulated by the state’s lottery commission which receives a share of eachmachine’s revenue. The machines accept cash but do not pay out in cash; instead, they print out a receipt which must be taken to a cashier.
According to figures from the Oregon Lottery, during its fiscal year from June 28, 2018, through June 25, 2019, the VLT’s had an approximate return of 92.34%.
There are nine Indian casinos in operation in Oregon. According to the governor’s office which regulates the Tribe’s compacts, 'there is no minimum payback percentage required on the Tribe’smachines. Each Tribe is free to set their own limits on their machines.'
PENNSYLVANIA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Pennsylvania gaming regulations require that gaming machines return a minimum of 85%.
The following is information from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board regarding average slot payout percentages for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019:
| CASINO | PAYBACK % |
| Parx Casino | 90.70 |
| Valley Forge | 90.68 |
| The Meadows | 90.14 |
| Mount Airy | 90.31 |
| Sugar House | 90.03 |
| Wind Creek Bethlehem | 90.09 |
| Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs | 89.90 |
| Harrah's Philadelphia | 89.82 |
| The Rivers | 89.87 |
| Lady Luck Nemacolin | 89.34 |
| Hollywood Casino at Penn National | 89.38 |
| Presque Isle | 89.31 |
RHODE ISLAND SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Rhode Island has two pari-mutuel facilities which both feature video lottery terminals (VLT’s). These machines are the same as regular video gaming devices but are called lottery terminalsbecause they are regulated by the state’s lottery commission which receives a share of each machine’s revenue. The machines accept cash but don’t pay out in cash; instead, they print out areceipt which must be taken to a cashier.
All VLT’s are programmed to play at least six different games: blackjack, keno, slots and three versions of poker (jacks or better, joker poker and deuces wild).
According to figures from the Rhode Island Lottery for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average VLT return at Twin River was 92.10% and at Tiverton, it was91.63%.
SOUTH CAROLINA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
South Carolina has two gambling cruise ships which sail three miles out into international waters where casino gambling is permitted. Since the casino boats travel in international waters theyare free from regulations and the machines can be set to pay back whatever the operators want without regard to a minimum payback percentage.
SOUTH DAKOTA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Here are statistics from the South Dakota Commission on Gaming for the payback percentages on all of Deadwood’s slot machines for the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30,2019:
| Denomination | Payback % |
| 1¢ Slots | 90.73 |
| 5¢ Slots | 93.56 |
| 25¢ Slots | 91.18 |
| $1 Slots | 92.58 |
| $5 Slots | 92.51 |
| Average | 91.05 |
In addition to the Deadwood casinos, there are also nine Indian casinos in South Dakota. No information is available on the payback percentages of the video gaming machines.
TEXAS SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Texas has one Indian casino which offers gaming machines based on bingo. It also offers pull tab machines, bingo, poker and a player-banked blackjack game where each player must pay acommission to the house for each bet that is made. The commission is 50¢ for $3-$50 bets and $1 for bets over $50. The minimum gambling age is 21 and the casino is open 24 hours daily.
Class II video gaming devices look like slot machines, but are actually bingo games and the spinning reels are for “entertainment purposes only.” No public information is available concerningthe payback percentages on any gaming machines in Texas’ Indian casino.
WASHINGTON SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
There are 28 Indian casinos operating in Washington and they all have compacts with the state allowing them to offer table games, as well as electronic ‘scratch’ ticket games which use a finitenumber of tickets with a predetermined number of winners and losers.
All of the state’s Tribes are not required to release information on their slot machine percentage paybacks. However, according to the terms of the compact between the Tribes and the state, theminimum prize payout for electronic ‘scratch’ ticket games is 75%.
WEST VIRGINIA SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
West Virginia has four pari-mutuel facilities and one resort hotel that feature video lottery terminals. The VLT’s are the same as regular video gaming devices but are called lottery terminalsbecause they are regulated by the state’s lottery commission which receives a share of each machine’s revenue.
West Virginia law requires that VLT’s return a minimum of 80% to a maximum of 95%. VLT games include slots, blackjack, keno and numerous versions of poker. The minimum gambling age is 21.
For the one-year period from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019, the average return on VLT’s was: 88.97% at Mountaineer Park, 90.81% at Mardi Gras, 89.46% at Wheeling Island, 89.53%at Charles Town Races.
WISCONSIN SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
All Wisconsin casinos are located on Indian reservations and the Indian tribes are not required to release information on their slot machine percentage paybacks. However, according to the termsof the compact between the state and the tribes 'for games not affected by player skill, such as slot machines, the machine is required to return a minimum of 80% and a maximum of 100% of theamount wagered.'
WYOMING SLOT MACHINE PAYBACK STATISTICS
Wyoming has Indian casinos that offer Class II bingo-type gaming machines, plus traditional Class III slot machines.
The machines don't pay out in cash. Instead they print out a receipt which must be cashed by a floor attendant or taken to the cashier's cage. You can also make bets via a cashless systemwhereby you get a 'smart' card and deposit money to that card's account. The machines will then deducts losses from, or credit wins to, your account.
No public information is available regarding the payback percentages on Wyoming's gaming machines.
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Slots machines, as games of chance (rather than skill), are generally more about having fun than they are about making money.
However, there are things you can do to maximize your wins and minimize your losses. For example, by calculating a slot machine’s payout percentage, you can obtain a larger picture idea of how much money you stand to win back. Other tactics include using effective bankroll management techniques, joining a slots club to benefit from its rewards programs, and more.
What Are the Odds of Winning on a Slot Machine?
Slot machine odds used to be easy to calculate. When you’re dealing with three reels, ten symbols on each reel, and a limited pay table, then it’s just a simple math problem. But the rise of electromechanical slot machines and (later) video slots added some complexity to the situation.
How Probability Works
Probability has two meanings. One is the likelihood of whether or not something will happen. The other is the branch of mathematics that calculates that likelihood. To understand the odds as they relate to slot machines (or any other gambling game), you have to understand the basic math behind probability.
Don’t worry though. The math isn’t hard. Probability involves addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, all of which you learned in middle school.
The first principle of probability is that every event has a probability of between 0 and 1. If something has no chance of ever happening, then its probability is 0. If something will always happen, no matter what, then its probability is 1.
Probability is, therefore, always a fraction. It can be expressed in multiple ways, as a decimal, as a fraction, as a percentage, and as odds.
A simple example is a coin flip. The probability of getting heads when you flip a coin is 50%. That’s common sense, but how is it determined mathematically?
You simply take the total number of possible outcomes, and divide the outcome you’re trying to determine the probability of it by that number. There are two possibilities when flipping a coin, heads or tails, but only one of them is heads. That’s 1 divided by 2, which can be expressed as ½, 50%, 0.5, or 1 to 1 odds.
Odds are expressed as the number of ways something won’t happen versus the number of ways that something will happen. For example, if you’re rolling a single six-sided die, and you want to know the odds of rolling a six, you’re looking at 5 to 1 odds. There are five ways to roll something other than a six, and only one way of rolling a six.
When you want to determine the probability of multiple things happening, you use addition or multiplication, depending on whether you want to determine whether one OR the other event will occur, or whether you want to determine whether one event AND the other event will occur.
If you’re looking at an “OR” question, you add the probabilities together. If you’re looking at an “AND” question, you multiply the probabilities by each other.
So if you want to know what the probability of rolling two dice and having one or the other come up with a six, you add the probabilities together. 1/6 + 1/6 = 2/6, which is rounded down to 1/3.
If you want to know the probability of rolling two dice and having BOTH of them come up six, you multiply the probabilities. 1/6 X 1/6 = 1/36.
How Slot Machine Odds USED to Work
Early slot machines were mechanical devices. They had three metal reels that had ten possible stops each.
To calculate the odds of a single symbol appearing on a reel, you just divide the one symbol by the total number of potential outcomes. So if you had one cherry on a reel, your odds of hitting that cherry were 1/10, or 10%.
To calculate the odds of getting three cherries, you multiple 1/10 X 1/10 X 1/10 and get 1/1000, or 0.1%.
If the odds of hitting that symbol are the same as all the others, then you have 10 possible jackpots you can win, which means that your chances of winning SOMETHING are 10/1000, which is 1%.
Most people wouldn’t play a slot machine that lost 99 times out of 100, though, so slot machine designers added additional, smaller prizes for getting two symbols out of three for certain symbols. And as long as they paid out less in prizes than the odds of hitting those jackpots, then those slots are guaranteed to make a profit in the long run.
For example, if a prize for hitting three cherries was $1000, you’d be playing a break-even game, but if the prize were $750, it’s easy to see how the casino would be guaranteed a profit. The difference between the odds of winning and the payout odds is where the casino makes its money.
How Slot Machines Work Now
Modern slot machines use a computer program called a random number generator to determine the outcomes of the various spins of the reels. This creates an imaginary reel with a number of symbols limited only by the program in question.
A mechanical slot machine with 256 symbols per reel would be huge, too large to play, much less to build. But a computer can create an imaginary reel with 256 symbols per reel and take up no more space than an iPod Shuffle.
To make things even more interesting and entertaining, slot machine designers can program different probabilities for each symbol to come up. Most symbols might come up once every 256 spins, but others might come up twice as often, while still others might only come up half as often.
This enables slot machine designers and casinos to offer slot machine games with far larger jackpots than they were able to when they were limited by mechanical reels. And they’re able to offer these large jackpots and still generate a healthy profit.
How Does This Relate to Payback Percentages?
The payback percentage is the amount of money that the slot machine is designed to pay out over an enormous number of spins. This number is almost always less than 100%. The difference between 100% and the payback percentage is the house edge, and that’s where the casino makes its profits.
A simple example can help illustrate how this works. Suppose you have a slot machine with three reels with ten symbols on each, and it only pays out when three cherries hit. The odds of winning that jackpot, as we determined earlier, is 1/1000.
If we set the jackpot as $900, and charge $1 per bet, the payout percentage for that game will be 90%, or $900/$1000. Of course, no one would play a slots game which only paid out once in every 1000 spins, which is why there are various smaller payouts programmed in.
There’s no way to tell what the payback percentage on a particular game is unless you have access to the par sheet for that machine. Casino management has that information, but players never have access to that info.
The best slot machine odds are almost always found in real casinos. If you see slot machines in an airport or a bar, be aware that the payback percentages on those games is much lower than you’ll see in a real casino.
How to Win at Slot Machines
Everyone would like to know how to win at slots, but the truth is that winning at slot machines isn’t any harder than losing at slot machines. You put your money in the machine, spin the reels, and hope for the best. Slot machines are meant to be fun; they’re not intended to provide the player with an income.
In fact, the reality is just the opposite. Slots are there to provide the casino owners with an income. How that works is one of the subjects of this page.
On the other hand, you can minimize your losses and increase your enjoyment of slots games by understanding how they work. You can also learn which slots pay back the most money. In the long run, the house will still have an edge over you, but understanding how much you can expect to lose in a given venue can help you make better bankroll management decisions.
In fact, it might be a good idea to modify you definition of “winning at slots”. Instead of considering yourself a winner if you bring home a big profit, consider yourself a winner any time you played and had a lot of fun.
How Slots Work
All slot machines in modern casinos use a random number generator (an “RNG) to determine the results of each spin. An RNG is a tiny computer that does nothing but constantly generate numbers. When you push the spin button, that microcomputer selects a number which determines the outcome. In fact, this happens before the reels have even stopped spinning.
On modern slot machines, the reels are just there for show. From a practical standpoint, you could put a quarter in a machine, push a button, and have the screen flash: “You lose!” or “You win $10”. The mechanism that determined the outcome would be the same, but who would want to play a game like that, especially if you know that the house has a mathematical edge over the player.
The spinning reels, the sound effects, and the bonus games are all there to make the game more interesting to play. If you don’t like the artwork, the music, or any other aspect of a slots game, don’t bother playing it, because those are the real rewards of playing. The chance of getting lucky and winning a jackpot is a real reward, too, but don’t ignore the other aspects of the game.
The random number generator is programmed to pay back a certain percentage of the money paid into it over a period of time. This period of time is known in gambling math as “the long run”, and it’s a lot longer than most people think. We’re talking about tens of thousands of spins, not dozens or hundreds.
This percentage that’s programmed into these machines is always less than 100%. If a slots game were programmed to pay back more than 100% of the money put into it, it would lose money for the casino.
Casinos aren’t in business to lose money.
The trick is to find slot machines that have the highest payout percentages.
Which Slots Pay Back the Most Money
If every slot machine game in the world had a payback percentage posted on the machine somewhere, it would be easy to determine which slots pay back the most money. You could limit your play to machines with a payback percentage of over 95% for example.
It’s too bad casinos don’t provide that information on specific games, though.
You can find information about specific locations and their payback percentages, though. Some gambling guides and magazines publish this information. For example, The American Casino Guide provides certified information about the payout percentages in various states. Not all states reveal this information, but it’s not a huge leap of logic to expect better payback percentages in states that do reveal this information.
For example, the overall payback percentage for slots in Black Hawk, Colorado is 92.8%. In Central City, Colorado, it’s 92.93%, and in Cripple Creek, it’s 93.66%. Alabama doesn’t release the numbers on their payback percentages.
Which casinos do you think offer the better game?
A couple of guidelines hold true no matter where you play, though. One of those is that payouts are better in large cities with lots of gambling. For example, the payouts in Vegas are higher overall than the payouts in Colorado. And the payouts improve when you play for higher stakes. For example, penny slots in Vegas average around 88% to 91%, but dollars slots average between 93% and 96%. Finally, slot machines at airports usually offer the lowest payouts.
What does that mean for the player? It means that over the long run, if you wager $x on a particular game, you’ll win back $x times the payback percentage for that machine. If you’re playing a dollar slot machine on the Strip in Las Vegas, for example, and the payout percentage is around 93%, then if you place $10,000 in wagers, you’ll win back $9300. You lost $700.
That’s only a long term mathematical expectation, though. In the short run, anything can happen, and that’s what keeps people playing.
How to Maximize Your Winnings and Minimize Your Losses
There are three ways to maximize your winnings and minimize your losses. The first is to always join the slots club, and always use your member card while you play. Slots club members get a percentage of their play returned to them in the form of casino rewards and cash back. This is normally a tiny percentage (think 0.1% or 0.2%), but it adds up, especially if you play a lot.
Don’t buy into the myth that playing with your slots club card lowers your expected return on the game, either. That’s not true. The random number generator in these games has no way of knowing whether or not you’re using your slots club card or not.
The second way to increase your winnings and minimize your losses is to use effective bankroll management techniques. This means limiting the amount of time that you play, limiting the amount of money that you’re willing to lose in any session and in any given gambling trip, and finding other fun things to do with your time besides just playing the slots.
Finally, try to play the machines with the highest payout percentage. Over the long run, if you keep playing, you’ll probably eventually wind up a loser at the slots (unless you hit a huge progressive jackpot), but you’ll lose your money more slowly and get more entertainment value for the money you gambled.