How To Play Las Vegas Slot Machines

  1. How To Play Las Vegas Slot Machines Free Games
  2. How Do You Play Las Vegas Slot Machines
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  • Nevada Payout Return Limits. Nevada state gaming regulation #14 places a minimum legal limit on.
  • Look for the Loose Slot Machines in the Locations Where Loose Slot Machines Are Found.

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If you want to play slot machines in America, there’s nowhere quite like Las Vegas. Home to some of the biggest and best casinos in the world, let alone in the United States, Las Vegas is virtually synonymous with gambling.

And yet, many players who finally make it out to Vegas are overwhelmed by the sheer number of machines. How is a newbie in this town supposed to know which Vegas slot machines are the best and where to play them?

That’s why I’m here! I’ve been to Vegas a few times, but I’ve also spun the reels in lots of casinos across the states, in the Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia, and at The Hippodrome Casino in London, so I know my way around most land-based slot machines.

From all of the slots that I have played and researched for this post, these are the top slots in Vegas. If you’re in Sin City, make sure you check these out.

The Top Five Slot Machines in Las Vegas

Before I give you the lowdown on each of the top five slots in Vegas, there are a few things you should understand. These are concepts which experienced slots players will already be familiar with, so it’s been written with beginner players in mind. Still, even if you’ve spun the reels more times than you can remember, this could be a good refresher for you.

  • RTP – This is the payback rate of a slot machine. It’s an acronym for “Return to Player.” For example, a slot with an RTP of 96% generally pays back $0.96 out of every $1 wagered on it.
  • Volatility – This determines how frequently a slot machine will pay and how big the wins are likely to be when it does. Low volatility slots pay smaller wins more often, and high volatility slots pay larger wins after longer losing streaks. Here’s a more in-depth article on slot volatility and variance if you’re interested in learning more about these concepts.
  • Progressive Jackpot – Most of you will already know that a jackpot is the biggest win a machine can pay. A progressive jackpot is a collective jackpot often contributed to by multiple casinos. For example, every spin on Megabucks slot (which you’ll hear about below) contributes to the Megabucks progressive jackpot. This is why these jackpots can grow so huge.

Now, let’s shift focus and look at some of the best slot machines in Las Vegas.

1. Wheel of Fortune

The first Wheel of Fortune slot was released way back in 1966, and they’ve been a player favorite ever since. You’ll find them in most of the top Las Vegas casinos.

There are two dozen Wheel of Fortune slot machines, and which one(s) you’ll have access to depends on the casino you play at. They all have larger than average jackpots, though, and players are attracted to the money-wheel features.

Just like in the TV game show, you can access a bonus round which gives you the chance to spin a money wheel for cash prizes. If you’re lucky, a Wheel of Fortune slot machine will rain money down on you. These slots have made instant millionaires out of many hundreds of people over the years.

2. Triple Red Hot 7s

Some players don’t like lots of fancy bonus rounds and extra features, they just want to spin the reels, attempt to win jackpots, and enjoy themselves.

If this describes you, Triple Red Hot 7s is for you. It’s an incredibly simple game with an old-school feel. It has three reels and is a high-volatility machine, meaning the wins tend to be explosive when they do come.

That’s not to say that this slot has absolutely no features. It does dish out free games, and some variants have game multipliers which can triple wins. Ask the casino attendant if they offer Triple Red Hot 7s and get started spinning ASAP.

3. Double Jackpot

One of Bally Technologies’ best slot machines, this one will also appeal to players who enjoy classic slot games. You’ll see all the familiar fruit machine symbols on the reels, like cherries, bells, bars, and 7s which can appear as singles, doubles, or triple 7 combos.

Double Jackpot slot can pay big wins. Five Double Jackpot game symbols across the reels pay 50,000. Just landing a Double Jackpot symbol in a regular winning combination can win you multipliers of up to 16x.

How To Play Las Vegas Slot Machines Free Games

This is a simple, no-frills slot machine. You just need to sit, spin, and hopefully win. It’s a Vegas casino favorite!

4. The Monte Carlo

There’s no doubt that the Monte Carlo slot machine is one of the most interesting looking slots ever created. These machines stand taller than the average person, and since you’ll be sitting down to play it at most Vegas casinos, they seem huge.

Monte Carlo slots offer free spins and multipliers, but the main feature of these slots is the roulette wheel above the reels. If you land a Monte Carlo Spin symbol, you’ll get a spin on it. Each pocket has different win amounts in it, and one of them will award the Super Jackpot if you’re lucky.

This unique blend of slot machine crossed with roulette has made this one of the most popular land-based games of all time. I strongly suggest you check it out. Don’t expect to enter the roulette wheel feature too often, and do walk away if you experience a big win.

5. Megabucks

Now we come to the slot machine of all Vegas slot machines, the one that could change your life forever. Before I begin, let me whet your appetite with some of the biggest Megabucks jackpots of all time.

  • In 1998, a retired flight attendant played $300 on Megabucks at Palace Station and won $27.5 million.
  • Elmer Sherwin, a WWII airman, won $4.6 million on Megabucks at the Mirage in 1989. Lady Luck visited him a second time when he won $21.1 million playing the same slot machine at the Cannery Casino a couple of decades later.
  • A 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles won the biggest Megabucks jackpot to date when he scooped $39.7 million at the Excalibur in 2003.

You can read about more Megabucks slot jackpots here.

You can expect some free spins during gameplay, but look out for the Megabucks symbols. They can award multipliers of up to x5, and if you’re lucky enough to get them straight across a payline, you can win the Megabucks progressive jackpot. It’s this jackpot that made the above players filthy rich in a few seconds flat.

Where to Play the Best Las Vegas Slot Machines

This article wouldn’t be complete without an overview of which Las Vegas casinos are best for slots players. There’s no doubt that you’ll have plenty of choice in Las Vegas, but you’ll find that these casinos offer the best slots in town.

The Bellagio

Arguably the most famous casino in Las Vegas, the Bellagio has 2,300 gaming machines including slots and video poker games. Several of its machines offer progressive jackpots, and it also hosts regular slots tournaments with prizes worth up to $2 million.

MGM Grand

With 2,500 slot machines spread across this massive casino, this could be considered a slot player’s paradise. The MGM Grand offers popular machines like Heidi’s BeerHaus, 88 Fortunes, and Frogger: Get Hoppin’. You can play penny slots for $0.01 per spin, or you can wager up to $1,000 per spin on some of the MGM high limit slots.

Treasure Island

Another slots mecca, Treasure Island has 2,200 electronic gaming machines to choose from. Many of these are slot machines, but they also include video poker and keno. Visit the Link Lounge to play 80 progressive jackpot slots for a chance to win the biggest jackpots in Vegas.

Caesars Palace

This casino is associated with Las Vegas in the minds of many tourists. It has a massive floor boasting thousands of gaming machines, including some of the best Vegas slots as well as video poker and keno. If you’re looking for a particular game, the Caesars Palace website has a cool tool called the Slot Finder. Check it out if you ever find yourself in this Las Vegas casino.

Mandalay Bay

No, I’m not being paid by MGM Resorts to promote its casinos, several of which are on this list. They just happen to be some of the best casinos in Las Vegas, so I had to include them here. Mandalay Bay offers thousands of machines including The Goonies, Sphinx 4D, Texas Tea Pinball, and lots of others. Several of the slots listed above are available here including Wheel of Fortune, Monte Carlo, and Megabucks.

How to Win Slots in Vegas

I know you’re in Vegas to have some fun first and foremost, but wouldn’t it be awesome if you could come home with a massive jackpot, too? I can’t provide you with any surefire way to win Vegas slot machines, but I can give you a few pointers on how to win more often.

Forget Finding Loose Slots

When I first started playing slot machines, I wasted lots of time trying to find loose slot machines. What’s a loose slot machine? The idea is that it’s a machine that’s ready to pay anytime.

Slots players have different methods for finding loose slot machines. Some believe in playing after observing another player spin the reels for a long time without success. Others believe in playing a test amount of $10 or $20, and if they’re breaking events, they think this is a signal that the slot may pay soon.

I don’t believe in loose slots. I know that modern slot machines are controlled by Random Number Generators. The machine will not pay until the algorithm spits out the right number at the right time. There’s absolutely no telling when that might be, so just sit down, spin, and have some fun! If Lady Luck arrives, she arrives, and if not, there’s nothing you can do about it.

Don’t Play Progressive Slots at the Start

I know that most of the top Vegas slots I mentioned above are progressive jackpot games. I also know that the temptation of a Megabucks jackpot can be too much to turn away from. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t play progressive jackpot slots in Las Vegas, I’m just saying not to play them at the start of the night.

How To Play Las Vegas Slot Machines

The chances of winning a progressive jackpot are slim, millions to one at best. Add to this that these slots have a notoriously low payback percentage, and playing them from the outset is the best way to blow your bankroll.

What I prefer to do is play low volatility slots which pay smaller amounts more frequently. It’s even better if they have a high RTP. Once I’m playing with house money and have safely tucked my starting bankroll back into my wallet, I switch to the progressive jackpot slots.

If I lose, it doesn’t matter. It was never my money until I cashed it out anyhow. That’s the mindset you have to have if you want to win in Vegas.

Trust Your Intuition

This is the one tip on this list that I can’t quantify. While I base the others on a hard-won understanding of how Las Vegas slot machines work, this tip is more mysterious, yet countless slots players will attest to its truth.

Sometimes, for some unexplained reason, you just get a feeling about certain slots. You can just know for sure this isn’t your lucky machine, and other times, a seemingly random slot can grab your attention out of nowhere, and lo and behold, you scoop a massive jackpot.

Some players think this is Lady Luck guiding them, while others attempt to understand this intuition as the subconscious mind processing data you aren’t aware of. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s real. Trust your intuition when you play slots in Vegas!

How Do You Play Las Vegas Slot Machines

Now you know the best slot machines in Las Vegas and where to play them. With these top slots tips, you’ll have a better chance of winning. Good luck, and enjoy Las Vegas!

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The Las Vegas Strip is no doubt one of the most-popular places to play slot machines. Millions of tourists hit Las Vegas Boulevard every year to spin the reels.

Most of these gamblers aren’t too concerned about their exact chances of winning. They just want to enjoy fun games and get a few thrills.

Of course, your bankroll stands to last longer when you do choose slots with fair pay. Therefore, you might be interested to know how Vegas Strip slot machines stack up to the competition.

Whether you’re going to Sin City anytime soon, or just thinking about it in the distant future, you’ll want to know the following info on Vegas Strip slots payback.

A Look at Vegas Strip Slots Return to Player (RTP)

How To Play Las Vegas Slot Machines

The Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) regularly offers revenue reports on their casino gambling industry. These resources cover gaming wins for the past 12 months, including wins for slot machines.

You can get a composite view on how well Nevada slots pay and their house edges by looking at these reports. You’ll also be able to see a breakdown on prominent jurisdictions within the Silver State.

The Vegas Strip has its own set of numbers, given that it’s the key attraction of Nevada’s gambling industry.

The NGC’s report breaks down how much the Strip’s slot machines pay based on coin denomination.

Here’s how much the most-popular coin denominations delivered in 2018:

  • Penny slots – 88.30% RTP (11.7% house edge)
  • Nickel slots – 91.63% RTP (8.37% house edge)
  • Quarter slots – 89.40% RTP (10.60% house edge)
  • Dollar slots – 92.30% RTP (7.70% house edge)
  • Multi denomination – 93.61% RTP (6.39% house edge)

You can see that penny slot machines are at the bottom in terms of payback. They only offered 88.3% RTP, making them one of the worst choices of all casino games in terms of winning.

The multi-denomination machines featured the best rate at 93.61% RTP. You might want to stick with these games on the Strip, given that they both let you change the coin size and offer the best payback.

How Do Vegas Strip Slots Compare to the Rest of Nevada?

Knowing how much Vegas Strip slot machines pay is a great start. However, a reference point is needed to measure if the Strip’s slots do or don’t pay well.

Again, the NGC provides gaming win for the entire state as well as specific areas. These numbers can be pitted against the Vegas Strip’s figures to make a valid comparison.

Here’s how well slots paid throughout the Silver State in 2018:

  • Penny slots – 90.0% RTP (10.0% house edge)
  • Nickel slots – 94.39% RTP (5.61% house edge)
  • Quarter slots – 92.83% RTP (7.17% house edge)
  • Dollar slots – 93.61% RTP (6.39% house edge)
  • Multi denomination – 94.74% RTP (5.26% house edge)

Comparing the numbers, the Vegas Strip definitely doesn’t pay slots players like Nevada as a whole. All of their coin denominations offer at least 1% lower RTP than the entire state.

The biggest difference can be seen in the quarter slots. The Strip only delivered 89.40% in 2018, while Nevada paid 92.83% overall.

Another large discrepancy can be noticed with nickel slot machines. The Strip delivered just 91.63% against 94.39% for the state.

Numbers Show That Vegas Strip Slots RTP Isn’t So Hot

Vegas Strip slot machines are far from generous. In fact, they’re some of the lowest-paying slots that you’ll find anywhere in the world.

The penny slots are especially awful. They only offered 88.3% RTP last year, which is about as bad as it gets with slot machines.

Penny slots are often thought of as “cheap” games, because they only require one cent per line. But you’re theoretically losing $11.70 for every $100 wagered on Vegas Strip penny games.

Surprisingly, the quarter slots barely paid better than the penny slots. The Vegas Strip’s quarter slot machines offered 89.40% RTP, which is really bad when considering the coin size.

Only nickel, dollar, and multi-denomination slots delivered over 90% RTP. Multi-denomination machines were the best deal at 93.61% payback.

Nickel slot machines paid 91.63% RTP, which is okay by the Vegas Strip’s standards. However, this payout percentage isn’t so great when looking across the board.

Keep in mind that these are merely averages from a single year. But the percentages are fairly accurate when considering how many bets are taken into account each year.

Why Don’t Vegas Strip Slot Machines Pay That Much?

The primary reason why Vegas Strip slots fail to offer reasonable payback is because they don’t have to. Casinos on the Strip can feature low slot machine RTP and still draw visitors.

This iconic four-mile stretch is home to some of the world’s most-lavish casinos. Bellagio, Caesars Palace, MGM Grand, and the Wynn are just some of the headlining establishments on the Strip.

Las Vegas Boulevard also offers many other attractions that draw tourists. The Park, LINQ Promenade, Neon Museum, and Fountain of Bellagio are some of the spectacles located here.

Few people go to the Vegas Strip in search of the highest-paying slot machines. The small number that do would be severely disappointed upon seeing the numbers.

The Vegas Strip is instead about the experience, with gambling mixed into the equation. Slot machines found here could probably pay even less, yet millions would still gamble on this famed boulevard every year.

But the fact remains that the Strip doesn’t offer good slots payback. It lags behind many other areas of Vegas and the rest of the state.

Vegas’ Boulder Strip exemplifies what good land-based slots payback should be. They offer some of the best-paying slots in the country.

Here’s the Boulder Strip’s slots RTP for 2018:

  • Penny slots – 90.21% RTP (9.79% house edge)
  • Nickel slots – 96.23% RTP (3.77% house edge)
  • Quarter slots – 95.93% RTP (4.07% house edge)
  • Dollar slots – 95.13% RTP (4.87% house edge)
  • Multi denomination – 95.42% RTP (4.58% house edge)

You can see a tremendous difference between slots payout percentages on the Vegas Strip and Boulder Strip. The latter offers around 2% or higher RTP with every coin denomination.

A glaring difference can be seen in how much each location pays on quarter slots. The Boulder Strip delivered 95.93% RTP in 2018 — over 6.5% higher than what the Strip paid.

Another notable difference included nickel slots RTP. The Boulder Strip featured 96.23% payback, versus just 91.63% for Las Vegas Boulevard.

Of course, it’s important to realize that these figures don’t necessarily represent what the machines are programmed to pay. They instead only account for what was realized last year.

However, the numbers are far enough apart to show that the Boulder Strip offers a much-better deal. The Vegas Strip, meanwhile, lags behind the state. But you also have to remember that Boulder Highway doesn’t exactly have the same ring to it.

The Eastside Cannery Casino Hotel, Sam’s Town Gambling Hall, and Boulder Station are all popular casinos. They just don’t have anywhere the amenities as a Bellagio or MGM Grand. You therefore want to consider if the higher slots RTP is worth it.

Getting the Most Bang for Your Slots Buck on the Strip

The Strip isn’t the greatest gambling destination in terms of slot machine RTP. But again, it’s not defined by offering great chances to win at casino games.

Las Vegas Boulevard is instead an all-around entertainment hub that gives you the opportunity to gamble. Nevertheless, you should at least know which games will help stretch your bankroll further.

The best deal is multi-denomination slots for two reasons:

  1. They offered an average of 93.61% RTP last year.
  2. These machines let you choose the coin size.

You should definitely seek out multi-denomination games when you’re in Vegas. They offered at least 1.31% higher RTP than the rest of the slots last year.

Dollar slot machines are your next-best bet purely in terms of payback. They delivered 92.30% RTP. But you’ll actually get more play out of nickel slots.

Here’s a theoretical comparison between both slots to show the difference:

  • You perform 1,000 spins on dollar slot machines.
  • House edge is 7.67%.
  • 1,000 x 1 = $1,000 in total bets
  • 1,000 x 0.0767 = $76.70 in losses on dollar games
  • You perform 1,000 spins on nickel slot machines.
  • House edge is 8.37%.
  • 1,000 x 0.05 = $50 in total bets
  • 50 x 0.0837 = $4.19 in losses on nickel games

The theoretical losses with both types of slots can differ when there are varying amounts of paylines involves. But if all lines are equal, then the nickel games are cheaper.

The same can be said of penny slot machines when compared to nickel slots. They only charge one cent per line, meaning they’re fairly cheap to play.

However, RTP is the problem with penny games. You have to weigh whether it’s worth facing 3.3% lower RTP with penny slots just to enjoy lower risk on a per-bet basis.

Do Some Bankroll Calculations Before Visiting the Vegas Strip

Slot machines aren’t cheap on the Vegas Strip. Penny slot machines are especially expensive, boasting an average house advantage of 11.70% last year.

You therefore want to have a strategy in place for handling your gambling funds before leaving for your trip. The first order of business is to make sure that you don’t bet money you can’t afford to lose.

A good way to do this is by going through your bills and figuring out how much free money you have each week or month.
You can then set aside a percentage of this amount (some should be used for savings) for a slots bankroll.

The next step is to think about important variables, such as your spins per hour, average bet, and hourly losses. You can either come up with these estimates by tracking them yourself or merely thinking about the proper numbers.

Most slots players spin the reels between 500 and 700 times per hour, depending upon breaks. You likely fall somewhere in this range too.

Your average bet size should be fairly easy to figure out. You probably have a typical wager size, such as $0.25 or $0.50.

Hourly losses can be difficult to determine, because they change based on the volatility and house edge of the games you’re dealing with. But a nice round number to consider is 250 lost bets per hour.

You’ll probably lose around 250 wagers each hour until you’re able to hit some big payouts. If you’re wagering $0.50 per spin, this equals $125 in losses per hour.

The final step is to run the variables and figure out how long your bankroll should last. The goal is to get an idea on if you should bring more money or make smaller bets to extend your entertainment.

Here’s an Example:

  • You have a $1,000 bankroll
  • Your average bet size is $0.25
  • 1,000 / 0.25 = 4,000 total bets
  • You lose 250 bets an hour
  • 4,000 / 250 = 16
  • Your bankroll will theoretically last for 16 hours

Slot machines are so unpredictable that it’s tough to determine if your bankroll will last X amount of hours, even with in-depth calculations.

But you can at least get a nice estimate on how long your bankroll will hold up. Of course, you could also win some huge payouts and be up big at the end of your session.

Play Some Online Slots on Your Vegas Trip


You’re probably heavily into the land-based casino experience if you want to play slots on the Vegas Strip. But you might try mixing up your play with online slots during the excursion.

Internet slots pay far better than those on the Vegas Strip or in any other land-based casino destination. The average online slot offers around 95% or 96% RTP, which is unrivaled in most brick-and-mortar casino hubs.

The aforementioned Boulder Strip is about the only place that compares to internet slots RTP. Even then, you have to bet at least a nickel per line to play games with 95% payback.

Online casinos allow you to play penny slots with 95% RTP or better. Land-based casinos, on the other hand, can’t do this and still make money due to their overhead costs.

Again, you probably aren’t going to the Vegas Strip to sit in your hotel room and play online slots. But you might consider lounging around the hotel, a bar, or elsewhere and spinning the cyber reels for a little bit to preserve your bankroll.

Conclusion

It would be great if you could enjoy the amenities of a Mandalay Bay or Wynn and have a great change to beat slot machines. Unfortunately, you can’t because Vegas Strip casinos don’t offer great slots RTP.

Multi-denomination games led the way with 93.61% payback in 2018. But this figure is nothing to get excited about in the overall scheme of things.

Penny slot machines paid just 88.30% RTP on average last year. You’d therefore be facing an 11.70% house edge with the average penny slot, which is horrible.

You’ll get an okay deal with dollar slots (92.30% RTP). Then again, betting $1 per spin and still facing low payback isn’t anybody’s vision of gambling bliss.

The truth is that you should head elsewhere in Vegas, such as Boulder Highway, if you want the best chance to win. The Boulder Strip offered over 95% RTP for all of its denominations, except penny games, in 2018.

You can also play online slots on the side during your trip enjoy the best payout percentages of all. Of course, the key drawback here is that internet slots don’t offer the same experience as land-based casinos.

Overall, you can’t go into a Vegas Strip casino expecting to beat the slot machines. They just don’t pay enough to give you a strong chance of winning.

What you can do, though, is combine proper bankroll management with reasonable expectations. Performing bankroll calculations helps you go into each slots session with a realistic mindset. This process also keeps you from betting money that you can’t afford to lose.