Best Slot Machines To Play In Vegas 2012
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- Being the gambling capital of the world, the choice of slot machines in Las Vegas is by no means a small one. There’s a ton of great stuff to play. However, based on factors such as potential winnings, entertainment value and volatility, there are 8 slots that I would personally recommend taking a spin at. These are, in my opinion, the 8 best slots to play when visiting Las Vegas: Quick Spin.
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Table Of Contents
With so many mobile Slots and 3D video games on the casino news every day, it's almost hard to believe someone would want to rediscover Vegas slot machine classics like DaVinci Diamonds, Wizard of Oz, and Siberian Storm.
These are the casino games that made history and that became as familiar as table games and video poker machines.
Even if, when you compare them to the latest Microgaming slot games or NetEnt slots, they look like come from a different century.
(Spoiler alert: that's because some of them do. You just didn't play online back then.)
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Playing Vegas Popular Slot Games Online
Playing free slot games online isn't hard if you know where to find them. All the top casino sites feature multiple offers to play popular online slots with a deposit bonus, free spins bonus games, or free-to-play demos.
But since classic casino games like Golden Goddess and Raging Rhino are not as promoted as the newest games, it might take you a bit of time to find a good online casino to play for real money all the best free Vegas slots.
That's where this list comes in.
Whether you are looking for Quick Hit slots or classic games by WMS Gamings, we got you covered.
Use it to play all the most popular online Slots and access classic casino Vegas style slot machines like White Orchid and Book of Ra Deluxe.
You might not be in Las Vegas today, but — get ready. These Casino games are about to transform your screen in the coolest Vegas casino you have ever visited!
The Best Free Vegas-Style Slot Machines to Play in 2020
Siberian Storm
The links above let you play the Siberian Storm Slots online with a deposit bonus — which is one thing you do not get in Las Vegas. However, if you don't want to play for real money, you can enjoy the demo version of Siberian Storm with unlimited free credits.
This Vegas style slot features an intriguing 3-4-5-4-3 layout and a Return to Player (RTP) of 94.26%. With a max win of 25,000,000 credits, Siberian Storm can pay out more than most jackpot slots, even if this isn't a progressive theme.
Launched by IGT Gaming in 2011, the online version of the Siberian Storms Slots is a classic that never gets old.
Raging Rhino
Anyone who enjoys playing Vegas-style slots has Raging Rhino on their list of WMS Gamings slots to play at least once a week.
While the graphics of this game from 2015 can hardly compete with most of the mobile slots you find on the App Store, this is one of those classics slots casino players love and will never let go.
When it comes to real money slots, Raging Rhino applies a 6x4 grid to an RTP of 95.9% game with 4,096 ways to win and a top paying combination worth 60,000 coins.
Miss Kitty
Speaking of old-fashioned classic slot games, can a list of Vegas style slots be complete without the Miss Kitty game by Aristocrat?
This slot machine launched on the internet in 2011, long after it started to keep players in Las Vegas busy and happy on its reels.
Surprisingly enough, Miss Kitty's RTP does not match its popularity as it's only of 94.76%.
Cleopatra Slots
Launched in 2012, Cleopatra grew to become probably IGT's most popular slot machine of all time.
Players love this game so much that even in 2020, when you browse the slots by theme on the top casino sites, you can find Cleopatra Slots as a separate category.
Why?
Because IGT's Cleopatra is a mid-variance slot machine with a RTP of 95.7% and the possibility to take home a win equal to 25,000,000 credits.
To know more about this game and all the other ones that came on the heels of its success, don't miss the list of the best Egypt Slots you can play online.
Davinci Diamonds
Love it or hate it...at some point you will play it.
The Davinci Diamonds slot is a legendary Vegas game created by High 5 Games, a slots development company that has been creating blockbuster games since 1995.
If you found yourself playing slots at least once in your life, you know this game. And if you haven't played it yet — it's only a matter of time before you do.
Considered by many the 'grandfather' of all diamonds Slot games, the Davinci Diamonds slot is one of the most iconic games you find on the casino floor. But don't let the 20,000,000 top win mislead you.
With an RTP of 94.9%, it won't be easy for you to put it in your pockets.
Golden Goddess
If IGT rocks the world of Vegas-style slots it is also thanks to popular Slot machines like Golden Goddess, the 2013-born game that still entertains thousands today in Las Vegas like in any other casinos in the world. And on the internet.
Golden Goddess is an action-packed low variance slot that features a Return to Player of 94.75% and a top win of 25,000,000 coins.
The Golden Goddess slot machine is one of the free Vegas slots you can play online on a traditional 5x3 grid with 40 paylines.
White Orchid
Unsurprisingly, here's another massive hit by none other than IGT.
To witness the launch of this amazing classic Vegas game we need to go back in time to July 2010, when the grass was greener, the life was simpler,…and the slots sounded like White Orchid.
This retro Hawaii-themed slot comes with lovely old-fashioned graphics, a 'soundtrack' that helps you recreate the look and feel of a real slots room, and a top win of 25,000,000.
All in a 5x4 game with 1,064 payline.
The only negative here is the RTP, as that's where the White Orchid doesn't shine.
With a Return to Player of 93.965% this is an old-but-(not)-gold game that can keep you entertained…also while you don't win much.
Book of Ra
The original Book of Ra is Slot machine only Vegas slots hardcore players know.
Because the original Book of Ra Slot game is not the one from Novomatic we all play online these days. It's a hidden gem launched by Greentube in 2005.
In 2005!
The game comes with surprisingly good graphics for that time and it plays just like all the other chapters that made the Book of Ra franchise famous.
In this case, we look at a 92.13% RTP game with a max win of 50,000 coins.
While this isn't too impressive, you should play the Book of Ra original slot to pay a tribute to everything that this little game started.
If you want to experience one of the most significant chapters in the history of Vegas Slots, you need to give the original Book of Ra slot machine a try.
Double Diamond
What would free Vegas slots be without the three-reel games part of the IGT slots family?
Double Diamond is the online version of the classic game that has been rocking slots room since I can remember.
Launched at IGT casino sites in 2005, this Slot has nothing in common with the modern ones you see browsing through the collections of NetEnt slots, Quick Hit slots, and Microgaming slot games.
In fact, the game of Double Diamond is so retro that it makes even some of the old Aristocrat slots look…modern!
This iconic game comes with no bonus rounds and it is one of the few three-reel slots that manage to really nail the Vegas slots theme with no concessions to 3D slots graphics.
Double Diamond features a max win of 10,000 coins, an RTP of 95.44%, and high variance.
Jackpot Jester 50,000
Jackpot Jester 50,000 is one of the most classic Las Vegas-style free slot machines you'll ever play.
It has two sets of three reels stacked on top of one another, both with five paylines. It has neither free spins nor multipliers, but its bonus features can bring you luck.
The first is the Wild – the Jester symbol – that can get you winning combinations in the base game and a 50,000 Jackpot in the Super Game (when you get stacked Wilds), which is the second bonus feature.
Mystery Joker
With three reels and five fixed paylines, Mystery Joker is one of the simplest-looking free Vegas-style slot machine games, but it's made for high rollers, as the betting ranges from £0.50 to £100.00 per spin.
There's no Wild symbol, but there is the Scatter (the Joker's hat) that activates the bonus feature.
The bonus is the Free Spins feature, which gives you 10 free spins. If you land two Scatter symbols during the free spins, you will get a mystery win ranging from £1.00 to £100.00.
If you land three more Scatters, you'll get another mystery win together with 10 extra spins.
Wild Melon
With three reels in two rows and one payline, Wild Melon is perhaps the most basic of all free Vegas-style slot machines.
However, its Wild symbol (the watermelon) makes it definitely worth playing, as it can get you a win of 10,000 times your stake if you land three of them while playing with the maximum three-coin level.
What's great is that even if you land only one watermelon, you win a payout of two times your stake.
Lucky Diamonds
Yet another one of the classic Las Vegas-style slots, Lucky Diamonds offers a good retro gaming experience.
This three-reel, one-payline slot can get you a Jackpot of 2,500 coins. And that's pretty high for a slot machine as basic as this one.
The diamond symbol, which is the Wild, triggers a times-two multiplier, while two Wilds trigger a times-four multiplier that can significantly boost your winnings.
The 2,500 jackpot can be yours if you bet the max of three coins and get three Wilds. Two-coin bet can get you 1,600 coins, whereas one-coin bet can get you 800 coins.
Lucky 7
Lucky 7 is one of the most enjoyable Slot machines on this list. If you like classic Vegas-style slots, you'll love this one.
It has three reels, one payline, but no Wild or Scatter symbols. However, you can get a maximum win of 5,000 coins.
That's pretty great for such a basic casino slot game - it definitely makes it worthwhile. If you play with one coin, you can win a Jackpot of 1,000 coins.
Playing with two coins can win you a 2,000-coin jackpot, while three coins can get you a jackpot of 5,000 coins.
Irish Gold
Perhaps one of the most entertaining Vegas-style slot machines, this three-reel, five-payline real money game can get you a jackpot of 5,000 coins if you land three Wilds.
The Wild symbol is the Pot of Gold, which is also a times-five multiplier which turns into a 25x multiplier when you land two Wilds.
The Scatter is the clover symbol that can multiply your winnings, and there's the leprechaun symbol that can multiply your stakes by up to 50 times.
Booming Bars
Even though Booming Bars by Booming is not very creative in terms of art, its music will make you want to play it anyways.
It is a classic Vegas slot machine with three rows, three lines, and 10 paylines.
But here's something that makes Booming Bars special:
You don't need to collect identical symbols for some nice wins. Here, even non-identical symbols can form winning combinations thanks to the game's Mix 'N' Match feature.
Fruits of the Nile
Playson'sFruits of the Nile will appeal to those who like Ancient Egypt slots...and fruit slot machines.
It's a little game with a nice soundtrack and playful images of watermelons, cherries, grapes, and other fruits.
Here, the star symbol is your Scatter, and the scarab is your Wild. However, the best symbol is the red seven, as five of them will result in a nice win of 1,000 times your bet.
Multifruit 81
If you need something to cheer you up, Multifruit 81 by Play'n GO is the perfect game to play.
Multifruit 81 has a special feature you might have never seen. On every spin, one reel is randomly selected.
If a Wild happens to land on this reel, it expands and gives way for some unexpected winning combinations.
Cosmo Slots
Cosmo Slots by GS is a real classic.
It looks like an old-fashioned slot machine you would find at a brick-and-mortar Vegas casino.
And here's how you play it.
As soon as you open the game, you have to choose the coin value that goes from 0.10 to 5. Then, you have to click the pink window to 'insert some coins' (this will be your credits), choose the number of paylines by clicking 'Bet One', and spin the reels.
Devil Slot
Believe it or not, hell is quite a popular theme for Vegas-style slot machines. Maybe the developers are trying to tell us something?
Anyway, it's not such a bad idea to try out Devil Slot by Fugaso.
It's one of the creepiest online slots you'll ever see, but that doesn't make it any less interesting. Especially when five Satan symbols pay you 2,000 times your bet.
Angel Slot
If Devil Slot scares you too much, play Angel Slot instead.
This five-reel, three-row Vegas-style slot machine is a beautiful retro game with good graphics.
Olympia
Olympia by Fugaso is yet another classic Las Vegas casino slot.
It rocks a beautiful theme of Ancient Greece. If you're a fan of this culture, Olympia is the perfect game for you.
However, this slot has something for everyone. It's the interesting gameplay and payouts that go all the way up to 5,000.
Pharaoh Fortune
Yet another Egypt-themed classic Las Vegas slot, Pharaoh Fortune by Fugaso looks like an authentic slot machine.
Scarabs, Pyramids, and other ancient relics are waiting for you. Play Pharaoh Fortune for free or for real money and win up to 2,000 coins.
Classic 7 Fruits
Ready for a juicy Vegas fruit slot machine? Classic 7 Fruits by Mr. Slotty is exactly what you need.
It is a simple, no-nonsense video slot where you have to spin the reels filled with various fruits in hopes for a lucky win.
Here, the best vary from $0.01 (which makes Classic 7 Fruits a perfect penny slot) to $25 per spin.
Wild Diamond 7x
When you play Wild Diamond 7x, you'll forget that it's just a simple online Slot. Yes, it's that realistic.
It's designed as a real Vegas style slot, even down to such details as the sounds.
Wild Diamond 7x is a good Slot for both low-rollers and high-rollers, as the bets go from 0.01 to 500.
Super 7
Super 7 by SA Gaming is intereting. Very interesting.
Its design resembles the fanciest Las Vegas slots, but it's not the only reason to play this gem of a game.
You see, Super 7 has three progressive jackpots that spice up your gameplay. You have Mini Jackpot, Minor Jackpot, and Major Jackpot - which you can win at any spin.
Cash Machine
Cash Machine is not your usual Vegas-style slots machine that is overcrowded with numerous bonus features.
The developers at Fugaso took a simpler approach to real money gaming and created a Slot that's extremely easy to play. Select your bet level, coin value, and the number of lines (up to five).
Keep in mind that the best symbol of this game is the Big Win symbol. It can pay you as much as 2,000x.
Play the demo mode first to find out whether Cash Machine could be renamed to a money-making machine.
Xmas Joker
It's not easy to find a Christmas-themed Vegas style slot machine. Usually, festive slots look like video games, and the fans of classic slots feel a bit left out.
Luckily, we have Xmas Joker by Play'n GO. It's a simple, yet beautiful game that can be enjoyed not only during the holiday season.
Three elf Scatters will let you win 10 free spins instantly - with a possibility to retrigger the feature with up to 50 free spins in a row.
Booming 777 Deluxe
Booming 777 Deluxe is a shiny Vegas-style slot machine by Booming Games.
Its simplistic art style lets you concentrate on the gambling aspect of the game, and the flexible betting selection allows you to fully control your bankroll.
Now, about the lucky symbols. The golden bar acts as a Wild, the diamond seven is a 7x multiplier (you only need to get one!), and the red seven is your Scatter that triggers free spins.
Free Vegas Slots FAQ
To win at slots, you need to build a 'winning combination' on an active payline. A 'winning combination,' usually, includes at least three identical symbols sitting on three consecutive rows.
Most games feature 'Wild' symbols that help you build winning combinations as they can substitute all the other symbols in the game.
Some Quick Hit Slots and NetEnt slots (amongst others) include a 'Pay Both Ways' feature. When this is active, the winning combinations are built left-to-right and right-to-left. Read more here.
As a slots player, you have access to different forms of free slot play. You can play free slots with demo credits and enjoy the full version of each slot machine for free, albeit with no real money winnings.
You can also use a casino bonus to get bonus money or free spins to play free slots. In this case you can win real money but you are also subject to the bonus' terms and conditions, which often include specific wagering requirements that apply to the winnings.
As per the UKGC regulation on gambling, all UK-licensed casinos are obliged to display the terms and conditions in full on their promotional pages. Read more here.
You can win money on slots when you play for real money. You can also win money when you play with a bonus, but don't forget that terms and conditions and specific wagering requirements might apply. Read more here.
The amount you can win on penny slots depends on the winning combination, the stakes, and the number of active paylines. The payout varies on each game. Read more here.
The promotion presented on this page was available at the time of writing. With some Casino promotions changing on daily basis, we suggest you to check on the site if it still available. Also, please do not forget to read the terms and conditions in full before you accept a bonus.Introduction to Las Vegas Visit
In June of 2019, 3.6 million people visited Las Vegas. Perhaps you were one of them? Or maybe you’ve yet to have your first Las Vegas visit. Whether you’re a frequent traveler to Las Vegas or a newbie, you want to be better prepared at playing slots in Las Vegas
Good for you! Preparation is key. A little can go a long way, especially when it comes to your hard-won cash. In this post, I’ll start with seven secrets to winning on slots during your Las Vegas visit.
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1. Nevada Payout Return Limits
Nevada state gaming regulation #14 places a minimum legal limit on payout returns for slot machines. This minimum payout limit is 75%. Further, this lower limit applies per wager.
“All gaming devices must: Theoretically pay out a mathematically demonstrable percentage of all amounts wagered, which must not be less than 75 percent for each wager available for play on the device.”
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Regulation 14.040: Minimum standards for gaming devicesWhat does this 75% minimum mean? Does it mean the player gets back 75 cents if they make a $1 bet on a slot machine? No, it doesn’t.
What it means is that the statistical average is at least a 75% return over many, many bets. The additional use of the words “per wager” in Regulation 14 means the slot machine must never be set less than an average 75% return.
For example, an unscrupulous casino operator might set a slot machine to have a 70% return for some time, then later set the payout return to 80% for an equal number of bets. Such a setup would also result in an average 75% return over both periods combined, but wouldn’t meet Nevada’s legal requirement
Another close examination of the regulation shows something missing, which is well worth noting. What’s missing? There’s no mention of a maximum legal limit, which some states have put in place
Without an upper legal limit on payout returns, casino operators in Nevada can offer the occasional slot machine which, on average, wins. Of course, casinos would lose money on slot machines set up this way. But, there are still good business reasons to do so.
I go over these reasons in How to Win at Slots in Older Casinos Built Before 2012. Suffice to say now, Nevada gaming regulations make doing so legal. Two questions naturally follow:
- Do Las Vegas casinos set up the occasional slot machine to be winners?
- How can a slots player find these winning slot machines?
The answer to the first question is yes. Casinos often decide to set up an occasional slot machine to win for promotional purposes. It’s a silent casino promotion because casinos choose to do this on slot machines situated to be easily visible to passersby.
It’s also worth noting that, like any business activity, it’s on a careful budget. Casinos can’t afford to do this often because, like everyone else, they are on a budget. But they do it. I know because I’ve found them before.
Later in this post, I’ll share some recent experiences from my fan base regarding candidate winning slot machines in Las Vegas for your consideration. But knowing they exist, and why they exist, is a necessary first step to finding them.
2. Know Your Nevada Gaming Stats
The Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission regulate the gaming industry in Las Vegas. This state gaming commission’s website is both thorough and comprehensive. The site offers several useful resources, but let’s consider the other side of payout returns: Actual payout statistics.
Legal limits and reported statistics are like the difference between a plan of attack and an actual battle. Remember the adage, “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” Or, in more normal circumstances, having a budget isn’t the same as paying bills.
In terms of slots gameplay, we know that Nevada gaming regulations have set a minimum payout return limit of 75% per wager on their gaming machines. That’s the law. But what happened? How did it work out in the real world?
Some states, including Nevada, do more than define a theoretical payout return limit. Nevada provides comprehensive payout return statistics. Each year, I review these actual statistics in Nevada Slot Machine Casino Gambling.
Rather than repeat myself fully, I’ll point you toward the Payout Returns in Nevada section of the Nevada post just mentioned. For now, I’ll say Nevada provides actual payout return statistics by:
- State region, including Downtown Las Vegas versus the Strip
- Slot machine denomination, including most common amounts but also multi-denomination, Megabucks, and other
- Duration, including the current month, last 3 months, and last 12 months
- Casino revenue range, including all casinos, over $1B, $1B to $12B, etc.
While past statistics never predict future behavior, a truism from the study of statistics, we can look at the available actuals to see if we can spot business trends.
Maybe, just perhaps, we can find a slot machine denomination with the best odds of winning last week. And perhaps they still have high odds this week.
Why? Because, in general, casinos are businesses as described and slots aren’t table card games. The odds of winning at table card games can’t change unless someone cheats or the game rules change.
Slot machines are electronic devices. Yes, they have random number generators – but RNGs are adjustable as a tool by the casino operator trying to control their financial performance metrics finely.
3. Check the Most Recent Payout Return Statistics
Before your next trip to Las Vegas to play slot machines, visit the Nevada Gaming Commission’s website. Under Statistics & Publications, you’ll find an entry for Gaming Revenue Report with PDF files available for download.
At the time of this writing, the most recently available monthly gaming revenue report from Nevada is for June 2019. These reports include the gaming statistics for slot machines, table games, and sports betting. Further, the left-most columns are for the most recent month with the remaining columns for a combined three months and twelve months.
Page 1 is a state-wide summary. Since we are discussing a Las Vegas visit, we need to find two specific state regions in the report: Downtown Las Vegas and Las Vegas Strip. Both are situated in Clark County.
The gaming revenue statistics for downtown Las Vegas begins on page 8:
- Page 8: All downtown Las Vegas casinos combined
- Page 9: Downtown Las Vegas casinos with over $1 million in gaming revenue
- Page 10: Downtown Las Vegas casinos with $1 million to $12 million in gaming revenue (none currently exist)
- Page 11: Downtown Las Vegas casinos with over $12 million in gaming revenue
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The gaming revenue statistics for the Las Vegas Strip are on pages 12 through 17:
- Page 12: All Las Vegas Strip Area casinos
- Page 13: Las Vegas Strip casinos with over $1 million in gaming revenue
- Page 14: Las Vegas Strip casinos with $1 million to $12 million in gaming revenue (none currently exist)
- Page 15: Las Vegas Strip casinos with $12 million to $36 million in gaming revenue
- Page 16: Las Vegas Strip casinos with $36 million to $72 million in gaming revenue
- Page 17: Las Vegas Strip casinos with over $72 million in gaming revenue
Since the format is common on all these pages, let’s review how to read and understand one of them: Page 8 – All Downtown Las Vegas Area casinos combined. The current month columns are:
- Number of Locations
- Number of Units
- Win Amount in 1000s of dollars
- Percent Change from the last month
- Win Percent
Note that Nevada reports the Win Percent for the casino, not the player. In most other states, this percentage is the casino hold percentage or Hold%. Subtracting it from 100% provides the percentage of winnings retained by the player. Further, negative numbers are in parenthesis.
The lowest casino Win Percent, i.e., highest player return, in June 2019 was the $25 denomination slot machine with a negative 7.57 Win%. There were nine of these slot machines at three locations with an overall monthly player return of 107.57%
Why so high? Quite likely, someone won big on one of these $25 denomination slot machines. That big jackpot pushed up the overall monthly average on all nine machines with this denomination in the downtown area.
Looking on the same line under the 3-month entry, it was 100% minus 4.77% equals 95.23%. The 12-month average was even smaller, at 92.44%. This abrupt change indicates playing $25 denomination in downtown Las Vegas is not the advantage it might otherwise appear.
Otherwise, slot machine denominations with the highest-to-lowest player returns for June 2019 in all casinos in the downtown Las Vegas area were:
- Multi-denomination: 100% minus 5.44% equals 94.56% return to the player
- 25-cent quarter slots: 100% minus 5.49% equals 94.51% return to the player
- 1-dollar slots: 100% minus 5.59% equals 94.41% return to the player
- 5-cent nickel slots: 100% minus 5.75% equals 94.25% return to the player
- 5-dollar slots: 100% minus 7.49% equals 92.51% return to the player
- 1-cent penny slots: 100% minus 11.03% equals 88.97% return to the player
- Megabucks: 100% minus 14.02% equals 85.98% return to the player
I understand that this is a lot of statistics. But consider what we learned even with this simple research of statistics from downtown Las Vegas casinos for June 2019:
- The worst payout returns are on Megabucks
- The second-lowest payout return is from penny slots
- The third-lowest payout return is from $5 and $25 slot machines
- The best returns, all very similar, are nickel slots, dollar slots, quarter slots, and multi-denominational slot machines
A further detailed analysis would be to perform the same straightforward payout return study on downtown Las Vegas casinos separated into three ranges of gaming revenue.
I’ll save this further analysis for another time. We’d need to run down the monthly gaming revenue for each casino, likely from their casino operator’s financial reports filed with the Security Exchange Commission.
4. The Many Wonderful Las Vegas Gambling Podcasts
So far, I’ve talked about gaming regulations and gaming revenue reports available from the state of Nevada. These topics were based on official information from the government. But, that’s not everything we have. There are also people like you
More specifically, there are people like you that have enjoyed Las Vegas so much that they started a podcast about it. There are more than a few such Las Vegas gambling podcasts. In preparation for your next Las Vegas visit, start listening to them to learn a lot of tips and tricks from these Las Vegas experts
Each show is more-or-less available anywhere you find podcasts. Some shows are former or current radio shows which distribute as a podcast so, again, look for them wherever you find podcasts.
If you’ve never listened to a podcast before, you might wonder how to start doing so. Here’s how. There
Those linked images go to my podcast show at those sites. After subscribing to my show, of course, use their search tool to find any of the following podcast show names:
- Five Hundy by Midnight
- Vegas Never Sleeps
- 360 Vegas
- You Can Bet on That
- Gambling with an Edge
- Vegas Confessions Podcast
- Vital Vegas
The longest-running Las Vegas gambling podcast is Five Hundy by Midnight: The Original Las Vegas Podcast. They’ve been at it since January of 2005 providing weekly episodes since then. At the time of this writing, they are up to episode #702. The hosts are relatively focused on Las Vegas news stories.
Vegas Never Sleeps by Steven Maggi is a former radio show now distributed as a podcast. He’s been broadcasting since 2008. His show is mostly thoughtful interviews with various Las Vegas entertainers and others. I was one of those other interviewees in March of 2018.
360 Vegas is a popular podcast about all things Las Vegas. They also host an annual meetup called 360 Vegas Vacation. The 2019 event, Twitter hashtag #360VV9, is on September 1-3, 2019. At the time of this writing, it’s still about a month away.
Gambling Podcast: You Can Bet on That, a podcast for the recreational gambler, is hosted by Mark and Dr. Mike. They have great chemistry and produce a fun and friendly show. While they are physically located in San Diego, they are so near Las Vegas and visit so often that they often talk about it.
Gambling with an Edge is a weekly live radio show in Las Vegas found afterward as podcast episodes. It’s hosted by Bob Dancer and Richard Munchkin of video poker fame. They interview professional gamblers, authors, and casinos insiders.
Vegas Confessions Podcast is all about the casino and gambling lifestyle. The three hosts are often in Las Vegas. They cover Las Vegas topics as well as gambling superstitions, casino games, food reviews, trip reports, and more.
Last but certainly not least is Vital Vegas by Scott Roeben. His blog, twitter feed, and podcast are incredible. He loves Las Vegas. Here you’ll find essential Las Vegas news, tips, deals, and (as he says) WTF. In my opinion, out of all the Las Vegas podcasts I mention here, pick Vital Vegas. You won’t regret it.
None of these podcasts have paid me to promote them in this blog. I like to listen to them and thought you might find them useful in preparing for your Las Vegas visit
I should further note that this is not a comprehensive list of Las Vegas podcasts. For instance, I haven’t yet listened to the Faces and Aces Las Vegas podcast. Again, the podcasts listed are merely those I have discovered and enjoyed over time.
5. Downtown Versus the Strip
Las Vegas is famous for the Strip with its world-famous mega-resorts, shops, five-star dining options, and entertainment venues. But there is also the smaller and lesser-known historic downtown Las Vegas with its venerable casinos, museums, and zip line.
Comparing the Strip to Downtown is like comparing apples and oranges. Each location is a unique experience with different options. At a high level, I could perhaps best describe Downtown as where many locals go while the Strip is where out-of-towners tend to be
How do I know this? Because of reported gaming revenue for the two areas. For 2018, the Las Vegas Strip had $6.6 billion in annual gaming revenue. Also for 2018, Downtown Las Vegas had less than 10% of that annual gaming revenue or $650 million
The Strip has big casinos, big acts, and big everything else. Again, it’s world-famous and hardly a secret. Downtown Las Vegas is known as Old Vegas or merely Fremont Street. For many visitors, Old Vegas is the secret worth sharing.
Old Vegas is more than one secret. It is perhaps as many as 15 secrets, all by itself. In advance of your Las Vegas visit, consider reviewing this post from The Crazy Tourist, 15 Best Things to Do in Downtown Las Vegas.
If you are staying on or slightly off the Las Vegas Strip but want to visit downtown Las Vegas or vice versa, how do you get there? How far apart are they?
Downtown and the Strip are about two to five miles apart. With light traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard, it takes 15 to 20 minutes to drive from mid-Strip to the Fremont Street Experience. This time applies to
Otherwise, there’s taking the bus, walking, rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, and taking a taxi. It’s a two-mile walk from the Stratosphere on the north end of the Strip.
6. When to Visit and When Not to Visit
Whether you visit the Las Vegas Strip, downtown Las Vegas, or both, winning at slots in Las Vegas means considering when to visit. This question has to do with the number of visitors in Las Vegas at any given time.
In 2018, over 42 million people visited Las Vegas. In June of 2019, 3.9 million people visited according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau. Only 514,000 visitors, about 13% of the monthly visitors, were visiting in June to attend a conference.
Per month, most visitors are in March at less than 3.8 million while the least visitors were in February at 3.2 million individuals. Conference attendance is meager during December
What I’m trying to do here by digging into these statistics isn’t to examine the number of visitors in a month or a year in the city of Las Vegas. What I’m trying to dig into relates to experiences my fanbase has been having when visiting Las Vegas
What happens to them? Whether they are on the Strip or Downtown, they have been reporting that they win at slots on weekdays and lose playing slots on weekends.
Why? I can explain why, and touched on why above, but it hardly matters. This pattern exists, whatever its cause. And I want that you should know about it when planning your Las Vegas visit
I touched on why this is above, about casinos being a business with fine control over their payout return statistics for slots. This control is now daily due to technological advances in casino operating systems. At most modern casinos, central computers control slot machine odds of winning
As I have mentioned elsewhere, casino operators have been seeing an unprecedented number of casino visitors. To manage such large groups, casino operators needed to automate their casinos. Doing so allowed them to reduce their workforce while also providing them the ability to achieve their daily financial performance metrics
Both changes resulted in significantly reduced operating costs. However, automation means casinos can quickly adjust the odds of winning on all their slot machines. When would they need to do this
It’s a business decision. Casino operators universally decrease the odds of winning on slots machines during the weekends when hotels have higher occupancy. To keep some balance, they’ll also increase the odds of winning on slots during weekdays.
Nevada gaming regulations require a monthly revenue report from each casino. That’s a monthly report. Even if it was a weekly report, this difference in weekday and weekend payout returns is unnoticeable.
Both a weekly and monthly report shows the payout return average over their respective periods. Only a daily report would show the casino’s behavior of changing slot machine odds within a week.
But the Nevada gaming regulations don’t show daily gaming revenue reports. No state does. So, casino operators can do this without breaking any laws
Based on experiences shared by my audience, there are lower odds of winning on slot machines starting by 10 a.m. on Friday through around sunrise on Monday morning. Further, the same reduction occurs on significant holidays or whenever Las Vegas has more extensive than usual crowds of visitors
7. Candidate Winning Slot Machines in Las Vegas
Scott Roeben first mentioned the best slot machine I know about in Las Vegas. He runs the Vital Vegas blog, Twitter feed, and podcast. This slot machine is in Four Queens in downtown Las Vegas over by the cashier’s cage.
Scott posted a photo of this “Old Faithful” slot machine on Twitter along with its general area within the casino. It’s a 2-credit, $5 denomination Progressive Wheel of Fortune machine.
Being a $5 denomination slot machine, it’s high-limit. I don’t recommend playing high-limit slots unless you can afford the relatively large bankroll required to make 100 to 120 bets of $10 each. Don’t ever bet with any amount of money you can’t afford to lose
Remember, winning by luck isn’t something with which I can help you or anyone else. Instead, winning because you have an excellent plan is something with which I can and do help.
Bonus Secret
Thanks for reading so far into this rather long post with so much statistics. You deserve a reward. And so here it is
Less than two months ago, audience member James reported from the Four Queens Casino in downtown Las Vegas. Based on his experiences, they’ve set up their slot machines to provide a quick win or “taste” followed by no wins
The advantage play to use in response to this casino setup is what I call my “Five Pull” approach. For slot machines there, make only five bets before moving to another slot machine. If you win anything at all, move on without making any remaining bets.
Optionally, if you can, try to play slot machines not played for at least a few minutes or longer. Of course, finding an idle slot machine isn’t possible on busy nights at the casino.
I explain this specific winning strategy in detail in my blog article Winning Strategy 1: Only Win Immediately.
Summary of Las Vegas Visit
In June of 2019, 3.6 million people visited Las Vegas. Next month, you might be one of them. Whether you’re a frequent traveler to Las Vegas or a newbie, this post helps you be better prepared for playing slots in Las Vegas.
When it comes to winning with slots at someplace you’re not as familiar with as your local casino, preparation with a little thought is the key to a successful trip.
Join our Nevada slots community, a private and closed Facebook Group, for more advice from fellow lovers of slots and Las Vegas
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By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC