Slot Machines: Fun Machines or Tax Machines? A technician reveals the truth about one-armed bandits 9781552705698, 1552705692

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Slot Machines: Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

A Technician Reveals the Truth About One-Armed Bandits

Ian B. Williams

ISBN: 978-1-55270-569-8 Written by: Ian B. Williams

Published in Canada by: Productive Publications, P.O. Box 7200 Station A, Toronto, ON. M5W 1X8 Phone: (416) 483-0634 Fax: (416) 322-7434 Canadian Web Site: www.ProductivePublications.ca American Web Site: www.ProductivePublications.com Front Cover Art: Copyright free clip art from Corel Gallery 200,000 Corel Corporation, 1600 Carling Ave., Ottawa, Ont. K1Z 8R7

Copyright eBook version in pdf format © 2013 by Ian B. Williams

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission of the author.

How This Book Will Help You

Whether you are a beginner to playing slot machines or a longtime pro, you will discover exactly how a slot machine works. You will understand the principals of slot machine design; learn how to read a slot's paytable properly; understand slot machine tenns; know how to read the player metres, and how to effectively playa slot machine. In essence, you will be able to look at any slot machine, understand the payout system; the type of machine; make an educated decision on whether to play it; play it effectively, and not lose one red cent to any mistake that you may have made before. You will get a better enjoyment out of playing slots; you will not lose as much money, and you will have a better casino experience. The author notes that only a few years ago the estimated revenue of all U. S. casinos was fifty one billion dollars per year and it is not inconceivable that the world take from slot machines may be well over one trillion dollars annually! Since statistically slot machines count towards approximately seventy percent of the casino's take when the casino also has table and other games, U.S. slots could be bringing in thirty five billion dollars a year alone! Even the Canadian casino industry pulls in billions of dollars per year. And all of the previous figures do not take into account bingo, lotteries, and other gambling activities. Yes, slot machines, casinos, and other government sanctioned or controlled gambling operations bring in a mind-staggering amount of money (more than the national worth of some countries), and in most cases a percentage goes directly into government coffers. Like gasoline, tobacco, and alcohol, gambling is a definite cash cow for the government. In this context, Ian Williams examines the social implications of slot machines in our society; both the positive and negative. Ian B. Williams is a certified electronics technician and a trained slot technician, who worked for several years in the casino industry as a Slot Machine Technician. He has extensive knowledge of the real, true technical aspects of slot machines, video slot and video pokerlBlackjack machines, and slot machine communications systems. He is extremely well qualified to write this fascinating and very objective book: Slot Machines: Fun Machines or Tax Machines? A Technician Reveals the Truth About One-Armed Bandits. Read this book and learn from him!

DISCLAIMER

No representation is made with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and both the author and the publisher specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose and in no event shall either be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limiting to special, incidental, consequential or other damages.

Contents

Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19

.................................................. 1 A Short History of Slots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 11 A Quick Slot Glossary .............................. 15 Parts of a Slot Machine ............................. 35 How a Slot Machine Works: All the Nitty-Gritty .......... 39 Probability, Odds, and Percentages: Slot Machine Mathematical Theory .................... 45 Types of Games ................................... 55 The Paytable ..................................... 61 Read the Machine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Let's Play A Machine! .............................. 69 How to Play Slot Machines...and Not Lose Your Shirt ...... 75 "...butthe machine is broken!" ........................ 81 Don't Become Prey to a Flea ......................... 85 The Right PocketlLeft Pocket Rule .................... 89 General Casino Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 A Note About Progressives ......................... 109 Slot Tournaments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 113 Video Slots and Video Poker Machines ................ 115 Slot Machines, Fun Machines, Tax Machines. . . . . . . . . . .. 117 Final Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 129

v

Introduction

Before I started working in the casino industry in North America, I was like most people; probably like you; when it came to understanding certain things about slot machines. I had never played them before, but I knew what I had read and heard over the years. Books would tell me to look for hot machines, and beware of cold cycles. I'd have to use a "guaranteed formula" to fmd that loose sucker. Also, I was warned to watch that attendant; don't let them tighten that machine up. Play in cycles, one coin, three coins, one, one, two, three, and one, and I may hit a jackpot. "Always works for me," they would say. Then I went to school and put my knowledge of electronics and computers to use. I learned about slot machines and graduated as a Certified Slot Technician. I now understood how slots were manufactured and programmed, and everything about how they work. This was information the casino industry really didn't want us to know, such as how the manufactures program the machines and how to repair the machine right down to component level on the circuit board. In fact, I have the knowledge to make my own slot machine, program it, and have it certified by any government 1

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

regulating body. I was amazed at how simply designed a slot machine actually is. After graduating from the course, I went to work at a casino as a technician, installing, maintaining, and repairing slot machines. During the course of my day, I'd talk to players, and I'd watch them play. Sometimes, I'd be in a machine, making a repair or replacing a lightbulb. "Tightening her up?" a customer would ask. "Oh sure!" I'd reply jokingly. "Putting in that special winning lightbulb!" I'd go along with customers. It was fun and I found it amusing. However, after a few months of all of this, it started me thinking. I kept hearing the same comments--all day--every day. "These machine are too tight." "Can you loosen it?" "I never win at these machines."

2

Introduction

"These slots are looser than everywhere else!" "Direct me to a hot machine. " "Check this machine! I haven't won anything all day. There's something wrong with it." "I put in over one thousand dollars in this machine and it hasn't paid me anything. You guys owe me!" I'd check the machine. There would be nothing wrong with it. I'd close the door, watch the guy put a coin in, and spin. He'd win a coin. "Thanks for loosening it up for me. Now it's hot. Now I'll win." Sure thing, buddy. But I didn't do anything to the machine. I can't believe that I also used to think like this. Did customers really think this way, as I did, before I worked here? They sure did and they were fanatic about it. They'd complain that we were ripping them off, yet they'd be there every day spending their money. I'd see people spend five thousand dollars to win a thousand-dollar jackpot. Players would 3

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

come with hordes of cash and go home broke. I watched, I listened; I took the insults, the putdowns, and the accusations. I talked to customers, in depth. I'd find that they were playing slots to make money, not to have fun. I found them losing when they didn't have to. To tell you the truth, I was a bit shocked. These weren't the gambling addicts either, who were even worse. These were regular people who were out for some recreation but seemed doomed right from the start. I noticed what they did wrong; how their mistaken beliefs about slots helped to drain their bank accounts, pay my wage, and make hundreds of millions of dollars for the casino. And employees were no different. They also would patronize other casinos and state the same things to those technicians that our customers were telling me. What was wrong? Well, firstly a casino stays in business by repeat business. Regular players, who play once a week--twice a day--whatever, are what keep casinos alive and people employed. It is better for a casino in the long-run to have a customer come in every other day and spend twenty dollars than it is for a customer to come in once, lose a thousand, and not come back for months. As such, most casinos employ cards that players can use to accumulate points. This keeps people playing. The more they spend; the more points or complimentary services they may quality for. The industry seems to feed on itself, with a vicious circle of getting the people in; getting them to spend 4

Introduction

their money; rewarding them for doing so; then offering the same or more to keep them coming back. Secondly, with all the false and misleading information that is bountiful in a slew of books, TV specials, and news reports, players feel that they aren't getting a fair shake or using the right system when they play. This is where the problems lie. Myths, misconceptions, false beliefs, and the casino industry itself fuelling all of these. I analysed the situation and came up with the following reasons for all those things I talked about earlier. Myths and mistaken beliefs about slot machines are imbedded in most people's minds from books and articles they have read; television shows they have watched, and comments they have heard from other players. All these comments, systems, and methods are what have been made up to justify the act of not hitting a jackpot. People use slots as a way to invest rather than to have fun. Most players distrust casinos, slot personnel in general, and slot technicians in particular. People get quite upset when they don't win. Players seem to think that slot machines are set up to pay at certain times of the day; on certain combinations of coins in, programmed to pay by a computer; pay when someone pushes a button in the back room; stop paying if paying out too much, and if hot; will go cold, and if cold; will go hot.

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Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

Ok, now I'm intrigued. So I went and got books on playing slot machines. Hmm! Seems like these books believe much ofthe same things as the players I deal with every day do. People who play slots write most of the books. They may know how to play them, but don't know how they work. I talked to other technicians at other casinos. Some are ofthe same mind set as I am. However, most seem to be players in disguise. Many techs are just as, excuse the word, ignorant about slot machines as the players are. I was in total shock and disbelief. I guess it is true! I had one customer who spent almost half an hour telling me about his buddy who worked as a slot technician at a casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, you know, "Where they know all about these machines," he said. He was telling me how his buddy told him that all the slots are tightened and loosed daily at different times. How the computer in the back room looks at the player's cards in the readers; then decides who should win a jackpot. How the machines are rigged not to pay if certain coin combinations are played, and other such silly stuff; like whenever a tech goes into a machine to do a repair, he looks at the book (a book we fill out every time we go into a machine to log what we do for Government audits) and then makes the machine hot or cold depending what's in the book. Even how the tech has a special screwdriver, and when in a machine turns a special screw labelled "T" and ilL" for, yep, you guessed it, "Tighten" and "Loosen". As I stood there trying 6

Introduction

to maintain a straight face, I also felt a little sad. By believing such nonsense, this man was not winning. He was not happy. In addition, he was flat broke and totally miserable. I sat down one day and thought all of this through. It was truly amazing. I thought about all that I had seen and heard. I looked at my own electronics background and my slot training. Then it hit me, though I guess it was more obvious than I had wanted to believe. People really don't think that slots or casinos are honest. They don't really know how to play a slot machine effectively. They read the books that are out there; filled with mistaken beliefs and wrong information. They see the special reports on TV about how this casino cheated people or how this government inspector lied, not being told that these are extremely rare and isolated incidents. They are brainwashed. There is no way of really winning, but there are ways of reducing losses. I read more books, checked the Internet, and talked to more people. If I were a slot player, what would I want to know? What would be important to me? How could I use the information? Why isn't there a book out there that tells me the truth about slot machines? Ah hal So, from being fed up with hearing all the stories about how I rig the machines; how they payout; why this person always wins and this person

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Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

doesn't, and seeing a lot of players waste money instead of having a good time, I decided to write this book. Sure, you say. You worked for a casino. Obviously, they want you to write this book, Ian, so you can keep us conned. Is that what you are thinking? Keep you in the dark, coming back for more punishment? Not in the least. Yes, I want you to keep coming back to the casinos. I need you to keep my fellow co-workers employed. Buy house and food, you know. However, I did the age-old thing that makes people help other people. I asked myself, "If I were a customer, what would I want to know about slots that would let me know exactly what my chances are of winning and how I can enjoy myself and avoid losing lots of money?" If I were you. There's the customer service key. There's the bullseye of why this book exists. I worked in the industry. However, what if I was a customer? Yes, I worked for a casino as a slot technician. Yes, they paid me. Yes, I practised the customer service stuff, "Hi, how are you, enjoy yourself, good luck. Not winning? Try another machine. Hit the jackpot? Congratulations! No the machines aren't rigged. Sorry, but can't tell you the payback percentage". Think about it. The casino industry in general is not really too thrilled with customers knowing exactly how slot machines work. A little bit of mystery and myth fuels the pocketbook. Of course my own employer 8

Introduction

would not have been thrilled in having one of its technicians extolling the truth about slots. Not a team player, they would say. That's also why you fmd no photographs in this book. The slot manufactures don't want to be associated with the absolute truth, either. I gain nothing by rehashing the same stuff you can find in lots of other books; the same rhetoric that has abounded for decades. I want to put to rest all ofthose mistaken beliefs about slots; help you enjoy yourself, and gain some satisfaction in knowing that when you go and play, you know exactly how these machines work which makes you a better customer. That is customer service! So what will you learn in this book? Whether you are a beginner to playing slot machines or a longtime pro, you will discover exactly how a slot machine works. You will understand the principals of slot machine design; learn how to read a slot's paytable properly; understand slot machine terms, know how to read the player metres, and how to effectively play a slot machine. In essence, you will be able to look at any slot machine, understand the payout system, the type of machine, make an educated decision on whether to play it, play it effectively, and not lose one red cent to any mistake that you may have made before. You will get a better enjoyment out of playing slots, you will not lose as much money, and you will have a better casino experience.

9

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

I am not an "absolute expert" on slot machines. I am neither an engineer nor a designer. I am simply a repairman. However, there are many so-called experts out there, from designers and engineers, to technicians and players, who really don't have an inkling about how slots work. They may know how to create them, manufacture them, or play them, but they still can't get away from the falsehoods. They keep spewing the same garbage. They tell you about their "systems". Let me clarity this right here and now. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SYSTEM THAT CAN HELP YOU WIN AT SLOT MACHINES! They write books on how to win at slots. There is no way in heck that anyone can tell you how to win at slots! There is absolutely no skill whatsoever used in playing a slot machine. It is a "no-brainer" activity. Do you really want to know the magic secret on how to win at slots? The God's honest truth about how to actually win against a slot machine? Ok, here it is. The real secret: don't play them! Put your money in the bank and collect interest. You'd be better offl That, my friends, is the only secret. They are not experts, I am no expert. There is no system in this universe, nor on any dimensional plane of existence, that can help you win at slots. That is a myth, a fallacy, and a bunch of bull. But by knowing how slots work and how to effectively play them, you can reduce your losses, and increase your enjoyment, and that is the only thing that makes you a winner at slot machines.

10

Chapter 1 A Short History of Slots

A long time ago, on a planet not too far away--actually this one--people would put their monetary equivalent to today's currency into a piece of equipment, even if it was a rock with a hole in it, for a chance to receive something back. Gambling has been part of human nature ever since the ftrst person paid another to perform a task. That fITst person took a gamble that the money they paid was for adequate service provided. Today, we gamble when we buy a coffee from a machine. Will it come out or will it eat my coin? Back in about 100 B.C.E. (Before Current Era) a man from Alexandria named Hero remarked about a machine in an Egyptian temple that would dispense a cup of holy water when a coin was put in. (Next day, he opened up a series of machine laden cafeterias which dispensed his newly created Hero sandwiches. Not true, but ifhe were a bright entrepreneur, it could have happened!) Of course, gambling purely for the purpose of getting more money is just as old. Around the late 1800's, various mechanical games appeared that truly gave those who put a coin in, a genuine chance to win something back far more valuable. You couldn't win money, but credits you accumulated could be 11

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

exchanged for merchandise. In 1905, Charles Fey, a Bavarian immigrant to the United States, invented what we know today as the modern slot machine. A purely mechanical device, the three reel machines were a huge success. The Liberty Bell was a symbol that Fey fell in love with. So one of the symbols on the machine was a bell. The rest were mostly the card suits, hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. Now, anytime you introduce something like this, you will always have people who object. Fey was not immune to this type of outcry. Anti-gambling groups grew, spewing forth the Wrath of God and soul sucking of Satan and destruction of family and other awful things that gambling supposedly brought about. So, smart man that Fey was, to find that loophole around these groups, he created slots that would dispense a stick of fruit-flavoured gum with each handle pull. Of course, the reels would spin for a chance to win some money. Lo and behold, my friends, no longer were they gambling machines, but vending machines. The chance to win money was only for added entertainment value. Well, of course slots eventually went back to forgetting about vending gum, and were accepted as genuine gambling devices. However, the vending legacy of slots is still there today. The gums were flavoured orange, cherry, plum, and watermelon. Ah, the symbols you see on some slots today. Where did the bell go? It is the bar symbol, representative of a stick of gum that had

12

A Short History of Slots

the bell symbol on it. So next time you hit three cherries, buy some gum to honour Charles Fey, inventor of the Slot Machine. From a small state called Nevada, the slot machine has entrenched its way into more and more countries each day. Not only that, you can fmd slots on Native Reserves, cruise ships, hotels, airports, and their offspring the video lottery terminal, in bars and taverns all over the planet. The popular slot machine has progressed from a purely mechanical device, in which the pull of the handle kicked the reels into motion, to today's totally computer-controlled gaming device.

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Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

14

Chapter 2 A Quick Slot Glossary

Before we get into the heart of our discussion, it is necessary that you become familiar with many terms that are used in the casino industry when talking about slot machines. Some of these terms will be very extensive, giving the impression that when covered later on, I may be just rehashing the same thing (maybe, maybe not). Others will be short and sweet. It all depends on the term and it doesn't hurt to expand on something that seems to be completely explained here. You can never learn too much about slot machines. Award Glass - Glass on the top portion of the machine that contains the award payout table and usually further information related to the paytable or machine operation such as wild symbol explanations or "legal" wording. Bank - A group of slot machines set up side by side either on a wall or side by sidelback to back in the middle of the floor that all share the same location designation. As an example, eight machines could be grouped together as bank 243, with each machine labelled as 243-1 for the fIrst, 243-2

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Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

for the second, etc. Banks allow an easier way to do moves, conversions, accounting, and other day-to-day functions. Belly Glass - The glass on the bottom part, or belly, of the machine. Usually contains a graphic describing the type of machine such as a stylish number, a gold bar, or other such pictures. The belly glass could also contain an extension of the paytable. As well, the belly glass may fold down to allow access to light bulbs and switches for repair. Bertha - Also called "Mini Bertha" or "Big Bertha". Generic name for an oversized slot machine, standing anywhere from ten to twenty feet tall. Most people think that the bigger the machine, the bigger the payout or the higher the payback percentage. Not true! These machines use exactly the same computer chips as their regular sized same-themed companions. Also, some people think that Bertha's should be avoided because they cost so much to buy. Again not true ! Yes, they cost two to three times the normal sized machine, but pay for themselves in two to three days. The only thing different is their size. They are a marketing tool. Bet Max Button - If credits are stored in the machine, pressing the Bet Max button (or may be labelled "Bet One", "Bet Two", or "Bet Three") immediately bets the maximum number of coins for that machine, and 16

A Quick Slot Glossary

according to the option selection of the casino, mayor may not automatically spin the reels as well.

Bet One Button - If credits are stored in the machine, pressing the bet one button bets only one of your credits at a time. Buy Pays - Type of game that has separate paytables for each coin played. One coin may "buy" only bars, two coins may buy bars and sevens, and three coins may buy bars, sevens, and jewellery (including the jackpot combination). Cage - Booth or counter similar to a teller's in a bank, where money is exchanged, coins or tokens sold or redeemed, and jackpot amounts given to slot attendants. Candle - The light on the top of the machine that lets casino personnel know about tilts, fills, andjackpots through various combinations of flashing lights. Cash Out Button - If credits are stored in the machine, pressing the cash out button will cause the machine to payout coins for the number of credits stored.

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Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

Change Button - Turns on the change light on the candle to call for change or service. CMOS-RAM - A battery-controlled chip that stores information such as last few spins, payouts, bills, metres, winning combinations, etc. It is a fail-safe circuit and is used to keep all slot information available in case of power outages, the machine being turned off, or CPU problems. Also acts as a memory device to display the last few games played and all aspects of it in case of any customer dispute. Coin Acceptor - Device that detects the insertion of a coin and compares it to a series of parameters. If the inserted coin matches properties of the information exactly, then it is accepted. Any deviation in property causes the inserted coin to be rejected. This prevents slugs from being used in the machines. Also, comparators, in conjunction with optics, prevent the action of using a coin on a string to try to get free credits. Any stringed coin is mechanically prevented from being able to be withdrawn from the comparator. Coin In - The amount of coins that have been put into the machine since the machine was put into service.

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A Quick Slot Glossary

Coin In Meter - Shows the number of coins played and registered. Only registered coins shown on the meter pay for any win on the paytable. Coin Multiplier - Type of game that pays out higher awards on anyone winning combination with increased number of coins played. Coin Optics - Once the coin passes the acceptor, it must pass through optics at an exact speed and angle. Any deviation from this and the coin is not credited and a tilt created. Coin Out - The amount of coins that have been paid out by the machine since the machine was put into service. Coin to the Drop - The amount of coins that have fallen into the drop bucket since the last drop period, or since the machine was put into service. Cold - The belief that a machine that is cold is one that has just hit a jackpot, has not hit a jackpot in a long time, or is not hitting winning combinations. This is a myth! Any random event will have perceived cold cycles such as lottery numbers that have not come out for a period of months or not winning at bingo over a period of time.

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Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

Comp - Short for "Compensation". A freebie (or service provided by using points on your casino player card), such as free dinner or hotel room, free casino jacket or other item, as a means of saying sorry for an inconvenience. Most players view comps as "complimentary" (and automatic) for even the slightest reason. However, the original and still accepted use of comps is that they should only be given if the player has to be inconvenienced in a major way. Dinners or other items provided for points accumulated on player cards are not really comps but redemption of points, the same as at a department store or gas station. Conversion - Changing the denomination, theme, or other aspect of a machine or a group of machines. Conversions are a marketing aspect. They may be done to change little used dollar machines to popular quarters ones, or change an unpopular theme to a newer or more popular one. Also, the act of changing these aspects. CPU - Central Precessing Unit. The computer board that resides in the slot machine and controls all aspects of it. Credit Meter - Indicates the number of credits won. This meter is accumulative and winning credits are added to credits already won.

20

A Quick Slot Glossary

Cycle - Total number of possible symbol combinations. Example: a ten-stop

three-reel machine would have 10xlOxl0 or 1,000 different combinations, with the jackpot being only one of those combinations (and the odds of hitting it 999:1 or 1,000:1 depending on your mathematical formulas used). In a perfect world, theoretically, every 1,000 handle pulls would put the

machine through one cycle. Therefore, theoretically, you should hit a jackpot every 1,000th time. This is a myth. You could hit 10 jackpots in a row or not hit any jackpots for 10 years, as a cycle is only a mathematical theory. A pure cycle does not really exist in the real world because of the Random Number Generator. Denomination - The coin value of the machine. A machine with a denomination of 25 cents means you play 25-cent coins. The same for 50-cent machines, 50-cent coins; dollar machines, dollar coins; etc. Diverter - Diverts the coins to the drop when the hopper becomes full. Drop - The physical bucket in the base in which the coins drop into. Also, the act ofthe machine sending the coins to the bucket rather than the hopper. The hopper can only hold a certain amount of coins. When the coins fill up the hopper to a certain level and touch a metal plate or bar, the computer energizes the diverter and sends the coins to the drop instead. The coins fall 21

Slot Machines~ Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

through a hole in the bottom of the machine into a bucket in a locked box. All coins that fall into the bucket are considered the casino's profit for that machine. Another meaning is the time duration that the drop team comes through to collect the buckets and replace the empty ones. Fill - The box (called "Axillary Fill Box" or "Aux Box") located in the base of the machine that holds bags of coin to fill up empty hoppers. Also the process of filling the hopper, i.e., to do a fill. As well, a tilt code indicating the hopper is empty. Flea - A person who walks around a casino looking for coins in trays and on the ground, and credits on machines left behind by players. Fleas range the gamut from unemployed street people to sophisticated organized groups of individuals. On the outset their actions seem to be harmless as the coins were left behind by inattentive players and really do not account for any casino income. However, all fleas eventually become bolder and they tum into vultures, actually stalking players who seem to have a habit offorgetting one or two coins. Some fleas even venture forth and actively cash out credits on machines that players are still playing. Fleas use various methods to try and divert attention away from them, and most players don't recognize a flea when they meet one.

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A Quick Slot Glossary

Hand Paid Jackpot - A jackpot amount that is over the limit that the machine pays. Handle - For decoration. Some people still like to pull the handle of the "one-armed bandits." The handle does nothing to make the reels spin, other than activate the same switch as the spin button. Mechanical springs and rubber bumpers make the clunking sounds and feel. Handle Pulls - The number of games played over a specific period oftime. Hard Metres - Analogue metres used to store the amount of coin in, coin out, and coin to the drop. Hit Frequency - Also "Average Hit Frequency". The number of handle pulls necessary to obtain a winning combination. Again, a theoretical mathematical value. The number of winning combinations is calculated and then divided into the total number of combinations. Example, a 10 stop 3 reel machine has 1Oxl Oxl 0 or 1,000 combinations, and the calculated number of winning combinations is 147. Therefore, 1,000 divided by 147 gives us an Average Hit Frequency of 6.8, meaning that every 6.8 spins or handle pulls should theoretically give you a winning combination. Of course, with the

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Slot Machines~ Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

RNG (Random Number Generator), you could hit a winning combination every handle pull, every one million pulls, or never.

Hold Percentage - The theoretical percentage of the amount of money put into a slot machine that is held for the casino. See Payback Percentage.

Hopper - The bowl inside the machine that holds the coins and pays them out. All coins in the hopper are considered circulating monies and are not considered profit for the casino.

Hopper Counting Device - Counts the number coins being paid out. Hot - The belief that a machine that is "hot" is one that is ready to hit the jackpot or is hitting lots of paying combinations. A myth. Any random event will have perceived hot cycles. Dice that keep coming up with winning numbers, coins that keep coming up with the same decided winning side; cards that keep giving a player a winning hand, could all be called "hot".

House - casino. Jackpot - A win of a certain amount of money that usually is the highest amount that can be won on that machine.

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A Quick Slot Glossary

Location - Assigned letters and/or numbers to indicate the physical location of a machine or machines such as a certain building, specific location on the casino floor, or specific machine itself. Lockup - A slot machine locks up when it hits a jackpot, or in other words, generates the random numbers that equal a paying combination at or over a certain amount of coins. Loose - The belief that a machine that is "loose" is set up to payoff lots of winning combinations. Interchangeable at times with the term "hot". Also, the mistaken belief that the higher the theoretical payback percentage, the "looser" the machine. This is also a myth! See "Payback Percentage, Random Number Generator". Machine Paid Jackpot - All wins under a certain amount that are paid by the machine. Marketing - The way in which a machine is designed. Slot machine manufactures do intense research in deciding what types of games to create. Themes, paytables, graphics, colours, etc., are all part of marketing a machine to casinos and the public. Also, the way machines are positioned in a casino. Slot department marketing varies drastically from casino to casino.

25

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

Some slot directors like to position theoretically higher percentage machines near the entrance to grab customers as they come in, hearing on average more jackpots than lower percentage machines located in the back. It makes it look like a lot of people are winning. Others put higher percentage machines in the back to draw players through the casino. Some like one particular theme of progressive machines, others like different themes for specific sections. Some put the same machine theme in every bank so it looks in unison and in order; others like to make sure no two themes exist in any bank. This is a psychological and personality driven aspect. Most people think that high percentage machines are put on the end of banks to draw customers in. This is rarely the case. This is a human condition, in that most people prefer to play end machines, as there is only one person beside them, rather than one on each side. Therefore, since these machines get more play on average, they may hit winning combinations more often, giving the perception of high percentage. Mix - The combination ofthe different types of machines in a casino. There may be a large quarter mix, small progressive mix, etc. A value that many slot departments use to analyse the machines and decide on additions, deletions, and moves.

26

A Quick Slot Glossary

Moves - Physically (or on paper or in the main computer) moving one or more machines to a new location, to the warehouse, or from the warehouse. Multiple Line - Type of game that has more than one winning line on the reel glass. Most common are 3 lines, 5 lines, and diamond-shaped. To win on each line you must bet a coin for each. A marketing ploy in that more lines beget more chances to win. However, multiple line games have exactly the same payback percentages as their one-line same-themed brothers and sisters. More lines do not necessarily mean more chances to win. Options - The settings of a slot machine that indicate to it the denomination, jackpot amount to lock-up at, ways to flash lights, and other parameters that must be set for the machine to go in service. Payback Percentage - The theoretical percentage of money that goes into a slot machine and is returned to players, based upon the theoretical machine cycle. Calculated from the game stops and payouts, the theoretical payback percentage is derived from mathematical formula over ten million spins or handle pulls. Many casinos have machines that have a minimum payback of 85%. Machines can have a payback percentage as high as 99%, or more! Payback percentage is strictly theory. If you were to go up to any slot machine in any casino and calculate its current payback percentage at that 27

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

time, you could fmd that it is -200% or +200%. Again, it is only theory and the actual payback percentage changes every time a game is played. casinos use payback percentages to decide what types of machines to buy and where to place them in the casino. As an example, a casino wants a high payback percentage machine, getting one at 93%. The theory is that the higher the payback, the more often the machine will theoretically hit a winning combination. Therefore some casinos will put higher payback machines near the front so players will think that there are a lot of winners. Other casinos will put higher percentage machines in back to draw players through the casino. You can determine the current payback percentage for any machine by looking at the hard metres and dividing the number of coins out by the number of coins in times 100. (eg. 1343 coins out / 2178 coins in = .6166 x 100

= 61.66% payback.

1343 coins out / 1054 coins in

= 1.2741 x 100 =

127.41 % payback. The higher the coins out meter to the coins in meter, the higher the payback percentage.) Here comes myth again. Players say that a high percentage means the machine is ready to hit. Others say a high percentage means the machine won't hit for a while. And vice-versa for a low percentage. My advice, don't even bother figuring it out. It won't do you any good!

Paytable - The "contract" between you and the casino, contains the winning combinations that will pay you some type of win for a particular amount of

28

A Quick Slot Glossary

coins played. Any other combinations not shown on the paytable do not give you any wins. Unless the values are specifically designated as dollar amounts, all wins on the paytable are in number of coins. To determine your win value, you must multiply the number of coins by the denomination. Example: 100 coins at 25 cents equal twenty-five dollars; 100 at 50 cents are fifty dollars, and 100 at $5 equal five hundred dollars. Paytables can be quite extensive and may be continued on the belly glass. They also may be a little confusing.

Progressive - Machine in which the jackpot starts at a pre-determined amount and gets progressivly larger as more coins are put into it. There are two types of progressive machines: stand-alones are single machines that have a progessive jackpot exclusive to that machine. Linked progresssives are multiple machines linked together for one common progressive jackpot amount.

Progressive Meter - On any stand-alone or link progressive, the current progressive amount. Increases as a percentage for each coin that is played.

Random Number Generator (RNG) - A computer program that generates a random stop number for each reel for each spin.

29

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

Redemption - A booth or cage that coins or tokens are taken to be redeemed for actual currency. Also the place where you might purchase change, tokens, or chips. Reel Optics - Monitors the spin of the reels and makes sure the reels are working properly and are not being interfered with. Constatly maintains the proper stop positions even when the reels are spun by hand to other positions. Reel Strips - The plastic strips on the reels that translate the physical stops into user-friendly symbols. Reels - Hold the reel strips and are controlled by the stepper motors. Soft Metres - Accounting meters that have the information stored in the computer of the machine. Slot Management System - Various brands of data acquisition systems that monitor all aspects of a slot machine and report them to a central computer for compilation, analyzation, and reporting. Monitors security issues such as doors; accounting info like number of coins in or out; employee access; malfunctions. 30

A Quick Slot Glossary

Slot Management System Metres - Accounting meters that are sent to the Slot Management System and stored both in the system's board that resides in the machine and in the mainframe computer. Spin Button - Starts the game play. Stepper Motor - A motor that rotates in steps, simulating a spinning motion. Controlled by the CPU, each step or stop on the motor has a value and the CPU, through optics, knows exactly what position the reels are at at all times. It uses this information to stop the reel at the position designated by the RNG. Therefore it also acts as a security feature. Any time the machine is powered up, reset, or the reel positions moved, either accidentally or purposely, the CPU spins the stepper motor to the last position it sees stored on the CMOS-RAM. This prevents any attempt to try to make a winning combination by simply positioning the reels to winning combinations. Stops - The positions on the stepper motors (and ultimately to the reel strips). Typically on three reel machines, each reel has 22 physical stops, with each stop able to be assigned multiple electronic stops. This allows smaller reels to hold more stops. Stop numbers are assigned winning and losing combinations. When the Random Number Generator generates a number for a reel, the computer stops the reel at that stop number. When all 31

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

the reels stop, the computer looks up the winning combinations on the gaming chips. If it frods a combination that is classified a winning combination, it pays, e.g., the RNG generates number fourty-three for reel one, two for reel two, and thirteen for reel three. It looks up the paytable. Reel One-Stop fourty-three/Reel two-Stop two/Reel three-Stop thirteen has been assigned a win of two credits for one coin played and four credits for two coins played. The computer looks up the number of coins played, sees two, and then pays out four coins to the player. Theme - The type of slot game. Themes could be sevens, diamonds, roses; Super Almonds could use three symbols of almonds as the jackpot; Double Nickles could use a picture of two nickles on each reel for the jackpot. Themes could also involve special incentives such as bonuses, "crazy" or repeat spins, multiple lines, multiple pays, etc. Also, theme could be the type of casing such as a flat top, and rounded top, a video machine, or a particular manufacturer. Tight - Term meaning a machine that is set to not payout. Also means a machine of low percentage payback. See "Cold".

32

A Quick Slot Glossary

Tilt - Any malfunction of the machine that causes it to go into a mode of inoperability and flash tilt codes and the candle lights to indicate service is needed. Tournament - A contest put on by casinos that lets qualifYing slot players compete for large awards. Slot players may qualify by having a casino player card, have a minimum number of points on the card, playa certain amount of money on an average basis, pay a fee, etc. The basic format is each player has a number of sessions to play. Each session has a fixed time and beginning credit limit. Players must playoff their credits before timing out and get the highest score they can. Winners ofthe tournament may have the highest scores of all of their sessions, highest average score, or highest combined score. Prizes can be thousands of dollars, trips, cars, etc. Tournaments usually have themes such as a western or Halloween tournament. Tournament Mode (Machine) - Slots that are set in tournament mode are set up to display a certain amount of credits and a time limit. Coins and bills don't work and the accumulated wins are points only, they cannot be cashed out. Tournament mode (activated by separate chips or circuits on the CPU) has a payback percentage of about five hundred percent. This allows scores

33

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

to reach 7,000 to 8,000 or higher. This, again, is marketing. Regular percentages could be used but high scores of 60 or 70 are not that exciting. Tower Light - See "Candle". Tray - The receptacle at the bottom of the machine into which the coins fall when paid or cashed out. Win Paid Meter - Shows the number of credits cashed out or coins won and paid immediately by the machine.

34

Chapter 3 Parts of a Slot Machine

A typical slot machine is made up of many different parts; all working in unison to provide you with the input and output to play and win. As a player, it is important to understand what the parts are called and what they are used for to fully be able to playa machine effectively. It's hard to drive a car if you don't know that you have to press down on that thing called a "gas pedal". The Case - slot machines come in various configurations. There are flat tops, round tops, slant tops, and bar tops. Flat top machines are traditionally used out in the open where players can walk around the bank. Round tops generally are placed against walls, while slant tops are designed to be used sitting down and as such are bigger than the other two and never placed against walls. As previously mentioned, there are also huge machines called "mini berthas" that stand about ten feet tall, and even larger machines called big berthas, that can easily reach the ceiling. In regard to the berthas, there are many experts who tell you not to play them as the high cost (around $25,000) means they have low payback percentages because the casino must pay them off. Any bertha theme has the same payback percentage as any 35

Slot Machines~ Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

same themed regular slot, and berthas are so popular that they really make money. In our house, each bertha paid for itself in about thirty-six hours. The so-called experts don't know anything. The Tower - Usually two coloured lights (one on top of the other) that sit on top of the machines. These lights will flash in various combinations to indicate empty hoppers, malfunctions, and jackpots. The Glass - Award - Located at the top the machine, the award glass is where you will fmd most information needed to play that slot. There will be graphics for the game theme, the paytable, special instructions or information for the game, disclaimers, logos, etc. Reel - Behind here reside the reels. Belly - Either the main game theme graphics or an extension of the paytable will be found here. The Base - Except for slant and bar top machines, slots sit on a wooden base. This base usually houses the auxiliary fill and drop sections, and has holes drilled in it for coins and wires. The base not only serves to hold the machine up at a comfortable level for playing, it also houses the fill bags, 36

Parts of a Slot Machine

drop boxes, communications wiring, and AC power. The auxiliary fill and drop doors are locked, and are connected to switches that send emergency signals to various departments if the doors are opened. The Output Metres - Below the reel glass and above the input area reside the Win, Credits, and Coin In metres. The Win meter increments any time the machine pays you a token. This could be when you win credits (in which case the credit meter will also increment) or when you cash out the credits (and as the Win meter increments the Credits meter decrements). The Coin In meter shows the number of coins that have been registered by the

machine. The Output Area - This basically consists ofthe hopper, the coins contained therein, and the tray that the coins fall into. Whenever the CPU receives a signal that you, the player, want your money (such as pressing the cashout button or the machine is automatically set to payout credits) it energizes the hopper motor which turns, picking up coins, and sending them out into the tray. At the exit to the hopper is a device that counts the coins as they pass by. When the same number of coins are ejected that equal the amount you are supposed to receive, the CPU turns off the hopper motor.

37

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

The Input Area - Contains buttons such as cash, change, spin, bet one, bet max, and the coin head (where you put the coins in). Around this area you will also fmd the bill acceptor mechanism (if your machine has one installed). The bill acceptor takes each bill you insert, scans it to see if it is real and what denomination it is, then takes it in and stacks it away in a locked compartment. It then sends a signal to the CPU, which in tum gives the amount of coins or credits equal to the value of the bill, depending on the denomination ofthe slot machine. The coin head leads to the coin acceptance unit, which in an instant detects valid coins and gives you the credit for it, while rejecting slugs and other coins.

38

Chapter 4 How a Slot Machine Works:

All the Nitty-Gritty

As far from the old mechanical devices as today's computer is from fmgers and toes, the modem slot machine encompasses computer technology to control and monitor all of its inputs and outputs. Let's take a look at how a slot machine works. Remember that all mathematical values and calculations are theoretical. First of all, most slots in most casinos are connected to a mainframe computer system. This system is designed to monitor the machine, to keep track of accounting, security, problems, players, employees, and many other various parameters that the slot machine is involved with. Accounting - Every slot machine is designed to make money. If it weren't, then casinos would not exist. Hey, this is the entertainment business, right? Right.. .. a business! So, just like a department store thattakes inventory to see what items are selling and what items are not, the main computer, (and the slot's internal computer), keeps a running record of all the metres on each machine. Coins in, coins out, coins to the drop, machine paid jackpots, hand 39

Slot Machines!l Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

paid jackpots, bills in, current payback or hold percentage, etc are all sent to the main computer that stores the information and provides it as requested in various reports. The accounting department uses the information collected to ascertain and determine which machines are making money, losing money, breaking even, or seem to have variances between the reported amount of money the machine took in and the actual amount of money collected from it. They send out their reports to various other departments who use the information to decide on whether to buy new machines, sell old ones, change percentages, move machines, change denomination, or investigate possible problems.

Security - Also monitored are security issues surrounding the machine. All doors (main, cash, drop, etc.), access by employees, troubles, and jackpots, to name a few, are constantly being watched by the computer. Every possible security problem is logged by the computer and automatically sent to the proper department for investigation. Some casinos have the surveillance cameras hooked up to the computer so any problem triggers the closest camera to immediately turn to that slot so the surveillance operators can assess the situation. Players - If the option is installed, the computer can monitor players when they insert their casino cards into the special card reader. Amounts of time 40

How a Slot Machine Works: All the Nitty-Gritty

and money the player spends at each machine is logged and this allows a casino's player services department the ability to let players accumulate points or ascertain certain comp levels.

Employees - Employees also insert their cards into the card reader whenever they access the machine; either to tend to a jackpot or to open it for service. The machine records the employee card number, the name attached to it, the amount of time in the machine, and other employee parameters that the casino needs to know about. Malfunctions - Any type of malfunction is immediately sent to the computer and this information is sent out to the appropriate departments so service can be performed. N ext is the Central Processing Unit, or the CPU. On this computer board lies the computer chip, memory chips, and control chips. The CPU is the brain of the slot machine monitoring all the inputs and outputs, storing accounting information, generating the random numbers, spinning the reels or turning the hopper, controlling the lights, and all other aspects of the machine. It really is the "brain" of the machine. Generally located on the CPU, though some manufactures have it located on the motherboard, is the CMOS-RAM. This battery-powered memory module stores all the information for the 41

Slot Machines~ Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

machine, such as the metres, malfunctions, and such. It also stores the last few garnes, the stop positions of the reels, and other pertinent information. The RAM can be accessed to show the customer and the staff, for disputes, what the last spins were, the bills inserted, the number of credits received, number of credits played, and all other information. It can be used to solve disputes, but also keeps the integrity ofthe machine intact. No matter where you set the reels, whenever the game is reset and put into service, the CPU spins the reels to the last positions of the last game. This prevents any tampering. Alright, then.... here is how a slot machine works (and yes, we will be looking at this again in the section "Let's Playa Machine"). When you insert a coin, or playa credit, the machine generates the random number for the first reel, for all the reels, or waits to spin the reels to generate the random number; depending on the manufacturer's preferences. The machine then waits for the input to spin, or take another coin. When the maximum amount of coins is registered, the machine may spin automatically or wait for you to press the spin button or pull the handle. So, we now spin the machine. The CPU stops each reel at the stop number that it has randomly generated. It then looks up the paytable on the chip. When it finds the combination of stops that it generated it sees whether or not it is a paying combination. If not, it goes into waiting mode for the next game. If it is, it sees how many 42

How a Slot Machine Works: All the Nitty-Gritty

coins were played and pays out the corresponding number of coins or credits, or if set up at a certain level, automatically signals a "hand-paid" jackpot. A slot machine really is a simple device and there is not much to relate on how it works. Each manufacture has its own way of determining when the Random Number Generator starts or when to stop the stepper motors. Hopper design and operation varies among manufacturers as does the method of counting coins, flashing lights, and internal software settings.

43

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

44

Chapter 5 Probability, Odds and Percentages: Slot Machine Mathematical Theory

Unfortunately, this is the big "meat" of the book. I hate math with a passion also, but if you are going to understand how to effectively playa slot, you need to know exactly how a slot machine is setup to spin those reels and give you a paying or non-paying display. You must now forget everything you've ever heard about slots. Forget all about "hot" and "cold", "fixing", "ripping off", "loose" and "tight" ... all that nonsense! That stuff does not pertain to modem slots. This is the true, honest, one hundred percent actual way slots work. If you hear anything else from anyone else, whether they say they are a technician, engineer, designer, slot "pro" or "expert" in a book, on television, or in a newspaper, they are either lying or are very, very naive. I want to put to rest, once and for all, all the myths and garbage that abound about slots. Let's look at three six-sided dice. As an analogy, these dice could represent the reels on a slot machine, a three reel six stop machine. Ok, now we will let 666 represent the jackpot. 111 will represent the secondary jackpot, and the 3 and 5 on each dice will represent a cherry. All the other numbers will 45

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

represent blanks. For our maximum three coins in, the 666 combination will have a pay of, let's say, 2,500 coins. The 111 will pay 500 coins, three cherries will pay 60 coins, any two cherries will pay 15 coins, anyone cherry 6 coins, and any other combination pays nothing. I made these amounts and assignments up totally out of my head. The 6's will represent wallets; the l's will be credit cards. We will divide our three coin in payout so that the two coin and one coin are equal multiples. Therefore two coins will win us 1,000 for wallets, 250 for credit cards, 30 for three cherries, 10 for two cherries, and 4 for one cherry. One coin gives 500 for wallets, 125 for cards, 15 for three cherries, 5 for two cherries, and 2 for one cherry. Our wallets give 500, 1,000, and you would think, 1,500. But for marketing reasons (now you'll know why!) we will give a bonus amount of an extra 1,000 coins, making the award 2,500 coins. The reason? To get players to put in three coins instead of one or two. In other words, the reason slots have multiple coins or lines and bonus awards for the max coin jackpot is to induce the player to playas much money as possible each spin. That in tum means more money for the casino. (Sneaky, eh? You bet! That is why you need to play maximum coin on a machine if you want to win that jackpot.) So three six-sided dice (or three six-stop slot reels) will have six time six times six, or two hundred sixteen different combinations. Now we are going to use this information in the following way. 46

Probability, Odds and Percentages

To understand all this, we are going to design our own slot machine, just as the manufacturers do, using the symbols in the above paragraph. First, we need a theme, something that we can use for the jackpot symbols. We have wallets. Why don't we call our machine "Fat Wallets", representing having, or winning, lots of money. OK, taking our reels that we looked at, we will assign the 666 as three wallets. So anyone getting three wallets (one wallet on each reel centred on the payline) will win the jackpot. Three credit card symbols will represent the secondary jackpot, which are assigned to stop numbers Ill. All the stops 3 and 5 will be assigned cherries and all 2's and 4's will be blank. Now we have our three-reel/six stop machine. As shown before we have 216 different possible combinations. Now we need to list our paytable strip: No Pay Combinations: 112, 114, 116, 121, 122, 124, 126, 141, 142, 144, 146,161,162, 164, 166,211,212,214,216,221,222,224,226,241,242, 244,246,261,262,264,266,411,412,414,416,421,422,424,426,441, 442,444,446,461,462,464,466,611,612,614,616,621,622,624,626, 641,642,644,646,661,662,664. Total of62 combinations. Odds ofhitting: 216/62 =3.48:1

47

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

One Cherry Combinations: 113, 115, 123, 125, 131, 132, 134, 136, 143, 145, 151,152,154,156, 163, 165,213,215,223,225,231,232,234,236,243, 245,251,252,254,256,263,265,311,312,314,316,321,322,324,326, 341,342,344,346,361,362,364,366,413,415,423,425,431,432,434, 436,443,445,451,452,454,456,463,465,511,512,514,516,521,522, 524,526,541,542,544,546,561,562,564,566,613,615,623,625,631, 632, 634, 636, 643, 645, 651, 652, 654, 656, 663, 665. Total of 96 combinations. Odds of hitting: 216/96 = 2.25:1 Two Cherry Combinations: 133, 135, 153, 155, 233, 235, 253, 255, 313, 315,323,325,331,332,334,336,343,345,351,352,354,356,363,365, 433,435,453,455,513,515,523,525,531,532,534,536,543,545,551, 552,554,556,563,565,633,635,653,655. Total of 48 combinations. Odds of hitting: 4.5:1 Three Cherry Combinations: 333,335,353,355,533,535,553,555. Total of 8 combinations. Odds of hitting: 216/8 = 27: 1 Credit Card Combinations: 111. Total of 1 combination. Odds of hitting: 216/1 = 216:1

48

Probability, Odds and Percentages

Wallet Combinations: 666. Total of 1 combination. Odds of hitting: 216/1 = 216:1 Odds of hitting either combination: 216/2 = 108: 1 As you can see from the above, our slot machine has more chances of hitting a one cherry combination than hitting a blank combination. I did this as a marketing ploy, so that I can keep the customer at the machine. If they believe they are winning a lot, they will keep playing. There are several formulas that can be used with the above information. For instance, our average hit frequency is the number of total combinations divided by the number of winning combinations. Our example would be 216 divided by 154, which gives us a theoretical hit frequency of 1.4 or a theoretical winning combination, every 1.4 spins or handle pulls. The best in the business! Another example would be the payback percentage. Let's assume our payback is 90% (not too shabby). So in theory 90% of what goes into the machine will be paid back to the player.... in theory.

49

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

Now for the reel strips that go on the wheels. Remember that the reels are analogues to our dice. Reel #1

Reel #2

Reel #3

1=Credit Card

1=Credit Card

1=Credit Card

2=Blank

2=Blank

2=Blank

3=Cherry

3=Cherry

3=Cherry

4=Blank

4=Blank

4=Blank

5=Cherry

5=Cherry

5=Cherry

6=Wallet

6=Wallet

6=Wallet

These are our stop numbers and the "human interface" of the reel strips. Some manufacturers assign each strip the same, others assign one or two symbols at different locations, indicating the numbered position for each reel (Reel 1, Reel 2, Reel 3). Neither method has any advantage over the other. It really is more dictated by preference, payback percentage, and game

design. Alright. ..now let's look at the paytable:

50

Probability, Odds and Percentages

1 Coin Three Wallets

Three Wallets

3 Coins Three Wallets

500

1,000

2,500

Three Credit Cards

Three Credit Cards

Three Credit Cards

2 Coins

125

250

500

Three Cherries

Three Cherries

Three Cherries

15

30

60

Any Two Cherries

Any Two Cherries

Any Two Cherries

5

15

Any One Cherry

10 Any One Cherry

Any One Cherry

2

4

6

As the paytable shows, only three wallets, three credit cards, three cherry, two cherry, or one cherry combinations will pay us anything. Any other symbols showing will pay nothing. So ifthe RNG gives 534, then it spins the reels to positions 5 on the first reel, 3 on the second, and 4 on the third. It looks up the paytable on the chip to see what max coin play (three coins) should pay. 534 (an Any Two Cherries combination) shows that 15 coins should be paid. The CPU either increments the credit meter up 15 credits, or pays out 15 coins or tokens from the hopper.

51

Slot MachinesJ Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

The machine does this for each "spin". So it has an equal opportunity of generating any combination of stops, including the one it just did. Another combination, 461, gives a Blank, a Wallet, and a Credit Card. The paytable on the computer chips shows this as a non-winning combination, so the machine just waits for the next coin or credit to be bet. As you can see, the Slot Machine is not as complicated as many people make it out to be. Everything is random, just like real life. The machine doesn't care what time of day it is. It couldn't care less how many coins you put in, how hard you pull the handle, or what lucky charm you have sitting on the machine. lithe RNG generates the numbers for a winning combination, you win. If it doesn't, you don't. It's not timed, switched, rigged, fixed, set-up, or anything else you may read or hear. The manufacturer programs it and no governing body or slot technician can change it or rig it. The only way that can be done is by changing the actual chips on the CPU and neither the gaming officers nor the slot technicians can do that without the other knowing about it. Recently, there have been some TV shows that have shown machines that seem to have the jackpot symbols stop above or below the payline for an unusually frequent amount oftimes. The assumption is that, aw gee, you just got ripped off of a jackpot. Do the jackpot symbols really stop above and 52

Probability, Odds and Percentages

below the payline an inordinate amount of times on some machines? Yes, they may! Why? Ripping you off? No! Marketing again. Simply put, more non-paying stop numbers are assigned to these stop positions so that, on average, theoretically, these stop positions would come up more often than other, fewer, non-paying stops. It's just basically a tease technique, like a store running an ad, saying their Doohicky 2,000 is now only $10. Come on down and get one. You get there, and they say they are sold out, but have the Doohicky 3,000 for the unbelievably low price of$399.99 plus tax. The store is luring you in to spend more money. The slot manufacturer is luring you in to spend more money. Illegal? Not at all. Ethical? Good question!

53

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

54

Chapter 6 Types of Games

As there are many different types of people, so too are there many different types of slot machines. As you have learned, all slot machines are basically the same, with most popular being three reel, twenty-two physical stop machines. However, to make a large variety of machines to attract a large amount of players, the basic machine is marketed to have different types of aspects so it can appeal to the masses. Coin Multipliers - By far the most popular slot machine. Coin multipliers give multiples of the awards for more coins played. For a three-coin multiplier, the award might be for winning three symbols, 10 coins, 20 coins, 30 coins, or 25 coins, 50 coins, 75 coins. There is usually a larger amount over and above a multiple for the maximum coin jackpot amount, such as 1,000 coins, 2,000 coins, and 5,000 coins instead of3,000 for playing three coins in the machine. Line - Each coin buys you a line that you can win on. The more lines you buy up to the maximum, the more amounts you could win, as it seems that you have more chances to win. On a 5-line game you could win 10 coins for

55

Slot Machines~ Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

three symbols on the fIrst line, 20 for the second, 30 for the third, 40 for the fourth, and 50 for the fIfth; with the possibility of adding up your wins for each line that has a winning combination. However, line games are similar in payback percentage to multipliers, so you really don't get any increased chance of hitting a combination just because you buy more lines. Again, this is simply a marketing tool. Buy-Pay - Each coin buys you a specifIc paytable. For instance, I coin could get you only winning bar combinations, 2 coins may add a 7's paytable, and 3 coins may add a gold bar symbol paytable. As usual, the highest jackpot is only winnable on maximum coin, so if you play one or two coins, and you hit the jackpot, you will not win anything for it. Nudge - Games that nudge, or move the reel to the payline if a specifIc symbol stops above or below the payline , e.g., say we playa game called Shooting Arrows. If an arrow symbol pointing up stops below the payline, it will nudge or move up to the payline. If an arrow symbol pointing down stops above the payline, it will move down to the pay line. A marketing gimmick, as you really don't get any extra chance to win. It just seems to make the game more fun. Crazy - Type of game that re-spins, whenever certain combinations of stop 56

Types of Games

numbers are hit, to give you one, two, or more spins of winning combinations, thereby giving you more coins or credits for a winning combination than a regular game. This doesn't happen randomly. You could hit three bars one time and not re-spin and hit three bars another time and respin three times. Certain stop combinations are programmed to re-spin. As we know, the stop combinations have nothing to do with the actual symbols. So if on your machine you keep hitting three cherries and never re-spin, but the same machine next to you keeps hitting three cherries and keeps re-spinning, remember that the stop combinations may not be the same on each machine, even though the symbols are. Standup - Game that stands upright on a base. The most common type of slot machine, with a flat top. Although you can sit at these types of machines, and most casinos provide chairs at them, they are meant to be used standing up. Slant-top - Game that stands on its own but is slanted to allow for play while seated. Specifically made to be used with a chair. Bartop - Game that sits inside a bar. Bar-top machines are smaller than regular slots and are mainly video pokers and blackjack.

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Slot Machines~ Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

Video Slot - Video game that has a graphic representation of a slot machine. Video Poker/Blackjack - Video game that has a graphic representation of playing cards. Stand-Alone Progressives - These machines each have a progressive jackpot rather than a stated amount. Each machine has its own progressive jackpot amount. Linked Progressives - A number of progressive jackpot machines linked together to produce one combined jackpot amount. Mini-Berthas - Slot machine that is two to three times the size of a regular slot. Big Berthas - Machine almost twice as big as a Mini-Bertha. Combination or Bonus Games - These machines can be of any style and comprise the main reel section (either real reels or video representations of) and a video bonus section (which, on a video slot, is on the same monitor), or a mechanical wheel, or some type of bonus mechanism. When a specific combination is hit on these types of machines, a bonus round is awarded. For 58

Types of Games

example: fictional theme is Disco Dancin'. On the reels, the bonus round occurs when you get any three disco balls. The video section lights up and seven couples appear on the screen. You choose one of the couples. Each couple, in succession "dances" and then are awarded points according to the judging of an "audience". If your couple dances better than the others do, you score the maximum points. You get less bonus points for each couple that dances better than yours

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Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

60

Chapter 7 The Paytable

The most important part of any slot machine is the paytable. We saw how to construct a paytable from our machine design. You must remember that the paytable is the legal contract between you and the casino. The paytable lists all the combinations that will payout, and on what lines they will pay. You should, and I insist, must, read the paytable of every single machine you sit at and intend to play. Many casinos have the exact same type of game in various locations, but one Super Ping-Pong may have a 10,000-coin payout and another may have a 4,000-coin payout; with absolutely everything else the same. Y ou'd look silly if you play the 4,000 and won and did not read the paytable, thinking it was 10,000 and arguing with the slot attendant. Also, most slots give you a bonus if you play the maximum amount of coins, and this is especially common on coin multiplier games. You may get 1,000 for one coin, 2,000 for two coins, but for three coins, instead of 3,000, you may get 10,0001 Let's look at the paytable for a Ping-Pong 2 coin multiplier C2eM) single line game.

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Play 1 Coin Three Ping-pongs

Play 2 Coins Three Ping-pongs

2,500

7500

Three Cherries

Three Cherries

1,000

2000

Three Triple Bars

Three Triple Bars

500

1000

Three Double Bars

Three Double Bars

300

600

Three Bars

Three Bars

100

200

Any Three Symbols

Any Three Symbols

50

100 Any Two Symbols

Any Two Symbols

25

50

Any Two Ping-pongs

Any Two Ping-pongs

10

20

Any Two Cherries

Any Two Cherries

5

10

Any One Ping-pong

Any One Ping-pong

2

4 Any One Cherry /Bar

Any One Cherry IBar

1

2

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The Paytable

With only two coins in you get the maximum amount of payout for each winning combination you hit. If you hit the Three Ping-pongs, for only two coins in, you win 7,500 coins, rather than 2,500 with one coin. So you triple your potential winnings by only doubling your bet. Our next game: Play One Coin Three Gold Dollars

Play Two Coins Three Gold Dollars

1000

2,000

5000

Three Sevens

Three Sevens

Three Sevens

800 Three Triple Bars

500 Three Cherries

200 Three Double Bars

100 Any Two Cherries

25 Three Bars

10 Any One Bar

6 Any Three Symbols

2

1,600 Three Triple Bars

1000 Three Cherries

400 Three Double Bars

200 Any Two Cherries

50 Three Bars

20 Any One Bar

Play Three Coins Three Gold Dollars

2,500 Three Triple Bars

1,500 Three Cherries

600 Three Double Bars

400 Any Two Cherries

75 Three Bars

30 Any One Bar

12

18

Any Three Symbols

Any Three Symbols

2 63

2

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

This is a Gold Dollar three-coin multiplier three-line game. Your fIrst coin will buy you the middle line, line one. A winning combination on this line will get you the Play One Coin amount. If you play two coins, you can win on the fIrst line, or on the second line, usually right above it. If your winning combination appears on the second line, you win the Two Coin amount. If you play max coin, you are covering each line, and any winning combination on the third line will get you the maximum payout. As well, depending on the wording on the machine, if you get a winning combination on the fIrst line and the second line, and/or the third line, you could win the amounts shown on each line, all adding up to give you more than just one line would pay.

Another example:

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The Paytable

1 Coin Three Triple Bars

2 Coins Three Triple Bars

3 Coins ThreeX's

500 Three Double Bars

lO,OOO Blank X X

150 Three Bars

300 Three Bars

5000 Blank Blank X

100 Three Sevens

200 Three Sevens

2500 XXBlank

75 Any Two Sevens

150 X77

1,000 X Blank Blank

50 Any Seven

125 XX7

500 Any Two Symbols

25 Any Two Bars

100 Any Two Bars

250 Any One Symbol

lO Any Bar

50 Any Bar

lOO Any Two Blanks

5 Three Blanks

15 Three Blanks

50 Any Blank

2

5

25

250 Three Double Bars

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Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

This one is a Super X three coin buy-pays (single line.) If you play one coin, you will only win on the combinations under the Play One Coin table. If you get any other winning combination as listed under the Play Two Coins, or Play Three Coins, you will not win anything for them. Two coins will let you win any combination under the first or second table. If you play max coin, you will have bought all three tables and win with any paying combination under any table. Remember: coin multipliers will pay you for any winning combination. The more coins you play, the higher your win amount. Line games will pay you for any winning combination, but only on lines that have been played or "bought". Buy-Pays will pay you for any winning combination, but only on the amount of coins you play, or the tables you have "bought". Any combination of the three above types can be combined to create a very interesting paytable indeed. Also, there may be bonus coins that you must play to get the maximum amount of payout. Remember to read the paytable carefully. Any and all combinations ofpaytables may have extra coins for bonus pays or lines or payouts. Always, always be certain you fully understand the paytable.

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Chapter 8 Read the Machine

One of the major mistakes that many players make is to simply sit down at a machine, put in coins, pull the handle, watch the spin, see if they won, then play again. That has to be the fastest way to empty your wallet. You sure as heck wouldn't just plunk down twenty bucks on a book if you didn't at least read the cover to see what the book was about. Nor should you do the same thing when you playa slot machine. Here are the steps you should take when you spot a machine you think you might want to play: 1)

Notice the theme. Is it a Super Doodle? Golden Coin? Emu's and Ostriches? Double Triple Wisemen? Triple Triple Wild Threes? Remember that most slots are relatively the same when it comes to programming. The theme is only for show. Ifthis is a theme you want to play then go on to the next step.

2)

Read all the fme print. Make note of all disclaimers, wild symbols, payout stipulations, etc.

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Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

3)

Read the paytable. Understand the paytable. Now read it again. Make note of how many coins maximum the machine takes, what type of paytable it is (coin multiplier, multiline, buy-pay, or a combination), if any bonus coins must be played to get the main jackpot, and what symbol combinations pay what amounts. Note the jackpot amount. One thousand coins or ten thousand dollars may not be that much of a difference depending on the machine. Check whether the payout is in coins or dollars.

4)

Re-check the jackpot amount. If you end up spending half of what the jackpot is, whether a set amount or a progressive amount, quit and move on to another machine.

5)

When you play the machine, be sure that you are paid the right amount for any winning combinations.

6)

If you have any doubts about any wording, payout, symbol, etc on the machine, don't play it! Have a casino employee explain it to you.

7)

Count your winnings. Make sure the machine pays you what you cash out. If you are short, immediately notify an attendant or technician.

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Chapter 9 Let's Playa Machine!

OK, now we are going to go through the actual steps of playing an imaginary machine. This will demonstrate all the material that you have learned so far and will include a hopper fill and a tilt. I'm mean, aren't I? Darn tootin'. We stroll through the casino, looking at all the machines until we fmd one that tickles our fancy. Here's an interesting one. It's an upright flattop machine called "Scurvy Dogs" and has the image of a ratty mangy old mutt, with an eyepatch, on the belly glass. The cartoon word-bubble beside him says, "Arrrrf, Matey!" It's cute. We notice right off the bat that the denomination is One Dollar, so it's a dollar machine. It intrigues us, so we decide to play it. Sitting down at the machine, we note that it is a three-coin multiplier. We now look at the paytable on the award glass:

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Slot Machines!! Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

1 Coin Three Scurvy Dogs 2500 Three Sevens 2,000 Any Two Scurvy Dogs 1,500 Any Two Sevens 1000 Any Scurvy Dog 500 Three Triple Bars 250 Three Double Bars 100 Three Bars 50 Any Seven 10 Any Three Symbols 5 Any Two Symbols 3 Any One Symbol 1

2 Coins Three Scurvy Dogs 5,000 Three Sevens 4,000 Any Two Scurvy Dogs 3,000 Any Two Sevens 2000 Any Scurvy Dog 1,000 Three Triple Bars 500 Three Double Bars 200 Three Bars 100 Any Seven 20 Any Three Symbols 10 Any Two Symbols 6 Any One Symbol 2

70

3 Coins Three Scurvy Dogs 15,000 Three Sevens 6,000 Any Two Scurvy Dogs 4,500 Any Two Sevens 3,000 Any Scurvy Dog 1,500 Three Triple Bars 750 Three Double Bars 300 Three Bars 200 Any Seven 30 Any Three Symbols 20 Any Two Symbols

9 Any One Symbol 3

Let's Playa Machine

As we can see, if we play three coins, the max coin amount, we could win the highest payouts for the combinations that come up. So, as we have come to know, we will play maximum coin. Let's read the disclaimers. "Symbols Must Be Centred On Payline For Wins." This means that for a combination to pay, all the symbols must be aligned on the centre of the line that runs across the reel glass. As we learned, the symbols are on plastic strips and only represent the stop positions programmed into the CPU. So in reality, the winning stop positions must be aligned along the centre line to simulate the symbol alignment. Only Highest Winning Combination Paid." As an example, ifwe got two sevens for three coins in, we would not win the nine coins for Any 2 Symbols, nor would we get it in addition to any other pay. We would win the 3,000 coins for Any Two Sevens. n

"Malfunctions Void all Pays and Plays." This is a legal phrase that lets the casino avoid paying any money if the machine malfunctions and the customer, rightfully or wrongfully, believes they may have won something. It is a way for the casino to avoid paying out large jackpot amounts when the machine malfunctions and the customer did not actually hit any winning combination, or if the power goes out or other such problem. 71

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

N ext we observe the metres. The Win meter shows 20, or "Collect 20", or some other notation. That means that the last person who played the machine won 20 credits or coins and either played them out or cashed them out. The Credit meter shows 0, so no credits are on the machine right now. Coin In shows 2, indicating the last person to play the machine played two coins. OK, now we are ready to play. Of course we are going to play max coin, right? Right. We always, without any exception whatsoever, play maximum coin. So every game will be three coins in. Naturally, we will not be playing with credits, but with tokens. We pull out our money and press the change light. Shortly, a change person comes over and exchanges our cash for rolls of tokens. We put our tokens in a bucket that sits on the right side of the machine. On the left, we've placed another bucket. We gather up some tokens and start to put them into the machine. Plunk! STOP! Look at the Coin In Meter. Does it say I? Yes? OK, next coin. Plunk. Coin In Meter should show 2. Good. Remember that it is always, again without exception, the player's responsibility to make sure all coins are registered. Next coin. Plunk. Coin In shows 3, right? If it didn't, and still only showed 2, then the third coin did not register. If you spin now, thinking you had three coins in and hit a winning combination, you would only get the two-coin award. Absolutely nothing you can do or say will get you anything 72

Let's Playa Machine

else, no matter how much you believe the third coin went in. Remember .... we, as players, not the casino, are solely responsible for making sure the coins register. At this point, you should put on your change light and tell someone that the third coin did not register and they will help you out. Spin the button, and you are sorely out of luck. Alright, three coins are registered. Now we can press the spin button or pull the handle. Remember, which one we do is irrelevant as they are both hooked up to the same switch. The handle does nothing else. OK, now the reels spin and we see them stop at Blank Seven Blank. Our paytable shows for three coins in we get a three credit win for anyone symbol. However, if look closer, any Seven will pay thirty. Only highest winner paid, so we collect 30 credits. Immediately we cash them out and put them in the bucket on the left. We repeat the process several times until we hit one Scurvy Dog at 1,500 credits. Woo woo! Press that cashout button. Clank, clank, clank...huh? The machine is not paying out any more money. Hey! It still owes us 800 coins. The Win meter is flashing a number and the bottom (or top) tower light is slowly flashing (or continuously lit). A few moments later a slot attendant arrives and tells us the machine is empty and needs to be filled up. She (or He) puts her card into the machine, opens the door, bends over and opens a door on the base pulling out a bag of 73

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

coins, opens the bag and pours the coins into the hopper. She signs the book and locks everything up. (Of course, this procedure will vary from casino to casino.) Coins start coming out again. Clank, clank, clank into the tray. Huh? Again the machine stops paying money. That number flashes again in the Win meter and the tower light is on again. It can't be empty. Shortly, a slot technician appears to help you out. Hopper Jam, he says. He goes into the machine, spends about ten minutes, then signs the book and locks up the machine. The rest of the coins come out. Whoo hoo, we scream! That, essentially, is the way in which to playa slot machine. Some people have their own personal quirks such as rubbing the reel glass for luck or always pulling the handle. The style you use to play is totally up to you. Just remember to put to use the information you have learned in this book.

74

Chapter 10 How to Play Slot Machines ... and Not Lose Your Shirt

Now that you know exactly how a slot machine works, the real truth, the actual truth, you know that there is no way to beat it. Like any card or table game, slots are mathematically designed to give the odds, the advantage, to the house. So therefore you, the player, are at a disadvantage even before you step into the casino. That is how we make money and stay in business. So how do you "beat" those darned one-armed banditos? You can't! There is no system, method, or way of changing the odds to your favour. Heck, if there was, there would be a lot of spouses and relatives of casino employees playing slots every day and then three months down the road retiring on a tropical island. Well, it hasn't happened yet and it isn't gonna happen. If anyone tries to tell you, in person, in a book, on the Web, in a magazine article or on TV, that they have the method, they have a system, to win at slot machines, to beat the odds, break the bank, beat the casino, walk away, don't read any further, don't listen! It is impossible to beat slot machines. However, it is possible to keep yourself from being beaten.

75

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

Many players, and I've seen this countless times, bring money to the casino that they can't afford to lose. It could be rent or grocery money or other funds that need to be spent on other things, like bills. The naysayers will now spout the evils of casinos, but gambling addicts will always fmd an outlet for their problem, be it horse racing, bingo, lottery tickets, or private poker games. These players mayor may not be addicts. Regardless, that money should not be going to my fellow employees, our bosses, and me. People have a twisted view of slots. They think they will win. Hey, they saw that show on TV last night, you know. If you think that you can take a thousand dollars to a casino, play it in slot machines, and walk out of there with two thousand dollars or more, I'd love to sell you some land. In this case, the odds are, in all probability, that you will walk out of there broke; not a dime to your name--not a penny in your pocket. So what do you do? You gamble responsibly. The only money you should bring to the casino is money you intend to lose. This is not money to invest, as a lot of gamblers like to think. This is not money to bankroll. This is not money to take a chance. This is money you are going to lose, are intending to lose, and are expecting to lose. You will never ever see this money again. It's like going to a movie. You will spend thirty dollars on tickets and munchies to enjoy some entertainment. You will never get that thirty bucks back. casinos are entertainment just like movies, concerts, etc. This is money 76

How to Play Slot Machines... and Not Lose Your Shirt

you are spending to enjoy some entertainment and you will never see this money again. As such, bringing bankcards, credit cards, cheques, traveller's cheques, and other forms of monetary representation is, in my opinion, forbidden. If you bring it, you will spend it. Leave everything else behind. Bring only the cash that you are going to lose. As mentioned before, the paytable, except for the larger denomination machines, lists the amount of money you win for each combination in number of coins. This is a marketing tool. Winning five hundred coins is more enticing and may keep you playing longer than winning one hundred and twenty-five dollars on a quarter machine. To keep yourself in focus, remember to always translate the number of coins you may win into actual dollar amounts. Read the paytable fully and make note of all of the disclaimers on the machine. It is up to you to make sure that you are paid for all winning combinations and that the proper number of coins are registered. Some people play so fast, or play two to three machines at a time, that they never notice how many coins are registered. The put in three coins, but only two are registered by the machine, and spin so quickly that it goes unnoticed. Many times I've had to tell customers that they didn't win the big one, or won nothing, because only one or two coins were played. Basically it's just too

77

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

darned bad if the customer is at fault. There is nothing a casino can do. If it is the casino's fault, that is different. But the responsibility on the number of coins registered is yours, sorry! No matter how much of a hurry you are in, please make sure all the coins are registered. If not; the only person ripping you off is you. The Half-Jackpot rule is a good one to become familiar with if you are the type of high-limit player who spends lots of money. There are people who will spend five thousand coins or more to get a one or two thousand coin jackpot. Why, I know not. Maybe it is the thrill of just getting the jackpot, to loudly scream in public that you "beat" the casino. Yeah, sure. But the casino is up money, and the customer is down money. You didn't beat the casino. You can't beat the casino! But you can beat yourself if you put in more money than half the jackpot amount. Let's say the jackpot is one thousand coins, or for a dollar machine, one thousand dollars. Once you play five hundred coins (five hundred dollars), you have spent half of what you could win that will give you double your money back. After this, your return, if you hit the big one, is lower. Hitting one thousand coins after playing nine hundred and seventy-five only puts you up twenty-five coins. Not worth it. If you spend half of the jackpot on any machine, get up and go to another machine. If someone sits down and plays the machine and wins the jackpot,

78

How to Play Slot Machines... and Not Lose Your Shirt

don't even blink an eye. You may not have won it yourself if you had continued to play it. That leads us to the "if only" syndrome. If only I played one more time. If only I played earlier. Never get into the "if only" mode. Everything is random, and luck is just that, luck. So, big deal, you got up, someone else sat down and won the jackpot. All that happened is the machine generated the stop numbers that equalled the jackpot. Even if you pressed the button at the exact same instant that other person did, you probably wouldn't have won. The machine may not have generated the same numbers. When you win, take the time and count your coins. Many players complain that they didn't get paid the right amount. I'd check the machine and the machine said it paid them the amount. I check the inside of the machine. Nothing. I ask them if they counted the coins. No, but just look at the tray! That doesn't look like two hundred of them. Well, two hundred coins sounds like a lot, but sitting in a tray it doesn't look like a lot. In fact two hundred quarters or quarter tokens can easily fit into a large hand. Always use your common sense in a casino. Never get upset if you don't win. Don't worry about other people winning. You are there to have a good time whether you win anything or not. 79

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

80

Chapter 11 " ... but the machine is broken!"

Oh sure .... well, it does happen! Slot machines are mechanical, electrical, and electronic devices. As such, they can, and do, break down. Nothing lasts forever and even the best preventative maintenance program in any casino will not stem such breakdowns. Here are some of the more common problems you may encounter in your travels. Please be patient. The techs are working as fast as they can. Hopper Jams - From my experience, I would say that the most common type of repair to be done to a machine is the hopper jam. Coins, paper, tie clips from coin bags, screws, dirt and coin dust, and the occasional tool left behind by a tech, can all cause a coin jam. Jams are more frequent on slant-top and bar-top machines as the coins must travel up an elevator or shaft before they are ejected into the tray. Jams can be as easy as just popping out a stuck coin with a screwdriver, which only takes a minute, to taking apart the entire hopper, which can last a half an hour or more. If the amount of coins owed is relatively small, most attendants or techs will hand pay the coins to you. Then the tech can work on the hopper to get it back into service, cash out the coins, and put them back into the hopper. You can 81

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

always hear the dread in the voice over the radio when a technician is called for a hopper jam. Crash helmets and kneepads are standing by!

Coin-In Jams - These can be caused by putting twenty-five cent coins into dollar machines, two or more coins backed up against each other, misalignment of the coin-in mechanism, or even gum in the coin slot (yes, some players are nasty!) Most coin-in jams are caused by players putting in the coins too fast. The first coin doesn't have time to clear all the paths it must travel before the second one is inserted. There can be as many as eight to ten coins jammed up at a time. Makes for an interesting day.

Bill Validator Jams - There are so many different types of serial number runs for bills that it seems like they are not using the same paper, ink, or printing to make currency on a consistent basis. Some bills are taken in, others are constantly rejected. Some validators just can't be calibrated and will reject most bills. Others are mechanically flawed, or just plain full of cash. Sometimes software versions in the validators are older or newer than the software on the CPU so a mismatch occurs. I know it is a hassle when you want to use bills and the validator is not working. But things do break down and bill validators are one of them and are the most difficult pieces of equipment to get going again.

82

"... but the machine is broken!"

Lights Out - Lights bum out all the time. They have nothing to do with the machine operation, but a burnt out light can make a machine look ugly.

Switches Off - If a switch is out ofthe socket, or the button broken, then that switch will not work which means you won't be able to cash out, hold a card, spin, or do other things. Usually the tech only has to put the assembly back in the holder, which takes a few seconds. Other times they have to go get a new switch, which can take a while.

Glass Broken - Not only does broken glass on a machine look really disgusting but it can be a safety hazard as well. Glass is usually taped up and covered by a piece of plastic if a replacement is not readily available.

Frozen CPU - For some reason, the CPU simply refuses to work, and is just sitting there doing nothing. At other times it could be doing weird things like flashing lights or making strange noises come out of the speaker. Sometimes the cause is a failure of a component or a piece of metal may have fallen onto the board causing a short. If the tech can't solve the problem by clearing the memory, then they must begin troubleshooting the board, a long and drawn-out process. If this is the case, the CPU is replaced with a new one.

83

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

84

Chapter 12 Don't Become Prey to a Flea

One ofthe most hated types of "customers" in the casino industry is the Flea. (Anecdote: In several casinos across North America many customers have overheard staff discussing fleas and have come to the misguided conclusion that the casino has the canine type of incestuous infestation! They complain so much that the casinos actually get exterminators in just to quell the uproar. See how things can get distorted in this industry?) So-called after the parasite that resides in the fur of Fido or FluffY, fleas can range from a nuisance to a threat. Unless you are consciously looking for them, fleas blend in with the rest of the customers and can go about their business virtually undetected. Also called "Casino Bums" or "Slot Tramps", these people are basically loiterers. However, they can also be a sophisticated group of professionals. Fleas can be identified by the way in which they do their thing. Seldom will they play a machine. They walk around the casino, in and out of banks, looking for credits on machines that players left behind. These vultures, either very discreetly or very blatantly, go up to the machine and cash out the credits. Some do it directly, while others pretend to play the machine, even 85

Slot Machines, Fun Machines or Tax Machines?

to the point of putting a slug in so it falls into the tray. They pretend to press the spin button, feign a winning or losing body movement for surveillance, and then hit the cashout button, taking away those credits that they did not legally earn. Now you may think that these men and women are harmless. Dressed like businesspeople or street people, the only ones they are hurting are the casino, and only for a few bucks at a time, right? Partially true; however, when they get bolder, is when they become dangerous. They become stalkers of sorts. They start talking to players, gaining their confidence. Some will take coins from the tray while the player is distracted talking to them, while others persuade players to let them put their cards in the machine while the customer plays. This makes the customer put points on the flea's card. Some fleas can make thousands of dollars a week doing this to unsuspecting players, who could be earning those points on their own cards. Other fleas seek out customers who are playing two or more machines at a time and when the customer is playing one machine, cash out the credits from the other or steal a bucket of coins. Many fleas work in groups of two or more (there are lots of husband and wife flea teams), one distracting the player while the other cashes out the machine, scoops coins from the tray, or takes a bucket of coins. I've even seen some walk up to a player and accuse them oftaking their credits; saying

86

Don't Become Prey to a Flea

they just left the machine and forgot to cashout. Once in a while a gullible player will give the flea the coins. Unless a flea is actually caught taking coins by an employee or on surveillance tape there is very little a casino or policing body can do to prevent these people from entering the casino. For the flea, all he has to do is cry discrimination and the matter would be dropped then and there. But fear not. For the lowly surveillance camera, casino employee, and undercover police officer are on their heels. They are seen, they are recognized, and they are followed around. Eventually they will get caught and be barred for a year or more. It's hard work though. It is a smart move to make sure you protect yourself from fleas, and from other bad elements in a casino as well. No matter who comes up to talk to you, always keep your eyes on your machines, coins, buckets, wallets, and purses. Don't let anyone distract you. That lady beside you who has just fallen down and seems to be having a heart attack may be just a member of a gang out to fleece you of your money. If anyone challenges you as to your right to credits on a machine, asks you if they can put their card in your machine's reader, or talk to you more than you'd like, put on your change light and inform the attendant. They will call a supervisor who will help you out and may also get a security guard over. 87

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Remember ladies; always keep your purses on you, preferably on your lap with the strap around your shoulder. Guys? Wear your wallet in your front pocket, not your back one. Be vigilant in protecting your coats, glasses, etc. Don't give a flea, or anyone else for that matter, the chance to rip you offl

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Chapter 13 The Right Pocket/Left Pocket Rule

If there is only one thing you learn from this book; if there was only one real true rule that I could give you to help you playa slot machine effectively, then it is the Right PocketlLeft Pocket Rule. If you remember to use this rule every single time you play slots, you will save yourself money and you will save yourself grief and you will have a more enjoyable time. There is no system that can teach you how to win at slot machines, but there is a system that can help you reduce your losses. Here it is, lan's RPLPR. Bring with you to the casino only the amount of money you intend to lose (yes lose, you are spending it, it is entertainment money, therefore it is money you are going to lose). Do not bring more than you can afford to lose and do not bring any credit cards, travellers, cheques, or bank cards with you into the casino. Never put bills into the machine. Go to redemption or a change person and buy change or tokens. Put these coins in your right pocket (or a bucket on your right side.)

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Select your machine according to personal taste and the information you have gained in this book. Read the paytable and all other written material on the machine thoroughly and if you don't understand something or are confused on the payouts, ask a slot attendant or technician to explain it to you. Do not play a machine if you have any doubts about the paytable or conditions. Always ask. Remove some coins from your right pocketlbucket and insert your coins into the machine, remembering to always play maximum coin. Remember to make sure each coin is registered. Every time you hit a winning combination, collect up your coins (or cash them out if they are paid as credits) and put them in your left pocketlbucket. NEVER, I repeat, NEVER, play any coins or credits won no matter how little you may win. Every single coin or credit won gets cashed out. Keep playing from your right pocketlbucket and putting ALL wins in your left pocketlbucket.

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When your right pocketlbucket is empty, get up, go to redemption and cash in your tokens and then, or if you win in real money, go home! It is a simple rule, but one that is neglected by most players. Let's go through

the each step and analyse them. Step One: Never think of playing slots as a way of making money. This is the first step to becoming a gambling addict. If you think, hey, maybe I'll playa machine and win something, then you've fallen victim to slots. You must understand and tell yourself that the only reason you are going play slot machines is for the sheer fun of it. If you do happen to win anything, then that is a bonus. So, you only bring the amount of money you can afford to lose; whether it is ten dollars or ten thousand dollars. This is money that you will not miss when it is gone. It is not rent money; it is not grocery money; it is money you can throwaway. You budget it out. Three days on vacation? Bringing $600? That's $200 per day only! By leaving credit cards and such at home or at your hotel, you will not be tempted to spend more money than you can afford. You budget it out per hour, per day, per month, however you wish. You may live across the street or may be on vacation. You only bring what you can afford to spend.

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Step Two: Always get change or tokens. If you play with bills you may get credits and be tempted to not think ofthem as your money. Coins will always remind you that you are playing with real money, your money. Even putting bills in the machine and intending to cash them out can cause you to think that maybe you will just play with the credits. Don't! Every bill you have should be used to buy rolls of coin. Step Three: What machine you play, from theme to denomination, is a matter of personal choice coupled with slot machine knowledge. Find one you like. Step Four: Again, I can't stress the importance of making sure you understand the paytable and all of the exceptions or bonuses that pertain to that machine. If you don't understand anything on it, press the change button or flag down an attendant or tech and ask them to explain it to you. Never play any machine if you don't understand the writing and the paytable thoroughly. Step Five: Play only from your right pocket, (or a bucket you've got on your right side), never your left, whether figuratively or literally. Never play one coin. Always play the maximum amount of coins on the machine to get all

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the win that is due you. Make sure every single coin you play is registered and play slowly, making sure everything is OK before you spin. Step Six: All wins should immediately go into your left pocket (or bucket). Put coins there at once. If you are paid in credits, cash them out! Put them in your left pocket. Never ever play with any credits you win, or play with any coins you win. In fact, never put anything into that machine if it isn't coming from your right pocket from the money that you brought to spend. Step Seven: The play goes from right pocket-machine-win-Ieft pocket. Always ....no exceptions! Step Eight: When you have spent all of your casino money; that is, all the money you have allocated that you can afford to lose; whether it be a one time shot, a daily limit, a weekly limit, whatever, when that right pocket is empty, you are fmished playing. Take all the money you have in your left pocket. It could be empty, it could be full, but whatever is in there, you cash in and go home or back to the hotel, or out for dinner. You only come back when you can afford to lose more, so in a couple hours, days, week, or months, whatever your budget dictates.

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This method puts some discipline on you. I have seen people running two or three times to a bank machine to pull out cash, and then complain that they spent too much, blaming it on the casino. Lunacy! Most players, when they see wins, when they see credits, say to themselves that it's not their money, it's the casino's. They don't see it as cold hard cash. Credits are evil, I say. Avoid them like the plague.

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Chapter 14 General Casino Information

As a bonus I've included this chapter so that those who have never been to a casino before, or only a few times, can become familiar with casino operations in general and the Slot Department in particular. Hopefully, this will heighten your fun and excitement as you try to get that elusive jackpot.

Security In most casinos, uniformed security guards patrol the floors, watch the doors, and keep the house in order for guests and employees alike. Some casinos use plainclothes security staff. Most casinos' security staff is unarmed, and relies on either contracted undercover-armed guards or local law enforcement for any needed armed services. Having armed security staff would be a little intimidating to guests and would not be very customer service friendly. As casinos are government regulated, some enjoy the services of undercover officers from local forces. Hey, that guy who keeps walking around, never seems to be playing, and needs a bath, could be a police officer, not necessarily a flea. 95

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Guards' tasks range from escorting guests or outside workers through the casino; transporting money, gaming tokens and chips, and playing cards to and from tables; watching over employees who are working in areas that contain money; lost and found, medical emergencies, and just about anything else you can imagine. If you ever need help or information, I would recommend seeing one these ladies or gentlemen fIrst.

Slot Department

Here you will fmd change attendants, slot attendants, slot technicians, and slot hosts. Change attendants patrol the floor, usually pushing change carts. Filled with change or tokens, these people cheerfully take your bills and give you rolls of coins or tokens for the slot machines. In most casinos, change personnel can't change loose coins or foreign currency. It may look like an easy job, but pushing a heavy cart for eight hours a day; constantly keeping track of money, and putting up with some abusive customers Can make for a very diffIcult job. To make a change attendant's job easier, and your time more fun, always tell the change attendant what you would like. "Twenty dollars in quarter tokens" or "One hundred dollars in dollar coins" is quite polite. Some people simply

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hand a bill over and say, "Dollars." Yep, sure looks like twenty dollars in a twenty-dollar bill. Are you saying you want dollar bills, dollar tokens, or two ten-dollar bills? But what kind of change? Be specific--be polite--and be courteous! Don't whistle, scream at, tug at, or otherwise berate the change person. They are there to help you out. And please don't do like some customers. I've seen change attendants poked, pulled, grabbed, and manhandled in various ways. Not only is this rude and abusive, but the attendant can legally charge you with assault. Just be calm and patient and you will be serviced accordingly. Slot attendants perform several tasks. They fill up machines when they are empty, sometimes run change, payoff jackpots, answer questions, and fix minor problems in machines. They are the grunts and brunts of the Slot Department. They take care of most of the problems that arise, and experience the most customer contact. As such, the slot attendant is probably the person you first meet and most interact with. Treat your slot attendant with respect. Be polite and courteous. Some slot attendants rate the quality of service they give with the quality of respect they get. Although this is not right, (every customer should be treated the same), some attendants will ignore a hopper fill if the customer has been rude, impatient, or otherwise abusive. Likewise, some attendants will take their time in paying offjackpots if they know you are not a tipper. Hey, just use common sense and be nice.

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Slot technicians are responsible for the installation, maintenance, and repair of all slot machines and related equipment. Wearing super-cool uniforms and pushing tool carts or sporting utility tool belts, this breed of casino employee patrols the casino, looking for tilt lights on candles, answering service calls on the radio, watching for potential trouble, and responding to customers problems, concerns, or questions. A tech's work is varied. There are some days in which they are working in the Tech Shop, fixing circuit boards and other equipment, as there are no slot machines malfunctioning at that time. Other days, techs can be so busy that sometimes they don't even get to go on their breaks (but of course, they always take lunch). Over the course of a week or month or year, the work constantly seems to even out. The majority ofproblems a tech deals with are hopper jams, coin jams, and bill jams. Since these areas are predominantly mechanical, there is a greater chance for these devices to experience problems or breakdowns. Everything else is mostly electronic. So they replace a lot of lightbulbs. Sometimes shorts or opens cause weird things, switches not working, things that are relatively quick to fix. Then comes that rare one. Machine stops working totally. Hopper jams so good that it needs to be fixed back in the shop. YukI The major malfunction. These can put machines out of service for a day or two at a time. However, they do get on it and fix it so you can get back on it and keep it making money.

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Technicians also have to take care of problems for other departments. For Hard Count or the Change Banks, they might have to fix coin-wrapping machines. For Redemption, they usually have to fix coin and currency counters. They could also repair bank machines, computers, and even pagers! Slot Hosts are the customer relations people. They help you get cards, comps, get you to smile for your jackpot picture, and are the one-on-one people for those who are rated as high players. It is always a good idea to make friends with your Slot Host. They can be your ticket to the wonderful world of freebies (Le., sponsored and advertised items or events from local merchants) that exist at most casinos. Did the casino make a mistake on your credit account? Then the slot host might get you tickets to a local show, or free dinner at a local restaurant. Before I forget, you will also interact with another section of the slot department, the Slot Attendant Supervisor (Slot Floor Supervisor, Slot Supervisor, etc.). These supervisors not only keep their section of the casino working like a well-oiled machine, they also help out with hopper fills, change, and jackpots. It is a good idea to get chummy with your supervisor as well. Not only do they deal with customer disputes, but also can help you if you have problems with your card or machine.

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Surveillance The eye in the sky, as it is known. Every casino protects themselves with surveillance cameras. Hooked up to VCR's, these remote-controlled cameras let the surveillance officers view every inch of the casino and record every moment of it. These people are responsible for keeping an eye on everybody in the place; making sure that no hanky-panky goes on. They watch you, the player. Whether on a slot, at a table game, or at the bar, somebody will be watching you. They watch the employees as well. They watch the supervisors, the managers, and the big bosses. They watch slots, tables, doors, bars, stairs, and anything else they can. What are they watching for? First and foremost, surveillance is for the fmancial protection of the casino. The casino does not want to get ripped off by anybody. So surveillance watches card players and slot players to make sure they are not cheating. They watch employees to make sure they don't try to take any chips, tokens, or money. So anytime you win a jackpot; have a dispute about a machine or a payout; have an employee open a machine door; have a card player do unusual movements; have a dealer make unusual movements; or have money transported by any employee, you can be sure that a camera just might be filming it all.

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Next, surveillance is used to keep the house in order. They follow and film fleas; look for unusual behaviour from people or unusual items or events; watch stairways, doors, and hallways for unauthorized entry. Also, surveillance films things such as patron or staff accidents and illness, fights, arrests, evictions, and other such happenings in which any type of legal liability may be involved--whether in the best interest of the casino or not. It surprises me that many people don't realize that there are cameras in casinos. Just look up at the ceiling and you will see all those large and small black domes, each one holding a camera pointed somewhere or following someone. I once was called to a machine in which a gentleman said he was having problems. He told me the machine was stealing his tokens. I asked him how many he lost and he said three. I opened the machine, gave him three tokens, tested the machine, found no problems, locked it up and left. I was called back several minutes later and the man told me he was having the same trouble. He said he lost five tokens. Well, there really is no way to tell ifhe did or not, but since the technicians in our house could hand pay at any time up to ten dollars at our discretion, I gave him his five tokens and checked the machine. I played about twenty-five real games. Every single token I played was accepted. I had absolutely no problems with the machine. I locked it up and stood back where he couldn't see me. I watched him play seven games. Then he talked to an attendant and I got called over. He said 101

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he lost another five tokens. I asked him how he lost them. Then he showed me. He held a token in his hand and then pretended to insert it into the coin slot. "See?" he said. "It keeps eating my money." Then I told him. I was polite, courteous, but firm. "Sorry Sir, but I was watching from back there and I saw you play seven coins that all were taken. So I really can't give you any coins as you didn't lose them." "But what about that one I just played?" he said angrily. "One moment, Sir." I called over the Slot attendant supervisor and told her what was going on. She explained to him that she was sorry but couldn't give him five tokens. He got mad and started swearing. She then told him that to be fair to him, she would call surveillance and have them film him while he played. If they saw that he lost any more coins she would not only give him back all the coins he said he lost, but would give him a good comp as well. Don't you know it, 102

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that gentleman never had any more problems with that machine for the rest of the day. Yes, he did try to rip me off, which ultimately is ripping offthe casino. Had he realized that there were cameras, he may not have tried it in the ftrst place. So don't worry about those cameras next time you visit your local gaming establishment. They are there to protect everybody.

FoodlBeverage From the restaurants and bars, to the servers, bartenders, and cooks, this department feeds you, quenches your thirst, and makes you feel happy. Cost of these services ranges from free to outrageous, depending on the casino and/or the location it is in. Lines can be up to an hour or more long depending on the type and cost of food, or whether player cardholders get preferential seating.

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Cash/Cage The money people. These workers exchange currency, sell and change tokens and chips, provide the money to the attendants for jackpots and fills, and generally deal with every type of fmancial transaction you can think of, including withdrawals on credit and debit cards and casino credit.

Housekeeping Those perfectly clean washrooms, washed tables and machines, vacuumed carpets, and shiny railings on the stairs are all courtesy ofthe Housekeeping department who keep the casino looking brand new twenty-four hours a day. They clean up spilled drinks, broken glass, and have the unique opportunity to clean machines that a player may have spat upon, urinated on (or in the tray) or otherwise defaced. They even have the joy of cleansing the carpet of faeces from those customers who couldn't be bothered leaving their machine to go to the washroom. (Yes, unfortunately this really does happen.)

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Maintenance Like any other place of business, maintenance staff takes care of all the big and little things that the other departments don't. Painting, fixing signs, repairing chairs and tables, and all the other fun stuff that needs to be done.

Drop Teams These teams are the groups of men and women escorted by Security who are charged with collecting up all the drop buckets and cash boxes. They are essentially collecting, counting, and sorting the casino's revenue.

Tipping casinos are in the entertainment industry and as such tipping is usually an expected activity. How much you should tip and whom you should tip is up to you, but here are some guidelines you may wish to follow. In most casinos, only uniformed staff may accept tips. Supervisors and above are usually not allowed to accept any kind of tip, be it cash or a gift. Food and

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Beverage servers are on the low end of the wage scale andjust as in a bar or restaurant, tipping is usually 15% for them. Housekeeping and Maintenance usually don't receive tips unless they do something exceptional for a guest, such as fix that cold air that's blowing on you as you try to playa video poker machine, or clean out a really dirty slot tray. Security guards are usually tipped for escorting players to their cars, carrying heavy items or performing some other unusual task, or standing guard for you while you get your money for a jackpot. Change attendants, those people who push those heavy carts around the slot banks and give you coins or tokens for your money work pretty hard. They endeavour to give you your coins quickly and get you on your way so don't have to wait. In addition, they are watching the change lights for those who want change. Tipping them is appropriate and usually around a buck or two for twenty dollars exchanged. Slot attendants take care of all hopper fills, jackpots, some change, and minor malfunctions. It is customary to tip slot attendants when you win a jackpot. How much is a matter of personal opinion. I've seen attendants tipped five dollars for a one hundred thousand dollar jackpot and I've seen others tipped a few hundred for a couple of thousand dollars. Play it by ear. If you got 106

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good service, tip accordingly. If you got rotten service, tip accordingly. Use a basic formula of about five dollars for every hundred won and adjust it according to amount of win and the attitude, promptness, and service provided by the attendant. Slot technicians, those overworked and underpaid ladies and gentlemen who went to school and learned electronics and slaved to learn how to fix slot machines, who respond to any malfunctions, immediately, and fix your machine, immediately, and help you out, etc., (hey, my book, my trade, I'll exaggerate if I want) usually are not allowed to accept any type of gratuity. This is based upon the fact that if any tech takes a tip, gift, or gratuity, it could look as though the tech is setting up the machine for the customer. It's a matter of perception. Although the technician can't change any of the sealed chips, can't change the randomness of the machine, in fact; can't do anything at all to the dam machine to set it up for the customer, and is under constant video surveillance, the perception is still there, so thanks for the gesture but please, give the tip to the slot or change attendant instead. So, to tip or not to tip? Who to tip? What to tip? When to tip? Tip toe? Hard questions. Best answer is, if in doubt, ask. Nobody will think it's a stupid question. If you want to tip someone, but don't know how much, or if you

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can, ask him or her. Alternatively, ask another employee. There's no harm in that. Hey, that's customer service. That's what everyone is there for.

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Chapter 15 A Note About Progressives

One ofthe most frustrating things I have ever seen in my years at the casino has been the number of players who really have no idea how to go about playing progressive machines. First off, progressive slots are set at a minimum amount (and some have a maximum amount) for the jackpot. Every coin that is registered on a progressive slot machine, whether it is a linked progressive or a stand-alone, goes into increasing the progressive amount. casinos (and progressive banks in a casino) vary in the amount of percentage that the progressive jackpot increases. Some are set to increase one cent every three coins, others could be three cents for every eight coins. The percentage increase is determined by the casino, (and/or the regulating body) depending on its personal desire. Regardless of the amount of percentage increase, it is immediately obvious that even for the amount to increase just one hundred dollars, a very large amount of coins, translating to a very large amount of money, must be put into the machines. Some progressives need anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars just to increase

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the jackpot a couple of hundred dollars. So you see, progressives pull in a lot of money for a casino. Players should be taking advantage of progressives. The payback percentage on a themed progressive is almost always the same as a non-progressive one. There is usually no difference between a Double Doodad Stand-Alone progressive and a regular Double Doodad machine, for the same denomination, as far as the payback percentage goes. However, it pays to play progressives. Why? Take a coin. Say you want to flip it and get heads. You flip and get tails. Flip again, tails. Then you quit. However, if you kept flipping the coin, you would, eventually in all probability, get heads. Same with a progressive machine. Since progressives get a lot of play, normally more than regular machines, and each spin gives the Random Number Generator another chance to generate those jackpot stop numbers, you have a better chance then, theoretically, of hitting a jackpot. Your odds of hitting are still around, say for example, two million to one, but because the RNG gets another chance at generating that winning combination, you may just luck out. On all progressives, the maximum number of coins is needed to be played to be eligible to win the jackpot. Anything less and you won't get the big money. A quarter progressive could pay, for three jackpot symbols, 100 110

A Note About Progressives

coins for one coin in, 200 coins for two coins in, and the progressive amount for three coins in. It makes me sick to see people play progressives with only one or two coins; especially if the progressive amount is over ten thousand dollars. For an extra couple of quarters, I'd rather win ten thousand bucks than twenty-five dollars. Now, try to tell this to some players. "Uh, mam, by playing only one quarter, you can only win one hundred coins and that's only twenty-five dollars. If you want the jackpot often thousand dollars, you would have to play three coins." "I know!" they scream back. "I know! Leave me alone. I know what I'm doing!" I just look at them as their eyes cut through me, burning my soul, trying to tum me into a pile of dust upon the casino floor. You can't even help some people. They say they have a system. Play one coin until you win a few small amounts, and then play the maximum coin. Thing is, while they are playing their system, they hit the jackpot on one coin in.

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Hopefully, I can help you. Please, please play the maximum amount of coins necessary to win the jackpot on any progressive machine. Nothing makes me shudder more than telling someone, who thinks they won the jackpot, that they didn't because they only played one or two coins. I shake my head and smile. I say to myself, "I told you so!"

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Chapter 16 Slot Tournaments

One of the most fun things you can do in a casino is to enter, or be invited to enter, a slot tournament. As a technician, my job would be to set the options on the machine to make it a tournament machine. Tournament mode would disable the coin-in circuitry and bill validator, place a specific number of credits and time on the machine, and change the payback percentage to about five hundred percent. Why so high? Think back to how we set up the reels. A machine with a normal eighty-seven percent payback would, over let's say, three hundred credits, hit maybe fifty or sixty credits, if that. Not too exciting. By increasing the payback percentage, scores of six thousand and up can be achieved, making it more of a fun time for the players. As well, one of my other jobs was to be on the microphone. Employees would be encouraged to volunteer for this job because you could really get into it. I would yell at players to get to the tournament before it started, screamed when they got a jackpot, and kept them entertained and amused as they played. I would have to gear my banter to the theme of the tournament. If it was a Christmas tournament, guess who got to dress up as Santa, shouting my "Ro, ho, ho's" and "Merry Christmas"! For an Oldies 113

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tournament, I'd put on a leather jacket, slicked hair, and dark sunglasses, with 50's and 60's music playing in the background. Far out, man! Absolutely loved it. And the customers did too. Prizes could range from fifty thousand dollars or more, to trips and cars, for getting the highest overall score. Some tournaments are open to all slot players while others are invitational only. Most tournaments are put on as rewards to players who are members of the player's club and have a player's card. The number of points on the card determines eligibility status. Is it any wonder than that the more you play, the more points you get? Some rules state that the more points you have, the more sessions you get to play in the tournament. All of this is customer service, and yes of course, marketing. Providing a reward to your more valued players means you get them into the casino to play the tournament. While they are waiting for their sessions to begin, you know they will be out on the floor, plunking money into other machines while they wait. For all the money they give away, for the bean counters, tournaments take in more.

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Chapter 17 Slot and Video Poker Machines

I am going to briefly cover video slots and pokers/blackjacks but want to make it clear that I am not going to go into the how's and why's of card playing. There are many books that tell you how to play poker and Blackjack. I'm going to tell you how the machines work. Video machines work exactly the same way as regular reel slots except that instead of physical motors that have stops numbered, everything on videos is represented graphically, however all the math and odds and percentages are the same theory as their equivalent "reel" games. In video slots the stops are all assigned electronically and when the RNG has its three numbers, it looks them up on the chips and then knows not only what symbols to display on the screen, but whether there is a winning combination or not. So everything is the same between regular slots and video slots, except that video slots show graphic pictures rather than spin a motor. For video pokers, the cards are represented by the numbers one through fifty-two (or zero through fifty-one for you techies!) with fifty-three and fifty-four assigned for things like jokers. Here is how a video poker works.

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When you put in your ftrst coin (or press the deal button, again, depends on the preferences ofthe manufacturer) the random number generator generates ten numbers, effectively representing the ftrst ten cards in the deck. The ftrst random number represents the card on the top of the deck, and each successive number equals the next card in the deck. The machine then shows you the ftrst five cards face up. You, of course, hold the cards you want and press the deal button again. The machine then deals out the next cards (which are the numbers that represent the card) to replace the ones you discarded. It looks up the paytable to see what winning combination you have, and then pays out according to the number of coins you bet. It works just like a live dealer. Video Blackjack and Keno are similar. All gambling machines generate random numbers that represent the image assigned to that number. They just differ in the way they show it to you, the player.

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Chapter 17 Slot Machines, Fun Machines, Tax Machines?

When people talk about slot machines and casinos, there always seems to be an extreme edge of the gambling issue in which they reside and very few people are fence-sitters on this. People are either for gambling or against gambling, period. The problem is, each side has its own valid arguments to their beliefs, with much history and examples to back them up. We are constantly hearing about the pros and cons of gambling; the big winners and the big losers, the impact to the surrounding communities, and the way a new casino can change the lives of the people around it. Let's look at the gaming industry across the world. The majority of countries in existence have some sort of gaming initiative in place, whether it be casinos, video lottery terminals (which are just video slots with printers instead of a hopper), lotteries, scratch tickets, bingo, horse or dog racing, or any number of other government sanctioned gambling. The industry creates jobs, brings in tourists, andjumpstarts the economy. It also destroys lives and causes usually sedate people to become frenzied maniacs.

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Most people who work in the gaming industry are pro-gambling. They believe in what they do and they have no problem in doing it. They will argue in the positive for every negative that is thrown their way. However, they also tend to be gamblers themselves, and usually take the opportunity when it arises to visit another venue and spend some money. However, there are some fence-sitters in this industry, myself being one of them. I believe that the gaming industry is a good thing, just like any other industry out there. It provides jobs to areas that are suffering from high unemployment; it injects money into the local economy from taxes on revenue; it brings in tourists who are apt to spend not only at the casino but also at surrounding businesses. However, I also feel that it does present an enticement for people to spend way more than they make. It can drive people to do stupid things; ignore their family, or get into trouble. All for the very remote chance of winning money. But who really gets the big bucks in the gaming industry? Although it is difficult to determine the actual number of casinos in the world, the United States, or Canada since more and more venues open up all the time and nobody seems to have statistics on this, an approximate number can be determined with some intense research, though the numbers are definitely not accurate--not warranted in any way--and are probably much 118

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lower than actual values. This is just my own personal research and opinion. There are around 900 casinos with slot or video poker machines in about fifty-seven countries. This does non include the "floating" casinos (casinos on ships that move into international waters before the gaming area is opened up). These casinos have anywhere from less than one hundred machines, to over five thousand. Who's ready for math? I thought so ... but too bad! Here it goes. Ifwe estimate that the average number of slot machines per venue is 1,000, times 900 venues, we have around nine hundred thousand slots worldwide. If each slot makes a revenue of three hundred dollars a day (which is a fairly accurate average) then the world daily slot take is around two hundred seventy million dollars per day. In a year the total revenue ofthe world's slot machines is about ninety-eight billion five hundred fifty million dollars! Considering that a few years ago the estimated revenue of all U.S. casinos was fifty one billion dollars per year, it is not inconceivable that the world take from slot machines may be well over one trillion dollars annually! Since statistically slot machines count towards approximately seventy percent of the casino's take when the casino also has table and other games, U.S. slots could be bringing in thirty five billion dollars a year alone!

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There are approximately 597 casinos in the United States, and 27 in Canada, which include both Native and non-Native venues. Canada's casino industry has only been around for a few years, but even the Canadian casino industry pulls in billions of dollars per year. And all of the previous figures do not take into account bingo, lotteries, and other gambling activities. Yes, slot machines, casinos, and other government sanctioned or controlled gambling operations bring in a mind-staggering amount of money (more than the national worth of some countries), of which in most cases a percentage goes directly into government coffers. Like gasoline, tobacco, and alcohol, gambling is a defmite cash cow for the government. You could look at it as a voluntary tax system with eager donators. And for all the hundreds of billions of dollars this industry makes per year, a good percentage goes right to the state, province, or territory that regulates it, and some of that is portioned out to the local municipalities. What is done with that money? For Native casinos, a portion usually goes to the state or province or municipality; while the rest of it goes to the Native community for programs, housing, and education. Hence the reason for Reserves wanting gaming on their land. They get a cut of the money that they would normally not get from the usual federal programs. Non-Native casinos get taxed at a percentage which the state, province, or municipality

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distributes. Some of it goes to charity. Some goes to pay down debt. Maybe a bit is thrown in to improve roads or schools. It all depends how the governing body has decided to allocate the portion of revenue that it gets from gaming. Yet our income is still taxed. Doesn't look like it's the customers who are winning in this industry, does it? So where does all this money come from? Well, people, like you and me, who enjoy wagering a bit of cash for the chance to hit the big one. There is nothing wrong with that. We know what we can afford to spend, and a couple of dollars here, twenty bucks there, is our entertainment spending. Whether it's spinning the slot reels, playing cards, getting all of the six numbers, or waiting for the caller to yell, "B3", we enj oy the thrill and dream about that big house on the lake. Unfortunately, for a growing number of people in our communities, the chance of winning the big one IS an obsession. Addiction to gambling has been around right from the start of the industry. It is a disease that affects every walk of life, every occupation, both sexes, and all ages. Don't be fooled. It is a disease like alcoholism or drug abuse. The addict gets trapped in the false belief that if they keep playing, keep spending, they will eventually make back all the money they have spent. It

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is an obsession that creates bizarre behaviour. It is the world of the pathological compulsive gambler. They seem to have an insatiable need to gamble. Even when they win, they keep spending. They keep going back again and again, trying to beat the dealer or break the slot. Most people want to go to a casino. Gambling addicts have to gamble. It's part of their lives. There have been studies as to what this is. Some think it is genetic. Others that it is a chemical reaction in the brain in which addicts get a high when they gamble, whether they win or lose, and get depressed or agitated when they don't gamble. Is it obsessive-compulsive behaviour? Is it the way they were raised? Scientists and councilors are still trying to fmd the cause of pathological compulsive gambling. But no matter what the cause, the effects are evident. There are many instances of people stealing from family, friends, and work to support their gambling habit. Many cash-in life insurance policies, RRSP's, mutual funds, stocks, and other assets to get cash. Others sell everything they own. Some resort to severe criminal activity such as robbery, theft, passing bad cheques, fraud, embezzlement, and even blackmail. Anything to get the money to gamble. To get that high. Or to make back what they have lost.

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The problem is, the majority of pathological gamblers never ever make back even a portion of what they spend. Remember, the odds are always with the venue. Over time, the venue will always come out on top. That is just the way of odds and probability and this is just the thing that gets the gambler into trouble. Many end up spending everything they have; their car, their house, all gone. They break up their families; they destroy their own lives and the lives of those around them. Some end up spiralling downward until the pressure of creditors (or others) drives them to frantic and extreme measures. They may increase their criminal activity, or resort to more extreme measures to get the money to bet. But if the money is not found, if the need is not satisfied, or if the gambler is not stopped, the downward spiral may end tragically. There are many cases of family members of gamblers committing suicide; unable to bare the shame and destitution such a life can bring. Even more gamblers commit suicide, fmding that their last hope of paying the bills or keeping the family together has been lost on the single spin of a slot or the single tum of a card. Death seems to be the only way out. Most compulsive gamblers, when challenged to think about their problem, admit that they do have one, but can't do anything about it. Those who try to quit may use methods that really don't work. Many addicts will get the casino to ban them in the hope that being prevented from entering the casino will 123

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stop them from gambling. It is their way of stopping themselves, of treating their disease. Does it work? No. If a smoker has his cigarettes taken from him every time he wants a smoke, he will fmd another way of getting one when the drive becomes too great. The alcoholic can always fmd a drink even when his local bar has turfed him out on his own order. The gambler will also tum to other avenues to gamble. Some legal, some not. The drive is too strong and even though they will scream and yell because they told the casino to stop them from entering, and now they need to gamble and the casino won't let them in, they can always go to a racetrack, buy lottery tickets, or play bingo. Gambling is gambling and for an addict, it is not the place or the method that drives them, but the high they get when they think they have beaten the odds, or just may have a chance to. There is always a way for a gambler to gamble. Preventing them from going into a casino is not going to do it. If you or someone you know or love may have a gambling problem or addiction, there is help available. In almost every community in North America there are groups and organizations that deal with pathological, compulsive, or problem gambling. You can fmd these groups through your local community services registry or in the Yellow Pages. Gamblers Anonymous is one such national group. There are also individuals (former 124

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addicts, medical personnel, psychologists) who specialize in treating problem gambling. Most casinos have signs or material that list the phone numbers of local gambling help groups. Although a legal protective for them, this minor thing has saved many a gambler, and many a life. It is not just the gambler who can be affected by a casino. Many communities

strive to prevent casinos from being opened up in fear of an increase in crime and prostitution. Are they right? Unfortunately, yes. Statistically there is a possible increase in crime and prostitution in the area whenever a new casino is opened. The influx of a large amount of money means more people are likely to have more cash on them, making them targets. However, good diligence and an effective law enforcement program coordinated by the casino and local government and law enforcement can usually keep casino crime at current levels. A pro-active approach can mean the difference between a casino surrounded by a crime-ridden area and a casino that exists in a good, nice area. It all depends on cooperation from everybody in the community, from those opposed to the casino to those absolutely for it. On the other side of the issue, gambling is defInitely a voluntary activity. Nobody is forcing anyone to wager his or her money. Nobody comes to your home and drags you out at gunpoint and makes you plunk down twenty bucks on a roll of quarters to be inserted into those machines. The gaming

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industry is an entertainment business, pure and simple. Its soul existence is to provide some fun on the chance of winning money. Yes, casinos are designed to make lots and lots of money for the government and the owners/operators. But they are not just simply taking your money; they are giving you a thrill and some entertainment value in return. Just like the store that entices you to come in and see the stuff they have on sale or liquidation, casinos entice you to come on in with the chance to win money; free hotel or travel; free meals; and a host of other marketing gimmicks. A casino is just a business; like any other business. You are getting value (thrills and entertainment) for your dollar. Regardless of what side you are on, it is in your best interest to apply the information in this book properly to enable you to enjoy your gambling experience without getting carried away or addicted, or to at least try to get someone you know who may have a problem to get some type of control over it. You absolutely must use the Right Pocket/Left Pocket rule religiously! You have to treat gambling as you would any other type of entertainment activity you would enjoy. If you are not having fun gambling or it is not fun anymore for someone you know, step back and take a good look at the situation. Odds are good that you or they may have a problem.

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Gambling is fun and exciting and can be rewarding as well. It can also suck you in and spit you out. Self-control, money management, and an attitude of, "If I win, that's great, if! don't, that's great too because I had a fun time", can keep you from getting that debilitating "need" to play the slots.

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Chapter 19 Final Thoughts

Here are some fmal thoughts. Nobody can change the payback percentage of machines; program when or where jackpots will hit; loosen or tighten a machine; press a button to cause anything to occur to a machine; stop or start the reels; or any other action or event. The only people who can do anything to a machine are the technicians and the government electronic enforcement officers, and then only to the actual game and reel chips. These chips are provided by the manufacture to the officers, who check them out and verify they are the proper programs for the game they are to go into. The officers make copies of these chips into a computer so that they can compare the program in the computer with the program in a game that is supposed to have the same chip. They would do this during a random inspection or for a jackpot over a certain amount. They then install and seal the chips on each CPU board and give it to the casino who have the technicians install them in the machines and check the paytable and other parameters to make 129

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sure everything is as it should be. As a double-check, upon request, the casino can ask to verify the chip independently by the Enforcement Officer. This keeps things honest on both ends. •

The machine is not programmed to payoff at certain times or after a certain amount of time; after a number of spins; with a certain amount of coins inserted, or any other type of absolute nonsense!

•

Nobody sits in an office or looks at a television monitor and hits a button to make a machine hit a jackpot.

•

A slot attendant, technician, or anyone else who works outside or inside a machine cannot change anything about it.

•

In most jurisdictions, if you feel that the slot machine is performing

incorrectly, you have the right to ask a technician to check the machine out. The tech will perform tests that will indicate if the machine is functioning properly and will usually relay this information to both you and the Slot/Change Attendant Supervisor or Shift Manager. If still not satisfied, you can speak to the Technical Supervisor/Shift Manager who will check the machine out with the tech. After this, if you still feel the machine is malfunctioning, you 130

Final Thoughts

can ask to see an Electronics Enforcement Officer of the governing body to attend and check the machine out. The Officer will, with the tech and lor technical Supervisor or Shift Managers, request certain tests be performed and may also check the computer chips as well. The Officer's word is usually fmal one way or the other. After this you may also be able to write a complaint to a watchdog or other committee. However, you can be sure that if a tech says the machine is working OK, it is. Unless you would really enjoy going to jail, always heed the requests of any casino employee who asks you to step away from the machine. They need to do work and refusal could cause you to undergo an interview with the local authorities. You may feel that the request is invalid, or have a valid reason not to move. However, the casino and the authorities may see it as a possible cheating move or method. Avoid any problems and just do as requested. Never go near a machine an employee has opened, even if it is one you are playing. Coins are readily in sight and the employee must protect the integrity of the coins and machine. Many times when working on a customer's machine, they would try to help by holding open the door, picking up tokens I've dropped, handing me tools from

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the chair that I've placed them on, etc. However, this places the person in a position. Surveillance may feel that the person might be preparing to steal coins, and may send the authorities out to investigate. The thought is good enough, thanks. But please, don't touch anything, even the machine door, when an employee has it opened. For one thing it makes the employee uneasy and nervous and it makes you vulnerable to investigation. Best thing you can do is just sit there and wait for them to fmish. Thanks! In the same vain, don't try to help the change attendant either. They are working with real money and if you try to help, like picking up a bill they may have dropped, you very much will be interviewed as the casino treats real bills with even more scrutiny than coins in a machine. Again, let the employee pick it up or do their job. Don't try to help. Some crooks like to try to pass counterfeit money in a casino. However, most employees are trained on how to spot phony bills, and cashiers have equipment to scan them as well. Few people get a way with it, and the penalties are harsh and severe. There could always be the possibility that you could end up with a phony bill from a bank or other place. Check your money over and if you even have a small 132

Final Thoughts

inkling that a bill is not right, contact the place you got it from or the police. Inadvertently passing counterfeit money at a variety store is one thing. To do it in a casino immediately makes you a suspect. Be safe. Always check your bills before you go into a casino and always ask before you use one if you have any doubts about it.

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