Best Vegas Slot Machine Payouts
Slot Payouts by Casino / City / State The following information was gathered by the various Gaming Commissions controlling their casinos within their jurisdiction. Casinos constantly add and remove slot machines, trying new slot variations, therefore, the following information is presented as a guide only because these numbers change slightly. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—unless you happen to win a huge cash payout while gambling. The odds that you’ll win $5.00 or $10.00 while playing the slot machines are quite good. The odds of hitting a multimillion-dollar jackpot at a Vegas casino—well, if you accomplish that, then we’ll be hitting the Vegas strip with you next time. Games offering progressive jackpots and bonus rounds are popular with players, but slots with the best payout rates or payback percentages are considered among the top prizes in the world of gambling. After all, even a couple of extra percentage points can make a major difference when calculating the profitability of an individual slot. Megabucks Casinos. When looking for what casino in Vegas pays out the best and not have.
Games offering progressive jackpots and bonus rounds are popular with players, but slots with the best payout rates or payback percentages are considered among the top prizes in the world of gambling. After all, even a couple of extra percentage points can make a major difference when calculating the profitability of an individual slot.
This article examines the definition of “payout percentage” and explains where to find the most generous slot games. While it won’t improve your actual chances of winning, the knowledge that you’re playing a more liberal slot machine should at least boost your confidence.
What Is a Payback Percentage?
The payback percentage—also known as the payout percentage or return to player—is the amount of money deposited into a slot machine that is eventually paid back to the customer. This percentage is not determined in weeks or months, but rather over the life of the machine.
For example, let’s say that $100,000 is inserted into a slot machine with a 92% payout percentage. According to the RTP (“return to player”), the slot should pay back $92,000 of the wager in the form of wins, while keeping the other $8,000 in profit. Keep in mind, however, that the true payout of a slot machine may take millions of spin to determine.
When a machine’s software is written at the factory, this is when the payback percentage is set in accordance with local laws. For example, slots in New Jersey must be set to pay back a minimum of 83%, while games in Nevada have a lower limit of 75%. On average, the payout percentage for most slots ranges from 82% to 98%.
Slots with a high RTP are known as “loose slots,” while their stingy counterparts are referred to as “tight slots.” Since these figures are rarely reported, it’s difficult for a player to accurately determine whether the machine they’re playing is loose or tight.
In previous years, the RTP was set at the factory and any additional manipulation by the casino required the software to be switched. Thanks to advances in computer technology, many casinos can now remotely manipulate the odds and payout, although they must wait until the machine has been vacant for at least four minutes (no mid-game manipulations).
How to Find the Highest Paying Slot Machine
Casinos love to promote their slots as being loose or easy to win slot machines, but they’re tight-lipped when it comes to actually identifying the machines. In most cases, a few loosest slots are sprinkled into rows of tight machines, which still give the casino the opportunity to brag about all the loose slots they offer.
Unless you happen to have a casino manager in your back pocket, it’s going to be difficult to determine a game’s true payback percentage. Gambling forums and chat rooms are often filled with people who claim to know the RTP for various machines, but you should only trust those sources with impeccable credentials. Otherwise, it’s probably an educated guess or outright lie.
Games with Top Payback / Payout Percentages
While it may be disappointing to hear, a so-called list of loose slot machines is useless. There are a couple of reasons for this, which I will explain below.
Varies by Machine – Just because one slot machine from a certain series pays back 96%, another identical machine may only pay back 89%. These differences aren’t listed by the casino, so the player is left to play a guessing game.
Location – Even if you somehow learn that the fifth machine on the fourth row pays back 97%, it’s only a matter of time before the casino changes its physical location.
When searching for the best RTP, the best strategy is to look at the minimum paybacks allowed by law. Any law-abiding casino cannot go below this number, which at least gives you a worst case scenario for the rate of return. Unfortunately, not all states have a minimum, and establishments aren’t always required to disclose their payback setting (especially Indian casinos, who regulate themselves). Still, I’ve included what meager information I could gather.
- Arizona – 83% minimum payback
- Delaware – Their video lottery terminals must pay between 87% and 95%.
- Kansas – 87% minimum (80% at Indian casinos)
- Louisiana – Casino slots must pay no less than 80% and no more than 99.9%. The minimum return at locations other than casinos is 80%, with a maximum of 94%.
- Maine – 89% minimum payback
- Maryland – 87% minimum payout
- Minnesota – RTP must be between 80% and 95%.
- Nevada – 75% minimum RTP
- New Jersey – 83% minimum payback
- New Mexico – Between 80% and 96%, although Indian casinos have a required minimum of 80%.
- North Carolina – Payout must fall between 83% and 98%.
- North Dakota – Slots carry a minimum return of 80%.
- West Virginia – Carries of minimum requirement of between 80% and 95%.
- Wisconsin – Minimum return of 80%.
Slots with the best payback percentage are highly coveted in the world of gambling, so expect a feeding frenzy whenever a game’s true RTP becomes known. This doesn’t happen very often, though, as casinos love to move machines around to keep savvy patrons guessing. Ultimately, your best chance comes from reading the rules, understanding the pay table, and keeping your expectations in check. Once you meet these requirements, you’re a lot more likely to walk away from the casino with a smile on your face.
When you visit a casino, all the action appears to be happening at the tables. But when it comes to ease of play and popularity, slots come out on top. In fact, casinos dedicate roughly 80% of their gaming floor to slots. Only 20% is for table games.
Best Payout Casinos In Vegas
The reason? Slots are more popular and account for more revenue than all other gambling sources combined. And for good reason. Playing a slot machine doesn’t require any gambling knowledge. On top of that, you can bet as little as $0.01.
What slots and table games have in common, however, is the enforcement of a withholding tax. If you’re one of the millions who visits Las Vegas annually, you need to remember that your winnings could be subject to a 30% withholding tax by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Fortunately, Refund Management Services (RMS) can help you reclaim a portion or all of your withheld winnings.
Finding the Loosest Slots in Las Vegas
It’s not hard to find a slot machine in Nevada. In fact, there are over 490,000 slots and gaming machines in Clark County alone (the county where you find Las Vegas). And they’re not just located in casinos. You can find slot machines in the airport, gas stations, and convenience stores.
What is hard, though, is finding slot machines with the best payouts. After all, no one likes to go into a casino and lose $100 on the slots in 30 minutes. The goal is to win, or at least make your money last longer.
Thanks to increased competition in gambling hubs like Las Vegas, Reno, and Atlantic City, casino operators are battling for customers. To keep customers coming back, many casinos are increasing the number of jackpots at their slot machines.
All slot machines work on a payback percentage that the casinos can set. They can make a slot machine tight or loose. Loose slot machines increase the chances of a player hitting a payout. This creates excitement and helps keep players in their seats on the gambling floor.
For slots aficionados, it’s all about finding the loose machines. Not surprisingly, casinos do not advertise which machines are loose or the payout percentages of individual machines.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t do a little digging and find out which kinds of slot machines have the biggest win percentages. It turns out, you need to spend money to make money in Las Vegas.
Best Slots to Play in Las Vegas
Statistics from the Nevada Gaming Control Board show which slots offer the best payouts in the order of the denomination played. In June 2016 in Clark County, Megabucks progressive slots posted the worst win percentage at 85.15%.1
What that means is, for every $100 you spend, you can expect to win $85.15. Megabucks progressive slots generally have the worst win percentage because the huge jackpot outweighs the bad odds.
The best win percentages came from high-roller slots. Slots that accept denominations of $5, $25, and $100 returned 94.05%, 94.97%, and 94.35%, respectively. While you can lose your money faster with high-roller slots, the payout percentages are always better (on all slots regardless of the denomination) if you get the maximum amount on each spin.
The most fruitful games, when it comes to odds and cost, are the nickel and quarter slots. In June, nickel slots had a win percentage of 94.2% while quarter slots paid back 93.06%. Next to Megabucks, penny slots have the worst win percentage, returning 88.83%.
Casinos with the Most Slots in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Winning Slot Machines
The Orleans Hotel and Casino
The Orleans is a Mardi Gras-themed casino hotel located a few minutes west of the Strip. The casino floor covers 137,000 square feet and has over 2,600 slot machines. There is also a high-limit slot salon.2
The casino also has over 60 table games and a 35-table poker room. You can also find a seat in the 125-person race and sports book with 13 betting windows.
MGM Grand Las Vegas
The MGM Grand is located at the south end of the Strip. It’s easy to spot the MGM Grand casino—it’s a massive emerald-coloured complex with a 45-foot bronze lion out front.
The MGM Grand covers over 170,000 square feet and has 3,000 slot machines (with denominations ranging from $0.01 to $1,000. There are also around 200 table games, a 24-hour poker room, and a race and sports book.3
Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall
Sam’s is a sprawling casino resort 10 km east of the Strip. The 120,000-square-foot casino is spread out over three floors where you’ll find over 3,100 slot machines, 50 table games, an 11-table poker room, a 570-seat bingo room, and a 60-screen race and sports book.4
Casino Slot Winnings Subject to 30% Withholding Tax
Non-U.S. residents who win a significant amount of money playing the slots at any casino or gaming facility in the United States are subject to a 30% withholding tax by the IRS.
In the U.S., winnings from casino games and other games of chance (racetrack, game show) are considered income. If you win $2,000 playing the slots, the casino will pay you $1,400. The IRS keeps the rest. But if you live in a country like Canada, which has signed a U.S. tax treaty, you may be eligible for a refund.
There are a number of countries that currently do not have a U.S. tax treaty. However, if you reside in any of the following countries, you could still be eligible for a refund: Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Mexico, Malaysia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, and the U.A.E.
To see if you meet the criteria and are eligible to get some or all of your withholding tax back, contact RMS.
RMS, the Easiest Way to Get Your 30% Withholding Tax Back
Most Winning Slots In Vegas
If you’ve visited the U.S. and had 30% of your casino winnings held back by the IRS, Refund Management Services (RMS) can help you reclaim a portion or all of your taxable winnings.
Founded by a Canadian chartered accountant, RMS is Canada’s most reliable and experienced gaming and casino tax refund provider. Over the years, RMS has helped thousands of people around the world recover taxes on their U.S. gaming wins. We’ve also never been refused an eligible refund.
Only RMS has the One Simple StepTM process with an easy online form to fill out. After you complete the form, our customer service agents take care of the rest, processing and submitting it to the IRS. It can take a minimum of one year for the IRS to review the claim and for RMS to receive the refund.
Contact RMS today by calling our toll-free number at 1-855-860-2610 or by e-mailing us at [email protected].
Sources:
1. “June Gaming Revenue Report,” Nevada Gaming Control Board web site; http://gaming.nv.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=11262.
2. “Play,” The Orleans Hotel and Casino web site; http://www.orleanscasino.com/play.
3. “Casino,” MGM Grand Las Vegas web site; https://www.mgmgrand.com/en/casino.html.
4. “Play,” Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall web site; http://www.samstownlv.com/play.