The Loosest Slot Machines In Phoenix

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For slot machine grinders like me, the Holy Grail that motivates me to keep playing is the pursuit of loose slots.

Now, before I go any further, let’s discuss what the term loose really means in the slot machine industry.

Many players mistakenly believe that individual machines can be programmed to play loosely – paying out winning spins more frequently – while others are programmed to play tight. In fact, as you make your way through the slot world, you’ll meet players who believe with all their heart that loose machines are always placed on the end of a machine bank, or casinos loosen the games on weekdays, or any number of similar myths and misconceptions.

Fortunately for reasonable slot enthusiasts, that’s just not how it works.

Any given slot machine model is designed and manufactured by a particular company –Aristocrat, International Game Technology (IGT), WMS Industries and so on. Before a machine ever hits the casino floor, these companies build random number generators (RNGs) into the game cabinet, and these RNGs provide truly random results on the reels.

Those results are based on the game’s probability of hitting certain combinations on the reels, and the payouts are related to those combinations. That’s it, and that’s all.

A machine can be designed to payout small winners relatively often, with large jackpots sprinkled in as long shots. Or, the designer may opt for a flatter pay out scheme, with small and large wins occurring with the same frequency. That’s all up to the folks creating the game, and with thousands of slot machine models out there today, you’ll find plenty of variety when it comes to payback percentage.

When a machine arrives at the casino, operators there have no control whatsoever over those probabilities and payouts. They’ve been pre-programmed into the random number generator, and for the duration of the machine’s life, they’ll remain constant and steady.

Most slot machine beginners don’t realize this is how it works, which is where the idea of loose and tight machines, as it is commonly understood, came from. After all, wouldn’t casinos want to tightly control the odds being offered to players?

Well, they do just that.

But not by influencing an individual machine’s pay out frequency from on high. Rather, a casino can modulate its own slot machine payout rates by choosing which types of slots to carry.

Remember, some slots are designed to be “people pleasers,” paying out small winners every other spin or so. These games run with payback percentages between 93 percent and 97 percent, and can occasionally go even higher.

When I call a slot machine “loose,” I’m referring to these higher than average payback rates.

On the other hand, many machines – especially those offering progressive jackpots – pay out winners much less often. But when they do, the returns are typically larger than the people-pleaser games. For these machines, the payback percentages usually range from 87 percent to 92 percent – rates I’d refer to as “tight.”

While a casino operator can’t control each machine’s payback percentage, they can pick and choose how many of the loose and tight machines are offered on the floor. One venue may elect to spread 20 loose games to 10 tight games, while the joint next door rolls with a 20 tight/10 loose arrangement.

In this way, every casino you visit will hold an inherent payback percentage for its slot games, which is calculated by averaging the payback rates for all machines on the floor. When a casino operator wants to tinker with its own paybacks – perhaps to provide a higher profit margin for owners – it doesn’t need to reduce the “looseness” on individual machines. Instead, the operator can simply remove a few high payback machines from the floor, while replacing them with lower paying machines to bump the casino’s overall average payback rate down.

Now that you know what loose slots really are, let’s dive into the important stuff: where to find the loosest slot machine games in your area.

The following guide is intended to help players anywhere in America locate the nearest loose slot games. I’ll run through as many individual states as possible, but before I do, take a look below at a prime directive for finding loose slots:

Popular Spots = Tighter Slots

One item of advice that regular slot players will regale you with involves the old Strip vs. Downtown dichotomy.

Boiling it down, these players believe that casinos on the Las Vegas Strip run much tighter slots than you’ll find elsewhere in the Off Strip or Downtown areas of Sin City. Unlike the many slot machine myths out there, however, this one is definitely true.

Take a look at the following table, provided by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which covers July 2015 through June 2016:

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Area	Average Payback Percentage
The Strip	93.03 percent
Downtown	94.78 percent
Boulder Strip	95.60 percent
North Las Vegas	95.74 percent

As you can tell, slots found on The Strip average a much lower payback rate (93.03 percent) than their counterparts Downtown (94.78 percent), on the Boulder Strip (95.60 percent) or in North Las Vegas (95.74 percent).

The reason for this discrepancy is quite simple to grasp, and is based entirely in economics.

Casino operators on The Strip – and any area’s most popular casino destination for that matter – know that a steady stream of recreational gamblers will be flocking to the floor. These venues are practically guaranteed to receive action from the hordes of tourists wandering about, so they don’t need to offer competitive payback percentages.

Venues on The Strip tend to spread slightly tighter machines, thereby bringing their property wide average down.

And why not?

The players will be there regardless, spinning away without paying close attention, so ensuring a slightly higher profit margin is in a business’ best interest.

On the other side of the coin, casinos in the Downtown district, the Boulder Strip, or North Las Vegas don’t receive the same guaranteed flow of patrons like venues on The Strip. These properties must compete for a smaller slice of the Las Vegas gambling market, and competition always provides a better climate for customers.

For this reason, casino operators running things at an Off Strip venue tend to purchase looser slots, increasing the average payback percentage across the property.

Knowing these facts, you should always be prepared to go off the beaten path as you pursue the loosest slots around. Generally speaking, the more popular a casino is, the tighter its machines will be – so branch out and explore some of the lesser known gambling halls in your area.

Pay the Piper for Higher Paybacks

This one’s simple, so we’ll keep it short and sweet.

No matter where you play, the coin denomination you use tends to be linked directly to average payback rates.

For penny slot players, the average will lean towards the lower end of the spectrum. High rollers, on the other hand, are afforded a higher average overall.

With this in mind, remember that the high limit slot parlor in your local casino will always offer a higher average payback than the regular machines. And even if you don’t make your way to the high limit room, moving up in stakes from penny slots to nickel, quarter, or dollar is a surefire way to increase your average payback.

State by State Slot Guide

Every state that offers legalized gambling, either in commercial or tribal casinos, is subject to its own gaming regulator.

In many cases, these regulators mandate a “floor” for slot machine payback rates, ensuring that a minimum payback is met. Otherwise, some unscrupulous casinos would simply spread the worst paying games in the world, counting on players to not know any better and blow off their bankroll in a hurry.

The Arizona Department of Gaming, for example, requires any tribal operator to run slot machines with an average payback between 80 percent and 100 percent. In Maine, the Gaming Control Board mandates an 83 percent payback rate or higher for slot games.

These statewide systems can vary wildly, so it can be useful to break things down on a state by state basis to see where the loosest slots in your area can be found.

Below, you’ll find a listing of all states that make their slot machine payback rates public, complete with venue or area specific payback rates. If you don’t see your state listed here, that’s because regulations don’t require slot machine payback information to be released.

Arkansas

The Oaklawn Racing and Gaming facility is the state’s best slot destination, with an average payback rate of 93.23 percent

Southland Park Gaming and Racing is quite close, however, averaging a payback of 93.11 percent.

Colorado

Payback rates for the three major casino regions in Colorado are below, with the highest for a given region in bold:

Coin	Black Hawk	Central City	Cripple Creek
1¢	88.66 percent	90.23 percent	91.68 percent
5¢	93.01 percent	94.34 percent	93.41 percent
25¢	93.01 percent	94.25 percent	95.17 percent
$1	93.86 percent	95.23 percent	95.12 percent
$5	94.32 percent	93.09 percent	94.94 percent
All	92.51 percent	92.56 percent	93.55 percent
Average	92.56 percent	93.28 percent	93.98 percent

Connecticut

The table below highlights average payback rates at the Foxwoods casino complex – and its main rival, Mohegan Sun – as recorded by the Connecticut’s Division of Special Revenue:

Foxwoods

Coin	Payback
1¢	89.45 percent
2¢	91.42 percent
5¢	90.33 percent
25¢	91.84 percent
50¢	90.94 percent
$1	93.26 percent
$5	93.79 percent
$10	94.74 percent
$25	94.43 percent
$100	94.75 percent
Average	91.93 percent

Mohegan Sun

Coin	Payback
1/4¢	86.06 percent
1/2¢	85.83 percent
1¢	89.13 percent
2¢	89.58 percent
5¢	88.16 percent
25¢	91.76 percent
50¢	92.45 percent
$1	93.36 percent
$5	93.87 percent
$10	96.46 percent
$25	94.15 percent
$100	94.77 percent
Average	91.86 percent

Delaware

Per data released by the Delaware Lottery, which covers the period between July 26, 2015 and June 26, 2016, slot machine paybacks at the state’s three “racinos” breaks down as follows:

Dover Downs	92.60 percent
>Delaware Park	92.31 percent
Harrington Raceway	91.73 percent

Florida

Average payback rates – as recorded by the state’s Division of Pari-Mutuel Gaming from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016 – are as follows:

Magic City	93.87 percent
Casino Miami	93.80 percent
Hialeah Park	93.49 percent
Dania Casino	92.21 percent
Gulfstream Park	92.39 percent
Mardi Gras	91.95 percent
The Isle	90.98 percent
Calder	90.89 percent

Illinois

Property averages, provided by the Illinois Gaming Board, can be found below:

VENUE	PAYBACK
Casino Queen	92.63 percent
Harrah’s Joliet	92.07 percent
Par A Dice	91.22 percent
Argosy Alton	91.11 percent
Grand Victoria	91.08 percent
Hollywood Joliet	90.96 percent
Jumer’s	90.75 percent
Hollywood Aurora	90.61 percent
Rivers Casino	90.03 percent
Harrah’s Metropolis	88.99 percent

Indiana

Property averages, provided by the Indiana Gaming Commission, can be found below:

VENUE	PAYBACK
Hoosier Park	91.59 percent
Rising Star	91.55 percent
Indiana Grand	91.53 percent
Blue Chip	91.48 percent
French Lick	91.38 percent
Belterra	90.91 percent
Majestic Star	90.42 percent
Ameristar	90.38 percent
Hollywood	90.38 percent
Tropicana	90.11 percent
Horseshoe Casino	89.92 percent
Majestic Star	89.83 percent
Horseshoe Hammond	89.82 percent

Iowa

Property averages, provided by the Indiana Gaming Commission, can be found below:

VENUE	PAYBACK
Prairie Meadows	92.02 percent
Wild Rose Jefferson	91.56 percent
Wild Rose Emmetsburg	91.35 percent
Catfish Bend	91.09 percent
Riverside	91.01 percent
Rhythm City	90.84 percent
Wild Rose Clinton	90.84 percent
Mystique Casino	90.61 percent
Diamond Jo Dubuque	90.52 percent
Grand Falls	90.60 percent
Mystique Casino	90.58 percent
Diamond Jo Worth	90.40 percent
Ameristar	90.37 percent
Lakeside Casino	90.35 percent
Hard Rock	90.21 percent
Isle Bettendorf	90.21 percent
Lady Luck	90.04 percent
Isle Waterloo	89.72 percent
Harrah’s	89.63 percent
Horseshoe Council Bluffs	89.31 percent

Louisiana

Regional averages, provided by the Louisiana State Police Riverboat Gaming Section, can be found below:

Coin	Baton Rouge	Lake Charles	New Orleans	Shreveport/Bossier City
1¢	88.74 percent	88.23 percent	88.60 percent	88.64 percent
5¢	91.94 percent	92.64 percent	93.96 percent	91.79 percent
25¢	92.57 percent	92.84 percent	92.47 percent	91.21 percent
$1	93.64 percent	92.07 percent	93.20 percent	92.48 percent
$5	94.28 percent	93.53 percent	93.28 percent	92.80 percent
All	91.17 percent	91.01 percent	90.47 percent	90.30 percent

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Maine

Per the Maine Gaming Control Board, between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016 the average payback percentage for the state’s various slot providers breaks down as follows:

Oxford Casino	91.44 percent
Hollywood Casino	89.88 percent

Mississippi

Regional* averages, provided by the Mississippi Gaming Commission, can be found below:

Coin	Coastal	North	Central
1¢	91.66 percent	91.37 percent	91.71 percent
5¢	94.68 percent	93.97 percent	95.14 percent
25¢	94.45 percent	92.83 percent	93.55 percent
$1	93.88 percent	94.20 percent	94.11 percent
$5	94.39 percent	95.36 percent	95.38 percent
All	92.50 percent	92.09percent	91.98 percent

*Key

Coastal = Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay Saint Louis
North = Tunica, Greenville and Lula
Central = Vicksburg and Natchez

Missouri

Property averages, provided by the Missouri Gaming Commission, can be found below:

VENUE	PAYBACK
River City	91.00 percent
Ameristar K.C.	91.00 percent
St. Jo Frontier	90.80 percent
Ameristar St. Charles	90.80 percent
Hollywood	90.70 percent
Mark Twain	90.60 percent
Isle of Capri/Booneville	90.40 percent
Harrah’s K.C	90.40 percent
Argosy	90.30 percent
Lumiere Place	90.2 percent
Isle of Capri/Girardeau	89.80 percent
Lady Luck	89.20 percent
Isle of Capri K.C.	88.80 percent

Nevada – Las Vegas

Regional averages for The Strip, Downtown, the Boulder Strip, and North Las Vegas can be found below:

1¢ Slot Machines

The Strip	88.45 percent
Downtown	88.66 percent
Boulder Strip	90.42 percent
Las Vegas	90.71 percent

5¢ Slot Machines

The Strip	91.84 percent
Downtown	92.08 percent
Boulder Strip	95.73 percent
North Las Vegas	95.38 percent

25¢ Slot Machines

The Strip	90.59 percent
Downtown	94.48 percent
Boulder Strip	96.39 percent
North Las Vegas	96.58 percent

$1 Slot Machines

The Strip	93.03 percent
Downtown	94.78 percent
Boulder Strip	95.60 percent
North Las Vegas	95.74 percent

$1 Megabucks Machines

The Strip	87.10 percent
Downtown	87.55 percent
Boulder Strip	88.91 percent
North Las Vegas	87.53 percent

All Slot Machines

The Strip	92.12 percent
Downtown	92.87 percent
Boulder Strip	94.42 percent
North Las Vegas	93.62 percent

Nevada – Laughlin

Average payback rates by coin denomination for Laughlin’s casinos, as provided by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, are as follows:

COIN	PAYBACK
1¢	88.94 percent
5¢	93.12 percent
25¢	94.27 percent
$1	95.04 percent
$1 Megabucks	86.98 percent
$5	94.91 percent
All Slots	92.34 percent

Nevada – Reno

Average payback rates by coin denomination for Reno’s casinos, as provided by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, are as follows:

COIN	PAYBACK
1¢	92.67 percent
5¢	94.14 percent
25¢	93.86 percent
$1	95.90 percent
$1 Megabucks	84.72 percent
$5	95.43 percent
All Slots	94.83 percent

New Jersey

Property averages, provided by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, can be found below:

VENUE	PAYBACK
Harrah’s	91.70 percent
Borgata	91.60 percent
Bally’s A.C.	90.90 percent
Caesars	90.80 percent
Golden Nugget	90.70 percent
Resorts	90.60 percent
Tropicana	90.60 percent

Casinos With The Loosest Slots

New York

Property averages, provided by the New York Lottery, can be found below:

VENUE	PAYBACK
Resorts World	95.28 percent
Empire City	92.95 percent
Monticello	92.16 percent
Saratoga	92.05 percent
Tioga Downs	91.92 percent
Finger Lakes	91.81 percent
Fairgrounds	91.32 percent
Batavia Downs	91.29 percent
Vernon Downs	91.27 percent

Ohio

Property averages, provided by the Ohio Casino Control Commission, can be found below:

CASINO	PAYBACK
JACK Cleveland	92.25 percent
Hollywood Columbus	91.80 percent
JACK Cincinnati	91.61 percent
Belterra Park	91.30 percent
Miami Valley	91.28 percent
Scioto Downs	91.03 percent
Hard Rock	90.89 percent
Hollywood Toledo	90.8 percent
JACK Thistledown	90.49 percent
Hollywood Dayton	90.23 percent
H wood Mahoning	89.92 percent

Pennsylvania

Property averages, provided by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, can be found below:

VENUE	PAYBACK
Parx Casino	90.76 percent
Valley Forge	90.27 percent
Mohegan Sun	90.17 percent
Mount Airy	90.13 percent
Harrah’s Philadelphia	90.00 percent
The Meadows	89.95 percent
Sands Bethlehem	89.91 percent
The Rivers	89.73 percent
Nemacolin	89.48 percent
Sugar House	89.48 percent
Presque Isle	89.52 percent
Hollywood at Penn	89.29 percent

Conclusion

Finding the loosest slot machine games depends on where you’re located and how far you’re willing to travel. Use this guide of where to find the loosest slot machine games right now the next time you want to venture out to play slots.

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Introduction to Arizona Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Arizona slot machine casino gambling consists of 25 American Indian tribal casinos offering slot machines, video poker, video blackjack, and video keno.

I’ve dedicated this weekly series to slot enthusiasts such as yourself as you master casino slots and win your way to success by using this State-By-State Online Resource to improve your slots gambling performance by reviewing your state’s slots gaming industry.

Keep Reading … Or Listen Instead!

Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Arizona*

The minimum legal gambling age in Arizona depends upon the gambling activity:

Land-Based Casinos: 21
Poker Rooms: 21
Bingo and Pull-Tabs: 18
Lottery: 21
Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 21

In 1993, 21 tribes established an approved gaming compact with Arizona. Much later, in 2017, the Hopi tribe obtained an approved gaming compact.

These gaming compacts limit the total number of Vegas-style gaming machines to 20,576 in the state, occasionally adjusted for population growth. At the time of this writing, there are about 15,600 gaming machines in operation.

The maximum bet on gaming machines is $25.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Arizona

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It is legal to own a slot machine privately in Arizona.

Gaming Control Board in Arizona

In 1995, due to the growth of tribal gaming in Arizona, the state legislature created the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) a few years after the successful negotiation of tribal-state gaming compacts.

ADG’s purpose is as an independent regulatory body with expertise in gaming. This tribal gaming oversight is in partnership with Arizona’s 22 American Indian tribes with tribal-state compacts.

In 2015, ADG’s responsibilities expanded to include oversight of pari-mutuel wagering, racing, boxing, and mixed martial arts events conducted in Arizona.

Casinos in Arizona

Arizona has 25 American Indian tribal casinos and non-tribal pari-mutuel wagering without slot machines.

The largest casino in Arizona is Casino Del Sol having over 1300 gaming machines.

The second-largest casino is Desert Diamond Casino – West Valley Resort having 1,136 gaming machines.

Commercial Casinos in Arizona

Pari-mutuel wagering of races is available in Arizona, but these facilities do not offer slot machines.

Tribal Casinos in Arizona

The 25 American Indian tribal casinos in Arizona are:

Apache Gold Casino Resort in San Carlos, 90 miles east of Phoenix.
Apache Sky Casino in Winkelman, 70 miles north of Tucson.
BlueWater Resort & Casino in Parker, 160 miles west of Phoenix.
Bucky’s Casino in Prescott, 91 miles southwest of Flagstaff.
Casino Arizona in Scottsdale, 15 miles northeast of Phoenix.
Casino Del Sol in Tucson.
Casino of the Sun in Tucson.
Cliff Castle Casino Hotel in Camp Verde, 50 miles south of Flagstaff.
Cocopah Casino & Resort in Somerton, 13 miles southwest of Yuma.
Desert Diamond Casino – Sahuarita, 20 miles south of Tucson.
Desert Diamond Casino – Tucson.
Desert Diamond Casino – West Valley Resort in Glendale, a northwestern suburb of Phoenix.
Desert Diamond Casino – Why in Ajo, 125 miles southwest of Phoenix.
Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Lone Butte in Chandler, 10 miles southwest of Phoenix.
Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Vee Quiva in Laveen, 10 miles southwest of Phoenix.
Gila River Hotels & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, 25 miles southeast of Phoenix.
Harrah’s Ak Chin Casino Resort in Maricopa, 25 miles south of Phoenix.
Hon-Dah Resort Casino in Pinetop, 190 miles northeast of Phoenix.
Mazatzal Hotel & Casino in Payson, 90 miles northeast of Phoenix.
Paradise Casino Arizona in Yuma, 244 miles west of Tucson.
Spirit Mountain Casino in Mohave Valley, 120 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, 15 miles northeast of Phoenix.
Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort, 40 miles east of Flagstaff.
Wekopa Casino Resort in Fountain Hills, 25 miles northeast of Phoenix.
Yavapai Casino in Prescott, 91 miles southwest of Flagstaff.

Other Gambling Establishments

Loosest Slot Machines In Vegas

As an alternative to enjoying Arizona slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Arizona is:

North: Utah Slots
East: New Mexico Slots
South: Mexico’s states of Sonora and Baja California
West: California Slots and Nevada Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Arizona.

Our Arizona Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Arizona? If so, join our Arizona slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to freely join this closed Facebook Group community.

There, you can meet online and privately share your slots experiences with local slots enthusiasts about playing slot machines in Arizona. Join us!

Payouts and Returns in Arizona

The tribal-state gaming compacts between Arizona and its tribes have placed limits on theoretical payouts for gaming machines based on the type of game.

The minimum theoretical payout limits for Class III machines, during the expected lifetime of the game and including bonus games, are:

Games-of-chance (Vegas-style slot machines): 80%
Games-of-skill (video blackjack and video poker): 83%
Video keno: 75%

Return statistics are not publicly available.

Summary of Arizona Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Arizona slot machine casino gambling consists of 25 tribal casinos with 15,600 Vegas-style gaming machines offering slots, video poker, video blackjack, and video keno.

Annual Progress in Arizona Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Over the last year, Harrah’s Phoenix Ak-Chin Casino Resort has fallen to the third-largest casino in Arizona with 1,135 slot machines, with Casino Del Sol Resort now taking second-place with one more slot machine than Harrah’s Ak-Chin in Phoenix.

Otherwise, the Fort McDowell Casino in Fountain Hills has re-opened as the Wekopa Casino Resort.

Other States from Professor Slots

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Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC