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Slots I thought it took a lot to change slot payback percentages

Discussion in 'Slots' started by wrxrob, Feb 3, 2014.

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  1. wrxrob

    wrxrob High-Roller

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    About a week ago in a local casino, I was slow playing in a HL room while watching a technician work on a neighboring IGT slot. This was one of the newer varieties with LCD screens for everything but the reels themselves. Anyway, I watched the tech scroll through the menus, and select from a list of payback percentages, lowering from 94.xx% to 90.xx%, before rebooting the machine, and walking away. This happened just a couple days prior to some big Chinese New Year celebration, which would supposedly bring in some whales. The tech was working on a $25 denomination machine. Another tech was working on the $500 denom machine :eek: (didn't watch that tech as closely).

    I guess I should throw away my old casino books that say a machine's program is hard coded into the chip, and cannot be changed without some governing gaming organization's blessing. I guess it can these days, and on the fly. Doesn't surprise me a bit though. :thumbsdown:

    On the same evening, I noticed they had already increased the formerly dismal paytables on the $5 video poker machines. I guess they weren't getting as much play as the casino hoped, because players do pay attention to those paytables.
     
  2. Iu25

    Iu25 High-Roller

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    Interesting, I was in the same boat as you, I thought the only way they were allowed to change them was per Gaming commission being in house or something similar. Makes me really wonder about how sometimes your money just goes without even seemingly hitting anything, then other times it doesnt seem like you can give it away!
     
  3. mrstealth

    mrstealth VIP Whale

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    Was this an indian casino ? if so, they operate by a completely different set of standards as far as minimum payout percentage. In some jurisdictions they can have an "average" minimum payout percentage, so if 1 was set at 90% and then 2 others were at 99% the average would be 96%.


    And yes, with computerized random number generators, they can adjust overall payout percent either with a new chip or on the newer machines by just changing a few settings.




    In Vegas, it used to be that competition dictated the payout percentage, with the higher the denomination, usually the higher payout percent.
     
  4. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    Yeah modern slots don't need a physical change of the EPROM chip. Some are even changeable via servers, so the machine doesn't even need to be opened up in that case. The requirement in Nevada, Missouri, and likely other states is a 4 minute idle period with no credits in the machine. So casinos with newer machines can easily change percentages day by day during slow periods.

    And he really dropped it down from 94% to 90% on a $25 slot? Ouch. I'm guessing they are short on blubber right now... :eek:

    And if you remember, what did the VP paytables move to?

    Competition still dictates it somewhat. NV's minimum requirement is only 75%. Most penny slots pay 85% or more.
     
  5. wrxrob

    wrxrob High-Roller

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    the casino was in Maryland (no Indian tribe casinos here)

    Also, the VP paytable for Jacks or Better went from 6/5 to 8/6. Also, I think bonus poker went from 6/5 to 7/5. Still that's kinda rough for the $5 denom.

    Next time I head out, I'll try to write down all of the VP paytables, and maybe start a thread in the non-vegas forum to inform the locals, as I think there are at least a few of us regulars on here in the Mid-Atlantic region.
     
  6. dvandentop

    dvandentop VIP Whale

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    wow that is crazy to see that much of a drop. also yeah not surprising how easy to be changed.

    i had a problem with an older aristo at harrahs last year and they slot tech went into the menus and i saw the payback was around 87% or so on a whales of cash machine.... i was surpsied by how easy it was to make changes.
     
  7. chess

    chess VIP Whale

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    Assuming MD LIve ? Or perryville or rocky gap ?
     
  8. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    To expand on this, in rob's case, all slots/VP pay 87% or more. Maryland law.

    VP in Maryland is pretty rough though usually. They also have a dumb law where they have to get written approval from the lottery commission to offer any 95% to 100% (>100% illegal) gaming machines. So video poker generally needs another level of approval that most slots don't. Hell, that's probably why the slot was initially set at 94.xx% and not 95%+. Also since 67% of their slot/VP revenue goes to taxes, it isn't easy for the casino to make a lot of money by offering generous games like 9/6 JoB.

    And currently, no MD casino offers 9/6 JoB either. The best in the state according to VPFree2 is 9/6 DDB (98.98%) and 98.91% "Airport Deuces" at the $5 level at MD Live! :vomit:
     
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