High vs Low Denomination Slots, casino slot denominations.

Casino slot denominations

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Playing slots with high payout percentages does mean that you may end up spending more money for less slots play time. If however you are as serious gambler you will see these types of machines as an opportunity to get the most value out of every euro/dollar/pound that you wager. For the sake of example we will use two scenarios:

High vs low denomination slots

When it comes to slots strategy you won't find any topic that is debated more than payout percentages. Of course, finding slot machines with the highest paybacks makes a lot of sense and is the easiest way for you to increase your winnings when playing this popular casino game but there are also disadvantages to playing slots with high payout rates.

One such drawback is that in order to take advantage of favourable payout percentages you generally need to wager more per spin. This means that if you play a slot with a 96% payout rate you'll have to wager $1 or more per spin to qualify for that payback. Due to this fact, most slots players find themselves taking one of two stances when it comes to playing slots which we will discuss below.

Bankroll conservation by playing low denomination slot machines

If you want to extend your slots play then bankroll management is extremely important. If your bankroll is limited then option for lower coin denomination games will definitely help you to make your money go further.

The disadvantage of playing lower denomination slots however is that you will have to settle for lower payouts. Obviously the casino is not making as much money from players playing penny slots or a nickel per spin so the house edge on lower denomination games is higher. Whether you play at a land based or online casino you will generally encounter payout rates of 88% to 92% on these types of slot machines.

Despite this, penny, nickel and quarter slot machines are still an attractive proposition if you only have a limited bankroll. They are also great if you are just a casual gambler who doesn't want to risk losing too much. The advantage of playing low denomination slots is evident when doing the gambling math.

For the sake of example we will use two scenarios:

1. You play 100 spins on a slot machine with a 95% payout rate where a minimum of $1 is bet and you lose $5 on average (100 x 1 x 0.05)


2. You play 100 spins on a slot with a 90% payout rate where you can bet a minimum of $0.01 and you lose an average of 10 cents (100x 0.01 x 0.10)

As you can see in the above example, you may face worse payout rates when paying low denomination slots but you will at least get more out of your slots experience as your bankroll will go a whole lot further.

Increasing your winning potential with high denomination slots

Playing slots with high payout percentages does mean that you may end up spending more money for less slots play time. If however you are as serious gambler you will see these types of machines as an opportunity to get the most value out of every euro/dollar/pound that you wager.

If you consider the above examples high denomination slots may result in a $5 loss per 100 spins but it is also a nickel less per dollar wagered. For this reason, some slots enthusiasts recommend that even when playing with a limited bankroll, you should just play a few less spins on a high denomination machine rather than playing a low denomination one.

Another argument is that more expensive slot machines have higher jackpots and progressive jackpots and if you hit these the payouts are life changing. If you're someone who dreams of being the next slots millionaire then this is a very important point and even though these jackpots are few and far between, someone does eventually have to win them and that adds a thrill to the game that money just can't buy.

In addition when playing high denomiation machines, you can put a number of advantage play methods for slots into action to further maximise you winnings.

After considering both schools of thought on the matter, you'll definitely have something to think about when it comes to your own slots play. Ultimately it all boils down to your unique player personality and whether you would rather play for longer periods with smaller payouts or for a shorter time with the potential for huge wins. Only you will know what is best suited to you!

Denomination

You want to know more about denomination and what it means?

Well, this is the page that will give you all the information. Stick around.

What is denomination?

A denomination is a word used to describe the coin value and the bet per line that you are about to play in a slots game.

You can find the coin value and bet per line adjustable options at the bottom of the page, right beneath the reels of the slot game. Once you set the denomination, every next spin will have the value you’ve selected.

Every slot game has its unique denomination range which we present in the information table on the side of the screen. It starts from as low as £0.01 and goes up to £150.00, £200.00, £300.00, £400.00. In the modern online slot games and some of the slot games that are here for the people that love the adrenaline rush, it can go as high as £1,500.00 and even more.

Value

Every slot player that has played at least a few slots starts to understand the denomination and how it works, and they have established their thought of the same.

There are players that love to play with low denomination; they want to enjoy the slot game, all its graphics, and design, the symbols the slot can offer, which means they are playing around the low ranges of denomination, with low risk.

On the other hand, there are players that are here for the high denomination, adrenaline rush and lots of excitement on their road to the most lucrative wins of the slot. These players are playing with the highest denominations, and will usually go through a lot of ups and downs in their journey, which might have a pretty sad or unsurprisingly happy ending with life-changing prizes.

Once you get comfortable and get to know the features of the slots, how they function and what you can get from them, you will play with the denomination and set your own preferences. It is, in no doubt, that the denomination is hugely influenced by the budget that the player has. There is absolutely no logic in playing with the highest denomination of a slot game that ranges up to £400.00 like mega moolah slot if your budget is exactly £400.

Denomination in slot games

The denomination is an inevitable feature that has to be set in a slot game. Even if you go for some of the available features in the game, you have to adjust the denomination:

Bet max

The bet max option is here to set the highest denomination, coin value, and level of the game while activating all of the paylines that the particular slot game you are playing has. This feature is closely related to the people who have a pretty high budget and are playing the slot games simply for the money and the maximum prizes. Check the link above for more info.

Auto play

The auto play is a feature where the game automatically spins the reels of the slot, giving you the freedom to do whatever you want; browse the internet, make yourself a cup of tea or play another slot game parallel. To start playing the auto play feature, you need to select the denomination and the number of auto spins. Click on the link above to read about the auto play feature.

There are several tips that you should follow regardless of which online slot game you are playing:

• The budget plays an important role in your gameplay. There is absolutely no way or logic for you to play with some of the high or the highest denominations that the game offers if you have a low budget available to be wagered.


• With playing more and more slot games, you will get comfortable with the games and start playing with the denomination before selecting and finding the one that suits you the most.


• For new players and people that haven’t played a lot of slot games, we suggest you play with a lower or the lowest denomination that the slot game offers.


• There are some sites that offer demo plays of a slot game where you are playing with coins given by the site. This way you learn the slot game and all of its features without risking your money. They are not a true reflection of a slot game, therefore we are not offering them at gate slots, but we would rather suggest you play the game at a lower denomination. Our point is that you will lose the satisfaction of the very first spins and the beginner’s luck (which is a thing) when playing the slot games for the first time, and they can be very rewarding.


• It is not a quantum physics to know that the higher denomination you play with, the larger and more lucrative your prizes will be. If your budget allows for you to go and play the slot games with the highest denomination, go ahead and press the bet max button, as that way you will truly see the slot game and what it’s made of.

Visit our slots reviews, select a casino to play the games at, and make sure you deposit to get the welcome bonuses that they are offering. Astonishing prizes are waiting for the bravest players.

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How to maximize your slot payouts

The first question on any slot machine player’s mind is, “how do I win?” the question evolves with experienced players who think about it a little. They wonder, “maybe I can’t always win, but how to I maximize my paybacks?

Slot machines are games of chance, with rare exceptions, there is no skill involved, and there is no method of play that will make them pay more than they’re designed to pay.

With that in mind, maximizing slot payouts comes down to choice of games and making the wagers necessary to get the most they have to offer.

HIGH DENOMINATION VS. LOW DENOMINATION

Casinos usually offer higher payback percentages on games with higher coin denominations.

In the united states, where many state gaming boards publish statistics each month, nationwide averages look like this:

Those are national averages, but can vary widely from state to state and casino to casino, depending on the competitive situation and marketing goals of the casinos. For a real-world example, let’s look at the state of mississippi and october 2015 payback percentages published by the mississippi gaming commission:

On video slots, mississippi casinos pay far above the national average on both penny non-progressives and on five-cent games. But the normal pattern holds in that the higher denomination slots pay a greater percentage back to players than the lower denomination games.

The 25-cent-and-up slots are mostly games with mechanical reels. Although in mississippi the 25-cent and 50-cent games provide nearly equal returns, and the difference is narrower than usual between 25-cent and $1 games, you still can see a pattern where $5 games pay more than $1 games, which pay more than 25-cent games.

BOTTOM LINE

• Playing higher-denomination slots usually will put you at higher-paying machines.


• Caution: if you bet one coin per line on a 20-line video slot, you’re betting 20 cents on a penny slot, but $1 on five-cent slots.


• That difference in wager size means you can lose more money even while getting a higher payback percentage. If the 1-cent slot returns 87 percent and the 5-cent game returns 90 percent, then your loss per 20-coin wager is 2.6 cents on the 1-cent game, and 10 cents on the 5-cent game.


• Conclusion: let your bankroll be your guide. If higher-denomination games fit within your entertainment budget, they can maximize payback and give you a better shot to win. But if they’d stretch your budget, it’s better to stay low. Never bet money you can’t afford to lose.

BETTING THE MAX

On many slot machines, including nearly all games with three mechanical reels, you get a higher payback percentage if you bet the maximum number of coins the game allows.

Note the disproportionate jump in the top jackpot. If the payoffs were perfectly proportional, the payback percentage would be same regardless of how many coins you wagered.

But betting the third coin brings a rise in payback percentage. Look at it this way:

• Each coin wagered brings the same return on cherries, bars, double bars and triple bars. A 15-coin payoff on three cherries breaks down into a 5-coin return for the first coin wagered, 5 for the second and 5 for the third.


• Payoffs on 7s are proportional through two coins. A 2,000-coin payoff breaks down into 1,000 on the first coin and 1,000 on the second.


• However, if you land the 7s on the payline with the maximum three-coin bet, the 5,000-coin return breaks down into 1,000 on the first coin, 1,000 on the second and a big leap to 3,000 on the third.


• The average payback on three 7s is 1,000 per coin wagered if you bet one or two coins, but 1,667 per coins wagered if you bet the maximum three.


• That higher average payback with three coins wagered means the payback percentage is higher when you bet the max.


• Caution: you maximize return when you bet the max, but you also have more money at risk and can have larger losses. Don’t overbet your bankroll.

The situation is different on five-reel video slots. Paybacks are proportional to coins wagered per payline on these games, with no jackpot jump for betting the max.

Here’s a sample pay table for a 20-payline, five-reel video game:

There are a few notable things about that pay table:

• It is simplified from the pay tables you actually see in casinos, which use more character symbols and also often use generic symbols such as A-K-Q-J-10. Many video slots also include more than one bonus event.


• Despite the simplification, there are many more possible winning combinations than on the three-reel slot. Even two in a row of the top-paying symbol brings some payoff.


• As set up, this game with 20 paylines and a five-coin maximum bet per line would have a maximum total bet of 100 coins. Games you’ll find in casinos often have much higher maximum bets, such as 20 coins per line on a 20-line game, or 10 coins per line on a 40-line game, for a total of 400 coins.


• The pay table is proportional from to bottom, so there is no advantage to betting maximum coins. You’ll get the same payback percentage regardless of whether you bet one coin per line or five.

BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN

On the video slot game illustrated above, there is no pay table incentive to wager maximum coins per line. However, it might be to your advantage to make sure you bet on every payline.

Why? Because on some machines, the bonus symbols must land on an active payline for you to be eligible for the free spins, wheel spin, pick-a-symbol round or whatever other special event has been designed into the game.

• You decide to bet a single coin. That activates only the center payline.


• You go to the bonus event if three bonus symbols land on the center line. On most video slots , they don’t have to be on consecutive reels, from left to right, as most paying symbols do. You’ll go to the bonus even if the symbols are in the center of reels 2, 3 and 5, or 1, 2 and 4, or any other combination.


• However, if the reels land on any line you have not activated, you do not go to the bonus.

• Time spent in bonus events is time you spend building credits without making extra wagers, so you want to maximize your chances of going to the bonuses.


• Bottom line: to maximize payouts, make sure you’re eligible for the bonuses offered.


• Note: some newer games avoid the issue by eliminating the option to play fewer paylines than available. A 40-line game might have buttons labeled “bet 40,” “bet 80,” “bet 120,” “bet 160,” and “bet 200,” giving you options to bet one, two, three, four or five credits per line, but no chance to play only one line. In the slot industry, these are called “forced bet” machines.

Reading the glass or help menu can save you in some other situations, too.

Consider this three-reel slot pay table:

This type of machine is called a buy-a-pay. Each coin you wager unlocks a set of symbols, if you wager only one coin and line up three 7s, you don’t hit the jackpot, you get nothing. It’s just a losing spin.

On such a machine, you maximize payouts by betting the max to such an extent that you should never play if you’re not prepared to make the maximum wager.

One more example of where reading the glass or help menu can save you some grief:

On many video slot machines with progressive jackpots, especially those with two, three, four or more levels of progressive, you must make a separate wager to be eligible for the jackpots.

Sometimes the button panel includes a separate button that includes covering all the paylines plus jackpot eligibility. Often it’s large and round and oval, to stand out from the small, square buttons for the usual choices of how many paylines to play and how many coins to wager per line.

The amount required for jackpot eligibility varies in different machines. It’s not unusual to see 10, 15 or 20-credit bets for the jackpot. On a game with a 10-credit jackpot bet, if you cover 20 paylines at 1 credit per line and make the jackpot bet, your total wager is 30 credits.

If you bet five credits per line, you’re betting 100 credits in the main game and 10 on the jackpot for a total wager of 110 credits.

The progressive jackpots are the prime attraction of such games. You maximize your return by making the jackpot bet. If you do not want to make the jackpot bet, you’re better off to choose a different game.

SCOUTING PROGRESSIVES

Some players like to attempt to maximize their returns by scouting machines with progressive jackpots.

To do their scouting, they’ll visit casinos and note the starting points for progressive jackpots, and try to find out when they hit. Such charting requires frequent visits, and often requires asking slot attendants, “I see that jackpot just hit recently. How much was it?”

They build a data base that might look like this:

• Jackpot starting point: $5,000.


• Jackpot winners: $8,663; $5,981; $7,453; $9,012; $8,114; $7,888; $10, 576; $8,243.


• More data collected over longer time is better.


• From that, they determine that while jackpots sometimes hit at a little more than the starting point and sometimes exceed $10,000, they most often hit between about $7,400 and $8,700.


• Based on that information, they don’t play unless the jackpot exceeds $7,400.


• Actual jackpot amounts and average payout will differ from game to game and casino to casino.

Because such players do not bet when the jackpots are low, they always are playing at relatively high pay tables. That maximizes their payback percentage.

However, betting when the jackpot is high doesn’t increase your chances of hitting the jackpot, it just makes the average payout higher when you do win. Just as in any other method of maximizing payouts, rule nos. 1, 2 and 3 are to stay within your bankroll, not bet money you can’t afford to lose, and to choose games that fit your budget.

Finding RTP for land-based slot machines

Return to player (RTP) is very important in regard to the long-term chances of winning with slots. RTP (a.K.A. Payback) refers to how much slot machines are programmed to pay out in the long run.

Higher payback means that a game gives you a stronger chance of winning. Therefore, you’ll do well to know the RTP behind any game that you play.

You’ll discover that it’s really easy to find payout percentages for online slot machine games. A simple google search will produce the RTP for most internet games.

Unfortunately, you’ll have a much tougher time figuring out the RTP of land-based machines. In fact, this information is rarely available.

Is there still a way for you to determine payout percentages for slot machines in brick-and-mortar casinos? I’ll answer this question by covering more on the difficulties of finding RTP for land-based slots and if it’s ultimately possible.

Why isn’t RTP available for land-based slots?

Unlike with many online slots, you can’t just find the RTP for land-based slot machines through google. Your efforts will turn up little to no results.

The problem with slots in brick-and-mortar casinos is that they don’t have uniform payback across every casino. Instead, game developers allow casinos to select payout percentages based on a list of options.

Here’s an example on how this works:

• WMS is offering monopoly party train slot to vegas casinos.


• They feature the following RTP options: 92.5%, 93.5%, and 94.5%.


• Caesars palace orders this game at 93.5% payback.


• The venetian orders monopoly party train at 92.5% RTP.


• Treasure island orders this slot at 94.5% RTP.

You can see the obvious challenge in trying to provide payback numbers for such games. A website could list monopoly party train at 93.5% RTP, which is middle ground.

Most online slot providers differ because they offer their games at a uniform RTP across every casino. For example, rival gaming will feature spy game with 95.1% payback at each online casino it serves.

Some exceptions do exist in the online gambling world. Realtime gaming (RTG), for instance, allows its casino clients to choose 91.5%, 95%, or 97.5% RTP for a given game.

You can’t find payout percentages for RTG games either. Nevertheless, you can still learn the payback for the vast majority of internet slots.

How can you figure out the RTP?

You won’t be able to find the exact payout percentages for most land-based slot machines. But you can at least get a good idea on the matter through a few different methods. Here are some ways to learn the RTP for brick-and-mortar casino slots.

Make general guesses based on coin denominations

Casinos like to reward gamblers who are willing to risk more money per bet. Therefore, they order higher RTP for games with larger coin denominations.

Here’s an example on how this works:

• Penny slot machines = 88% to 90% RTP


• Nickel slot machines = 91% to 94% RTP


• Quarter slot machines = 93% to 95% RTP


• Dollar slot machines = 94% to 96% RTP


• $5 slot machines = 95% to 97% RTP

Penny slot machines are almost always the worst games with regard to payout percentages. Larger denominations ranging from a nickel to $5 are all closer in terms of payback.

Your theoretical losses will be higher on nickel games and up just because you’re betting more per spin. Nevertheless, you can still get more value per dollar wagered with the higher-denomination machines.

Read state gaming reports

Rather than making generalizations about coin sizes, you can always check out state gaming reports. These reports show the average payout percentages (or house edges) for each coin denomination within a given state’s casinos.

For example, you might look at a nevada gaming commission (NGC) release and see that dollar slot machines are offering 94.79% RTP on average.

Interestingly enough, the NGC reports specific payout information for megabucks. This IGT product is the most popular slot in all the popular las vegas casinos and warrants more detailed info.

You won’t find the exact payout percentage for an individual game, but you’ll at least have a better guideline with these reports.

Email a casino and ask

One more option involves emailing a casino directly and asking them about their RTP for a specific slot machine.

The problem here is that customer service will often state that they don’t have this information available. But in certain cases, you may actually receive a real answer.

You shouldn’t count on this method majority of the time. It’s at least worth trying, though, if you’re desperate to find out the RTP for certain slots.

What to avoid when searching for land-based slots payback

You can see that there are a few different options for determining the payback for land-based slot machines. But there are also measures that you want to avoid on your payback-finding quest, including the following.

Relying on signs inside of casinos

Many casinos hang signs above a bank of slot machines that will read something like, “pays up to 99%.”

These signs are very effective at drawing players to slot machines. After all, who wouldn’t want to play a slot that only has a 1% house edge?

Unfortunately, these signs are also very misleading. Only one of the machines within the section has to offer 99% RTP.

The rest could pay as low as 90% RTP and still make the sign valid. Therefore, you can’t rely on much information that the casino supplies you with.

Using one good session to determine quality payback

Slots are extremely volatile games that may pay a lot one session, then offer very few prizes for the next five sessions. Therefore, you can never use any single outing to judge how a game pays.

Many gamblers still make this very mistake. They’ll have one hot session with a game and believe that it offers a high payout percentage.

It would be great if finding RTP for land-based slot machines was really this simple. The reality, though, is that it’s anything but.

Blindly believing ads for the “loosest slots”

I’ve seen plenty of ads for loose slot machines when driving on the interstate. These billboards suggest that a given casino features slots with high RTP or frequent payouts.

However, “loose” is a broad term that doesn’t really mean anything. State gaming laws don’t put parameters on what constitutes a loose game.

Casinos can make this claim, regardless of whether it’s true or not. That said, you should take any such advertisement with a grain of salt.

Conclusion

You may think negatively about land-based casinos upon being unable to find RTP for their slots. After all, you don’t have to spend much time at all finding payback for online slots.

However, providers are the ones who choose whether to or not to release payout percentages. They can’t accurately do this with slot machines at brick and mortar casinos, because providers feature different RTP options.

One casino may order a slot at 93% payback, while the next orders it at 95% RTP. Developers are therefore unable to offer a uniform payout percentage for each slot.

The good news, though, is that you don’t have to give up hope. Instead, you have a few options for finding general RTP figures.

The easiest method is to make generalizations based on coin denominations. Simply put, the higher coin denominations usually offer better payback.

You can also read state gaming reports. These releases show the average amount that each coin denomination pays out within a given state’s gambling venues.

Finally, you can always email a casino directly and ask about a specific game. You won’t get the desired answer most of the time, but it’s worth trying.

In summary, finding the RTP for an individual land-based slot is impossible in most cases. But you’ll still have a general idea on how much these slots pay by following the previously covered tips.

Does changing denomination impact your offers and tier status?

Know your slots has only been live a couple of months, but I’m excited to see questions from readers already starting to arrive. Keep them coming! We’ll include questions as part of the mix, as I’m sure if one person’s asking, others are wondering too. Here’s a question emailed in from a reader recently:

I am typically a higher limit gambler betting not huge but around $5 to $10 a spin or more. If I start betting in higher denominations, but potentially lower amounts, will this lower my comp values and status with my home casino? I don’t want to lose the status tier level but have found that betting lower amounts at higher denominations (say $1 bet level at $2.50 a spin vs $.10 bet level at $5 a spin) I win more often and higher amounts on average. Would it be better not to use my card during the lower bet amounts?

Let’s take a look at this one step at a time. There’s a few pieces in play here, and each piece can matter.

Going to a higher denomination

Moving to a higher denomination generally has an impact when it comes back to the payback percentage of the average machine. As a general rule, casino slot executives will reward players betting on higher denomination machines with an overall better payback percentage. The thinking goes that the average bet on a higher denomination machine will be higher than the average bet on a lower denomination machine.

There are certainly games where someone could max bet at $5, $10 or even $20 a spin on pennies in a few cases. But most penny players bet significantly less – there’s plenty of players who will min bet at much lower numbers (such as an 18 cent mighty cash bet on pennies). And given the minimums are of course higher on the higher denomination machines, over time the higher limit machines will do more coin in.

Because there’s bigger bets going through them, the casino rewards it with a lower hold percentage, which means a higher return to player.

Does this impact comps? Generally, no, the denomination level itself at most casinos is not a determining factor. There are a few prominent exceptions to this: venetian/palazzo’s grazie program offers comps based on the theoretical hold of the machine, for example. Since higher denomination machines have a lower theoretical loss expected as a percentage, they would lower your comp earnings accordingly to reflect that. But they’re definitely in the minority.

Changing bet amounts

You also mentioned lowering your bet at the higher denomination. This could impact your comps and tiers because you’re simply betting less if so. If you were betting $5 a spin at a lower denom, and are now choosing to bet $2.50 a spin at a higher denom, you’ve cut your bets in half. You could counteract it by doubling the time you play, which evens out the coin-in for the purposes of offer calculations, but most players aren’t looking to do that.

Less coin-in would impact your offers, and would slow down your progress towards maintaining or increasing your tier. However, if you just bet the same amount at the higher denom, you’re getting the better payback so you’d still come out ahead, but would also maintain your offers.

It’s important to remember that your offers are the product of your previous gambling history moreso than your future. If you have a trip where you bet a lot more or less, your offers are going to fluctuate anyway, so I wouldn’t get too caught up in it. If you’re getting bigger offers, you’re probably losing more money over time to get them anyway.

Meanwhile, most casino clubs are pretty transparent about how their tiers work, including how many points you need to reach a new level, how many dollars you have to bet for each point, and what perks you get at that level. So more important should be knowing you’re playing at a casino that gives you the perks you want for your play, whether it be offers, tier discounts and perks, etc. Again, you’ve already spent the money so you’ve earned the perks.

Always use your card

Regardless of what you’re doing testing various bets, always use your card. When you don’t use your card you give up:

• Comp dollars earned based on your play. Comp dollars are part of the overall payback when you gamble – in fact it’s the only guaranteed payback (slots you can win or lose on with any given spin, but the comps earning rate persists with each bet).


• Recognition of your play towards offers. Let’s say you play for an hour on pennies at $5 a spin. Then you change to dimes, don’t use your card, and bet $2.50 a spin for an hour. You may see it as hiding a lower bet from the casino; the casino sees no play at all. They don’t know you’ve made all those $2.50 bets and your offers will simply drop further.


• Tier credits earned from unrated play. Since maintaining your tier was mentioned in your question, note that unrated play is a bad idea if you want to make sure you get enough points to keep your tier.

I hope this helps you out – ultimately you should bet what feels good to you, at the level that works for you – if your comps slip a bit, I wouldn’t stress it because that probably means you’re spending less money and so you’ll have more of your own cash to use instead.

Have a question you’d like me to answer? Post a comment, or reach me through email via my contact form!

High vs low denomination slots

When it comes to slots strategy you won't find any topic that is debated more than payout percentages. Of course, finding slot machines with the highest paybacks makes a lot of sense and is the easiest way for you to increase your winnings when playing this popular casino game but there are also disadvantages to playing slots with high payout rates.

One such drawback is that in order to take advantage of favourable payout percentages you generally need to wager more per spin. This means that if you play a slot with a 96% payout rate you'll have to wager $1 or more per spin to qualify for that payback. Due to this fact, most slots players find themselves taking one of two stances when it comes to playing slots which we will discuss below.

Bankroll conservation by playing low denomination slot machines

If you want to extend your slots play then bankroll management is extremely important. If your bankroll is limited then option for lower coin denomination games will definitely help you to make your money go further.

The disadvantage of playing lower denomination slots however is that you will have to settle for lower payouts. Obviously the casino is not making as much money from players playing penny slots or a nickel per spin so the house edge on lower denomination games is higher. Whether you play at a land based or online casino you will generally encounter payout rates of 88% to 92% on these types of slot machines.

Despite this, penny, nickel and quarter slot machines are still an attractive proposition if you only have a limited bankroll. They are also great if you are just a casual gambler who doesn't want to risk losing too much. The advantage of playing low denomination slots is evident when doing the gambling math.

For the sake of example we will use two scenarios:

1. You play 100 spins on a slot machine with a 95% payout rate where a minimum of $1 is bet and you lose $5 on average (100 x 1 x 0.05)


2. You play 100 spins on a slot with a 90% payout rate where you can bet a minimum of $0.01 and you lose an average of 10 cents (100x 0.01 x 0.10)

As you can see in the above example, you may face worse payout rates when paying low denomination slots but you will at least get more out of your slots experience as your bankroll will go a whole lot further.

Increasing your winning potential with high denomination slots

Playing slots with high payout percentages does mean that you may end up spending more money for less slots play time. If however you are as serious gambler you will see these types of machines as an opportunity to get the most value out of every euro/dollar/pound that you wager.

If you consider the above examples high denomination slots may result in a $5 loss per 100 spins but it is also a nickel less per dollar wagered. For this reason, some slots enthusiasts recommend that even when playing with a limited bankroll, you should just play a few less spins on a high denomination machine rather than playing a low denomination one.

Another argument is that more expensive slot machines have higher jackpots and progressive jackpots and if you hit these the payouts are life changing. If you're someone who dreams of being the next slots millionaire then this is a very important point and even though these jackpots are few and far between, someone does eventually have to win them and that adds a thrill to the game that money just can't buy.

In addition when playing high denomiation machines, you can put a number of advantage play methods for slots into action to further maximise you winnings.

After considering both schools of thought on the matter, you'll definitely have something to think about when it comes to your own slots play. Ultimately it all boils down to your unique player personality and whether you would rather play for longer periods with smaller payouts or for a shorter time with the potential for huge wins. Only you will know what is best suited to you!

Slot machine denominations in the U.S.

We know that slot gambling makes up a majority of the casino action in the united states. But because slot machines come in so many varieties, accepting wagers as little as $0.01 per spin or as big as thousands of dollars per round, questions abound about exactly how much american casino customers are spending on their slot games.

The most popular slots are low-cost machines, those that accept bets in
the penny and nickel range. Sure, some gamblers travel to las vegas with
hundreds of thousands of dollars to wager, playing in special VIP table
games and enjoying the perks of being a casino whale. But most visitors to
american casinos have smaller budgets, and slot machines that allow wagers
of $0.01 or $0.05 per spin are attractive because they allow players with
smaller bankrolls more plays. All gambling is meant to be entertainment, and
if you only have $100 to spend, a penny or nickel slot gives you thousands
of chances to hit a jackpot.

Pros and cons of playing penny and nickel slots

Unfortunately for the majority of gamblers, slots that accept bets in the
penny and nickel range tend to payback a lower percentage of the money they
take in. That’s because the casino wants to make a certain amount of profit
from the machine, and with gamblers only inserting a penny or a nickel at a
time, those machines are programmed to payback less. The biggest
disadvantage for slot gamblers who play small-bet machines is that they are
theoretically less likely to win over the long run.

Of course, one obvious advantage of playing the penny slots is the amount
of entertainment you get for your investment. If you only have $50 to spend,
playing penny-ante slots means 5,000 rounds of slot gambling; compared to
just fifty pulls of the lever if you choose to wager a dollar at a time. If
your goal is to get as much gambling in as you can, you have a natural
reason to choose machines that allow you to place smaller wagers.

Another downside to placing small bets on one-armed bandits is the
smaller jackpots these machines pay out. Gamblers who spend $10 or $20 per
spin stand to earn larger prizes, and many slots don’t pay out their highest
possible jackpots unless you wager a certain amount. If a gambler’s goal is
to shoot for the biggest possible jackpot, playing the more popular penny
and nickel slot machines is not the way to reach that goal.

As long as people are looking to stretch their gambling budgets, small
wagers like $0.01 or $0.05 per pull will remain the most popular bets. As
slot machines develop into more interactive games, and as the population
that plays these games changes, it’s possible that the average bet size will
increase. But for now, slots that offer bets of just a penny or a nickel at
a time are by far the most popular.

Common slot machine casino gambling definitions

Introduction to casino gambling definitions

To develop the skill of improving the odds of winning at slot machine gambling includes understanding what a slot machine is, at least in terms of its basic physical components and associated terms of use. Integral to achieving this understanding is knowing the most common slot machine casino gambling definitions.

Basic to understanding slot machines is to know the terms used to describe its components.

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Casino gambling definitions (current)

The relatively common slot machine casino gambling definitions currently relevant, rather than being obsolete technology in most modern casinos, are each defined as follows:

Bonus

Some game themes have a special feature activated when certain symbols appear. The specific bonus varies with the game but is, in essence, an additional round of play.

This bonus round may include free spins, quite possibly with a theme or odds different from the primary game, as well as a multiplier. Or, the bonus round may give the player of a choice of picking between several items on a screen, each revealing the number of credits awarded.

Some bonuses use a mechanical device, possibly the primary reels, and additional reels designed for this purpose, or an entirely different spinning wheel prominently displayed to garner other player’s attention from a distance. Some slot machines have multiple styles of bonus rounds.

Candle

Located at the top of a slot machine is a signal light. It can be activated by a player via a service button on the machine’s console, activated automatically when a jackpot requires a hand pay be provided by a casino operator, or if the machine is having a mechanical problem. Mechanical issues can include

• Being out of paper;


• Paper jams;


• Tilt condition; and


• Other unplanned maintenance issues internal to the machine.

Carousel

A grouping of slot machines.

Credit meter

A visual display of the amount of money and/or credits currently available to the player on the machine.

Electronic gaming machine (EGM)

This is another term for a slot machine designed for gambling purposes.

Hand pay

A payout made by a casino operator either at the slot machine or at the casino’s cashier “cage”.

A hand pay occurs when the ticket amount exceeds the limit of automatic pay dispensers, which can vary from casino to casino, or when a single jackpot exceeds the limit set for automatic payment of government taxes of gambling income. A hand pay may also be necessary if a short pay on a coin-operated slot machine has occurred.

Low level/slant top machine configuration

A type of physical arrangement where the slot machine has a stool or chair allowing the player to sit down.

Machine entry authorization log (MEAL)

A log of the physical entry into a slot machine by any casino employee.

Mobile

A slot machine available during online gambling, either stand-alone software loaded onto a player’s device or played at an online casino’s website.

Optimal play

The payback percentage in slot machine game themes requiring mental or physical skill when player performance is ideal, i.E., perfect play.

Pay line

A line crossing each reel of the slot machine to determine winning combinations. Slot machines may have a single or multiple pay lines .

It is not uncommon for small denomination slot machines to have a hundred pay lines of many geometrical shapes in addition to a straight line. Video slot machines have a variable number of pay lines set prior to playing.

Pseudo random number generator (PRNG)

An element of the algorithm used by a slot machine to determine the outcome of a player’s bet based on the pre-determined odds of winnings as set by the casino operator.

Roll up

When a jackpot is won, a slot machine can emphasize the win by making sound effects to signal the counting of credits won. This roll-up can be stopped by pressing most buttons on the slot machine console, including making the next bet.

Stand up/upright machine configuration

A type of physical arrangement without a stool or chair where slot machine players are required to stand.

Taste

A small amount paid to the player during a session to keep them playing continuously.

An electromechanical switch triggered if a slot machine is tampered with or has an internal fault condition such as a motor failure, out of paper condition, etc. In modern slot machines, the actual tilt of the machine no longer triggers this alarm.

Theme

The specific game designed to be played on a specific slot machine, including but not limited to the number of reels, the specific symbols on the reels, any bonus rounds, etc.

Theoretical hold worksheet

Provided by slot machine manufacturers, it indicates the theoretical percentage or odds that the slot machine provides based on the amount paid in as well as the number of reels, reel symbols, number of credits and denominations that can be played, the payout schedule, and other descriptive information specific to that slot machine.

Casino gambling definitions (obsolete/historic)

There are several obsolete terms for physical components of slot machines of historical importance, even if it is relatively recent history.

So, in order to continue developing and improving an understanding of the technological advancements related to slot machines, these recently obsolete slot machine casino gambling definitions are:

Drop bucket/box

For slot machines that still use coins, this is a secondary coin hopper for excess coins diverted from the full primary coin hopper. Whether the slot machine has a larger bucket or a small box depends upon the denomination of the machine.

Small denominations such as a penny machine require an open large bucket while larger denominations such as a dollar machine make do with a small box with a lockable lid.

Hopper

A container for accepting cash, tickets, and/or coins as well as printing tickets or dispensing coins for payouts. Coin hoppers and ticket printers provide an immediately available payout when hand pays are not required.

Slot machines originally having coin hoppers but later upgraded to ticket printers will often still have a vestigial coin hopper.

Hopper fill slip

A record or log used during replenishment of coins in a coin-operated slot machine when it becomes depleted after sufficient payouts to players.

It includes amount, signatures of the employees involved, the slot machine number, slot machine location within the casino, and the date of occurrence.

Short pay

A partial payout from a slot machine less than the amount of the win, usually on coin-operated machines where the coin hopper has insufficient funds available.

The candle is usually activated by this machine condition, with a casino operator or attendant providing a hand pay for the remainder of the amount won.

Weight count

A north american term for using a weight scale to determine the dollar amount of the coins removed from a coin-operated slot machine’s drop box or bucket by the casino’s staff.

Casino slot denominations

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Popular slot themes

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TARZAN

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Tarzan is a 5 reel, 40 payline video slot set in the deep african jungle. The game has a lush green foliage background to it, and the reels are teeming with wildlife. The game’s symbols include plums, apples, oranges, watermelons, a parrot, monkey, jaguar, explorer, jane, and tarzan himself. A game title symbol and a bonus wheel are also present to round things out. Some of the symbols are larger than others, giving the possibility of larger wins.

Features in the tarzan slot include cascading wins, free spins, scatters, a pick-em bonus, the stacked symbols, and stacked wilds.

DRAGONS LAW

With 30 pay line, konami offers an oriental-themed slot machine that sits on five reels. Dragon’s law has three rows, and the player will be spinning symbols of chinese-related symbols of luck like coins, lotus flowers, and turtles.

VEGAS RICHES

VEGAS RICHES™, increasingly spectacular wild wins and big casino chips award fabulous payouts. During any one game, win from three to five jackpots/bonuses from chip symbol win combinations appearing in any position. All jackpots and bonuses are available at any bet level. Two types of multi plying wild symbols multiply all credit and bonus wins up to x60 when they appear.

Casino slot denominations

Looking for more ways to play? Play our progressive slot machine games to hit these jackpots below!

SLOTS

We have some of the hottest slots in the greater toronto area. With over 1,500 ways to hit it bigger and better. From 1 cent to $5 slot and video poker machines, there are countless ways to hit a jackpot for every level of player. Whether you prefer to try something new or play an old favourite like blazing 7s®, buffalo™, or super jackpot party®, we’ve got the perfect game for you!

HIGH LIMIT SLOTS

For those looking to up the ante, our high limit slots feature private area to sit back and relax as you play higher limit progressives up to $5 denominations.

Popular slot themes

WILD FURY JACKPOTS

Play with fire. This 10-payline and 60-payline theme features the frequently occurring stacked wilds® feature, a five-level jackpot, and a free games bonus which prompts players to spin a virtual wheel to win up to 20 free games.

WILLY WONKA WORLD OF WONKA

Willy wonka’s sweet world comes to life with sugary bonuses galore! The lovable oompa loompa feature, the wonka winko bonus, free spins, the world of wonka wheel bonus, the chocolate river bonus, and of course the golden ticket bonus delight players with every type of sweet tooth! Cinema’s greatest confectionery adventure comes alive on the casino floor! Showcased on the amazing gamescape™ cabinet, players are taken on an amazing journey immersed in the world of wonka! Players will be in a world of pure imagination when they see this immersive game on the casino floor.

WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and all related characters and elements © and ™ warner bros. Entertainment inc. (s16)

TARZAN

The game puts you right into the jungle, with the ability to swing with apes, collect fruit, and possibly haul in a bit of cash in the process. The game has an animated look and feel to it, and feels an awful lot like disney’s 1999 film of the same name.

Tarzan is a 5 reel, 40 payline video slot set in the deep african jungle. The game has a lush green foliage background to it, and the reels are teeming with wildlife. The game’s symbols include plums, apples, oranges, watermelons, a parrot, monkey, jaguar, explorer, jane, and tarzan himself. A game title symbol and a bonus wheel are also present to round things out. Some of the symbols are larger than others, giving the possibility of larger wins.

Features in the tarzan slot include cascading wins, free spins, scatters, a pick-em bonus, the stacked symbols, and stacked wilds.

DRAGONS LAW

With 30 pay line, konami offers an oriental-themed slot machine that sits on five reels. Dragon’s law has three rows, and the player will be spinning symbols of chinese-related symbols of luck like coins, lotus flowers, and turtles.

VEGAS RICHES

VEGAS RICHES™, increasingly spectacular wild wins and big casino chips award fabulous payouts. During any one game, win from three to five jackpots/bonuses from chip symbol win combinations appearing in any position. All jackpots and bonuses are available at any bet level. Two types of multi plying wild symbols multiply all credit and bonus wins up to x60 when they appear.

So, let's see, what we have: high vs low denomination slots when it comes to slots strategy you won't find any topic that is debated more than payout percentages . Of course, finding slot machines with the highest paybacks at casino slot denominations