The title of this article isn’t a repeat of the old real estate maxim. Location actually applies in three different ways.
First, slots are looser in some jurisdictions. For example, slots are
Basil Nestor is the author of the new Playboy Complete Guide to Casino Gambling. This wonderful book teaches players how to avoid sucker bets and win more when playing gambling games. He is also the author of The Smarter Bet Guide series for video poker, slots, craps, and many other books about gambling. Basil's website is www.smarterbet.com typically two to four percent looser in
Las Vegas than in
Atlantic City. Slots are tighter on the Las Vegas Strip than in downtown Las Vegas. Slots in Reno are generally looser than those in Connecticut. Competition and the character of the local market cause these variances. When you consider that the entire population of the northeast U.S. is served by slightly more than one dozen “local” casinos, and that all of them could fit into a couple miles of the Las Vegas Strip with room left over, it’s easy to understand why Las Vegas slots are loose.
Second, slots tend to be tighter at upscale properties, particularly those frequented by tourists. Games are generally looser when a property is older or when it caters to a local crowd. Thus Bellagio is generally tighter than Sam’s Town in Las Vegas.
Third, a game’s placement in the casino is a big indicator of how it will play. In fact, it’s such a big indicator that the information deserves its own article.
A payback amount such as 89% or 96% indicates how much a slot pays back over the “long-term.” This cycle is usually many thousands of decisions, and it reaches into the millions when playing a progressive game. In a typical session, you’ll see a lot of variance from the standard. Some people will win, others will lose, hardly anyone will get exactly the average payback.