The average visitor to Las Vegas in 2023 brought $787.54 to gamble with according to the annual survey from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
If you only want to gamble $300 a day, your focus must be on WINNING. If what you really want to do is extend your losing over a longer period of time, stop reading. If you aren’t yet familiar with any of the terms I’m using, visit our “Slot Term” page.Play Slots You Like
I can’t think of anything worse than playing a slot that is boring (Double Diamond) just because some YouTuber told me that the odds of winning may be better. The equivalent would be skipping Paris in favor of Dubuque because you might find a cheaper hotel.
We happen to like playing old reel-based slots as well as the newest, flashiest video slots. If you only like slots with pigs, cats, or Whitney Houston on them, play those. It’s entertainment, not work. We even play video poker to mix things up. The odds are better, and there are some fun variations that are very slot-like (Spin Poker).
Always keep in mind that slots are for entertainment, not making money.
Play Like a High-Stakes Gambler
This isn’t for the faint-hearted, but it’s worked for us.
There’s an old Japanese saying about food: “A taste of the best is better than a bowl of mediocre.” Since slots are for entertainment and not sustenance, keep this in mind.
Slots have the worst odds in a casino, and 1¢ slots have the worst odds of any slot. That’s a fact. If you’re not winning on a 1¢ denom, try 2¢, 5¢, etc. and playing a few spins at the lowest multiplier. You can see us doing this in our videos. It’s also possible to bet the same amount on different denominations. For example, a $3 bet can sometimes be played at both 2¢ and 5¢ denominations.
The average time we spend on one slot machine is under five minutes, but this is mostly because I get bored quickly. It’s also, unfortunately, why each of our videos can cost $500 to over $1K to make.
Higher Denominations, Low Multipliers
On many slots, betting at a higher denomination (e.g., 5¢ vs. 1¢) will improve the odds of hitting a bonus feature or jackpot. Find out if this case on whatever slot you’re playing by reading the slot instructions and then decide if it’s worth the risk.
This information is usually on the second to last or last screen of the slot instructions. You just need to look for the word “odds”.
ANECDOTE: When I started gambling in April, 2024, I’d bet my entire daily bankroll on video roulette (red or black). If I won, I doubled my money; if I lost, gambling was over for the day. This is the poor-man’s version of high-stakes gambling—super risky and super fast, but a way to double your bankroll on a game with better odds than a slot machine.
Fewer spins + higher bets
We start with a $100 bill and see what happens. In effect each slot session is the equivalent of someone with a $100 bankroll.
We’ve been lucky enough to come home with money using this method. Watching my wins and losses may help you understand what to expect. Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down, sometimes you’re way, way down. The key is to stop if you’re losing consistently. We take LOTS of breaks.
If you watch DLucky, you’ll notice that many of his clients hit a bonus quickly, often within a few spins. He takes betting to an extreme ($50-$125 spins) because his clients are paying to get a handpay jackpot.
Play For a Penny
1¢ Penny Slots Still Exist
On the Las Vegas Strip, the minimum bet can still be a single penny. The Horseshoe in Las Vegas has them, as does Mandalay Bay. These are real slots where you can still get the bonus. We’ve played these exact slots at a higher bet ($3-$5 spins) and won $500.
ANECDOTE: My boyfriend played 1¢ per spin on Kitty Glitter at J Resort and hit the bonus. He won 17¢, which on a percentage basis is 17x. If playing for a percentage gain meets your expectations, it’s an option.
X Spins, Then Stop
Stop Often and Evaluate
Slots are designed to distract you from the amount of money you’re winning or losing. Keep this in mind. If you start with $100 and make ten $3.20 spins and lose, $68 can still buy you a nice lunch even in Vegas. Don’t forget the value of money.
It’s easy to drain your bankroll quickly if a slot isn’t in a giving mood. This is as unscientific as it gets, but you’ll know in about a minute whether the machine you’re playing is paying or not. It takes just a few seconds to move to a different slot.
DO NOT base your behavior on slot influencers. They often won’t move because they’re playing a specific slot, they’ve only arranged to film that particular location, or they don’t want to spend the time to move their gear.
TIP: We always change the view in the credit window on a slot from credits to dollars. At higher denominations, it often stops registering to as money. This is particularly bad on reel-based, high-limits slots, where the only read out is in credits.
ANECDOTE: We were playing Top Dollar and won a 25 credit line hit. It seemed trivial, but I was on a $25 denomination machine, so it was $625. On the flip side, we had a nice surprise on my birthday where I won 62760 credits, which I thought was $627.60. When the coin shower was done, the actual win was $1,256.20 because I was on a 2¢ denom.
Always Do What Suits Your Budget
If you have a $300 budget, STICK TO THAT BUDGET. If we have a streak of bad luck, we either go have a snack or go back to our room and watch some TV. Streaming film are often paid for by your resort fee (in other words, you’re paying for it, even if you don’t use it).