Before you head to a casino
Set your budget
This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a casino.
Your gambling budget should be no more than the amount that you can lose. That means money you don’t need for rent, groceries, etc. Not surprisingly, this is the same advice financial advisors give new stock market investors.
Visit an ATM
Withdraw cash from your bank’s ATM before your trip to avoid fees charged by casino ATMs ($5-$10).
Bank ATMs are rare in Vegas. The only one I could locate is in the MGM Grand’s M&M World. The closest bank branch is a Bank of America 2.7 miles away, Wells Fargo 4.7 miles away, and Chase 9 miles away.
Common Slot Questions
We’ve watched 100s of videos about slot machines. These questions pop up the most.
Can I predict when a slot will pay?
Nope.
There are three things you are always in control of when playing a slot: 1) where you gamble, 2) how much you bet, and 3) how long you play. We came up with the M.A.D. Method™ because it’s based on how we gamble now.
There’s (sort of) an exception. Some slots have a “Win Before” jackpot, which must be paid before reaching a specified amount. We avoid these slots, since we’ve watched others burn through hundreds chasing the jackpot.
ANECDOTE: Progressive jackpots must be paid out. When the Mirage casino in Vegas closed in 2024, they gave away tens of thousands of dollars from their progressive slots. That means that NO ONE EVER WON THEM. We were there. It wasn’t pretty.
Do larger bets improve my odds?
Yes, on some slots.
While making a large bet doesn’t guarantee a jackpot, on some slots it will increase your odds. A slot’s pay table is included in the instructions for that game, and we recommend reading them. We typically only look for the section on whether a larger bet improves the odds, which is usually buried near the end.
Do we always read the instructions? No, but we rarely bet the minimum.
Is there a trick I can use to win more on slots?
No, but…
On some slot machines, increasing the denomination or multiplier can improve your odds. This is unique to each slot, not a blanket statement.
Slot hacks and tricks that appear on YouTube walk a fine line. While slot videos are categorized as entertainment, it’s easy to mistake them for monetary advice. If Warren Buffet started an “entertainment” TV show where he gave out “hacks” for picking stock market winners, the SEC might have something to say about it.
We recommend deciding how much you are willing to lose while you’re playing. For example, if we have $100 in a slot, we’ll decide after a few spins if it’s worth chasing a bonus. Unlike stocks, there are no financials you can review to make an educated investment; it’s all guesswork. Because slots are a game of chance (by law), a “feeling” is just as valid as hours of observation.
Anecdote: We watched a man burn through thousands of dollars ($50 per spins) on Dragon Link. He wasn’t winning anything, not even a line hit. He didn’t look happy. After he left, I played the same machine and also lost, so I moved over a machine and hit a $500+ bonus on the first spin.
Is there a difference between “Vegas-style” slots and those in tribal casinos?
Yes, a big one.
Class III slot machines (“Vegas-style” slots): Vegas-style slots are Class III machines. They rely on a Random Number Generator (RNG) which determines wins according to a pre-defined pay table. In states where it’s legal to gamble on slot machines, the minimum return (Return to Player, or “RTP”) is set by a gaming commission. For example, in Nevada the minimum RTP is 75%; in Louisiana and Mississippi, it’s 80%.
Class II slot machines: Many but not all tribal casinos use Class II machines, which are bingo games. Despite what the slot looks like, it’s bingo. You’re assigned a virtual “bingo card”, numbers are selected, and if you complete a pre-defined pattern, you win.
Many Class II slot machines are indistinguishable from Class III slots. On some slots, you will see the bingo card you’re playing; on others, it’s more subtle or non-existent. The RTP of tribal casino slots are unregulated and can be changed at any time, but it’s unlikely they would be set to pay less than a Class III slot if they want to stay in business.
Tribal casinos can also use Class III slot machines. From our own experience here in California, they are on par with pay outs from Las Vegas Strip slot machines.
Class I Games: “Class I” games are traditional Indian wagering games. There are no Class I slot machines.
How do YouTube slot influencers never lose?
They edit out losses. But, that’s okay.
Here’s why. Slot videos are meant as entertainment. Hollywood movies end on a happy note. No one ever flubs a line. It’s the same idea.
SlotBear videos are different because we take a documentary approach; we try to show exactly what we’re experiencing—the wins, the losses, and the hand pays. Any “method” we promote is what we are using ourselves, not clickbait. Our slot videos costs between $600-$1K to produce, so we take a chef’s “snout-to-tail” approach—we use everything in hopes that our videos will cover the expected 15% loss. Everyone wins.
We’ve learned a lot from watching YouTube videos, we’ve also been burned by bad advice. If you’ve ever attempted a recipe that you found on YouTube or TikTok, then you know what I mean.
ALWAYS check that someone who gives advice, tips, or tricks actually DEMONSTRATES it working MULTIPLE TIMES on a real slot machine.
Should I play the exact machine I see someone win on in a video?
You can, but don’t get your hopes up.
Playing the exact same slot machine that a slot influencer won on is always an option, but it doesn’t guarantee you will be as lucky.
I’ll admit that I did this when we first started gambling. I tracked down the exact same machine I saw Jackpot Judo playing at the Horseshoe casino, and tried it myself. I lost.
What you might consider instead is playing the same type of slot they played, the same game, and—most importantly—the same bet.
Do slot odds change based on a casino's location?
Yes, a surprise (and a letdown).
The Return To Player (RTP) percentage can be significantly different from one geographic area to another. For example, the 25¢ slots in North Las Vegas have an RTP of 96.27% on average; the 25¢ slots on the Strip have an RTP of 89.34% on average.
Here’s the catch: RTP measures the return over the lifetime of the machine ON AVERAGE. Those two words at the end are important. If you go a casino and play a 25¢ slot with an RTP of 96.27%, there’s no guarantee you will get 96.27% back or even anything at all.
ANECDOTE: At Circus Circus in Las Vegas, we played the “guaranteed 97.4% RTP” coin slots. We literally got nothing back, not even a line hit. I’ll admit that we didn’t play for long because we got tired of losing, but no one else that was playing in that bank of machines was winning either.
American Casino Guide has an excellent listing of slot payback statistics by state.
FYI: Nevada requires slot machines to pay a minimum of 75% back (see image below), but most casinos pay back significantly more—often 90% or higher—because they all compete.
Find A Slot
We found these by accident while looking for a fun but obscure slot (Kung Fu Empress). I don’t know how often these are updated, but they give you an idea of the variety of slots a casino has to offer. The more variety, the longer it takes to get bored.
Caesars Slot Finder
Difficult to use, but extensive. This has been “under constuction” since at least May 2024. This is the #1 reason we don’t always read the instructions on every slot. CLICK HERE
Aristocrat “Where to Play”
Easier to use, but of course it only shows Aristocrat slots. You must be 21 years old to use this website. CLICK HERE
You can also find where a particular slot is available, e.g., Buffalo Power Play or Aqua Dynasty.
