Updated June 3, 2025
Before the casino
Set your budget
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a casino, so lock down your budget before your trip. We gamble with $2K budget for a 3-day trip.
Visit an ATM
Withdraw cash from your bank’s ATM BEFORE your trip to avoid fees charged by casino ATMs ($5-$10). The good news is that bank ATMs aren’t as rare as they used to be on the Vegas Strip. If you bank with PNC, their ATMs are in every CVS drugstore. For Bank of America, the ATM is on the top floor of M&M World.
Common Slot Questions
We’ve watched (and made) 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 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.
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 too many people 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 which means that NO ONE EVER WON THEM.
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 improve your odds. We consider this the only relevant information in the game rules, which is why it’s usually buried near the end.
Do we always read slot instructions? Nope. Has it affected our wins? Nope.
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 “entertainment”, it’s easy to mistake them for advice. If Warren Buffet started an “entertainment” TV show where he gave out “hacks” for picking stock market winners, the SEC wouldn’t be happy.
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 that 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 and research.
Anecdote: We watched a man burn through two grand ($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 machine to the right and hit a $500+ bonus on the first spin. Don’t assume a slot “owes” you a win because you’ve played it for a long time.
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, 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 based on bingo. 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. 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.
FYI ONLY: 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.
Slot videos are meant as entertainment. Hollywood movies always end on a happy note. No one ever flubs a line or has a hair out of place. It’s the same with slot videos.
SlotBear videos are different because we focus on bonuses.
We try our best to be transparent about how much we spent to get a bonus AND what “method” we were using.
Our slot videos costs between $800-$1K to produce, so we have to take a chef’s “snout-to-tail” approach—we use everything in hopes that our videos will cover the expected 15% loss.
We’ve learned a lot from watching YouTube videos, but we’ve also been burned by bad advice. ALWAYS check that someone who gives advice, tips, or tricks 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 doesn’t guarantee that you will be as lucky.
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 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%; the 25¢ slots on the Strip have an RTP of 89.34%. Those 7 percentage points are important.
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.
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.
Practical Considerations (that aren’t just for your grandma)
- Always pack a lightweight sweater, sweatshirt, or jacket. Casinos can be frigid and can vary from area to area.
- Use the room safe. It’s there. It’s free. Use it.
- Don’t flash your bankroll. While it’s fun to save around $10K in cash, as soon as you take your selfie, stash it away until you can get to your room.