Visitor wins more than $870,000 on slot machine at Las Vegas airport WBMA Visitor wins more than $870,000 on slot machine at Las Vegas airport by CODY MILLER, KSNV Tuesday, July 21st 2020. Michael Gaughan has been granted the rights to operate slot concession at McCarran International Airport under the name Michael Gaughan Airport Slots, operating over 1,300 slot machines in all of the airport's terminals. The concession is licensed by the state as Michael J. Gaughan, Airport Slot. In fact, once you fly into Las Vegas, you don’t even have to leave the airport to get your money in action. There are slot machines at the airport! Play away, and don’t worry, the payouts and house edge aren’t much different from location to location. Just keep in mind that if you hit the jackpot, you’ll have to wait a while to get paid.

sallyandmilt
I haven't seen any statistics about payouts at the airport slots. From casual observation on a number of times through (before we moved to Las Vegas) we seemed to have more luck ourselves and saw more other lucky people. Whether it is coincidence or not, it seems logical that machines would be set to higher payoffs there, since people arriving here are likely to consider themselves on the start of a lucky streak, a good attitude adjuster, and people leaving after leaving with less than they came with might leave in a better frame of mind when winning on their last try. (Sort of like having a terrific 18th hole after a lousy golf round - makes you want to come back.)
Just our thoughts, but wonder if there might be some validity to them.
wildqat
According to the Wizard's own (admittedly dated) survey, the airport slots are the worst in town.
Take from that what you will. :^)
DJTeddyBear
There are many schools of thought going on here.
For example, in a casino, it make sense to have the slots near the strip entrance rigged to pay and make a lot of noise to draw in other customers. On the other hand, having the loose machines there, may make too easy for a bettor to make a hit and run.
Similarly, the slots near the buffet may be rigged to pay to encourage people to finish eating and get back to work. On the other hand, it may pay less, since people may throw a quarter in while on line to get in. Think captive audience.
At the airport, you also have a captive audience. Most people playing are waiting to board an outbound flight.
Your theory about getting people off on a hot streak sounds interesting, but ask yourself this question: What does the owner of the airport slots care about a gambler's activity in the casinos?
I mean, that would be a logical idea only if the airport slots are run/owned by the LV Visitors Bureau or Chamber of Commerce, or even the airport itself. Something tells me it's a private concession. I.E. They pay rent to the airport, etc.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
Wizard
Administrator
I stand by my survey linked to above that the slots at the airport are the tightest in the city. Captive audience + no competition = tight slots. I also have found that the theory that slots are loose by the doors, and tight were people are likely to linger, is just myth. My testing showed slots of a given denomination are set consistently throughout the casino. Some casinos seem to scatter some loose ones around randomly.
It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether or not you had a good bet.
pacomartin
Your idea about loose slots at the airport does make sense. It might have been a logical solution when they wrote the request for proposals. But the county auctioned off the rights to the highest bidder for this contract. So the slots are the tightest in town.
The man that owns the slot concession is Michael Gaughan who owns the South Point Hotel and Casino.
Wizard
Administrator
Somebody correct me if I'm wrong (as always), but in 91-92, when I did the survey, the airport slot concession was held by the owners of Terrible's.

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It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether or not you had a good bet.
wildqat
Wikipedia says it's currently Michael Gaughan. It doesn't say when any transfer of ownership occurred.
inap
i always thought that the machines at the airport were tight also. but i'm surprised when i see both the quarter and dollar wheel of fortunes hit the progressive jackpot at the airport, and almost as much as in the casinos. i've also personally hit the 1000 point, $200.00 on the .25 cent wheel of fortune while just waiting for my better half go into the ladies room. i've also hit things like five 5's on dueces wild while killing time, and seen someone make over $1,200 hitting various jackpots on one 777 slot within just 15 minutes! he kept hitting 7's of various kinds!. and none of these happen after spending hours on the machines like in the casino.
i'm not saying machines at the airport aren't tight, but i do see them hit.
DJTeddyBear

....i've also hit things like five 5's on dueces wild...

A card machine should hit exactly as often, no matter where it's located. But the pay table is probably lower.
Maybe the other slots are rigged to win more often, but pay less? Is that even possible? If so, that would give the illusion of a loose machine, while retaining more profit for the owner.
I invented a few casino games. Info: http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/ ————————————————————————————————————— Superstitions are silly, childish, irrational rituals, born out of fear of the unknown. But how much does it cost to knock on wood? 😁
FleaStiff

Captive audience + no competition = tight slots.

Precisely. Perhaps if the airport authority had sold the slot concession to the Chamber of Commerce there might be some sort of 'welcome to Vegas where you can really win' attitude of loose slots, perhaps not. Remember the money in Vegas is made at the hotels, bars, clubs and casinos, its not made at the airport. Why should airport slots be enticingly loose? Oh I'm sure they comply with all laws and regulations but the concession-owner knows no one is ever going to come back just to sit at the airport and feed quarters in all day long!
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You have a lot to look forward to in Las Vegas—bright lights, constant partying, and endless opportunities. You also face an ocean of slot machines in every casino on the Strip and anywhere else in the city.

In fact, you’ll find over 200,000 slot machines in Las Vegas alone. And not all of these slot games are the same. Some casinos offer better rewards through their players’ programs, for example. Others have looser slots (games with a higher RTP).

Las vegas slot machine warehouse

Here’s my list of the seven best casinos for slots in Las Vegas.

1 – Aria

Aria Resort & Casino is one of the most luxurious properties on the Las Vegas Strip, and it also has one of the biggest slot machine areas anywhere in the city.

On top of that, they have the biggest and best high roller slot machine parlor in the entire state. It even has its own name, Spin.

People like me think of $100 per spin slots as being high limit games, but in Vegas, everything’s bigger and better. In Spin, some of the slot machine cost $5000 per spin.

It’s an architectural marvel, too. Famed New York architect Peter Marino designed Spin, which has more amenities than some casinos. This includes a staff of butlers to cater to your needs while you play. The cashier’s cage is separate from the gaming, and the bathrooms are all private.

Have you ever seen a full-service dining room inside the slot machine area? And Aria doesn’t just cater to high rollers. The casino has over 2,000 slot machine games available, including popular titles like Wheel of Fortune and The Walking Dead. They also frequently host slot machine tournaments.

2 – Bellagio

A lot of people think of the Bellagio as the best place on the Las Vegas Strip to play poker, and they are right about this, of course.

But Bellagio is also one of the best spots on the Vegas Strip to find slot machine tournaments and a wide variety of slots games to choose from. Including video poker games and slot machines, Bellagio has over 2,300 different gambling machines to choose from.

And they’re available in multiple denominations, catering to both low rollers and high rollers alike.

Many of Bellagio’s slot machines feature progressive jackpots where you can win $1 million or more on a single spin of the reels. No one offers better live entertainment or dining either.

Also, since Aria and the Bellagio are both owned by MGM, membership at the slots club there means that you automatically have a membership in M life Rewards loyalty program, which is the players club at the following casinos:

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  • Aria
  • Bellagio
  • Delano Las Vegas
  • Excalibur
  • Luxor
  • Mandalay Bay
  • MGM Grand
  • The Mirage
  • Park MGM
  • New York-New York
  • Vdara

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3 – The Venetian

The Venetian is famous for a lot of things, and one of those things is the varied selection of gambling machines available there. The casino has two floors worth of machines to choose from, and they have a great loyalty program.

The Venetian also makes it a point of keeping the latest games on the floor, and they’ve done an excellent job of making sure they have newer games than some of their competitors. If you’re looking for games like the new Ghost Busters slots or the Game of Thrones slots, this is the place.

Like Aria, the Venetian caters to high rollers.

They offer an area called “The High-Limit Slots Salon,” which is a quieter and less crowded area for customers comfortable with betting up to $5000 per spin playing the slots.

If you’re a customer here, you can even request your own brands of machine, and the casino will do its best to accommodate.

They offer butler service and a lounge where you can relax when you’re taking a break from the slots games.

If you’re a Gold or Platinum member of the Grazie loyalty program here, you get free transportation to and from McCarran Airport.

4 – The Golden Nugget

So far, this list has focused on slot machine games that cater to high rollers on the Strip. But not all the best slot machines are found on the famed Las Vegas Boulevard.

In fact, the payback percentages for machines in other parts of the city are usually superior to the glitzier properties on the Strip. And what better “other part of the city” is there than downtown?

The gaming floor at the Golden Nugget is huge, with over 1,000 gambling machines to choose from. They have some of the most varied games in the city, too. They carry the famous games like Wheel of Fortune, but they also have a bigger variety of “Buffalo” slots than almost any other casino.

They feature multiple progressive jackpot slots casinos, too. I’m one of those slot machine players who loves a good steak, so the presence of Vic and Anthony’s is a great reason to play here, too. It’s one of the 10 best steakhouses in the entire country.

5 – Sam’s Town

One thing you should be aware of about Las Vegas slots is that the payback percentage is lower on the Strip than elsewhere. The best places to play are older casinos that are a little off the beaten path.

Sam’s Town fits the bill nicely. What it lacks in luxury, Sam’s Town makes up for with high payout slot machine games.

One thing that Sam’s Town offers that isn’t available at other Las Vegas casinos is an online listing of the slot machine games they have available. You can search their database by denomination, type of game, or keyword in the game title.

Be warned, though, Sam’s Town is not your traditional Vegas experience. It’s older and a bit cheesier. It’s probably a more appropriate casino to stay at if you’re older or maybe if you have young children.

As far as the better payback percentages go, that’s worth a visit.

Just keep in mind that no matter how high the payback percentage is at a specific casino, the various slot machines on the floor have different payback percentages from one another.

The payback percentage for a casino is the AVERAGE of the slots on the floor. You might play a game with a 75% payback percentage, while your mom might be playing on an identical machine next to it with a 95% payback percentage.

And since the house has the edge, if you play either game long enough, you’ll eventually lose all your money.

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6 – Excalibur

If you’re more interested in payback percentage than glitz and glamour, you should look at some of the older properties on the Strip. Circus Circus and Excalibur both count, but Excalibur’s more recent renovations make it somewhat more palatable to the modern gambler.

Excalibur is old enough and low rent enough that they can afford to offer some of the best payback percentages on the Strip. And if you’re not a high roller, you should consider trying the slots here.

They have plenty of penny slots, and even their most expensive game tops out at $100 per spin—a far cry from the $5000 max at some of the other casinos in this group on the Strip.

That’s right. Excalibur is also owned by MGM, so you get to participate in the same huge slot club as most of the other casinos on this list.

7 – Downtown Vegas in General

Rather than close out this list with another casino recommendation, I want to recommend the Downtown Vegas area over the Strip for its selection of unusual slot machine games in various areas.

For example, the biggest slot machine in the world is the SlotZilla zip line. And when I say “big,” I’m being literal. It’s 128 feet tall. You zip down Fremont Street Experience on one of two lines, and the game has a huge video screen with reels and an animated arm to pull.

You can also view antique slot machines at the Main Street. They’re beautiful and well worth seeing. You’ll find them near the registration desk.

Many of the Downtown Las Vegas casinos offer huge, oversized slot machines. One place to find them is on the second level of The D. You’ll have to take the escalator to see this one. Also, you get to play for real coins here, which is a nice change of pace for old-timers who remember being able to cash out with a huge bucket full of coins.

You’ll also find a huge slot machine in The Golden Nugget.

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Conclusion

Las Vegas Slot Machine Sales

Those are my picks for the seven best casinos for slots in Las Vegas. Do you disagree with my choices?