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Introduction to Foxwoods Casino Connecticut

I recently met fellow slots enthusiasts and gambling podcasters at Foxwoods Casino, a tribal casino located in southern Connecticut, in part to create this Easily Win a Little at Slots at Foxwoods Casino Connecticut article. Other goals included promoting my Professor Slots brand and, last but not least, figure out how to win at slots there.

Vito from Cousin Vito’s Casino Podcast organized this “Gamblepalooza” meetup. He did a great job with what we all hope will become a regular annual event. Also, a special thanks to the staff at Foxwoods casino, especially to our Casino Sales Executive, John, for his professionalism, dedication, and attention to details. Thanks, Vito and John!

In this Easily Win a Little at Slots at Foxwoods Casino article, I’ll primarily go over what I learned about how to win at slots there. As I’ve come to understand, and hope you have too, my winning strategies for slot machines isn’t about how to be luckier.

Instead, it’s about understanding, or at least using, how casinos have deliberately set up their slot machines for slots enthusiasts to take advantage of as an opportunity to win.

What I found at Foxwoods Casino was such a winning opportunity. As I’ll explain, a few slot machines have been set up in such a way as to be taken advantage of quickly. That’s good news. The bad news (spoiler alert!) is that all such winnings are rather small.

However, easily winning a little at slots is probably very useful to far more people, when most slots enthusiasts are low rollers.

This article has the following sections:

• Introduction
• My Online Assessment of Foxwoods Casino Connecticut
• My On-Site Physical Assessment of Foxwoods Casino Connecticut
• Assessing Foxwoods Casino by Talking with Slots Players
• Assessing Foxwoods Casino by Questioning Casino Staff
• How to Win at Slots at Foxwoods Casino Connecticut
• Optimizing How to Win at Foxwoods Casino Connecticut
• Summary

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My Online Assessment of Foxwoods Casino Connecticut

My first evaluation of Foxwoods Casino Connecticut was done online when preparing to publish my article Connecticut Slot Machine Casino Gambling back in July of last year.

I learned that Foxwoods Casino Connecticut had grown, partly due to competition with nearby Mohegan Sun Casino, to become one of the largest casinos anywhere. Depending on how casino “largeness” is measured, it is currently reported to be the third or fourth largest casino in the world, although it has ranked as high as second largest in the past.

Other items of interest I learned then was that Foxwoods Casino Connecticut is an American Indian tribal casino owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe. Since Foxwoods is a tribal casino, it is not subject to state gaming regulations but rather regulated through a negotiated state-tribal gaming compact approved by the U.S. Department of Interior.

For those interested, this state-tribal compact is available at Connecticut State’s Department of Consumer Protection on their Tribal-State Compacts and Agreements webpage along with the state-tribal compact for the Mohegan Tribe for Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun casino.

The final item of interest to slots enthusiasts regarding gaming regulations is monthly actual payout return statistics available on the State of Connecticut’s Gaming Revenue and Statistics webpage.

For the most recent month, March 2018, the actual payout return percentage was reported to be 91.56%, the lowest payout return since Foxwoods fiscal year begins on July 1.

As it happens, these statistics show that consistently highest payout returns were at the beginning of Foxwoods fiscal year. From July through October of 2017, the average payout return was 92.05%, with the highest monthly payout return being 92.16% in October 2017.

At the time of this writing, Fiscal Year 2017/2018 is incomplete. Now, however, the average annual payout returns for the last five years going back Fiscal Year 2011/2012 has shown a remarkably steady increase. For Fiscal Year 2011/2012, the yearly payout return was 91.59%, followed by a steady rise to 92.19% for the most recently completed Fiscal Year of 2016/2017.

Finally, it is well worth noting there has been a steady and significant drop, currently nearly halved, in the total number of slot machines available at Foxwoods Casino Connecticut from Fiscal Year 2008/2009 to present.

In Fiscal Year 2008/2009, coinciding with the last year of the relatively recent 17-month-long Great Recession, Foxwoods Casino Connecticut had 8,108 slot machines. This number of slots has dropped each year steadily since, with the total number of slot machines currently being 4,106.

So, what does all this mean in terms of winning at slots at Foxwoods Casino Connecticut? Well, it’s hard to say. Initial assessments are fact-finding missions, with little in the way of conclusions as much as it might be helpful to do so. Nevertheless, it sure is interesting seeing such data-supported trends.

In all seriousness, it is indeed hard to say what is going on at Foxwoods. However, something dramatic and dynamic is happening. Staying focused on winning at slots and setting aside all other considerations, I wonder how we might use this rather interesting information to win more at slots at Foxwoods.

But, before drawing any more conclusions just yet, let’s continue this article with whatever information can gleaned from visiting Foxwoods Casino Connecticut.

My On-Site Physical Assessment of Foxwoods Casino Connecticut

Frankly, Foxwoods Casino is huge. Upon checking in at 2 p.m. on a Thursday, I went for a walk for a few hours. I didn’t have or want a map. While walking, I counted six separate sub-casinos within the overall casino. I could talk about my feet getting sore for walking for the next 5 hours, despite wearing comfortable shoes. Instead, let’s talk about what I saw.

By far, the most important thing I noticed was what I didn’t see. I wandered everywhere without doing any gambling. I was looking around, letting my feet go wherever they wanted while I soaked in whatever there was to do so.

I went to every sub-casino and visited every high limit area in every sub-casino. And do you know what I didn’t see, not once during that 5-hour walk? I didn’t see a single hand pay being given out by a slot attendant.

Everywhere I went, there were no hand pays. No one was winning jackpots. Now, again, I tried not to draw any discernible conclusions just yet. Why? Because it was only late afternoon on a Thursday. I didn’t want to bias my observations by drawing the conclusion begging to be made without looking for hand pays when the casino was a little busier.

So, to avoid jumping to a conclusion too soon, I decided to look for slot machine hand pays deliberately until Friday evening. But, tentatively, I held in my mind this possible conclusion: Foxwoods Casino Connecticut gives out a relatively low number of hand-pays to slots players. If confirmed, only small non-taxable jackpots would be potentially possible.

While my personal slots play is high limits, this was personally quite upsetting. However, for the sake of my lower roller readers and listeners, I realized this might be just what they most would like. They might most like to spend a little bit of money to win a slightly larger bit of money.

Of course, this would depend on finding a way to win jackpots less than the taxable limit of $1,200 to generate the hand pays I wasn’t seeing. I decided that, if a few hand pays were confirmed, then I needed to focus on looking for ways to make small wins with small bankrolls. So, I did. And I did.

Assessing Foxwoods Casino Connecticut by Talking with Slots Players

After my wandering around on Thursday, I met up with Vito and other early arrivals to Vito’s “Gamblepalooza” event. I also had an opportunity to talk and question John, the Foxwoods’ Casino Sales Executive effectively acting as our event host.

And, what was the first thing Vito said to me? That his wife Amanda was over on a Buffalo slot machine after having won a bunch of free spins. I asked where, and he pointed to where she was. Maybe 20 minutes later, Amanda joined our group – at which point I asked her specifically which machine she was playing.

She told me where there was a row of identical-looking slot machines near the walkway between the casino lobby and the hotel elevators. I asked which slot machine in this row had she played, and she said the slot machine on the far left.

When everyone split up to go gamble, I headed over to those Buffalo slot machines. They were penny machines. They were also all were being used, which can sometimes be a good sign. So, I sat and watched for a little while. Again, there were no hand pays. But, there were small wins.

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There were not a lot of small wins, but some. I had to consider if there would be enough to make any level of profit, somehow, with the right playing technique. When a machine opened up, I sat down and played to try and get a feel for its odds of winning.

My conclusion was that each slot machine was providing a taste in the first few bets placed, and then no wins other than usual entirely luck-based wins. This result was based on a slight but noticeable pattern I seemed to be detecting with my pattern recognition abilities.

My conclusion, and again it was based on a slight but noticeable pattern I seemed to be getting from my pattern recognition abilities, was that each slot machine was providing a taste in the first few bets placed, and then no wins other than usual entirely luck-based wins.

It was slight, but there. Combined with the location of these slot machines near a busy walkway, I had a working theory to try out. The next step was to create experiments or make further observations which would either prove or disprove the hypothesis. So, I did just that.

Assessing Foxwoods Casino Connecticut by Questioning Casino Staff

Assessing a casino isn’t entirely a linear process. I look for clues everywhere, mostly focused on looking for winning patterns I’ve seen elsewhere while also keeping an eye out for any new trends. Because, once I find an economic model put in place by the casino, then all I need to do is figure out how to take advantage of it.

So, between wandering around and then playing those Buffalo machines, I talked with our Casino Sales Executive. And, I asked him questions which would help me continue to look for a clue to winning patterns that I’d seen elsewhere. And, he gave me such a hint.

Upon questioned about Foxwoods Casino Connecticut having six sub-casinos, John told me which of these sub-casinos was newest and how new it was. He told me that the Great Cedar Casino was six months old.

That was important to know because it would have the latest and greatest in server-based operating software. And, I knew several ways to test those operating systems for winning patterns.

Being years newer than the other sub-casinos, the Great Cedar Casino would have the latest casinos operating software choices for casinos to “tinker” with the winning odds of their slot machines.

This bit of information resolved my most significant concern about visiting one of the largest casinos in the world. Some of the sub-casinos would be old, with few winning strategies due to likely having a central computer.

Other sub-casinos would be a bit more modern, and a few sub-casinos would be the newest. But, this was my first time at Foxwoods. How would I know which sub-casino was oldest, old, modern, and cutting-edge modern to apply the appropriate winning strategy?

Well, John told me which one was the newest casino. This was my next good hint for figuring out how to win at slots at Foxwoods Casino Connecticut. Now, let’s bring together everything learned, so far.

How to Win at Slots at Foxwoods Casino Connecticut

For those keeping track, here’s what we have learned so far:

1. Slot machine hand pays are relatively few, possibly even non-existent
2. Slot machines near a busy walkway provided an initial win, a taste
3. The newest sub-casino was the Great Cedar Casino

These three things are what I learned about winning at slots in Foxwoods Casino Connecticut after being there for about 6 hours. I’d have preferred it would only have taken half that time but, well, it was one of the largest casinos in the world.

The next morning, on my way back from breakfast, I kept an eye on slot machines facing the main walkway, the most extensive walkway I’d yet seen, for the Great Cedar Casino. And do you know what I saw? I saw a winning slot machine at 8 a.m.

It was a penny machine automatically playing off free spins. The current jackpot was about $500, and continuing to close with only 20 or so free spins out of 85 completed.

Francis, the slots player on that machine, was happy to tell those gathered that he’d only put a $20 bill into the penny slot machine. On his first bet, the first push of the button, he won those 85 free spins.

And, he hadn’t played maximum credits. Maximum credits was 600, and his bet was for 150 credits. So, for a single $1.50 bet, he was already up to $500 and continuing to climb.

About 10 minutes later, we all congratulated him when the rising jackpot went over the taxable limit of $1,200. Another 5 minutes later, the last free spin was over, and his taxable jackpot on this penny machine stood at $1,474.27.

This slot machine matched all the winning criteria I had observed, plus one more that I’d already known was possible from a casino Ohio. This fourth criterion was simply this: Most likely, with it being a weekday morning, that slot machine hadn’t been played for a while before this jackpot.

Again, all of this is simply a working theory of a specific casino slot machine setup built step-by-step with careful observation and unbiased deductive reasoning and critical thinking. The point is, I had a working hypothesis to test. So, I did.

Over the next few mornings, I won small jackpots on the slot machines facing that walkway, trying only to play slot machines not played for a while.

Within a few bets, I won $315.45 on Saturday at 4:30 a.m. and, at more normal times, $89.25, $87.60, $135.60, and $105.60. On several other attempts, I won about as much as I had bet. Three times, I didn’t win anything.

Since each bet was between $1.50 and $6.00 on these penny machines. According to my gambling records, I spent about $40 in bets and won a total of $745.50. My profit was just over $700 when using this winning strategy only, not including what I spent learning to win.

Optimizing How to Win at Foxwoods Casino Connecticut

Optimizing this strategy centers around the fourth winning criterion, Specifically, it centered around the hypothesis that slot machines not played for a while tended to give our higher jackpots.

With the weekend approaching at one of the largest casinos in the world, the slot machines I wanted to play were getting a lot of use, probably played at least once every hour for 24 a day.

But, optimizing this strategy during a busy weekend at the casino is entirely possible. I suggest picking your candidate slot machine as soon as whoever is using it finishes playing, then proceed to read a book for a while.

How long should you read the book? I have no idea. I’d suggest waiting between 20 minutes and two hours before playing the slot machine. Wouldn’t this be boring, you ask? Well, that would entirely depend on the book, now wouldn’t it.

I do have to wonder what the casino’s reaction would be to someone reading a book at an idle slot machine? Would a random casino employee know that it has been set up to provide a taste? As taste that would cause observers to run and play on another slot machine, thereby recouping the cost to the casino?

Or, other slots players may complain that, if you don’t want to play it, they will. So, as usual, there is always more to learn. If you try reading at a slot machine, and you get a reaction from the casino, I’d be very interested in knowing. Thanks.

I did share this winning strategy with other gamblers attending the Gamblepalooza event, with a bit more details offered to a few in thanks. They all came back later saying how much I had helped them win at slots.

One even showed me a voucher for a little over $1,100, shown below, which I reasonably assumed was from winning several non-taxable jackpots via the winning strategy I have also described here.

They seemed quite happy with it, which made me happy. But, again, for me as a high roller…. Well, let’s just say it was missing a few zeros. But, that’s how it is for me.

Summary of Easily Win a Little at Slots at Foxwoods Casino Connecticut

From Thursday, April 19, through Sunday, April 22, in 2018, I visited Foxwoods Casino in southern New England to generate this blog article for you.

My goals for this casino trip were to provide another casino trip report, and also to meet members of my audience as well as other visiting gambling podcasters.

My third goal was to figure out if there was any way to systematically win at slots at this tribal casino, one of the largest casinos in the world and indeed the most significant tribal casino. I successfully accomplished all three goals.

Through using my pattern recognition abilities, deductive reasoning, and critical thinking, I developed the following working theory of how to win at slots at Foxwoods from making the following observations:

1. Slot machine hand pays are relatively few, possibly even non-existent.
2. Slot machines near a busy walkway provided an initial win, a taste.
3. The newest sub-casino was the Great Cedar Casino.
4. Initial wins, or tastes, were larger on idle slot machines.

I then used this working theory myself, as well as shared it with several of my fans and fellow gambling podcasters, to win small jackpots on slot machines at Foxwoods Casino Connecticut.

Best Payout Slots At Foxwoods Tickets

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Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC

• Factoid: Most large Las Vegas hotel-casinos have more than 2,000 slot machines.
• Factoid: The slot machine was invented in 1895 by Chares Fey in San Francisco.

It is not accidental that two-thirds of every casino is littered with row-upon-row of slot machines of every type imaginable. The reason is that they provide the most profit to a casino ...and billions of dollars in tax revenue to the state. (The state of Nevada collects a $250 annual tax plus a $20 quarterly license fee per slot machine plus a percentage - about 5% - of gaming revenue.)

Slots account for more revenue to a casino than all other gambling games combined. Their formula for success is simple. They make money by paying out less than they take in. They are popular because players don't need any gambling knowledge and slots require only a very small bet. There are more than 200,000 slot machines in Las Vegas.

Most slot machines work the same way. The player pulls a handle or presses a button to spin a series of reels (typically three) that have pictures printed on them. You win when certain combinations of pictures line up with a pay line in the middle of a viewing window. The payout depends on which pictures land along the pay line. Some machines have multiple pay lines. A pay table (chart) tells you the amount of the payout. It is usually found on the front of the machine, above or below the area containing the wheels. While you can lose your money faster, the payout percentages are always better if you bet the maximum amount of coins on each “pull.”

All slot machines in use today in casinos are electronic (computerized) rather than mechanical. As a general rule, reels, handles, sound effects and other attributes are there to make them appear to be like older, more familiar, mechanical machines.Themed slot machines that require the manufacturer to pay a license fee (such as one named after a movie star, cartoon character, TV show, etc.) generally have lower payouts since the additional cost must be recouped. So stick with the traditional machines (such as the Double Diamond, Blazing 7s, and Red, White and Blue) that pay back more.

As a general rule, slot managers place their most popular - and best paying - machines in areas that generate excitement - such as near the front entrance and other high traffic areas. Some popular slots - such as nickel machines - are placed in the rear of the casino to get people to walk to the back. High payback machines are also sprinkled throught the casino floor.

Be aware that the higher the cost per 'handle pull,' the higher the payout. According to one industry insider, the so-called 'hold percentage' on the Las Vegas Strip averages 11% for nickels (that is, 89% is paid back), 6.5% for quarters, 4.5% for dollars, and 3.5% for five dollars and above. (The Nevada Gaming Control Board has a slighty different figure. See below.)

The payback percentage for Las Vegas (and all Nevada) slot machines are a known factor. Because they are taxed, all machines are strictly controlled and keep track of 'coin in' and 'coin out' which, overall, is a matter of public record. Manufacturers program each machine to payback a specific percentage which is based on a span of ten million handle pulls! Any slot can (and does) pay out more or less over a shorter period. It might pay out 400% today ...or 20% for a week.

A good website on slot machine gambling is located here ... and they have no advertising whatsoever.

The newest wrinkle in slot machines is coinless slots. They use bar-coded paper tickets instead of coins and are known as “ticket in/ticket out” ('TITO') machines. The traveling coin gal (and coin cups) are fast becoming a thing of the past. You feed bills and get paid in vouchers which are redeemed at the cashier’s cage. Don't forget to redeem the tickets! Some have expiration dates on them.

Although poker machines have been around since 1964, video poker did not become popular until 1979 when International Game Technology (IGT) introduced its electronic “Draw Poker” machine. Video poker adds the element of skill and players are given decision-making options that regular slots don’t offer.

Video poker slots work the same way as regular rotating wheel machines. Instead of a reel, they have changing playing card images. They are generally based on five-card draw poker.

A series of five cards are generated from a freshly shuffled 52 card deck for each play and shown on the screen. The player discards some (or all of the cards) and replacements for the remaining cards are drawn. While you are deciding which cards you want to hold, the remaining 47 cards are constantly shuffling. After you decide and hit the button again, the cards stop shuffling and the x-number of cards you need to fill your draw hand come off the top and occupy the vacated positions.The objective is to get the best poker hand. Again a chart indicates the amount of the payout.

The most basic version pays on two jacks or better, but there are variations, such as “wild” cards.

All video poker is not alike. Be certain you are playing a “full pay” game which pays out 99.5% of incoming coin. They are known as a “9/6 JoB” machines – which stand for a payout of 9 coins for a full house and 6 coins for a flush with one coin inserted. (JoB stands for “Jacks or Better.”) The paytable for a full-pay or 9/6 JoB machine looks like this:

A casino can tighten a Jacks-or-better video poker machine by simply paying out less for a full house and flush. The most common way that a casino increases it's win is to pay only 8 for the Full House and 5 for the Flush. This is a short-pay 8/5 machine. The casino keeps an extra 2.2% on these machines.

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A “10/7 DB” video poker machine (Full House=10 coins, Flush=7 coins) is better yet Payout (when played perfectly and max-credits) is 100.1%. Double Bonus Poker (DB) is a variation on video poker in which the payout for two pair is reduced from two to one in exchange for greatly increased payouts for other hands ...like a payout of 4000 for a Royal Flush.

The best place to play video poker is downtown or at such off-strip properties as Sam’s Town. A great video poker website is VideoPokerReview.com.

A couple of playing hints: Never keep a high card kicker with a pair; draw three cards. Hint No. 2: Always go for the Royal Flush if you have four of the five needed ...even if it means giving up a high pair. The odds are one in 52 that you will hit the needed card ...and Royal Flushes pay up to 4,000 to one if you put in the maximum number of coins.

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All slot and video poker machine models are tested by the state of Nevada to be certain that all results are based on a random number generator (RNG.) A new machine can’t be introduced until it meets all state regulations and technical standards. Because gross revenue is taxed, every machine keeps track of the money paid in and the winnings paid out.

Winning at slot machines is pure luck. And there is no such thing as a machine being “ready to hit.” The chances of winning never change whether it is the first or one hundredth pull. And a machine that hasn't paid recently is not due to win.

While winning combinations are determined on a totally random basis, the overall payback percentage is set on a standard machine. A casino tells the slot machine manufacturer what percentages it wants specific machines to pay back and that amount is programmed in. So, some machines are “looser” than others over the long haul.

The payback percentage is determined by state-approved computer chips which are installed by the manufacturer. The RNG in these microchips continuously generate hundreds of randomly chosen numbers every second the machine is on ...even when not being played. Each number corresponds to a set of symbols on the wheel. There are many approved chips for every machine type and the chip can be changed by casino technicians to “tighten” or “loosen” the machine payout. But this is hardly ever the case. It is easier just to change out the machine programmed by the manufacturer.

The state of Nevada requires that every machine pay out a minimum of 75 percent of the money it takes in. Due to competitive pressures, however, the overall payout percentage is much higher. Slot machines are typically programmed to pay out around 82 to 98 percent of the money that goes into them as winnings. Most pay around 92 to 96 percent ...certainly not the worst bet in the house. (Don’t be taken in by casinos that advertise winnings of “up to 99 percent.” They might only have one machine out of 2,000 set to pay that rate.) Hint: Playing the maximum coins always pays more per “coin-in” and reduces the house advantage.

According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, $1 slots pay out an average of 95 percent of receipts. (25 cent slots pay back an average of 93 percent, 5 cent machines: 90 percent.) And where you play the slots makes a difference. The payout on machines located on the Strip is about one or two percent lower than downtown or other off-strip properties ...a fact well known by the locals. Hotel-casinos frequented by Nevada residents on a regular basis (such as Sam’s Town) pay better than tourist hotels whose guests are there for only three days.

The newer and more luxurious hotels, have the poorest overall slot payout ...especially on under $1 machines. The poorest then would be the Bellagio, Venetian, Mandalay Bay and new Wynn Las Vegas. The best paying slots on the Strip are the older properties on the North Strip. Generally, avoid slots at the airport, convenience stores, restaurants and “restricted” operations ...that is, those with less than 15 machines.

Many veteran slot players believe that the loosest (best paying) machines are located in high traffic areas, such as near elevators, buffets, aisles, showrooms, registration areas, etc. Theoretically, frequent payouts are good advertising and entice others nearby to play. Typically, slot machines with a similar payout percentage are grouped together in the same area. In any event, the payback percentages on Nevada slot machines are the highest of any state ...and probably the highest of any country in the world.

Progressive slots are exactly what their name implies; with each bet made, the jackpot grows. Progressive jackpots (such as Nevada's “Megabucks”) can pay astronomical amounts ...always in the millions of dollars. Their payout system is different from a standard machine and steadily increases as players put more money into it. To get the high jackpot, multiple machines and casinos are linked together to form one giant payout. Just about every Las Vegas casino participates in Megabucks.

The cardinal rule is to always play maximum coins at a progressive machine since they only pay the top jackpot if you bet max. Megabucks is a $1 slot so you must play 3 coins ($3.00) to hit the jackpot. When someone wins, the jackpot is reset to a starting value ...$7 million for Megabucks.

In the long run, the chances of winning a progressive jackpot are very, very remote and the overall payback is much lower than the standard $1 machine. Statistically, they are a very poor bet. In the short run, however, anything can happen and the “Megabucks” jackpot does get hit by someone about twice a year. (The odds of winning are one in 50 million.) The payout averages more than $10 million each time it does. It might be worth one $3 play.

Most casinos offer free memberships in “slot clubs.” They exist to attract, reward, and ultimately retain slot players. You join at the casinos slot booth and get a membership card - otherwise known as a “comp card” (as in “complimentary.”) It looks like a plastic credit card. The purpose of these clubs is to keep players from wandering from one casino to another. The card tracks your play and are the Vegas equivalent of frequent flier miles.

Whenever you sit down at a slot machine, insert the card in the slot at the top of the machine. At a table game, you give it to the dealer or the floorman. The machine (slots) or casino personnel (table games) then keeps track of how much you bet and how long you have played. A word to the wise! Never place your handbag on the floor when you are playing the slots. Keep it in sight at all times.

There are two schools of thought about applying for slot card membership. One is to apply for as many as you can because you will get a sign-up bonus prize on the spot for enrolling ...sometimes even a little free 'match play' gambling money to get you started. Joining a player’s club also identifies you as a gambler and gets you on their mailing list of upcoming offers. There are dozens of different slot clubs in Las Vegas.

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The second theory is to concentrate your gambling - even if it is conservative - on one casino. You won’t get any “comps” (free meals, rooms, upgrades, shows or other offers) with just a few points at a dozen casinos. But they will add up when you gamble using a single slot card.

My recommendation is, at the minimum, to apply for Players Club membership at the two largest Las Vegas casino operations: MGM Mirage and Harrahs Entertainment. This way you can gamble at many of their owned casinos and still receive credit toward on your card. MGM Mirage recently merged with the Mandalay Bay Group. And Harrahs recently acquired Caesars Entertainment, Inc. These two companies will soon control nearly two dozen of the largest hotel-casinos ...about half the hotel rooms on the Strip.

Slot tournaments can be fun, take no skill to play and are offered at many casinos to their slot club members ...some by invitation only. The idea is to get the most “credits” by continually pushing the slot’s spin button. Sometimes the contest is free to enter ...but usually there is a small ($10 to $25) entry fee. The people who get the top scores wins a prize ...sometimes hundreds or thousands of dollars. Participants frequently get freebies and offers (sometimes worth more than the entry fee) just for entering the tournament.

The rules are simple. Generally you are assigned a certain machine, a time to play and a beginning amount of “credits” which must be played during a specified time period. For example: you might get to play a beginning 1000 credits in 15 or 20 minutes. The tournament is managed by casino personnel and there can be several tournament sessions to accommodate all who want to play. Many tournaments have hundreds of participants.

You just keep tapping the maximum bet button as fast as you can. Three credits are deducted each time. The machine has a special meter that keeps track of winning credits which can not be replayed. At the end of the time period, the machine locks up and play is over. An important objective is to use all your credits since they are lost if you do not. After you finish playing, you wait at your machine until a tournament official comes by and records your score. The scores on the winning meters determines the winners. It is that simple.

Slot tournaments are held in certain designated casino areas on specially programmed and outfitted machines that generate many more jackpot combinations than normally the case.

One advantage of a slot tournament is that you know ahead of time that your maximum loss will be the amount of the entry fee. (You should probably avoid the slot tournaments that have large entry fees ...those more than $100!) Winning them is totally pure luck ...the only skill needed is to be able to push the spin button quickly.

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