Slots Hero

There is some confusion for slots players when it comes to how Class II slot machines work as compared to Class III slot machines.

Class III slot machines are the ones with Random Number Generators (RNG). Think Las Vegas and Atlantic City—those kinds of slot machines, the ones with the reels. These are the slots games who’s RNG pulls an outcome to through up on the reels, essentially one reel at a time.

When it comes to Class II slots games, there is a little more going on.

On a Class II slot machine, which covers your virtual bingo machines, the RNG will randomly (of course) choose a symbol for each space on the display.

Picture the display of a five reel slots game on which the symbols are stacked three high. There are fifteen symbols on display total. What the RNG does in a Class II machine is pull an individual symbol for each space. Think of it as being like when a caller at a real bingo game pulls a ball from the machine—that is kind of like how each symbol on the display is chosen. So in the case of the aforementioned slots game, the RNG will pull fifteen symbol results, put them on a virtual card which is then displayed on the slot machine. Payouts are made based on if any winning combinations are formed.

Mainly the difference is that on a Class III slot machine the entire outcome is pulled by the RNG, while on a Class II slot machine the entire layout of the display is individually pulled, symbol by symbol.

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Is there some sort of secret plan in how brick and mortar casinos place their slot machines?

I know a lot of slots players believe that there is some sort of secret to placement, that the slot machines on the aisle will pay back better in order to grab players and pull them in; or that the ones in the middle payout more because they are less likely to be played by players so the casino does not have to lose as much money.

In truth, there really is not secret method to the madness that is slot machine placement. Each casino’s slots manager has his or her own way of laying out the machines. But with thousands of machines to manage, exacting placement and chess equivalent placement strategy is not possible.

If it were possible more slot machines would be out of operation because of being moved around than if they were only moved when necessary. Not to mention regular slots players would be aggravated at having to hunt down their favorite slot machine.

There is one general rule of thumb that slot managers do hold to when it comes to slot machine placement. If a particular slot machine is under-performing, meaning it is not earning or pulling its own weight so to speak, it will be moved to a different location.

It is even possible for a slot machine that is performing particularly poorly to be removed from the casino floor all together. After all what is the point of having a cash cow on the floor if it is not bringing in money?

To make managing thousands of slot machines easier, slots managers will generally order their machines with roughly the same payout percentage. So there is no real significant difference between the placement of slot machines on the aisle and slot machines in the middle of the row.

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Within the last few years brick and mortar casinos have been making changes to their slot machines.

No, I am not only referring to the drinks on demand slot machines that are said to be debuting in New Jersey casinos this year. I am talking about the switch to ticketing systems to replace the use of coins in slot machines.

These new coinless systems are called ticket in ticket out (TITO) systems or EZ pay systems. Regardless of which name is used, the system eliminates the need to cart around a bucket of coins, waiting in line at the cashier cage and the time it takes the cashier to count the coins out when cashing out.

The tickets take up far less space and weigh a heck of a lot less. And as a result sometimes players forget to redeem a ticket or two.

If the player forgot to redeem a slots ticket and they play regularly at a local casino, then they can simply redeem them on their next visit. While the life of a slots ticket can vary—usually from 30 to 90 days—there is no requirement that says a slots ticket has to be turned in on the same visit.

But the time limit presents a problem if the player had been playing at a casino on vacation, like say on a trip to Vegas. Most players will not be returning to a place like Vegas within the time limit.

At this juncture players can call the casino their forgotten slot tickets came from and talk to someone in the cage. Some casinos will allow players to mail forgotten slots tickets in and receive their payment. Other casinos will not take forgotten slots tickets in the mail.

The best thing is to check your pockets before leaving a casino. But if you do find yourself in possession of a forgotten slots ticket call the issuing casino before you throw it out.

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This morning I talked about a trend in the world of online slots. Well the slot machine is not without trends of its own either. One such trend that is beginning to take off in the last couple of years is group play.

Group play on slot machines is when multiple players can play the same slots game at the same time. Other names for this kind of slots game are collaborative gaming or simply playing together. The decisions of those who are playing the slots game with you can have an impact on bonuses you receive.

One of the latest group play slot machines to hit the market is the Dark Knight slot machine manufactured by IGT. This particular slot machine allows player to play against each other as Batman and the Joker in a battle for Gotham City as well as for the prize.

Another recent group play slot machine, put forth from WMS Gaming, is the Monopoly Bigger Event Big Money Spin. In case you missed it, this one is big. Okay, that was a bad joke. In this slots game a player landing on the Boardwalk space will have the other players of the game thanking you from the bonus.

The concept of group play in slot machines has really taken off in the world of brick and mortar casinos. Slot machines are typically solo playing machines—every man to his own kind of thing. But many people who go to casinos do not go alone. So they have a choice: play table games as a group or leave the group and play the slots.

Group play slot machines take the decision away by giving players the option of playing together as a group or in pairs on a group play slot machine. This novel way of playing is growing fast and just about all manufacturers of slot machines are jumping on board.

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Some of the older slots players out there, as well as those who are crossing over from online slots to slot machines to give them a try, can sometime be flummoxed by the TITO slot machines that they find on the floors of the brick and mortar casinos. The feeling comes down to:

What are you and what have you done with the coin slot machines?

TITO stands for ticket-in, ticket-out. These are the slot machines that issue players a voucher when they are through playing on a particular slot machine. The ticket vouchers have bar codes on them that allow cashiers to know exactly how much that ticket voucher is for, and subsequently how much money to give you from your slot machine playing.

There is some speculation that when a casino switches from the good ol’ coin slot machines that the paybacks are lowered and players win less often. But the logic behind TITO slot machines just does not fit with that assumption.

Casinos are switching from the coin slot machines to TITO systems to cut down on costs. The TITO require less maintenance in that there is no waiting for coin hops to be refilled, no coins jamming in the chute, fewer repairs over all and less time the cashiers have to spend in counting coins.

So the logic follows that casinos have reduced the cost of their slot machine departments. It follows that they could pass the savings on to players so to speak. Some casinos may do this, and other may not. The point is the potential is there for casinos to increase paybacks, not lower them.

Now if casinos were switching from TITO to coin slot machines—which makes no sense—there might be cost for lowered paybacks since coin slot machines cost more money to maintain.

But in the case of TITO slot machines, the logic is not present to warrant worry over lowered paybacks.

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Recently the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) happened in Las Vegas. Already slots players are excited about new slot machines that manufacturers are looking to roll out in the early portion of 2011.

One such new slots game is the very highly anticipated Center Stage platform type slot machine that offers group play on one slot machine. The first of these Center Stage platform games looks like it will carry a theme based on the movie ‘The Dark Knight.’

But that is not the only slot machine looking to break out of the G2E.

Leading industry slot machine manufacturer, International Game Technology, will also be releasing new slot machines with some popular titles.

Sex in the City was a big title to come to the slot machine universe. Now, like how it went from TV to movie and then into a sequel, the four big city gals are back in a slot machine sequel.

There is said to be four slots games, one for each of the fab four, and bonus games to go along with each girl. The bonus game for Samantha is called Samantha’s Shimmer Ring Bonus, while Carrie’s bonus game is called Carrie’s Right to Shoes.

Another highly anticipated new slot machine title from the movies is Dirty Dancing, perhaps owing renewed interest due to Jennifer Grey’s appearance on this season’s ‘Dancing with the Stars.’

Either way, IGT is making a slot machine based on the classic 80’s film. This slot machine is to feature favorite songs from the movie along with movie clips. One of the slot machine’s bonus features has been leaked: Spin Magic, which will turn minor symbols into Wilds to create more winning combinations.

These are only two of the new slot machine titles that came out of this year’s G2E. The brick and mortar casino industry is bound to have some renewed interest in the next year with such new titles—look out online slots community.

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You know that phrase. Everyone knows that phrase. And probably the theme song that goes with it as well, even if you never saw any of the movies or cartoons.

I am talking about the Ghostbusters. And now the popular movies have been made into a slot machine by International Game Technology. The new slots game was out to be tried and taken for a few spins at this year’s Global Gaming Expo.

While regular game play on the Ghostbusters is pretty basic, it is infused with shots from the movie as well as a few video clips.

But the real Ghostbusters power of awe lies in its bonus games.

Bonus games are presented to players in a haunted house with Slimer as your host.

One of the bonus games is a ‘pick your prize’ type of bonus game called the Ballroom Bonus. This one obviously takes place in a haunted ballroom and sets players to combing the room, along with Slimer, for ghosts and ghouls to bust. And if you do not begin checking out the various hiding places, Slimer will get up to mischief until you do.

Another fun bonus games is the Psychic Bonus. Guess what this slots game bonus checks for—that is right! The better attuned your psychic powers are, the more bonus money you will receive.

Basically this slots game bonus works like this: players are presented with three cards. Two of those cards are face up while the one in the middle is face down. Players have to use their psychic ability to determine whether the face down card is the same as the card on the left or the card on the right. While some bonus money is awarded, divining the correct answer all three times will naturally give you the largest bonus prize.

IGT has done will with its interpretation of the Ghostbusters into a slot machine. But then I have never yet seen a poor interpretation of a movie turned into a slot machine by IGT before. This is another slots game to look forward to seeing on the casino floor.

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Have you ever given any thought to the insides of slot machines?

No, neither have I.

This time I am not talking about how a slot machine works, the Random Number Generator (RNG) and such. I am actually talking about the innards, the guts, the organs, of a slot machine. The pieces and parts that make the actual device function.

Surprisingly slot machines do not have the life that most slots players would think.

Imagine for a moment what the insides of a heavy smoker who never detoxes must look like. Now make those insides all mechanical. And you will have come pretty close to imagining how the inside of a slot machine looks like after several months on the casino floor.

And similar to how those in the medical field do not expect heavy smokers to not live as many years as they should since they do not believe heavy smokers are taking care of themselves. Similarly, slot machine manufacturers do not expect the life of a slot machine to be all that long, or as long as it should, when it is left to stand on a smoky casino floor.

Air filters on slot machines let in that smoky air as well as dust. This results in the innards of the slot machine to become coated in a layer that evolves into grime.

That grime reduces the functionality of a slot machine, causing its years of life to shorten. This means that casinos have to spend more money to replace slot machines that wear out before their time; and slot machine manufacturers have to spend more money to make more slot machines.

But finally slot machine manufacturers have found a solution: and electrostatic filter. Such a filter would keep out dust and smoky air, and thus will extend the life of a slot machine. This means that your favorite slot machine will not be leaving the casino floor for an early grave.

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The Global Gaming Expo is one of the most exciting times of the year in the gaming industry, especially for slot machine enthusiasts. For slot machine enthusiasts, the G2E is like an early Christmas. Kind of.

G2E brings together all of the latest and greatest and newest in slot machine development, showcasing new slot machines, such as a Star Wars themed slot machine from International Game Technology.

The only downside to all of these shiny new slot machines is that they will not be available to players until the next year when a casino purchases some and installs them in their casino floors. Until then players merely dream of the new slot machines.

“And the players were all nestled, all snug in their beds with visions of slot machines spinning in their heads.”

Like that.

Two of the seventy new slot machines that players can look forward to in 2011 are the aforementioned new Star Wars themed slot machine, Droid Hunt, as well as another classic turned slot machine, Godzilla.

Droid Hunt’s has been built with IGT’s MegaJackpots award system. Themed specific features include a Star Destroyer Wild and four—four!—bonus games for players to trigger.

The Godzilla slot machine in question is not based off of modern day movie versions, but the classic Godzilla movies. The slots game will feature rounds based off of classic battles of the mythical monster such as Godzilla vs. King Ghidorha, with clips from the classic films worked into the slots game.

So many new slot machines to look forward to—it almost makes you wish Christmas were already passed and next year rung in so that you can be curled up in front of the new Star Wars Droid Hunt slot machine, spinning the reels in a Godzilla battle.

Epic slot machine battles will ensue next year without a doubt when Star Ward Droid Hunt and Godzilla hit the casino floor.

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The Global Gaming Expo is the big casino industry event of the year. It is at this expo that manufacturers roll out their latest and greatest casino games and introduce new casino games for the coming year. In short, this is the big slot machine event of the year.

Of the new slot machines put forth, new slots games that players will be seeing in the next year include a new type of slot machine that features a Center Stage platform.

A Center Stage platform slots game is a larger than average slot machine: 103 inches by 70 inches. This is what is meant by a Center Stage platform. This sort of size allows for not only individual slot machine play, but for a group to play the slot machine as a group.

Yes, we are talking about group play for slot machines—the next big thing for slot machines.

And by group play I am not talking about the sort of “group” play offered by progressive slot machines. This is not group play from players playing on multiple machines for one prize.

A Center Stage platform allows for several people to play the same slot machine at the same time…on only one machine.

It appears that the first of these Center Stage platform slot machines is going to carry a theme based on the Batman movie ‘The Dark Knight.’ Players will be able to choose to play Batman or the Joker. And the larger than life sized slot machine will lay out Gotham City on a scale that will make players feel like they are right there with Batman saving the city.

Or right there with the Joker creating havoc. The choice is yours.

A lot of excitement resulted from the idea of group play slot machines, and ‘The Dark Knight’ theme is already stirring up a good bit of anticipation

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