Special Events and Lower Payout Percentages on Machines

[Mauretania]

Slotbender, I take it you are not playing in any SBG casino built in the last 10 - 12 years? Where do you play now?

[kolonialone]

When I went on the WMS/SG tour in April they explained it a little better to us. They sell/lease their machines with a certain range of payout percentages in steps, like 85-87-89-91-93. Those steps are the only choices the casinos have and in Las Vegas if the casino is server based they are able to change the payout percentage whenever they want BUT they can't do it while someone has money in the machine and the machine has to go down for 15 minutes while the change is made. The casinos that are not server based, they actually have to go in a change the settings individually and that of course takes time. Either way there's paperwork that has to be filled out and signed and filed, etc. So, while it may be easier at server based locations, there are still rules they have to follow.

[slotbender]

Slotbender, I take it you are not playing in any SBG casino built in the last 10 - 12 years? Where do you play now?

I still play, but I play vp mostly. I will only play vp on the older IGT's though. These newer versions of vp machines like Ultimate X, etc., have become like regular slot machines with chances of hitting a variation of multipliers (at extra costs) that can be easily controlled by the central computer (I don't trust them). There are times that I will play (low to medium roll) some regular slot machines just for "shits-n-giggles" but I won't go overboard on them : )

[slotbender]

When I went on the WMS/SG tour in April they explained it a little better to us. They sell/lease their machines with a certain range of payout percentages in steps, like 85-87-89-91-93. Those steps are the only choices the casinos have and in Las Vegas if the casino is server based they are able to change the payout percentage whenever they want BUT they can't do it while someone has money in the machine and the machine has to go down for 15 minutes while the change is made. The casinos that are not server based, they actually have to go in a change the settings individually and that of course takes time. Either way there's paperwork that has to be filled out and signed and filed, etc. So, while it may be easier at server based locations, there are still rules they have to follow.

Just a heads-up: In the rules and regulations (and they only seem to talk about) are the restrictions and allowances of when the casino's can/can't change payback %'s on a slot machine. Please keep in mind that this setting is for the machines performance for over the "long term" (millions of spins). But there is one thing that they don't mention in the rules & regulations (nor do they talk about) are the "volatility" settings. With SBG the "volatility" settings can be adjusted on a slot machine via the central computer in an instant with a click of the mouse. The "volatility" of a game being set high, medium, or low, will allow or dis-allow winning combinations to hit on a slot machine during "short term" play. Just food for thought : )

[kolonialone]

Just a heads-up: In the rules and regulations (and they only seem to talk about) are the restrictions and allowances of when the casino's can/can't change payback %'s on a slot machine. Please keep in mind that this setting is for the machines performance for over the "long term" (millions of spins). But there is one thing that they don't mention in the rules & regulations (nor do they talk about) are the "volatility" settings. With SBG the "volatility" settings can be adjusted on a slot machine via the central computer in an instant with a click of the mouse. The "volatility" of a game being set high, medium, or low, will allow or dis-allow winning combinations to hit on a slot machine during "short term" play. Just food for thought : )

Yeah they wouldn't talk about volatility on the machines. I would assume though the same rules apply to SBG where they can't change anything while a player has money in the machine, or else they're changing the game while it's being played. It would seem the regulators in Nevada would frown on that.

[slotbender]

Yeah they wouldn't talk about volatility on the machines. I would assume though the same rules apply to SBG where they can't change anything while a player has money in the machine, or else they're changing the game while it's being played. It would seem the regulators in Nevada would frown on that.

My opinion is that you can't assume anything when it comes to money. There's a good reason why there is never a mention about volatility in any State's rules & regulations concerning SBG. It's an intentional "loophole" in the law that allows casino's to improve their bottom line (which also increases the gov'ts. cut). They're all in cahoots to make more $$.

[kdk]

Sorry @kdk but I am going to agree to disagree with you on one very important point. I've been following and doing research on SBG in casino's for the past 7 years or so. I have a friend that works for a big electrical contractor that was contracted to do all of the electrical wiring for a lot of these newer built casino's East of the Mississippi. As most everyone knows, nearly all of the casino's outside of Nevada and AC were built within the past 10 or 12 years. My friend had told me that when they were building these casino's that they had installed all of the appropriate wiring that's needed for a server based gaming system in every new casino that they were contracted for. Just a note: The Indian casino's were the first to have and use SBG in their casino's beginning in the late 90's because they didn't need or require any gov't approval : )

It's okay- I just know a lot of jurisdictions don't allow SBG yet. Pennsylvania is the only other I have been able to find that allows it besides NV.
Many newer casinos may be wired for it, which makes a lot of sense, it is the future in the gaming world. That doesn't mean they have it though. i can't speak for everywhere, but I know that it is not legal in Arizona's casinos yet- the compact between the tribes and the state would have to be revised in order for that to happen.
In addition, once the state laws even allow SBG, they also would have to have a regulation on changing the paybacks, and how often, etc. Nevada has specific laws to that, I don't know about other states.
Also, I can tell if a casino might have SBG or if it definitely doesn't. Play in Vegas at Aria or Cosmopolitan and you can tell- all the games have screens that can change, and even show your players card info on the slot screen. Older casinos can't do it, like at the CET properties, most of the games are still in the old cabinets that have just one specific game on them.

I do think though within 10 years or so nearly all casinos will have SBG... and it is likely we'll see the paybacks messed with more unfortunately.

[Suze1000]

I personally think they change the payouts according to events. Major drawings, and concert nights are terrible. The machines pay nothing. If I go at off times I do better. Any machine that scrolls advertisements, and announcements must be able to be controlled by the computerized system, so I think they can change them to payout at their discretion. Just my thoughts.