Special Events and Lower Payout Percentages on Machines

[slotjunkie]

DH and I were discussing this after we left the Charlie Daniels Band concert at Cactus Petes and would like other opinions on this subject. I know that is has probably been discussed before, but I can't find the threads.

When casinos have a captive audience, i.e. patrons of the events they host, does anyone think that they lower the percentage payouts of the machines? Especially, if the casino is in the middle of nowhere (Jackpot, NV) and you really don't have that many choices of where to play and they have a full house (sold out).

After our crushing defeat and we started walking around waiting for our take-out late dinner order, we really started paying attention to the people playing (their mood, body language), the machines, and credits on the monitors - no one was really winning!!! There were a few that would get credits, but the atmosphere was pretty low key - not a lot of squealing, clapping hands, or excitement. And during the whole time we were playing, NO announcement of handpays. I thought that was weird as they always announce those to get folks all excited.

Anyway, any comments or enlightenment???????

[seemoreroyals]

I think the casinos can program the machines to do what they want them to do when they want them to do it. As long as the end results are within an acceptable range that the regulators allow its business as usual for them.

[Hawkeye]

I think SMR just nailed it. The money to pay for those events comes from the player.

[SoCalRob]

I don't think it's as cut and dry as that. I think there are some systems that can be changed at the drop of the hat. However, from what I've noticed at all my locals. If they want to change the percentage on the machine they have to physically do it from the machine itself which takes a lot of time and effort. So I don't think it's black and white. I think it depends on where...Again though, in my experience at events and such...no change is made.

[twinslotaddicts]

I don't think it's as cut and dry as that. I think there are some systems that can be changed at the drop of the hat. However, from what I've noticed at all my locals. If they want to change the percentage on the machine they have to physically do it from the machine itself which takes a lot of time and effort. So I don't think it's black and white. I think it depends on where...Again though, in my experience at events and such...no change is made.

@SoCalRob. I totally agree. They all have some kind of oversight as well. In Nevada they have the Nevada Gaming Comission and I very highly doubt it's OK to just arbitrarily change payout percentages any time they feel like they're going to have a larger than average crowd due to an event.

Ang

[seemoreroyals]

I don't think it's as cut and dry as that. I think there are some systems that can be changed at the drop of the hat. However, from what I've noticed at all my locals. If they want to change the percentage on the machine they have to physically do it from the machine itself which takes a lot of time and effort. So I don't think it's black and white. I think it depends on where...Again though, in my experience at events and such...no change is made.

I wish we had a slot programmer on our forum so we would know for sure but I can't help but think that when they have free car giveaways, 10X reward credit multipliers, huge weekend events, the casinos plan for these these things far enough ahead of time and build them into the algorithms so that they can achieve an expected profit for that particular time frame and still satisfy the people that regulate them.

[SoCalRob]

While he's not a slot programmer. I'm fairly certain @dproxima knows a lot about this subject. He's talked about it a few times on Slot Talk on Youtube.

[seemoreroyals]

While he's not a slot programmer. I'm fairly certain @dproxima knows a lot about this subject. He's talked about it a few times on Slot Talk on Youtube.

Maybe if you know how to get hold of him you can ask him too chime in.

[SoCalRob]

I wish we had a slot programmer on our forum so we would know for sure but I can't help but think that when they have free car giveaways, 10X reward credit multipliers, huge weekend events, the casinos plan for these these things far enough ahead of time and build them into the algorithms so that they can achieve an expected profit for that particular time frame and still satisfy the people that regulate them.

It sounds paranoid to me. I think machines pay the way they pay no matter whats going on at the casino. I can honestly say at least at my local Harrah's when it's 15x it seems like handpays and machine pays are the same as the day prior when it isn't. I know we want to be able to blame the casino for the lack of play on our dollars, but sometimes I think that's just dumb luck. It's part of gambling. Machines, even if there are 1k to 2k of them on a floor, aren't always going to be paying out. My two cents. I could be entirely wrong. Casinos were originally built on criminal activity...so who knows?!

[SoCalRob]

Maybe if you know how to get hold of him you can ask him too chime in.

I messaged him on facebook. We will see if he gets a chance to chime in!