In Atlantic City, Borgata turns in the highest payback again—the third Loosest Slots award in the resort’s three years of existence—returning 92.51 percent of wagers. Close behind were Trump Plaza at 92.25 percent and Trump Taj Mahal at 92.15 percent. Find out what slot machines actually returned to the public in all U.S. See which states have the best-paying casino slot games and which have the lowest-paying casino slots. Includes slot machine payback statistics for all U.S. Casino/resorts, riverboats and Indian casinos.

Our 13th Annual Guide to the Best Slot Paybacks in the Nation

by Frank Legato

It has been a dozen years since Casino Player first gave recognition to the casinos that had shown themselves to be the most generous in the nation. It was 1994 when the magazine first issued awards to the casinos with the “loosest slots.”

Welcome to the 13th edition of our annual “Loosest Slots” awards. This is where we tell you the casinos and regions in North America that have, for the past year, given their players back the highest percentage of the money put into their slot machines.

As we do every year, we first mark the occasion with the story of how the awards—and the concept of “loose slots”—got started. Players, in fact, began referring to slots as “loose” or “tight” in response to information first published by Player. Shortly after the magazine published its first issue in 1988, our editors decided to take the information publicly reported by regulatory agencies (only two at the time, in Nevada and New Jersey) on slot “hold” or “win”—the percentage of slot wagers kept by the casino as profit—and presenting it in a way that would be useful to slot players.

CP took the reported hold percentages and reversed them to show the “payback percentage”—the percentage of slot wagers returned to the players in jackpots. The regulatory agencies reported the information to the public every month, so we began publishing monthly charts showing slot payback in Nevada and Atlantic City. The charts grew as the industry grew, to include every new riverboat and Native American jurisdiction as their payback numbers became public.

Before long, players were referring to casinos with low slot paybacks as “tight.” Generous casinos inevitably became known as having “loose slots.”

It didn’t take long for the casinos to get over their initial misgivings about having their generosity logged by a magazine, and to start considering “loose” as a potential marketing hook. Billboards began to herald “loose slots” as something to differentiate one casino from another.

And, when Player began tallying up each year’s actual payback numbers for annual “Loosest Slots” awards, the awards themselves became badges of honor, to be shouted from billboards and advertisements.

Annual calculations of the loosest slots by casino and jurisdiction are recognized as a much better gauge of casino payback policy than examining the charts from any single month. It takes several months for slots on the floors to reach payback numbers similar to their theoretical settings. One month’s actual numbers will often reveal short-term aberrations—such as a single-month percentage exceeding 100 percent, for instance, if there happened to be several large jackpots.

Four or five months offer a much more accurate picture of slot payback, and a year’s worth of actual numbers gives a fairly accurate picture of a casino’s payback policy.

The numbers you find in the following pages will show you where the loosest slots are in 2006, based on the percentage numbers reported over the past 12 months. Before we give you this year’s highlights, there are questions that our readers always ask concerning this subject which we feel should be addressed up front.

First, a word on the nature of payback percentage: It is a long-term number that does not reflect the odds of any one player of winning or losing in the short term. A 100 percent payback percentage does not mean you win every time. It means that, over time, that machine will return as much in jackpots as it takes in wagers. The flip of a coin is 100 percent payback. Over time, it will come up heads as many times as it comes up tails.

Next, the percentage numbers reflect both regular slot and video poker percentages. The casinos are not required to separate video poker percentages from slot percentages in their reports to the state regulators, so this is viewed as proprietary information. However, as our video poker experts have reported time and again, the casinos with the highest overall percentages are almost always the same casinos with the highest-returning video poker pay tables.

Nevada and a few other jurisdictions publicly report their percentages by region rather than individual casino. In the case of Nevada, the sheer number of casinos makes individual casino listings impractical, so the state breaks the numbers into regions including Reno/Tahoe in the north, and six sub-regions of Clark County in the south—Las Vegas Strip, Downtown, Boulder Strip, Laughlin, North Las Vegas, and Balance of County.

Next, it is possible that the jurisdiction in which you play is not included in the listings—particularly if the casinos you frequent are Native American casinos. Not all casinos are required to report their hold percentages publicly, and if they are not required to make those numbers public, the casinos view the percentages as proprietary information, and will not reveal them to us or anyone else.

Finally, no, pennies are not yet broken out in our payback percentage charts. The penny phenomenon hit the slot business so quickly that the regulatory agencies have not yet caught up. Though they are probably played by at least as many players as choose the nickel denomination, the agencies have not yet broken their payback numbers out of the “Other” category that includes dimes, half-dollars and two-cent denominations. We can only report and analyze what is made public. When penny numbers are made public, you will have them.

A New Day

So who gets the crown as having the loosest slots in 2006? Not who you may think. This year’s survey reveals some firsts.

For the first time in more than a decade, our survey shows that the loosest slots in America are not in Nevada, and that the loosest slots in Nevada are not in Clark County.

For years, we have been reporting the loosest slots in the nation can be found in the locals casinos surrounding Las Vegas—in the northeast suburbs (“North Las Vegas” on the charts), along the Boulder Strip, and in other off-Strip areas of Clark County.

A survey of percentages for the past 12 months shows that the loosest slots in the nation are in Illinois, at the Casino Queen riverboat casino in East St. Louis. Casino Queen has been in the Top 3 in our survey before. This year, the riverboat casino hotel beats them all, returning 95.13 percent of all slot wagers to players in jackpots over the past 12 months.

Casino Queen was the only place in the nation to record overall slot payback percentage for the year that exceeded 95 percent. Congratulations to these folks for giving more back to players than anyone else.

No. 2 on our Loosest Slots list was in Nevada, but not in the Las Vegas Valley. This year, the second-loosest slots in the nation—and the loosest in Nevada—are in the Reno/Tahoe area, with 94.96 percent of wagers returned to players. That was enough for Reno to squeak by our third-place finisher nationwide, the Boulder Strip—the group of properties along Boulder Highway in southeast Las Vegas that includes Sam’s Town, Boulder Station and Arizona Charlie’s Boulder.

There were few surprises elsewhere in our survey this year. In Atlantic City, Borgata turns in the highest payback again—the third Loosest Slots award in the resort’s three years of existence—returning 92.51 percent of wagers. Close behind were Trump Plaza at 92.25 percent and Trump Taj Mahal at 92.15 percent.

Everywhere else, there were repeat winners: President in Missouri; New Orleans in Louisiana; Cripple Creek in Colorado; Mohegan Sun in Connecticut; Casino Queen in Illinois; Argosy in Indiana; the Gulf Coast in Mississippi; Prairie Meadows in Iowa; and Lac-Leamy in Quebec.

A few tidbits within the numbers: Although failing for the second year in a row to reach our top three (after six years as Number One), North Las Vegas does have the loosest dollar slots in the nation, returning a hefty 96.49 percent of wagers to players last year. The highest annual payback number on our chart was 97.25 percent, returned by $5 slots at the Lakeside Casino Resort in Iowa. The “lowest loosest” number was 89.22 percent, returned by nickel slots at Foxwoods.

As always, our Loosest Slots results are certified by the Ventnor, NJ, accounting firm Rimm, Lavinsky, Horowitz and Pollard LLC.

To all of our Loosest Slots winners, congratulations from Casino Player. You have proven you know how to give slot players a fair shake.

Atlantic City

5¢
Borgata 90.74
Trump Marina 90.33
Trump Taj Mahal 89.93

25¢
Harrah’s 92.63
AC Hilton 92.19
Showboat 92.18

50¢
Harrah’s 94.15
Trump Plaza 93.02
Trump Marina 92.40

$1
Trump Taj Mahal 93.98
Trump Marina 93.35
Bally’s Park Place 93.23

$5
Trump Plaza 95.77
Trump Taj Mahal 95.15
AC Hilton 94.80

Overall
Borgata 92.51
Trump Plaza 92.25
Trump Taj Mahal 92.14

Connecticut

5¢
Foxwoods 89.22
Mohegan Sun 89.20

25¢
Foxwoods 91.00
Mohegan Sun 90.21

$1
Foxwoods 92.44
Mohegan Sun 92.13

$5
Foxwoods 94.34
Mohegan Sun 93.76

Overall
Mohegan Sun 91.48
Foxwoods 91.46

Colorado

5¢
Cripple Creek 93.54
Black Hawk 93.16
Central City 92.84

25¢
Black Hawk 94.99
Cripple Creek 94.99
Central City 94.64

$1
Central City 95.53
Cripple Creek 95.30
Black Hawk 95.27

$5
Black Hawk 95.83
Cripple Creek 95.46
Central City 94.53
Overall
Cripple Creek 94.29
Black Hawk 94.15
Central City 94.04

Illinois

5¢
Casino Queen 93.18
Alton Belle 92.72
Jumer’s Casino 92.31

25 Cent
Alton Belle 95.03
Casino Queen 95.02
Jumer’s Casino 94.94

$1
Casino Queen 96.25
Alton Belle 95.39
Harrah’s Joliet 95.29

$5
Alton Belle 97.14
Casino Queen 96.94
Empress Joliet 95.81

Overall
Casino Queen 95.13
Alton Belle 94.11
Grand Victoria 93.83

Indiana

5¢
Caesars 90.47
Belterra 90.24
Argosy 90.17

25¢
Trump 93.64
Belterra 93.42
Caesars 93.32

$1
Argosy 94.70
Trump 94.58
Majestic Star 93.95

$5
Argosy 96.55
Trump 96.36
Caesars 95.40

Overall
Argosy 93.32
Caesars 92.53
Belterra 92.44

Iowa

5¢
Mississippi Belle 2 93.00
Diamond Jo 92.29
Prairie Meadows 92.06

25¢
Diamond Jo 94.48
Isle of Capri Bettendorf 94.29
Mississippi Belle 2 94.07

$1
Prairie Meadows 95.76
Argosy of Sioux City 95.58
Rhythm City 95.28

$5
Lakeside 97.25
Argosy of Sioux City 96.45
Isle of Capri Marquette 96.25

Overall
Prairie Meadows 93.69
Diamond Jo 93.20
Dubuque Greyhound
Park & Casino 93.08

Louisiana

5¢
New Orleans 91.24
Baton Rouge 91.07
Shreveport/Bossier 90.03

25¢
New Orleans 93.03
Baton Rouge 93.03
Lake Charles 91.99

$1
New Orleans 94.66
Baton Rouge 94.22
Shreveport/Bossier 93.76

$5
New Orleans 95.83
Baton Rouge 95.25
Shreveport/Bossier 93.78

Overall
New Orleans 92.78
Shreveport/Bossier 92.40
Baton Rouge 92.25

Mississippi

5¢
Coastal Region 92.23
South River Region 91.76
North River Region 90.38

25¢
Coastal Region 94.34
South River Region 93.39
North River Region 92.76

$1
South River Region 95.70
Coastal Region 95.23
North River Region 95.20

$5
North River Region 95.94
South River Region 95.80
Coastal Region 95.69

Overall
Coastal Region 93.76
North River Region 93.33
South River Region 93.15
Missouri

5¢
Harrah’s N. KC 92.22
Ameristar St Charles 91.44
Mark Twain 91.29

25¢
Isle of Capri KC 93.98
President 93.88
Argosy Riverside 93.75

$1
President 95.63
Argosy Riverside 95.63
Isle of Capri KC 94.85

$5
Argosy Riverside 97.23
President 96.63
Isle of Capri KC 96.36

Overall
President 93.25
Isle of Capri KC 92.63
Argosy Riverside 92.62

Nevada

5¢
Mesquite 93.81
Boulder Strip 93.50
North Las Vegas 93.15

25¢
Boulder Strip 96.32
North Las Vegas 96.24
Balance of County 95.08

$1
North Las Vegas 96.49
Boulder Strip 96.17
Reno 95.84

$5
Laughlin 96.31
Balance of County 96.25
Reno 96.01

Overall
Reno 94.96
Boulder Strip 94.95
Balance of County 94.91

Quebec

5¢
Charlevoix 91.41
Lac-Leamy 90.78
Montreal 90.70

25¢
Montreal 91.59
Lac-Leamy 91.57
Charlevoix 91.08
$1
Lac-Leamy 94.38
Montreal 93.78
Charlevoix 93.52

$5
Lac-Leamy 95.23
Montreal 94.85
Charlevoix 94.24

Overall
Lac-Leamy 92.76
Montreal 92.57
Charlevoix 92.3

Loosest Slots.

Playing slots in Atlantic City is a thrill. There’s nothing like hitting a big winner, hearing the buzzer go off and driving home with a fatter wallet in your pocket.

However, it’s not always feasible to drive to America’s Playground. Life can get in the way.

Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you have to stop playing your favorite slot machine games. NewJersey is home to nearly two dozen online casinos, and all of them have several great slot titles available.

In fact, you can find versions of some of your favorite slot machines online.

So, here’s a handy guide that will both help you find your preferred games and, when you want to explore, pick new ones to try.

As it turns out, playing on a slot machine is not just about pulling a lever or pressing a button. Well — it’s mostly that, but not entirely so.

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Home to 22 online casinos, New Jersey is one of the most well-established online casino markets in the US.

Players in the Garden State have been able to access games with their mobile devices since 2013.

Naturally, every single one of the online casinos in NJ offers slot titles.

While some of these games are unique to online play, and sometimes the online casino itself, many of the games are either versions of or similar to actual slot machines found in Atlantic City’s nine casino properties.

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So, here are some of the best-known Atlantic City slot games that you can also find online.

Many of these games are available on multiple sites, so you don’t have to restrict yourself to any particular online casino to find your favorite game.

By no means is this list meant to be exhaustive. The range of online slot titles is staggering and far too great to list.

For instance, the Golden Nugget online casino has 644slottitles under its banner.

Most of the other online casinos in New Jersey have at least 100 games.

The list of games below, therefore, are just a few of the choices you have for Atlantic City slot titles that appear online.

1. Quick Hits – A classic from Bally

Quick Hits is a series of slot games designed by Bally and Scientific Games. The game is quite popular because of its simple action and old-school sensibilities.

In fact, Quick Hits’ games are some of the few remaining slot titles to make extensive use of reel symbols like cherries, bells, bars and 7s. Other symbols that appear on the reels are wilds and the Quick Hit, the latter of which portends bigger slot payouts.

So, players who favor Quick Hits have a decidedly retro sensibility. The game itself is a five-reel machine with 30 paylines and an RTP just over 94%.

Quick Hits also has a bonus symbol that may appear from time to time on the middle three reels. Securing this symbol on all three reels in a single spin will trigger the free spin slot bonus.

2. Siberian Storm – The original Multiway Xtra slot machine

Siberian Storm is a winter-themed game that features jewels, tundra and most prominently, tigers.

The IGT slot game is a staple in both Atlantic City and online casinos throughout New Jersey.

However, Siberian Storm’s allure is not simply its theme. Players can also win big on the game, both through its free game system and its “Multiway Xtra” feature.

The bonus system and its free games are triggered by players who manage to land five bonus symbols on their reels. The free spins begin at eight, and can potentially add up to a player receiving a whopping 240 free turns at winning.

The “Multiway Xtra” feature explodes the number of paylines up to 720. That, combined with a 94.22% RTP, makes Siberian Storm worth a look.

3. China Shores – A Konami favorite for slot players

China Shores is, as its name implies, an Asian-themed slot title that is nearly ubiquitous in both online and land-based casinos.

The panda mascot is recognizable from across the room, and the game’s higher-than-average RTP keeps players loyal.

One of the signature features of China Shores is its free spins bonus. Like many slot games, players who manage to scatter three or more bonus symbols — in this case, yin-yangs — across the reels will result in the player winning at least eight free turns.

The difference is that players will have a choice between taking the free spins and selecting an option known as the credit prize.

The creditprize is a range of guaranteed wins that players can choose if they don’t want to take the free spins. The prize can end up being either a better or worse deal than if the player had simply spun, but the idea of locking up a secure win is quite attractive.

The Konami game features 30 paylines, five reels and an RTP of 96.1%. So, in general, your slot dollars will go longer at China Shores than most other machines.

4. Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania – Follow Larry in versions 1, 2 and 3

Atlantic City is a coastal town, so it makes sense to play a slot game that evokes the feeling of being out on the water. Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania (and its variants) does exactly that.

Lucky Larry’s is a popular creation from game developer IGT. It features the game’s namesake attempting to collect treasure as he explores lighthouses and fishes for lobsters in locales around the world.

One of the most notable features of Lucky Larry’s is its animation, which is brightly colored and reminds players of SpongeBob SquarePants. However, what keeps players coming back is the potential for big wins.

Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania is a five-reel game with 40 paylines. Players can win opportunities for multiple bonuses, free spins, and multipliers while they play this 94.14% RTP title.

5. Wheel of Fortune – A staple in any online casino

Wheel of Fortune is a marquee title, no matter where you’re playing.

The slot machine version of the long-running game show, a product of powerhouse developer IGT, continues to draw crowds wherever it is.

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Part of the game’s lasting appeal is its signature bonus, which features the eponymous wheel itself. Players spend multiple games in an attempt to trigger this famous bonus, which pays out every time and can potentially result in a jackpot for the player.

There are so many iterations of Wheel of Fortune, both online and live, that it would be impossible to detail how each one works. However, no matter which version you play, it is always a good thing when the game chants “Wheel of Fortune” at you.

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The different versions of Wheel of Fortune bear a wide range of RTPs and paylines. However, they are usually five-reeled games and will always return 94% or better for every person who plays.

What does RTP mean?

By now, if you’ve read this far, you’ve seen the acronym RTP.

If you’re unfamiliar with slot machines or have never given them much thought beyond pulling the lever (a reasonable position to take), you may be wondering what RTP is, and why it matters.

RTP is short for return to player. Simply put, it’s the percentage of money that a player can expect to get back from a slot machine in the long run.

Believe it or not, despite their reputation as “one-armed bandits,” slot machines are designed to not keep most of the money that they receive as wagers.

You can usually find the RTP information of any slot machine you play by either looking around the machine or asking a customer service representative. In fact, some machines even use their high RTPs as a selling point.

Of course, the RTP figure that you receive is the theoretical RTP. In other words, it’s the return that you would receive if you had an infinite amount of money and time to play.

In the short run, your actual return can and does vary wildly. Many times, you receive nothing in return. However, we all play for those times that the return goes over 100%.

Atlantic City slot machine payouts

As it turns out, New Jersey regulates the minimum RTP that a slot machine can produce. By regulation, no slot device in the Garden State can return less than 83% of its wagers.

Furthermore, operators are limited in how much they can reward players for betting higher. In other words, low-limit players cannot be penalized for their play by more than 100th of a percentage point unless the game itself has a low drop in RTP.

Atlantic City slots vs. online slots

Of course, both Atlantic City and online slot games in New Jersey must abide by this same regulation. However, the difference between the two is the ease of gaining information.

Most online slot games have their RTPs front and center in the information they provide. A simple click can reveal not only the player’s expected return but also the maximum bet level and the maximumwin possible.

This transparency means that online slots cannot afford to have many games approaching the legal limit for RTP. The power of competition yields a situation where it’s a challenge to find an online slot with an RTP below 94%.

Atlantic City slots have a bit more leeway in terms of competitive pressures. It’s just not as easy to change one’s game or casino so that you might see lower RTPs here and there. In general, AC casinos have average RTPs that hover between 91.5%-92.5%.

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Regardless of whether you’re playing live or online, you should generally gravitate toward games with a higher RTP. Otherwise, you’re giving up extra percentage points to the house. Trust us; they have plenty of those already.

Can I earn comps at AC casinos for playing online?

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Yes, but it varies from casino to casino. Some online casinos in New Jersey have loyalty programs that allow you a direct or indirect route to perks at Atlantic City properties.

For instance, Golden Nugget players are automatically enrolled in the site’s Ultimate Rewards program when they register. Players receive perks and benefits based upon their level of play.

Should a player earn 5,000 Golden Points, he or she becomes a member of Golden Nugget’s VIP Rewards Club. One of the benefits of the club is complimentary perks at Golden Nugget Atlantic City, so playing online can certainly turn into real-life amenities.

Similarly, Tropicana online has its online VIP loyalty program.

Though the program is reserved for high-wagering, high-volume players, it is possible to receive comped getaways to the hotel in Atlantic City, tickets to major events, and luxury dining experiences as a result of your play.

However, the path to comps is not always as clear at every online casino. For example, players at Borgata online can earn iRewards Points from their play. Still, unless they convert these to Express Comps, there’s no direct connection to any of Borgata or MGM’s amenities through its online casino loyalty program.

Some casinos are even more segregated.

Instead of involving real-world components, they simply award cash back to players for achieving certain levels of play.

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There are even some online casinos in New Jersey who eschew loyalty programs and comps altogether. They choose to serve their customers in other ways.

If receiving comps for your play is a big deal to you, you will need to shop around New Jersey’s various online casinos.

The most important thing is to find a scheme that is right for you and makes you comfortable.

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In conclusion, we are blessed to live in an era where it’s not always necessary to travel to play our favorite slot games. Thanks to the online casinos in New Jersey, Atlantic City aficionados can choose between thousands of games from the comfort of their homes.