Bad trends in slots ...

[The Shamus]

I play a fair number of slots. I know in the long run, I am going to be a loser (and probably in the short run) ... but at least I want to have lots of fun doing it.

There are some trends in slots which are hindering the fun aspect of slot machines.

For example, "Penny Slots". I love the "idea" of penny slots --- a smaller bet that gives you the fun of playing the games, but doesn't hit the bankroll as hard. In practice, penny slots actually end up hitting your bankroll harder. Why?

The lower the denomination, the worse the payback percentage on a machine (as I outlined in some of my slot tips earlier). The chances of hitting something substial on a penny machine are remote, so people usually continue to play until they drive their $20 bill into the ground. If you were to "graph" the coin-in and coin out averages, you would see a $20 bill does not stretch as far because of the poor payback percentage (less chance to hit a bonus round, less chance to hit something substantial). Even a decent win on a penny machine is not enough to make you stop and "walk away" (say, more than $100). So, you end up better more to try to win more, and this just compounds the issue because you should be playing a higher denomination machine with the same total payout.

My solution -- base the payout percentage on the size of the total bet, not the denomination.

/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\

[The Shamus]

Companies like Aristocrat were pioneers of the 100 line slot (1/2 credit bet per line). The North American manufacturers like IGT have jumped in ... and I have to wonder how long WMS can stay on the sidelines.

I like playing nickel machines, with a reasonable 1 credit per line bet. I would play a 9 line machine, and it was 45-cents a spin. Maybe I would bet two per line, because I could afford it. When IGT came out with "Enchanted Unicorn", it had a 20 line configuration -- which meant a one credit bet was a dollar.

Konami now routinely publishes games with 30 lines, such as "Splash Party" (which brings you to $1.50) just to cover a nickel on each line.

I hope games like IGT's "Carnival of Mystery" bomb with players (and it does not seem to be popular) because there has to be a line where slot players say, "enough!". A minimum bet on a nickel machine should not look like the maximum bet on a dollar machine (and only pay back money as if it is a nickel machine).

The volitility of these machines is also through the roof. It plays so differently from spin-to-spin, you never know what to expect. This is part of the attraction, but when the volitility gets too high, you just lose people's interest.

/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\

[The Shamus]

On traditional reel slots, the pay table typically looked the same from 1 credit to 3 credits until you looked at the top prize. If the prize for 3 Wild Cherry symbols was 1000 credits for 1 coin played, 2000 credits for 2 coins played, and 10000 credits for 3 coins played ... it pretty much forced you to play the maximum in order to get the best "bang" for your buck. It was a way to "encourage" you to always bet the max.

For years now, multi-line slots did not have this kind of "kicker" in the pay table. Essentially, the payouts were linear (you bet 3 per line, you win or lose three times as much). However, leave it to slot manufacturers to find a way to re-introduce the "kicker".

Aristrocrat has multi-line machines with Mr. Cashman -- where you need to play an extra 5 credits each spin in order to qualify for the random, "Mr. Cashman" bonus. If you opt out of the bonus, the Cashman game has no bonus rounds ... and frankly, it is just another so-so slot (with graphics that are often less than so-so).

IGT jumped in with games like "Giant Wheel" of fortune, but they require a double bet in order to qualify for the wheel bonus (with 40 pay lines, you need an additional 40 credits to qualify for the wheel bonus) (the nerve).

WMS jumped in with the very popular "HOT HOT PENNY" series ... where 3 additional credits are rquired in order to qualify for the free spin bonuses. WMS was already into this with their somewhat innovative Monopoly, "Once Around" and "Free Parking" --- where you could spend more in the bonus round in order to try and win more.

I wonder what happened to the "good old days", where the bonus round was included in the cost of the bet. Sheesh.

/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\

[The Shamus]

While nobody will accuse the WMS game, "Monopoly Big Event" of not being a watershed event in gaming, it's a watershed some of you might wish never happed.

For those of you unaware, "Big Event" is a shared bonus round which is triggered at a totally random time. When the bonus round is triggered, everyone will win the amount, multiplied by the bonus they have earned on their respective machines (based on the size of the bets).

Sounds like fun ... where do I play?? Okay ... but wait ...

You have to play an extra 3 credits (times your line bet) every time you spin.

Okay ... er ... now, where do I play??

Well ... it is time based, so if you spin too slow, your multiplier will start to fall on your machine. So ... you have to play quickly ... which is exciting ... but, can get expensive.

How often does the bonus occur?

Well ... it is completely random ... so, it could be back-to-back-to-back or it could be an hour between bonuses (and some bonuses are bigger than others. It doesn't help than the underlying games like "X Marks the Spot 2" are extremely volitile -- and spin much faster than your run-of-the-mill fishing game. I will add, playing "X Marks The Spot 2" without the Bonus Round is not very worthwhile -- and WMS has ensured the bonus round doesn't last too long --- since you can still qualify for the bonus while a bonus round is under way.

I would like them to stay away from Time Limits ... I can lose enough money without extra incentives.

/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\

[The Shamus]

How many times have you played a machine which relies on voice (eg. IGT's "My Rich Uncle") ... and the volume on the machine is cranked to zero. On the other hand, the machine beside you has the volume "cranked" ... and it is the worst repeating soundtrack ever. Maybe you are even sitting beside a player who hits the "SPIN" button because they think stopping the slot prematurely is the key to potential success.

Can't the casninos come up with a way to have a little volume on every machine ... so we can hear more of our machine, and less of the machine next to us. It used to work in the arcades, so there must be a way to solve the problem. Perhaps the manufacturers could help, by turning up the volume on the machines when there are exciting bits, like bonus rounds, or big wins ... and tone it down when we hit "another losing spin".

If WMS thinks "BOSE SPEAKERS' are part of the key for selling more slot units, they should be part of the solution to put the product to good use.

/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\

[The Shamus]

Casinos spend a boatload of money on casino security. Most days, the casino staff has very little to do except keep their on on security cameras and scan for suspicious activity.

What if casinos actually leveraged some of their existing technology to make sure the players are having the best time possible.

My biggest "Pet Peeve" was always waiting for machines to be "filled" -- and the casino never seemed to staff enough people for the busy times, meaning you were waiting up to 30 minutes in order to get your payout. Further frustrating, was the fact the machine could not be played while you were waiting. Thank goodness for ticket out -- ticket in. However, there are still reasons slot techs need to be called --- and a call for a tech has become so infrequent, that it is almost more difficult to get one when they are rarely needed.

I was recently playing an Aristocrat machine which was beside another machine with a flashing light (they call these "candles" in the business). That machine sat there, unable to be played for 60 minutes. Eventually, I became annoyed, and reported it to the cashier cage. The slot techs just missed it.

Why can't the casino use their high-tech security cameras with their paid guards to spot flashing candles and help to alert slot techs on a timely basis?

What ... and actually use the equipment to benefit the gamer instead of just monitor them? Really!

/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\

[The Shamus]

I used to play an IGT quarter machine called, "Wild Cherry Pie". The idea was that each time the "Wild Cherry Symbol" came up on, above, or below he pay line, it would fill in a piece of a pie, until all 9 sections were complete. While the symbol came up frequently, you had to get all 9 sections before you could review the (usually) minimal prize below the pie. Bottom line, this little incentive would suck you in -- and sometimes, it would be 500 spins later, and the elusive piece of pie would not come up.

IGT did something similar with their version of video "Wheel of Fortune" where a bonus kept building until you "solved" all of the pieces of the puzzle.

WMS was not without fault. On, "BIG BANG PIGGY BANK BANKING", a coin was thrown into the bank every time you bet the max coins and got no symbols on the pay line.

You can understand why the manufacturers like the idea ... it keeps you playing beyond the time you normally would have given up on a machine. In the case of IGT's games, the bonuses were relatively nominal (you could never win close to a jackpot). In the case of BIG BANG PIGGY BANK, you could actually win the bonus with a single coin bet --- although the bonus would only rise if you are playing 3-coins. As well, if a person does not understand the rules of the game, it was easy to sit down on a machine with 80 coins in the bank, and win the 80-coins with a few single coin bets.

For the most part ... it seems like the manufacturers have trended away from this type of incentive. Let's hope they keep it this way!

/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\

[The Shamus]

Whether you like the North American style of multi-line video slots, you have to like the way IGT and WMS have let you choose the number of lines you want to play. If you want to play 3 lines, 5 lines, 6 lines, or 12 lines of a 20-line capable machine, it's up to you.

For some reason, manufacturers such as Konami, Atronic and Aristrocrat limit you to the five buttons on the machine. These are typically, one line, 3 lines, 5 lines, 10 lines and 20 lines. Of course, these arbitrary buttons change from machine to machine, but what gives? If you like playing 3-lines with 5 credits per line --- that should be your business. Using the video display, you should be able to change the number of lines you play.

This is a trend we could do without ...

/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\

[ricky]

I've noticed another bad, frustrating trend in slots these days (especially pennies and nickels). After spending a lot of money and finally getting the bonus, there are many times when the bonus payout comes up zero--no payout at all (e.g., Hot Shots and others). Shame on the casinos for programming the machines for that result. The bonus should always pay out something.

Ricky

[The Shamus]

Hi Ricky:

Great example. One of the manufacturers should come up with the "NO BONUS" bonus. I used to love games like JACKPOT PARTY ... but I stopped playing it because it was too disappointing when you picked a "pooper" on the first selection. SUPER JACKPOT PARTY gives you a chance to "save" yourself ... so you have a 60% chance of staying in the game if you pick the wrong spot on your first selection, and 20% change of "saving" the bonus round after that.

Also ... in the newer (and more volitile games), the bonus round is more difficult to trigger ... and this magnifies the issue. Yes ... you can potentially win a lot in these bonus rounds ... but it also means you can win nothing at all. That's no fun.

/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\