Highest Paying Slot Machines In Vegas
For slot machine enthusiasts, there’s no place on Earth quite like fabulous Las Vegas. Most of the 40 million tourists who flock there each and every year stay on the Strip, where corporate operators like MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment run mega-casino resorts.
But during its heyday, all the action was confined to Downtown Las Vegas, where iconic casinos like the El Cortez and Golden Gate lined fabulous Fremont Street. Over time, Las Vegas’ outlying areas—including the suburbs of Summerlin and Henderson, the “Boulder Strip,” and North Las Vegas—attracted mid-market operators like Station Casinos and Boyd Gaming.
All electronic machines including slots, video poker, and video keno are included in these numbers and the highest-paying returns are shown in bold print. As you can see, the machines in downtown Las Vegas pay out slightly more than those located on the Las Vegas Strip. Megabucks offers some of the best slots in Vegas with the highest winnings. In 2014, a man playing a Megabucks slot machine in Rampart Casino hit a $14 million jackpot after playing for five minutes on a $20 bill when the slot paid off. This payout is not the only one from a Megabucks machine.
If slots are your game of choice, ditching the Strip is best. This page presents the seven best off-Strip casinos in Las Vegas for slot players based on the venue’s average payback percentage.
The following table ranks the Las Vegas casinos according to the looseness of their video display reeled nickel slot machines. The returns are based on a sampling of five different types of machines. The data collected goes back as far as October 2001 so the information is a bit dated. Coming in right behind were nickel slots, paying back 94.40%. Many slot players enjoy multi-denomination slots, which were a reasonably good bet in 2012 with a 94.65% payback rate. Meanwhile, dollar machines were not bad performers, yielding a 94.42% return of the cash invested. Much less favorable to players were penny machines. The best paying slot machines in Nevada are found on the Boulder Strip, with Off-Strip casinos in Las Vegas coming in a close second. Not surprisingly, the penny slots are the worst of all. No matter where you play them, the best average RTP in the reporting period was only 90.88%.
A Quick Look at Las Vegas Slot Payback Percentages
According to the latest Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) survey of Las Vegas casino operators and their respective slot machine payback percentages, which are commonly referred to as return to player (RTP) rates, the Strip is home to the “tightest” slots in town.
Las Vegas Slot Machine Payback Percentage Rates (by Region)
| Region | Average Payback |
|---|---|
| The Strip | 91.47% |
| Downtown | 92.67% |
| Boulder Strip | 94.34% |
| North Las Vegas | 93.53% |
The NGCB also provides data on regional slot machine payback averages broken down by the player’s preferred coin denomination.
Las Vegas Slot Machine Payback Percentage Rates (by Coin Denomination and Region)
1¢ Slot Machines
| Region | Average Payback |
|---|---|
| The Strip | 88.38% |
| Downtown | 89.15% |
| Boulder Strip | 90.38% |
| North Las Vegas | 90.88% |
5¢ Slot Machines
| Region | Average Payback |
|---|---|
| The Strip | 91.64% |
| Downtown | 93.40% |
| North Las Vegas | 95.29% |
| Boulder Strip | 96.21% |
25¢ Slot Machines
| Region | Average Payback |
|---|---|
| The Strip | 89.35% |
| Downtown | 94.25% |
| North Las Vegas | 96.41% |
| Boulder Strip | 96.13% |
$1 Slot Machines
| Region | Average Payback |
|---|---|
| The Strip | 92.43% |
| Downtown | 94.63% |
| North Las Vegas | 95.39% |
| Boulder Strip | 96.13% |
$1 Megabucks Machines
| Region | Average Payback |
|---|---|
| The Strip | 87.83% |
| North Las Vegas | 88.52% |
| Downtown | 89.07% |
| Boulder Strip | 91.35% |
As you can see, the data reveals the Strip to be the worst place in Las Vegas to find “loose” slots, or machines which offer a higher than average payback percentage.
If you don’t mind ditching the fountain shows and $14 cocktails behind for a better bargain, taking your slot machine bankroll to an off-Strip casino offers the best bang for your gambling buck. Keep reading for the seven best off-Strip casinos to play loose slots in Las Vegas.
1 – Palms Casino Resort
The best slot machine selection in Las Vegas can be found at the Palms Casino Resort, home to more than 1,500 machines which combine for an average payback rate of 93.42%.
Given the 91.47% and 92.67% payback rates found on the Strip and Downtown, respectively, spinning slots at the Palms immediately provides an improvement of over 1% over the long run.
And fortunately for the folks who still like hitting the Strip for shopping or a show, the Palms is located just minutes from all the action.
Just head to Caesars Palace and turn westbound onto Flamingo Road, cross over the Interstate 15 bridge, and drive for another minute or so before looking to your left for the ultra-modern Palms tower.
Locals love the Palms for combining the look and feel of casinos on the Strip with perks like 3:2 blackjack, single-zero roulette, and of course, the loosest slots in Las Vegas.
You’ll find all of the greatest slots here too, including Megabucks and its $10 million starting progressive jackpot award, Wheel of Fortune with its unique prize wheel waiting up top, and every major new release from designers like Aristocrat, Scientific Games, and International Game Technology (IGT).
2 – Gold Coast Hotel and Casino
If the loud music and pool parties that make the Palms so attractive for younger gamblers just aren’t your thing, don’t fret, because the nearby Gold Coast boasts a completely different vibe.
Located directly across Flamingo from the Palms, Gold Coast is a classic “old school” off-Strip casino. The same staff members have worked here for decades, so they know their regulars by name and treat them like royalty.
The odds are always the best available on table games and video poker, and the slot machine menu running 1,900+ machines strong sports a 92.84% average payback rate.
One of the iconic venues operated by Boyd Gaming, the Gold Coast supplements its casino with a massive bowling alley upstairs, and comfort food like Subway and TGI Fridays.
While the amenities lean towards the quaint and casual side, the Gold Coast offers one of the more modern slot machine menus in Las Vegas. Using the website’s convenient slot search tool, you can easily pull up complete listings for either reel-based or video slots that can be further sorted by coin denomination.
The reel-based lineup includes staples like 88 Fortunes, Blazing 7’s Progressive, Double Diamond, Megabucks, and Super Times Pay.
And over in the video slot section, you’ll find popular titles like 50 Dragons, Aztec Temple, Buffalo, Geisha, Mr. Cashman, Sex and the City, and White Orchid.
When you use the search tool, don’t forget to click the little “MAP” tab to the right of every game’s entry. This will pull up a color-coded map of the Gold Coast showing the section where your favorite slot machine games can be located.
3 – Ellis Island Hotel, Casino, and Brewery
You’ll only find a couple hundred slot machine installations at the independently owned Ellis Island Hotel, Casino and Brewery, but it’s the last part there that makes this place something special.
Well, all the cold suds you can drink and a 92.56% average slot payback rate, that is…
The bulk of Ellis Island’s selection is devoted to slots and other machines, but you’ll also find a few blackjack, craps, and roulette tables, too.
It’s the slots that bring sharp spinners here though, as the overall payback percentage is better than any of the glitzier and more glamorous casinos towering overhead on the Strip. And whether you win or lose, you can always tip back a brew or two straight from the source.
4 – El Cortez Hotel and Casino
If you appreciate a sense of history to go along with your gambling, paying a pilgrimage to El Cortez downtown is a true “bucket list” item on the agenda.
After first opening its doors in 1941, El Cortez hasn’t closed them for 77 years and counting, making it the longest continuously operating casino in Las Vegas.
The joint was owned by legendary mobsters Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, Gus Greenbaum, and Moe Sedway in the early days, and with its exterior signage unchanged all this time, El Cortez is home to an unmistakable air of nostalgia writ large.
Fittingly, you can find over 200 coin-operated three-reel slots that still use nickels and quarters to grease the reels. That lineup is supplemented by hundreds of modern video slots as well, a combination providing the best of both worlds for players. And so does the 92.56% average payback rate, which makes El Cortez the loosest slot parlor found along famous Fremont Street.
5 – The Orleans Hotel and Casino
Another member of the Boyd Gaming family, the Orleans Hotel & Casino is like a slightly more hip, Mardi Gras-themed version of the Gold Coast.
In the casino, hundreds of slot machines ranging from traditional to modern will be running to the tune of 92.56% payback.
6 – Fiesta Rancho Hotel and Casino
The wilds of North Las Vegas are home to the best penny slot machines in Sin City at an average payback rate of 90.88%.
And of all the North Las Vegas casinos to choose from, the best of the bunch is Fiesta Rancho, which combines class-leading penny slots with higher denominations for a 92.53% overall payback average.
Getting here is a bit of a trek. Take the I-15 North to Highway 95, head west, then hit the 95 northbound for a while. But trust us, this Station Casino property is worth the extra mile.
Per the Las Vegas Review-Journal annual rankings, Fiesta Rancho regularly earns the “Best-Paying Slots” and “Best Slot Club” awards as judged by local players.
7 – Arizona Charlie’s (Decatur and Boulder)
The two Arizona Charlie’s casino locations in Las Vegas can be found on Decatur Boulevard and Boulder Highway.
Both offer a generous 92.50% payback rate on average for slot players, along with a long lineup of new games, including the exciting titles found below:
- $1 Wheel of Fortune
- Bally Quick Hits
- Buffalo Legends
- Buffalo Golds
- Buffalo Grands
- Dollar Mega Bucks
- Downton Abbey
- Elvira
- Good Fortune
- Konami Selexion
- Lightning Link
- Lock It Link
- New Generation Megabucks
- Space Invaders
- Wacky Races
- Walking Dead II
- World of Wonka
Conclusion
Venturing away from Las Vegas Boulevard to score improved odds has been a time-honored tradition among savvy gamblers for decades now. Forced to compete with their corporate counterparts on the Strip just to survive, off-Strip gambling halls like the seven listed above do everything in their power to attract customers.
That means selecting slot machines that offer generous payback percentages across the board, while still providing the best in modern slot game design.
The first pit stop for visitors in Las Vegas is usually a casino as this is the city where you can find the world’s best slots and the best casino websites. There are a lot of other cities in the world that try to compete with Vegas, but very few will come close to the ambiance of The Strip.
As all the bells and whistles might get a bit overwhelming most visitors tend to forget (or not even care) about the enormous house edge casinos hold against their visitors. Let’s not forget that a lot of slot machines in Vegas offer paybacks between 75% and 98% — meaning that for every dollar a player spends, he or she will only get between 75 and 98 cents in return. Just to mention: in online casinos this so-called Return To Player (RTP) is usually set somewhere between 93% and 98%, meaning gamblers in Las Vegas stand a lot less chance against the house.
It is even quite rare to find Las Vegas casinos advertising their slot odds to their visitors, which is a major drawback if you ask us. We would, therefore, encourage you to always first check out the RTP of a slot machine before you start playing for real money. As we’re here to help we got you a list of 5 Vegas casinos that actually do tend to pay out a lot more than their competitors. This way you’re fully prepared for your upcoming stay in the Entertainment Capital of the World. Have fun and make sure you earn some good bucks!
The top 5 most paying Vegas casinos
Megabucks
IGT’s Megabucks has continued to pay enormous life-changing jackpots for close to two decades. Their slogan has always remained ‘Dream big. Win big’. They have a network of slot machines that they have linked all around Nevada. Megabucks boasts of a top prize that they build from a $10 million base amount. Players only have to spend $1 for a spin. However, if you are looking to win the top amount, you have to use $3. Although this sounds like an expensive investment, imagine leaving the casino with millions worth of winnings.
Megabucks boast that it paid the biggest slot jackpots in the history of Vegas. One of its lucky winners was Trinidad Torres. She is a 78-year-old from Utah who played $100 and managed to win over $10 million in the jackpot. She plans to use the winnings to travel to the Philippines and get a yellow Mustang.
Mandalay Bay
They have a gaming area with more than 1,700 video poker and slot games. It also features table games such as Baccarat, roulette and blackjack. They have a big 17-screen race and sports book with some of the biggest screens in the city. It also gives a plush VIP booth for extravagant spenders. The casino is known for offering some of the biggest jackpots to players.
Excalibur
More than a decade ago, a 25-year-old software engineer who was a Los Angeles Resident, managed to clinch the city’s biggest jackpot on a slot. He played a $100 on the Megabucks machine. The reward was nearly $40 million for this young man. Is there a better investment than this?
Caesars Palace
This is a classic casino in Las Vegas that is also known for its upscale atmosphere. It is the place where you can find high limit games, including table games such as baccarat and blackjack, and test your luck. Those who fancy poker games can enjoy their 16-table poker room that comes with Wi-Fi and USB ports for charging. You will also find a race and sportsbook that offers numerous games to watch and bet on. This might be the place where you finally get to fulfill your dreams by winning a massive jackpot. A 49-year-old man from Illinois who described himself as a self-employed consultant used a $10 bill into the Megabucks machine and managed to hit a multimillion-dollar jackpot. This was also on his first spin too.
Aria Resort and Casino
This sophisticated and sleek casino has over 150,000 sq feet of gaming space. In it, you will find 145 table games and 1,940 slot machines. If you love gambling, try your luck at craps, baccarat, roulette and Ultimate Texas Hold’em, among others. The casino Aria is popular with poker players. It has a luxurious 24-table room exclusive for poker playing. They offer tournaments twice per day.
One woman was visiting her niece who lives in Las Vegas and decided to visit this casino. She tried her luck on the Megabucks slot machine by dropping $6. When the winning symbols appeared, she thought that the machine had broken down. It was her daughter who clarified things for her. She had won more than $12 million on that jackpot. What is more, four months later, another lucky player managed to win $10 million in another jackpot. Maybe it would be worth booking a room in this hotel and trying your luck in their Megabucks slot machine.
If you are a resident of or visiting Las Vegas, why not pay a visit to any of the above casinos and try your luck. Who knows, you might become the next biggest winner.
Not going to Vegas Casinos any time soon? Try your luck with one of our recommended casino websites!
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