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Economic Troubles vs. Slot Paybacks

In latter days, the ravages of the troubled American economy are being felt everywhere. From smaller portion sizes in restaurants and on the grocery store shelf to skyrocketing bankruptcy/foreclosure/repossession filings and a wildly fluctuating stock market, U.S. citizens are feeling the pinch seemingly everywhere they turn. Is the coin tray of their favorite slot machines going to be the next place that they notice a dramatic and unwelcome difference? Gambling expert and writer John Robison does not think so.

In a recent column, Robison tackled the question of whether casinos were cutting their payback percentages in light of the troubled gambling industry and economic issues. A reader wondered if casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and elsewhere might not be adjusting the programming of their slot games to give the house more of an edge, since playership is down and revenue is said to be plummeting.

While it is legal for casinos to change slot machine paybacks, given the proper administrative notification and paperwork, Robison said that he does not believe these establishments will be doing so. For one thing, he pointed out, it is a large administrative headache to switch out the RNG of each terminal to be adjusted – one that can take the machine(s) out of commission for days at a time. The casino would have to pay for new computer chips, and very likely wait for a local gaming authority official to come down and witness the removal and installation of the RNGs. Plus, he reasoned, cutting paybacks would only leave more punters dissatisfied and, ultimately, playership would almost certainly be further impacted.

Back to January 2009 Archive.