Playing a Slot Machine is as easy as ABC
This article referes specifically to US slot machines. UK slot machines and other slot machines vary in design and are therefore played slightly differently.
At first glance, playing a slot machine seems like the simplest thing in the world. Insert some money or a ticket and spin! That’s true, but it’s like saying “get 21 to win in Blackjack” – there’s a bit more to it than that. Slot machines are easy to play but over the years, they’ve evolved a few fun and exciting twists. Because of those changes we have new ways to play slot machines.
Although they come in different coin denominations like penny, nickel, quarter and even dollars, many slot machines won’t accept coins. Bills or cashout tickets only! If you’ve seen a snack machine take bills, then you have a good idea of how it’s done with slot machines. Cashout tickets are slips of paper with a bar code and the value printed out. This tells the cashier the value, and allows them to validate the ticket. They also provide an easy way for you to move your winnings to the next slot machine.
Put in the money or ticket, and your credits will flash on the screen. Play a penny machine and you’ll see “100 Credits” instead of “$1.00”. If it’s a nickel machine that dollar will show “20 Credits”.
Now that you have some credits you may have a few choices – some machines you just spin. Others, you may have to pick how many credits you want to bet per spin, and perhaps even the number of lines you want to play. You may have the ability to bet anywhere from one credit to twenty times your minimum bet. Multiply that amount by the lines played and that’s your cost per spin. So if you’re at a nickel slot machine and you hit the “Times 2” button and bet 10 lines, it’s a dollar per spin. Tap the “Spin” button or pull the handle to finish the play if you’re feeling nostalgic. Keep in mind that play style applies to the common multiline slot machines. There are plenty of “Three bars in a row” type slot machines left.
There are a few variations on betting. Some slot machines have a maximum bet option or even side bets / mini-games which open up bigger jackpots. This is similar to how three coins on the older slot machines would give you a bigger jackpot than simply winning three one coin jackpots.
When you’re finished playing press the “Cash Out” button and take the printout to the money cage. They’ll look at the total and scan the bar code (to ensure it’s real) and give you your winnings. You also have the option to just take the paper to another machine and play again. Or, if you are feeling particularly nostalgic, find a machine that still uses coins (or special casino coins) – there are still plenty of those around.
Good luck!
