Additionally, Prairie Meadows in Iowa hold the reigns for top in the state, getting the loosest slots crown at 91.78 percent. In Atlantic City, it was Harrah's that topped the list across 2017 with a 91.73 percent payback. Harrah's was followed closely by Borgata at 91.63 percent and Bally's Atlantic City with 91.03 percent. You found a casino that pays odds-for-1 instead of odds-to-1. In fact, if you went back and looked at the table layout, it probably lists the bet on 12 as paying 30-for-1. Casino Slot Game Developer – the best paying slots in Vegas or at the top online casinos have been developed by trusted casino game developers. So, if you want the best paying slots, play games developed by RTG, Arrow's Edge, Rival Gaming and Betsoft amongst others. Caesars Atlantic City Slots give poker a run for its money as the most popular game here. But the casino is home to World Series of Poker circuit events and to Three Card Poker Six Card Bonus, a.
Our annual report on the most generous slots in the USA
Welcome once again to our annual report on where to find the best, loosest slots in America.
It has long been the mission of Strictly Slots to arm players with everything they need to have the best chance of winning. And when it comes to the slots, it's about knowing where to play, and which casino have loose machines.
Many of you may not realize it, but it was actually our sister publication, Casino Player, that invented the notion of 'loose slots' by publishing charts showing the overall payback percentages of slot floors monthly back in 1988.
At the time all casinos in Nevada and Atlantic City had been required to publicly report their 'slot hold,' the portion of slot wagers kept from players after all of the dust had settled and the accounting was done. Casino Player's editors decided to take those numbers and flip-flop them to achieve a 'payback percentage?'
At first the casino operators were horrified that such information was now a part of the public domain. But it wasn't long before they realized they could use this to their advantage and began aggressively advertising their 'loose slots:'
Alas, the system wasn't quite perfect. The payback percentages for any one month were not truly instructive when looking at how generous a casino was with its players. Payback percentages are set at the factory, the result of how many numbers each symbol was assigned in the program. So it takes several months of play for a slot machine to begin to approach its 'true' theoretical payback.
This was particularly true when it came to the higher denominations. For example, if a few lucky players happened to hit the $10 or $25 slots for a couple of sizeable jackpots, the monthly payback percentage number could be more than 100 percent, reflecting a number that obviously would be unviable for casinos in the long run. Within several months, enough players would lose on these machines to even out the percentage and reflect the comparatively small house advantage.
So the real gauge of 'loose' would instead come in the statistics for an entire year. Casino Player started compiling 12 months of data for the year 1993, publishing the first 'Loosest Slots' awards in 1994. And a few years ago, Strictly Slots took over the survey and report.
Players love the report because it is based on historical fact, as opposed to manufacturers' estimates of theoretical payback. While those theoretical numbers—included in our 'Slot Spotlight' section—are accurate for individual machines the actual statistics on which this report is based reveal the casinos that went the extra mile for their players in placing the games with the highest theoretical payback on their floors.
Welcome to the 2018 edition of our Loosest Slots report. For decades, this report has been viewed by casino operators as a competitive gauge for marketing purposes, but more importantly, it has afforded players a good picture of which casinos, by policy, offer a fair shake to the players on their slot floors.
As always, let's first tackle a few answers to the questions that we always get about the report. First of all, we can't cover everyone's favorite casinos. Our results, both in our monthly payback charts and in this annual report, are based on publicly available statistics. And casinos report their hold numbers publicly only if required by law.
That's the reason why so many Native American-owned casinos are excluded from the report. Indian nations are sovereign nations and are not subject to state gaming laws requiring that they report their slot hold numbers publicly, unless it is part of the agreement, or compact, between a tribe and the state (as in Connecticut).
It's also why you will not find denominations broken out in many locations, such as New Jersey, where regulators stopped reporting denominations years ago.
And last but not least, the way the numbers are reported publicly is the reason video poker paybacks are not broken out in this report. No jurisdiction reports separate numbers for video poker. As a rule of thumb, though, you'll find that the casinos with the highest overall paybacks consistently offer the highest-returning pay schedules on video poker.
AND THE WINNERS ARE…
There are many parts of our annual survey that result in no surprises. The top of the survey is one. For yet another year, Reno, Nevada, gets the award for Loosest Slots in the Nation.
The combined 2017 payback of Reno's gaming halls—led by Grand Sierra, Atlantis, the Peppermill, the Eldorado and others—was 94.69 percent. The second- and third-highest slots in the nation, again repeating last year, are also in Nevada, with Balance of County second at 94.48 percent and Boulder Strip third at 94.34 percent.
('Balance of County' refers to off-Strip casinos like the Orleans, Hard Rock, The Palms, Gold Coast, Palace Station, Silverton, South Point, M, and the Primm casinos. 'Boulder Strip' refers to those casinos on and around Boulder Highway— Sam's Town, Boulder Station, Cannery East, Arizona Charlie's, etc.)
While the three Nevada regions were each remained 'looser' than any other region in the nation, when it comes to highest payback among casino jurisdictions that list the number of individual winners there is one notable change from previous years. Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois has long held the title of loosest slots among individual casinos. But this year, that accolade was taken by Dover Downs in Delaware which posted a payback of 92.57 percent, while Casino Queen posted a respectable 92.45 percent.
Other notable results this year can be found in Pennsylvania where the top three casinos were Parx Casino (90.96 percent). Valley Forge (90.80 percent) and Mount Airy (90.30 percent).
Over in Indiana, Rising Star took top marks with 91.67 percent, followed by Hoosier Park with 91.63 percent and French Lick coming in third for the state at 91.61.
Additionally, Prairie Meadows in Iowa hold the reigns for top in the state, getting the loosest slots crown at 91.78 percent.
In Atlantic City, it was Harrah's that topped the list across 2017 with a 91.73 percent payback. Harrah's was followed closely by Borgata at 91.63 percent and Bally's Atlantic City with 91.03 percent. Additional awards go to Cripple Creek in Colorado, Foxwoods in Connecticut, Baton Rouge in Louisiana, Ameristar St. Charles in Missouri, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast casinos.
Congratulations to all of our winners—you've proven that you give your players a fair shake. And thanks to our readers for allowing us to give you the industry's most comprehensive report on slot percentages for the last 25 years.
Click the link below to see the winners by region:
Regional Winners
Introduction to New Jersey Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
New Jersey slot machine casino gambling consists of nine casinos in Atlantic City. None of the three racetracks or off-track betting (OTB) facilities offer physical slot machines. However, New Jersey has legalized online slots for real-money gambling.
The New Jersey gaming commission has established a minimum payout limit for slots machines in Atlantic City. Monthly return statistics are publicly available.
This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
Keep Reading … or Watch Instead!
Or … Listen Instead
Subscribe to my Professor Slots podcast at Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Amazon Audible | Gaana | Stitcher | Pandora | iHeart Radio | Tune-In | SoundCloud | RadioPublic | Deezer | RSS and everywhere else you find your podcasts!
Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in New Jersey*
The minimum legal gambling age in New Jersey depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 21
- Poker Rooms: 21
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
Loosest Slots In Atlantic City 2019
Historically, New Jersey's Atlantic City established legalized gaming on the eastern side of the United States from Nevada. Voters legalized casino gambling in Atlantic City in 1976. The New Jersey Casino Control Act became state law in 1977. The first casino in New Jersey, the Resorts International Casino, opened in Atlantic City in 1978.
During their peak in 2006, when they were the only commercial casinos in the eastern U.S., Atlantic City casinos were an economic boon. Afterward, the many casinos and racinos throughout the eastern states, along with the Great Recession, hugely reduced the profitability of Atlantic City casinos. Since the reopening of two casinos in mid-2018, Atlantic City casinos have seen a significant upturn in profitability.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in New Jersey
It is legal to own a slot machine privately in New Jersey if manufactured before 1941.
Gaming Control Board in New Jersey
The State of New Jersey Casino Control Commission regulates online and Atlantic City casino gambling alongside the state's Division of Gaming Enforcement. The Commission is an independent agency while the Division is an arm of the New Jersey's Attorney General's Office.
New Jersey's gaming regulations promoting a safe and robust gaming industry are publicly available from the Casino Control Commission. However, the Division of Gaming Enforcement announces Atlantic City jackpots of $50,000 or more won each year in Atlantic City, including sharing such useful jackpot information as:
- Date
- Casino
- Jackpot amount
- Slot machine denomination, manufacturer, and game theme
Casinos in New Jersey
There are nine commercial casinos in New Jersey.
The largest casino in New Jersey is Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa with 3,000 gaming machines.
The second-largest casino is Resorts Casino Hotel with 2,500 gaming machines.
Commercial Casinos in New Jersey
New Jersey has nine casinos in Atlantic City including:
The Wild Wild West Casino is officially a portion of Bally's Atlantic City, often considered by the public to be a separate casino.
Tribal Casinos in New Jersey
New Jersey has no federally-recognized American Indian Tribes. Therefore, the state does not have any tribal casinos.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying New Jersey slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering New Jersey is:
- North: New York Slots
- East and South: Atlantic Ocean
- South and West: Delaware Bat
- West: Pennsylvania Slots
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to New Jersey.
Online slots for real-money gambling is a real alternative for New Jersey, but only if you are physically located within the state. The state offers a verified list with links of state-approved Internet Gaming Sites.
If an online gaming site is not on this list, it's not approved to offer internet gaming in the State of New Jersey.
Our New Jersey Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in New Jersey? If so, join our new New Jersey slots community on Facebook. All you'll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
Our annual report on the most generous slots in the USA
Welcome once again to our annual report on where to find the best, loosest slots in America.
It has long been the mission of Strictly Slots to arm players with everything they need to have the best chance of winning. And when it comes to the slots, it's about knowing where to play, and which casino have loose machines.
Many of you may not realize it, but it was actually our sister publication, Casino Player, that invented the notion of 'loose slots' by publishing charts showing the overall payback percentages of slot floors monthly back in 1988.
At the time all casinos in Nevada and Atlantic City had been required to publicly report their 'slot hold,' the portion of slot wagers kept from players after all of the dust had settled and the accounting was done. Casino Player's editors decided to take those numbers and flip-flop them to achieve a 'payback percentage?'
At first the casino operators were horrified that such information was now a part of the public domain. But it wasn't long before they realized they could use this to their advantage and began aggressively advertising their 'loose slots:'
Alas, the system wasn't quite perfect. The payback percentages for any one month were not truly instructive when looking at how generous a casino was with its players. Payback percentages are set at the factory, the result of how many numbers each symbol was assigned in the program. So it takes several months of play for a slot machine to begin to approach its 'true' theoretical payback.
This was particularly true when it came to the higher denominations. For example, if a few lucky players happened to hit the $10 or $25 slots for a couple of sizeable jackpots, the monthly payback percentage number could be more than 100 percent, reflecting a number that obviously would be unviable for casinos in the long run. Within several months, enough players would lose on these machines to even out the percentage and reflect the comparatively small house advantage.
So the real gauge of 'loose' would instead come in the statistics for an entire year. Casino Player started compiling 12 months of data for the year 1993, publishing the first 'Loosest Slots' awards in 1994. And a few years ago, Strictly Slots took over the survey and report.
Players love the report because it is based on historical fact, as opposed to manufacturers' estimates of theoretical payback. While those theoretical numbers—included in our 'Slot Spotlight' section—are accurate for individual machines the actual statistics on which this report is based reveal the casinos that went the extra mile for their players in placing the games with the highest theoretical payback on their floors.
Welcome to the 2018 edition of our Loosest Slots report. For decades, this report has been viewed by casino operators as a competitive gauge for marketing purposes, but more importantly, it has afforded players a good picture of which casinos, by policy, offer a fair shake to the players on their slot floors.
As always, let's first tackle a few answers to the questions that we always get about the report. First of all, we can't cover everyone's favorite casinos. Our results, both in our monthly payback charts and in this annual report, are based on publicly available statistics. And casinos report their hold numbers publicly only if required by law.
That's the reason why so many Native American-owned casinos are excluded from the report. Indian nations are sovereign nations and are not subject to state gaming laws requiring that they report their slot hold numbers publicly, unless it is part of the agreement, or compact, between a tribe and the state (as in Connecticut).
It's also why you will not find denominations broken out in many locations, such as New Jersey, where regulators stopped reporting denominations years ago.
And last but not least, the way the numbers are reported publicly is the reason video poker paybacks are not broken out in this report. No jurisdiction reports separate numbers for video poker. As a rule of thumb, though, you'll find that the casinos with the highest overall paybacks consistently offer the highest-returning pay schedules on video poker.
AND THE WINNERS ARE…
There are many parts of our annual survey that result in no surprises. The top of the survey is one. For yet another year, Reno, Nevada, gets the award for Loosest Slots in the Nation.
The combined 2017 payback of Reno's gaming halls—led by Grand Sierra, Atlantis, the Peppermill, the Eldorado and others—was 94.69 percent. The second- and third-highest slots in the nation, again repeating last year, are also in Nevada, with Balance of County second at 94.48 percent and Boulder Strip third at 94.34 percent.
('Balance of County' refers to off-Strip casinos like the Orleans, Hard Rock, The Palms, Gold Coast, Palace Station, Silverton, South Point, M, and the Primm casinos. 'Boulder Strip' refers to those casinos on and around Boulder Highway— Sam's Town, Boulder Station, Cannery East, Arizona Charlie's, etc.)
While the three Nevada regions were each remained 'looser' than any other region in the nation, when it comes to highest payback among casino jurisdictions that list the number of individual winners there is one notable change from previous years. Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois has long held the title of loosest slots among individual casinos. But this year, that accolade was taken by Dover Downs in Delaware which posted a payback of 92.57 percent, while Casino Queen posted a respectable 92.45 percent.
Other notable results this year can be found in Pennsylvania where the top three casinos were Parx Casino (90.96 percent). Valley Forge (90.80 percent) and Mount Airy (90.30 percent).
Over in Indiana, Rising Star took top marks with 91.67 percent, followed by Hoosier Park with 91.63 percent and French Lick coming in third for the state at 91.61.
Additionally, Prairie Meadows in Iowa hold the reigns for top in the state, getting the loosest slots crown at 91.78 percent.
In Atlantic City, it was Harrah's that topped the list across 2017 with a 91.73 percent payback. Harrah's was followed closely by Borgata at 91.63 percent and Bally's Atlantic City with 91.03 percent. Additional awards go to Cripple Creek in Colorado, Foxwoods in Connecticut, Baton Rouge in Louisiana, Ameristar St. Charles in Missouri, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast casinos.
Congratulations to all of our winners—you've proven that you give your players a fair shake. And thanks to our readers for allowing us to give you the industry's most comprehensive report on slot percentages for the last 25 years.
Click the link below to see the winners by region:
Regional Winners
Introduction to New Jersey Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
New Jersey slot machine casino gambling consists of nine casinos in Atlantic City. None of the three racetracks or off-track betting (OTB) facilities offer physical slot machines. However, New Jersey has legalized online slots for real-money gambling.
The New Jersey gaming commission has established a minimum payout limit for slots machines in Atlantic City. Monthly return statistics are publicly available.
This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.
Keep Reading … or Watch Instead!
Or … Listen Instead
Subscribe to my Professor Slots podcast at Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Amazon Audible | Gaana | Stitcher | Pandora | iHeart Radio | Tune-In | SoundCloud | RadioPublic | Deezer | RSS and everywhere else you find your podcasts!
Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in New Jersey*
The minimum legal gambling age in New Jersey depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 21
- Poker Rooms: 21
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
Loosest Slots In Atlantic City 2019
Historically, New Jersey's Atlantic City established legalized gaming on the eastern side of the United States from Nevada. Voters legalized casino gambling in Atlantic City in 1976. The New Jersey Casino Control Act became state law in 1977. The first casino in New Jersey, the Resorts International Casino, opened in Atlantic City in 1978.
During their peak in 2006, when they were the only commercial casinos in the eastern U.S., Atlantic City casinos were an economic boon. Afterward, the many casinos and racinos throughout the eastern states, along with the Great Recession, hugely reduced the profitability of Atlantic City casinos. Since the reopening of two casinos in mid-2018, Atlantic City casinos have seen a significant upturn in profitability.
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in New Jersey
It is legal to own a slot machine privately in New Jersey if manufactured before 1941.
Gaming Control Board in New Jersey
The State of New Jersey Casino Control Commission regulates online and Atlantic City casino gambling alongside the state's Division of Gaming Enforcement. The Commission is an independent agency while the Division is an arm of the New Jersey's Attorney General's Office.
New Jersey's gaming regulations promoting a safe and robust gaming industry are publicly available from the Casino Control Commission. However, the Division of Gaming Enforcement announces Atlantic City jackpots of $50,000 or more won each year in Atlantic City, including sharing such useful jackpot information as:
- Date
- Casino
- Jackpot amount
- Slot machine denomination, manufacturer, and game theme
Casinos in New Jersey
There are nine commercial casinos in New Jersey.
The largest casino in New Jersey is Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa with 3,000 gaming machines.
The second-largest casino is Resorts Casino Hotel with 2,500 gaming machines.
Commercial Casinos in New Jersey
New Jersey has nine casinos in Atlantic City including:
The Wild Wild West Casino is officially a portion of Bally's Atlantic City, often considered by the public to be a separate casino.
Tribal Casinos in New Jersey
New Jersey has no federally-recognized American Indian Tribes. Therefore, the state does not have any tribal casinos.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying New Jersey slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering New Jersey is:
- North: New York Slots
- East and South: Atlantic Ocean
- South and West: Delaware Bat
- West: Pennsylvania Slots
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to New Jersey.
Online slots for real-money gambling is a real alternative for New Jersey, but only if you are physically located within the state. The state offers a verified list with links of state-approved Internet Gaming Sites.
If an online gaming site is not on this list, it's not approved to offer internet gaming in the State of New Jersey.
Our New Jersey Slots Facebook Group
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in New Jersey? If so, join our new New Jersey slots community on Facebook. All you'll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.
There, you'll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in New Jersey. Join us!
Payout Returns in New Jersey
New Jersey gaming regulations require all slot machines have a minimum theoretical payout of at least 83%.
The Division of Gaming Enforcement makes New Jersey gaming Financial and Statistical Information publicly available with monthly and quarterly gross revenue reports. The monthly gross revenue reports are most useful with regards to return statistics.
Further, the Division offers Monthly Gross Gaming Revenues with casino win statistics. These monthly statistics provide a Win% which, in New Jersey, is the amount won by the casino instead of the more usual amount won by the player. Player Win% is 100% minus the Casino Win% provided in these monthly reports.
For March 2020, the number of slot machines and overall player win percentage at each of the nine casinos in Atlantic City was:
- Bally's (1,775 slot machines): 100% minus 8.2% equals 91.8%
- Borgata (2,864 slot machines): 92.0%
- Caesars (1,888 slot machines): 91.4%
- Golden Nugget (1,417 slot machines): 91.2%
- Hard Rock (2,167 slot machines): 90.4%
- Harrah's (2,036 slot machines): 91.7%
- Ocean (1,758 slot machines): 90.0%
- Resorts (1,436 slot machines): 90.4%
- Tropicana (2,357 slot machines): 90.5%
For March 2020, the highest return for players went to the Borgata at 92.0% followed closely by Bally's at 91.8% and Harrah's at 91.7%.
The lowest return went to Ocean at 90.0% closely followed by Hard Rock and Resorts at 90.4%.
Best Paying Slots In Atlantic City Atlantic City
Summary of New Jersey Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
New Jersey slot machine casino gambling consists of nine casinos in Atlantic City as well as internet gaming choices for individuals physically located within the borders of New Jersey.
The theoretical payout minimum limit for slot machines is 83%. Monthly return statistics are publicly available for each casino.
Annual Progress in New Jersey Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Over the last year, there has been little change to the slots gaming industry in New Jersey outside of the significant issues related to the global pandemic.
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Previous: New Hampshire Slot Machine Casino Gambling
- Next: New Mexico Slot Machine Casino Gambling
Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC
