Loose Slots in Tunica
by Jen Cuthbertson

You have all seen the hype from casino after casino. We are the loosest, 98% paybacks, Biggest jackpots won here. All of the advertising and trying to sway you here or there can be confusing and overwhelming for the casino visitor. Hopefully I can help shed some light on the hype for you.

You the player, in Mississippi, is at the mercy of advertising. Mississippi Gaming Commission prohibits the casinos from making their payback percentages or hold percentages public record.

They can however advertise certain machines to have X amount payback %'s. These are the expected random paybacks over the life of the machine. You have seen them... 98% payback signs over a room, an area, or a machine itself. It doesn't mean if you put $10 in you will receive $9.80 back it means over the life of the machine. The Gaming Commission protects you the player by setting guide lines for the casinos to follow when they advertise such animals. Pay attention to exactly which machines are marked with the 98% payback. A casino cannot afford to make every machine in their casino at that payback. It's a lost leader like milk in the grocery store.

In 2002 Tunica-ms.com published and endorsed a nickel video slot survey by Dr. Marsha Ness in conjunction with Michael Shackleford the Wizard of Odds from Las Vegas. Publishing the survey was helpful to players and very controversial with the casinos, which carried an extreme mix of consequences. A special acknowledgment goes to Dr. Ness and Michael Shackleford for their time and work necessary to provide players with the information. It was our belief that, you the player, would be interested in where the Tunica Casinos stand behind the hype.

2003 rolled around and over a year later after the "controversial survey" I was curious as to any change in the slot machine payouts. A team of volunteers headed by Brianzz and myself struck out and tested each casino with the ability to test 40+ games as compared to 5 games in the 2002 survey. After months of testing and bushels of numbers, our survey was complete. We held off releasing the survey out of respect to Frank Scoblete's Loose Slot Tour during the Gambler's Jamboree. (which also confirmed our results in a different format)

Before we reveal the numbers I want to make clear that LUCK is the biggest factor in slot machine gambling. You need to chose the casino that "fits" you. In my opinion there is no wrong casino in Mississippi. Each casino has something special to offer for all of us.
At one time or another each casino has been our favorite. Our tastes and comforts change as yours probably do also.

As we read through the numbers and some of the articles on gaming, I want you to keep this simple thought in mind. When asked, Frank Legato of Global Gaming, slot expert and author of .  How to Win Millions Playing Slot Machines: ... Or Lose Trying (Scoblete Get-The-Edge Guide) "When is the best time to leave a slot machine?" his reply was simple and to the point. "When you are not having fun, Gambling is entertainment."

Also I would like to mention that since the 2002 survey we found casinos to be more attentive to their nickel video slot payouts and found more loose slots in Tunica. Because Casino Slot machine inventory is constantly changing, so is the payback results. Our findings are only a guide and done my a system which can only guarantee accuracy within 10%. We hope you find it helpful or at least interesting. We applaud the competitiveness of the casinos and their desire to be fair in both gaming and advertising.

Sheraton Casino Tunica remains #1 for the Loosest Nickel Video Slots for two years in a row.

Tunica Casino Nickel Video Slot Payback %  2003 Survey:
 

2003 RANK CASINO LOWEST % HIGHEST % AVERAGE% 1 Sheraton Casino 93.46 98.01 94.17 2 Grand Casino 84.95 98.06 93.15 3 Hollywood 87.40 97.40 92.81 4 Bally's Casino 85.01 97.42 92.05 5 Horseshoe Casino 87.51 98.01 91.95 6 Gold Strike Casino 85.00 97.92 91.87 7 Harrah's Casino 87.46 94.98 91.55 8 Fitzgeralds Casino 85.00 98.06 91.47 9 Sam's Town Casino 84.95 98.01 91.36

Next article.....Beyond The Numbers