I was also wondering if it's better to play the progressive
machines or the regular machines? And which denomination is better to
play -- pennies, nickels, quarters, dollars, etc.?
I also wanted to know when playing a machine and your
money runs out on it. How do you determine to play it again as far as
is the machine about to hit or not?
Mrs. Spend-a-lot
Dear Mrs. Spend-a-lot:
I have a pair of dice in my hand. I want you to tell
me what number I'll roll next.
You can't do it because dice rolls are random events.
Unless the dice are fixed, there's no way to know what number will roll
next.
The results of spins on slot machines are also random
events. There's no way to know what combination will land on the payline
next. There's no way to know which slot machines will pay out -- before
you play them and even while you're playing them. The result of each
spin is chosen at random without any regard for what has happened in
the past. If you run out of credits while playing a machine, there's
no way to determine whether it will hit if you put more money in it.
If you're still having fun playing the machine and you still have money
left in your bankroll, put more money in the machine. If you're frustrated
that you ran out of credits and you're angry at the machine, move on.
As to your middle group of questions, wide-area-progressive
machines tend to have lower paybacks than other machines. Standalone
progressives and progressives that are confined to one casino or one
company's casinos do not necessarily pay back less than non-progressive
machines. When it comes to denomination, higher denomination machines
tend to have higher paybacks than lower denomination machines.
You asked if it's better to play progressives or non-progressives
and which denomination is best to play. I can't say what's best for
you. It all depends on your goals and your bankroll. It's really irrelevant
to you that dollars pay back more than nickels if your bankroll is $20.
And if your goal is to win a life-changing amount of money, you have
to play the big money progressives -- but keep in mind that you're more
likely to become a millionaire by getting hit on the way to the casino
and suing the person who hit you than you are by playing the machine.
Although I can't say what's best, I can make recommendations.
I recommend that you look at your bankroll and pick machines to play
such that your bankroll is able to fund 100 or more spins. That large
a bankroll should be enough to see you through a few hours of play,
unless you're extremely unlucky -- and I can say from personal experience
that 100-spin bankrolls sometimes don't even last an hour!
Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John
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Hello, John,
I have an idea to design a slot machine, and have written
several pages on the concept using the ones I have played as a start.
The uniqueness would be in the theme and the bonus rounds, as I imagine
the general engineering and methodology would have to follow suit with
the other machines.
Could you provide some direction as to how I can get
started? Would I need to go through IGT or WMS? How does such an idea
get pitched?
I imagine a patent would need to be submitted as well.
Thanks very much for any information that you can provide.
Sincerely,
John
Dear John,
Strictly Slots had an article about pitching your own
slot machine to a manufacturer a few years ago. You might be able to
get a reprint of it from them.
I would start with sending query letters to the manufacturers,
much as an author sends query letters to publishers. Ask about their
submission processes. There will be a protocol involved to protect the
manufacturer from being accused of stealing ideas from unsolicited submissions.
They will also tell you what sort of protections (patent, copyright,
etc.) you have to have in place before they will look at your idea.
You should have the game worked out completely before
you pitch it. That is, you should have graphics of all of the symbols
and storyboards that show how the bonus rounds are played. You should
also work out the math of the game. Provide a sample reel layout and
the probabilities in the bonus round. Calculate the long-term payback
for the machine based on the reel layout and the bonus round math.
The company may change nearly every aspect of your game
in the production version, still your game should be fully developed
before you pitch it. You can't present a vague concept and expect them
to work out the details.
You mentioned engineering. You can do anything you want
to on the screen -- that's just programming -- but your game can't require
extra buttons on the button deck. Hardware changes can be very expensive
to implement and will be an additional hurdle you'll have to clear.
Although it's true that you could make the most money
from having a major manufacturer buy your concept, you might have a
better chance for success with a smaller manufacturer. I see by your
area code that you live in New Jersey. A.C. Coin and Slot is in Atlantic
City and might be a company to try.
You can query all the manufacturers about their submission
procedures at once, but submit your idea to only one company at a time.
You have to wait for the company to pass on your idea before you can
try another company.
Let me know how you make out.
John