BALLY SMDM PINBALL MACHINE THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN ARCADEROOM FREE SHIPPING. Road Show Pinball Machine Williams ColorDMD Arcade 1993 Free Shipping LEDs. Champion Pub Pinball Machine by Bally (Completely Restored). Wonder where Joe's 'cool' ideas for slot machine games originated? Consider the fact that while with Sega he is credited with having designed no less than 75 popular coin-operated games, including Harley-Davidson, The X-Files, Star Wars, Michael Jordan, Jurassic Park, Playboy, Titanic, Batman, Baywatch, and South Park.

A slot machine will often have three or more reels or a video screen, which is spun when either the slot lever is pulled or a button is pushed.

How much does a slot machine cost?

On average, plan on spending anywhere from $200 for a novelty slot machine to as much as $3,000 for a higher-end model of a working slot machine, similar to the ones you see in a professional casino. This would be the price for those who are interested in buying a second-hand slot machine for their own entertainment purposes at home.

However, if you’re talking about what a casino pays for a slot machine, the costs could be much more. Experts have noted official casino slot machines can cost as much as $20,000. For instance, this article claims that Bally sells its machines for $9,671 each. The costs, in the end, will come down to the manufacturer, the quality of the hardware, the intellectual property it represents and title. Calvinayre.com, on the other hand, says the average IGT game sold for $13,000 in 2013, while another manufacturer, Multimedia Games, received over $18,000, on average, from its machines.

Gambler’s Paradise, a slot machine retailer located in Ohio, lists close to 50 slot machines, ranging from $600 to $3,000+

Refer to our table below to see what you may pay for a slot machine in working order on the second-hand market:

Type of Slot MachineAverage Price
Antique/Vintage Slot Machine$1,000 to $3,000
Bally Slot Machines$125 to $800
IGT Game King$1,200 to $2,500
IGT Slot Machines$400 to $700
Jennings Slot Machines$1,600 to $3,200
Video Slot Machines$400 to $1,600+
Williams Slot Machines$650 to $2,000+

Slot machine overview

Generally, there are two common types of slot machines: a mechanical and computerized. When slot machines first hit the market, all were mechanical, operating gears and levels. Eventually, as the time when on, these gears were replaced with an electric slot machine which used motors and solenoids to run the gears. Today, most slot machines will use a computer to general a random number to generate the slot machine’s outcome.

Retailers often include a limited warranty, which often lasts up to a year,

What are the extra costs?

Repairs, depending on how much the slot machine is going to be used, needs to be factored in. Some machines can be more difficult to repair, whereas some machines will rely on a battery, which, over time, will need to be replaced as well. Even if the machine isn’t used for a long period of time, the battery may need to be replaced.

A common problem for slot machine owners, according to this eBay guide, is a lost door key. If this were to happen, you will either need to hire a locksmith, purchase a new one for $20 or so or learn how to drill and barrel the locks.

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Due to the size of a slot machine, freight shipping charges may apply.

Tips to know

There are legal implications if you’re thinking about buying a slot machine. In 41 states, it is legal to own a used slot machine, but in nine states: Alabama, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennesse and Wisconsin, it is 100 percent illegal. In 17 states, there will be a law that the slot machine must be, at a minimum, 25 years old. With all of that being said, check your state laws to make sure it’s legal to own.

How can I save money?

If you do not mind buying used, this can save you upwards of at least 50 percent. Try to explore the used inventory before buying new.

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Wizard
Administrator
Thanks for this post from:
I've broached on this in other threads, but I think it deserves its own thread. So, I'm rewriting my book, Gambling 102. Not just an update, but a complete rewrite. I am giving owners of the first edition a reason to buy the new one.
In my slot machine chapter I have a section on advantage plays in slots. These are things I don't actually do, so am going off of things I've heard here and there. That said, I welcome the AP's on the forum to give their comments, for which I'll be thankful for.
Quote: Gambling 102 -- Slot Machine chapter -- Advantage Plays sub-heading


  • Some slot machines have 'must hit by' jackpots. For example, a jackpot that must hit by $500. If you play these games only when they are very close to the maximum jackpot, the odds should be in your favor. However, some makers gaff their machines to usually hit when near the maximum value, so don't be tempted to play at game where the jackpot is 97% of the way to the top, when it may be programmed to rarely hit until it reaches 99%. For example, AGS machines with a 'must hit by $5,000 jackpot' seem to rarely hit below $4,990*.
    * Editorial note: I will endeavor to confirm this shortly.
  • Some machines guarantee a bonus when some kind of meter is full. Green Stamps is a good, although dated, example. In that game, the player earns green stamps as he plays. When 1,200 stamps are accumulated, he wins five free games. He can hoard books for up to five bonuses. If a player leaves with stamps in his books, then they remain on the machine for the next player. So, it is possible to find machines with over 1,200 stamps, ready to pay out a free bonus. Even if the stamps in the first book are close enough to 1,200, the odds would swing to the player's favor. There are other more modern games that are based on the same principle. However, I'm sworn to secrecy on which specific games, sorry.
  • Skill based slots also offer a possible advantage for 'skilled' players. These games have a skill-based bonus. The prize pools available in these bonuses will depend in part on the skill of the previous players who played. If they didn't do well at the bonus, it leaves more in the bonus bank for you to win. There should be some sort of meter on the game showing the maximum win and what you have to do to get it. In my limited experience, I find the skill level required in these games to be pretty low, so there usually isn't enough money in the bonus bank to be worth playing. However, with a lot of patience and time, there are ripe games to be found.
  • In any form of gambling, comps can be a function of play and/or how much you lose. There are various ways of tricking casinos into thinking you've lost more than you really did, some of which could be considered cheating, at least ethically, depending on the reason and method. With slots, if you know you are near a point where a bonus is triggered, because some meter is nearly full, then pull your player card out until you trigger and play the bonus. This way, you'll be playing the bonus off the radar and it will look to the marketing department that you lost more or won less than you really did.
It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether or not you had a good bet.
FleaStiff
why not do a chapter on pumping oxygen into the casinos....
I've heard that here and there also.
Its either authoritative or its not.
Wizard
Administrator

why not do a chapter on pumping oxygen into the casinos....
I've heard that here and there also.
Its either authoritative or its not.


I've been saying for years that this is an urban legend. However, I had a cab driver after the Cher concert on Friday that put me to shame with Vegas trivia. This Vegas old-timer knew everything. Anyway, he swore casinos used to pump oxygen. He seemed to indicate that had something to do with how fast the MGM fire spread. Then again, Vegas cab drivers are probably not the best source to quote.
It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether or not you had a good bet.
FleaStiff

I've been saying for years that this is an urban legend.


Of course it is nonsense and always was nonsense.
My point was that your slot machine chapter should be based on
some sort of proof, facts, odds, or something other than you've heard
that meter slows down.
Wizard
Administrator

My point was that your slot machine chapter should be based on
some sort of proof, facts, odds, or something other than you've heard
that meter slows down.


I mean to confirm the comment about AGS 'must hit by' jackpots. Thus the editorial note.
It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether or not you had a good bet.
mamat

why not do a chapter on pumping oxygen into the casinos....
I've heard that here and there also.
Its either authoritative or its not.

I had a friend who stayed up all night in Indian casinos when she didn't have the money to rent a room. She showed me some oxygen vents on the floor...where she would stand to help stay awake.
I don't know about Vegas.
WalterW
What's skill based slots, any examples?
If you download the free play, pull the card out, then play through the free play, does it trick the marketing department?
Zcore13

I had a friend who stayed up all night in Indian casinos when she didn't have the money to rent a room. She showed me some oxygen vents on the floor...where she would stand to help stay awake.
I don't know about Vegas.


Lol. What makes them oxygen vents as compared to air vents. Many new casinos have air vents all over the floor to blow smoke up and away.
ZCore13
I am an employee of a Casino. Former Table Games Director, current Pit Supervisor. All the personal opinions I post are my own and do not represent the opinions of the Casino or Tribe that I work for.
FCBLComish

Lol. What makes them oxygen vents as compared to air vents. Many new casinos have air vents all over the floor to blow smoke up and away.
ZCore13

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Of course there is oxygen coming from those vents. Also nitrogen and some other stuff. A little bit of pocket lint and some tobacco residue.
Beware, I work for the dark side.... We have cookies
KevinAA

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What's skill based slots, any examples?
If you download the free play, pull the card out, then play through the free play, does it trick the marketing department?


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Nothing changes unless you go past the free play. Then you don't earn any points. It makes no sense to do that.

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