Casinos usually don’t openly share the payout percentage of their slot machines, except in certain marketing cases—like when the information is displayed directly on the machine itself. So, unlike online slots where you can easily check the RTP (Return to Player) through the game’s info screens, physical slot machines don’t offer that transparency. Online casinos often show the expected RTP, which tells you the long-term payout rate for that game at that casino, allowing you to compare different casinos easily.
Unfortunately, this kind of detailed payout info is much harder to find in land-based casinos. However, there are several ways to get a general idea of payout percentages, though these methods vary by region and casino.
Publicly Available Payback Data
Many commercial casinos report their payback percentages to government authorities, which sometimes make this data public. For example, in some states like Connecticut, you can find payout information broken down by casino and machine denomination. This allows you to see, for instance, that Mohegan Sun has historically offered higher paybacks on $10 machines.
What this data doesn’t reveal is the exact payout setting for individual machines. Usually, casinos aim for a target payout percentage for each denomination and adjust machines slightly above or below that target.
In places like Nevada, the payout data is aggregated across all casinos in a region, so it doesn’t tell you which casino pays better. Still, experts suggest that checking video poker pay tables in a casino can provide clues about whether the casino’s overall payouts tend to be looser or tighter.
Machine Setup and Relocation
When casinos install new slot machines, it’s common to see a sheet taped to the machine with various technical settings, including the payout percentage. This paperwork is for the slot technicians to verify the machine’s setup, but it can also give observant players a rare glimpse at the actual payback percentage the casino has set.
It’s surprising how often casinos leave this info visible, prioritizing ease for their staff over secrecy from players.
Casino Marketing
Sometimes casinos use payout percentages as part of their marketing. For example, the El Cortez casino advertises that its slot machines have a higher payout percentage compared to those on the Las Vegas Strip. Since Strip payout info is publicly known, you can do the math to estimate El Cortez’s payouts.
Occasionally, casinos put up signs near machines highlighting a high payout percentage to encourage players. If a machine or bank states a specific payback percentage, you can generally trust it. However, if the sign says “Up to X% payback,” it usually means only one or a few machines offer that rate, while the others pay less—and players won’t know which machines those are.
Summary
While it’s not as straightforward as with online slots, you can still get a reasonable idea of slot machine payout percentages in physical casinos by using public data, observing machine setups, and paying attention to casino marketing. Sometimes, you might even see the exact payback setting on a specific machine.
