- Also, the slot games, their basic functioning, and common ownership agreements give the reader some background of the operational side of the slot business. This information provides a useful foundation, but the real value comes in the decision process the author advocates once the data is collected and properly analyzed.
- Famous Las Vegas sign at night with Las Vegas Cityscape blur background. Jackpot with stars on white background - High quality 3D Render Four young people playing slot machines in casino.
Las Vegas is home to over 197,000 slot machines. That’s roughly one for every three residents. With so many slot machines to choose from, it should be no surprise that you can find some interesting ones hiding around town.
This is especially true in downtown Las Vegas, known to many as “Old Vegas.” Fremont Street specializes in keeping the old-time feel alive. This is where you will find all sorts of buildings, stores, merchandise, and yes, even slot machines from the early days of Las Vegas history.
Below you will find a list of some of the interesting, fun, vintage, or downright weird slot machines you can find in downtown Las Vegas.
Coin-Operated Slot Machines
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Coin-operated slots are one of the most sought-after unique slot machines found in Las Vegas. They bring a bit of nostalgia back to the game. These are getting harder to find. Many casinos have a hard time finding parts for repair, which has caused most to get rid of coin-operated slots altogether.
The evolution of our U.S. currency has had a dramatic impact. The D Hotel and Casino has phased out all of its coin operated slot machines. For a place specializing in vintage slots (they have an entire floor devoted to these), why would they do this?
Turns out, the machine’s bill reader cannot recognize our newer versions of U.S. currency in $5 and $20 bills. These bill readers cannot be swapped, and old currency is hard to keep in supply. All of this works out to be too much of a headache for the casino.
With that said, there are still a few places in downtown Las Vegas that offer the chance to play coin-operated slot machines. They are:
- California Hotel and Casino
- El Cortez Hotel and Casino
- Fremont Hotel and Casino
- Main Street Station Hotel and Casino
- Plaza Hotel and Casino
Sigma Derby
Sigma Derby is a retro horse racing game. It made its debut in 1985 and was quite popular at the time. In today’s casinos, it’s nearly impossible to find. Just like coin-operated slot machines, parts for Sigma Derby games are hard to find when the game is in need of repairs.
In addition to having a difficult time keeping the Sigma Derby machines operational, the casinos make a very small profit on them. They are coin operated and run on just a few quarters. The machines also take over a minute to complete one round.
Because of this, almost every Las Vegas casino has done away with Sigma Derby machines. In fact, there is only one such machine in all of downtown Las Vegas. This machine is at The D Hotel and Casino. Or, if you’re willing to venture to the Las Vegas Strip, there is one other Sigma Derby machine located at the MGM Grand.
Silver Strike
Silver Strike slot machines have an incredible fan base. They appeal to both slot machine players and to collectors. This is because, rather than winning cash, you win silver coins. Well, partially silver coins.
The coins used to be .999 silver. Now they are usually a mix of silver and copper. The variance is due to the fact that each casino is responsible for producing their own silver strike coins. This brings in the collector’s aspect, as there are many different coins to try to win.
The machine has a $3.00 max spin, which you must bet to have a chance at the silver coin bonus. If you get a silver strike logo on the third reel, you win a silver strike coin. Most of these coins are worth roughly $10; however, you have a chance at randomly receiving one worth up to $300.
There are varying values within each casino, plus several different casinos offering their own coin variations. The cost associated with producing the silver strike coins has deterred many casinos from carrying the machines. In downtown Las Vegas, there are two casinos who still have the game on their floor:
- The Four Queens Hotel and Casino has four machines
- El Cortez Hotel and Casino has one machine
Jumbo Slot Machine
The Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino is home to one of the largest functioning slot machines in all of Las Vegas. This slot machine is over eight feet tall! It is a 4-reel machine that works in dollar denominations. You will find this slot machine in the lobby by their front entrance. Such a massive machine can draw a lot of attention. It’s not unusual to see a crowd surrounding the machine, watching the player.
It does have an arm mechanism on it; however, this is no longer how the slot machine reels are spun. This is done with a spin button. One old-time aspect that still remains is that the payout from the machine is given in quarters. It’s a fun experience everyone should try once.
Vintage Slot Machines
If you’re looking to see some gambling history, Las Vegas is the place to do it. Even more specifically, looking through downtown Las Vegas, where the city got its start. Fremont Street is where the big casinos of Las Vegas originated. It is where it all began in the evolution of what Las Vegas is today.
This rich history is displayed throughout downtown Las Vegas. One of the crowd favorites in nostalgic merchandise is slot machines. There are two displays featuring retired, vintage slots. These are no longer functional but are still amazing to see. They are located at:
- The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino
- Main Street Hotel and Casino
If you’re looking for a large selection of vintage slot machines you can still play, your go-to destination should be The D Hotel and Casino. Their entire second floor is devoted exclusively to vintage slot machines. While they have all been converted to TITO (Ticket In/Ticket Out) machines, they still maintain the vintage gameplay options.
SlotZilla Zip Line
If you’re looking for unique slot machines that you can wager money on, the SlotZilla slot machine on Fremont Street is not for you. That’s because it’s not actually a slot machine, but a giant model of a slot machine. In fact, it’s the most giant one in the world. The SlotZilla slot machine holds the world record for the largest slot machine, standing at 128 feet tall.
It is truly a sight to see. It doesn’t stop there, though. The SlotZilla machine is actually a zip line. The zip line originates at the top of the 12-story-tall slot machine replica. From there, riders will fly down Fremont Street, just below the lighted canopy. There are two versions you can try: the zip line and the zoom line.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for something slightly different to do in Las Vegas, or simply trying to change up your usual gambling routine, this list has you covered. Everything on this list should be seen once if you’re a fan of slot machines or Vegas history.
Not only will you be able to play some of the oldest functioning slot machines around, but you will also get to see amazing pieces of Las Vegas culture. You can cap it all off with a ride on Vegas’s own slot machine zip line.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Slots today are much more sophisticated than they were in previous decades. The first reel-style slot machine, invented by Charles Fey in 1895, featured 3 individual reels with symbols like horseshoes and clovers. A jackpot was triggered when the player hit a Liberty Bell on each reel.
Fey’s machines were quite popular and were soon found in saloons across the San Francisco Bay Area. He originally split revenues with the bar owners, but after one of his machines was stolen, and similar machines hit the market, Fey switched to renting or selling his machines.
Slot manufacturers like Mills, Jennings, Pace, and Watling came and went over the next 60 years. During that time the machines were found in bars and roadhouses across the United States. Similar machines were also popular in Great Britain and Germany.
In the US, most states eventually outlawed open-gambling, but the slots were tolerated in many locations until the late 1930s when Nevada was the only remaining state with legalized gaming.
Although machine styles and designs changed, the overall operation and mechanics of the slots did not.
A single cherry symbol usually paid 2 coins, while 2 cherry symbols paid 5 coins. An orange on all 3 reels usually paid 10 coins, while plums or bells paid as high as 18 coins. A jackpot was 150 coins, meaning a nickel machine paid a total jackpot of $7.50.
The machine automatically dropped 20 coins, and the remaining $6.50 was paid by an attendant.
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The monster machines drew crowds, but Bally had an even more important change that revolutionized slots. Previous machines had used metal tubes and slides to make payoffs that ranged from 2 to 20 coins.
Bally’s new Money Honey machines changed all that, with sleek designed fronts that opened on a hinge and gave slot attendants the ability to fill an electro-mechanical hopper with coins.
The new process allowed players to hit larger payouts and be paid automatically as the hopper spun and dispensed jackpots, counting the payout as it went.
Just 15 years later, the gaming industry introduced computer-run machines to their customers. The new machines used computer motherboards and removable chips to change game parameters. The machines used now employ random number generators to ensure safety and fair payouts for huge jackpots that have reached more than $20 million.
The machines most popular in the early days of Las Vegas had 3 reels and symbols like cherries, plums, oranges, and bells. A standard slot had 20 symbols per reel, so the odds of hitting the jackpot were 8000 to 1.
Today, machines can have nearly unlimited combinations. In fact, the largest group jackpot is offered by IGT on their Megabucks machines.
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Those machines have virtual reels with 368 possible stops. Each virtual reel has one jackpot symbol. 368 x 368 x 368 gives the player one chance in 49,836,032 spins to hit the jackpot. Yes, the odds are high, but so are the jackpots, often over $20 million.
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Unfortunately, nearly every large group (or linked machine) jackpot has a payoff made over 25 years. What that means is that if the jackpot is $1 million, you get a check for $40,000 the day you hit the big one. Then, you get a check in the mail for the same amount annually for 24 years.