Slots player at Las Vegas airport wins more than $300K The winning spin hit just after 5 p.m. Monday for $317,795.94 on a 25-cent Wheel of Fortune Triple Red Hot 7 machine. By Tony Garcia / Las. McCarran’s current slots operator, Michael J. Gaughan Airport Slot Concession Inc., has been in place since 1985. It operates 1,450 slot machines in both pre- and post-security areas. In 2018, the airport made $36 million in revenue.
Are There Slot Machines At Las Vegas Airport Shuttle
I’ll never forget my first trip to Las Vegas. When I walked off the ramp into the airport and heard the musical, electronic sound of slot machines, a huge smile crept over my face. I’d never been greeted with that sound at an airport before. Walking through the airport from my gate to baggage claim, I passed clusters of slot machines here and there and found myself in awe. This has to be the most fun airport ever! I thought. I’ve pretty much had that same reaction every trip since. There’s nothing that says “Welcome to Las Vegas” quite like the sight and sound of slot machines.
I’m usually in too much of a hurry to get to my hotel when I land to think about lingering in the airport to play them, but on my trip home, it’s a whole other story. I mean, really, picture your typical airport experience. You get to the airport early, as is recommended, and by some miracle, you zip through security quickly. You still have an hour and 45 minutes until your flight. Now what? Read the book you brought with you? But if you read it now, what will you read on the plane?
So you wander through your terminal—slowly—in and out of each shop that’s trying to sell you last-minute souvenirs, snacks, books and magazines. That takes about 15 minutes. Now what? Maybe grab a meal at one of the restaurants, assuming you haven’t already eaten. But at McCarran International Airport, you can extend your Vegas vacation right up until the minute you board your plane by playing the slot machines.
I’ll bet you have some questions about gambling at the airport. I know I did. So let’s tackle the big ones, shall we?
Airport Slot Machines
Where can I find slot machines at McCarran International Airport?
There are approximately 1,300 slot machines at McCarran, in baggage claim, the shopping areas, in terminals near gates—even in the car rental center. Trust me, you can’t miss them.
Has anyone ever actually won playing slots at the airport?
Shockingly, yes. According to Chris Jones, Acting Manager of Public Affairs and Marketing at McCarran, two players at McCarran won $392,000 and $259,000 respectively within four days of each other in May 2008. One lucky traveler won $3.9 million at a progressive Wheel of Fortune machine in January 2005. I’ve also seen many reports on TripAdvisor’s Vegas forum from people who won enough money at the airport to make them happy. Personally, I’ve never won anything on the machines at the airport. Then again, I don’t usually win in the casinos, either.
Does that mean the slots are looser at the airport?
Er, no. Conventional wisdom has long held that you should avoid playing slots at the airport because the payout is lower than average. (Although given how tight the machines have become on the Strip in recent years, I don’t see much of a difference any more.) As with playing all slot machines, you should be prepared to lose, because you probably will. Gambling should be a form of entertainment, like going to the movies. It’s just a fun way to kill time. . .with a (very) slight chance of winning back some of your money.
How do I get paid if I win or want to cash out?
As is the standard with most casinos these days, the slot machines at McCarran Airport feature TITO (or Ticket In, Ticket Out), meaning when you cash out, you get a ticket. There are no bill breaker machines here to exchange your ticket for cash, so you’ll have to look for the uniformed attendant to make the exchange. There is one stationed at or near all slot locations.
Do I have to fill out an IRS form if I win over $1,000, like at the casinos?
Sadly, yes. Uncle Sam always wants his cut.
How long does it take to get paid? Will I miss my flight?
This probably depends on how close you’re cutting your play to when your flight boards. There are ticket attendants on hand to pay you your winnings. If you win a couple of hundred bucks, they can probably pay you quickly with the money they have on hand. But if you win a big jackpot—say a couple hundred thousand or a million—they won’t have that money on hand. So it will take longer to get paid, and yes, you may miss your flight. But if you won that much money, really, would you care???
How do you feel about playing the slots at McCarran? Would you do it to entertain yourself while waiting for your flight, or do you think it’s a sucker’s bet? Have you ever played there–and won?
You have a lot to look forward to in Las Vegas—bright lights, constant partying, and endless opportunities. You also face an ocean of slot machines in every casino on the Strip and anywhere else in the city.
In fact, you’ll find over 200,000 slot machines in Las Vegas alone. And not all of these slot games are the same. Some casinos offer better rewards through their players’ programs, for example. Others have looser slots (games with a higher RTP).
Here’s my list of the seven best casinos for slots in Las Vegas.
1 – Aria
Aria Resort & Casino is one of the most luxurious properties on the Las Vegas Strip, and it also has one of the biggest slot machine areas anywhere in the city.
On top of that, they have the biggest and best high roller slot machine parlor in the entire state. It even has its own name, Spin.
It’s an architectural marvel, too. Famed New York architect Peter Marino designed Spin, which has more amenities than some casinos. This includes a staff of butlers to cater to your needs while you play. The cashier’s cage is separate from the gaming, and the bathrooms are all private.
Have you ever seen a full-service dining room inside the slot machine area? And Aria doesn’t just cater to high rollers. The casino has over 2,000 slot machine games available, including popular titles like Wheel of Fortune and The Walking Dead. They also frequently host slot machine tournaments.
2 – Bellagio
A lot of people think of the Bellagio as the best place on the Las Vegas Strip to play poker, and they are right about this, of course.
But Bellagio is also one of the best spots on the Vegas Strip to find slot machine tournaments and a wide variety of slots games to choose from. Including video poker games and slot machines, Bellagio has over 2,300 different gambling machines to choose from.
And they’re available in multiple denominations, catering to both low rollers and high rollers alike.
Many of Bellagio’s slot machines feature progressive jackpots where you can win $1 million or more on a single spin of the reels. No one offers better live entertainment or dining either.
Also, since Aria and the Bellagio are both owned by MGM, membership at the slots club there means that you automatically have a membership in M life Rewards loyalty program, which is the players club at the following casinos:
- Aria
- Bellagio
- Delano Las Vegas
- Excalibur
- Luxor
- Mandalay Bay
- MGM Grand
- The Mirage
- Park MGM
- New York-New York
- Vdara
3 – The Venetian
The Venetian is famous for a lot of things, and one of those things is the varied selection of gambling machines available there. The casino has two floors worth of machines to choose from, and they have a great loyalty program.
The Venetian also makes it a point of keeping the latest games on the floor, and they’ve done an excellent job of making sure they have newer games than some of their competitors. If you’re looking for games like the new Ghost Busters slots or the Game of Thrones slots, this is the place.
Like Aria, the Venetian caters to high rollers.
If you’re a customer here, you can even request your own brands of machine, and the casino will do its best to accommodate.
They offer butler service and a lounge where you can relax when you’re taking a break from the slots games.
If you’re a Gold or Platinum member of the Grazie loyalty program here, you get free transportation to and from McCarran Airport.
4 – The Golden Nugget
So far, this list has focused on slot machine games that cater to high rollers on the Strip. But not all the best slot machines are found on the famed Las Vegas Boulevard.
In fact, the payback percentages for machines in other parts of the city are usually superior to the glitzier properties on the Strip. And what better “other part of the city” is there than downtown?
The gaming floor at the Golden Nugget is huge, with over 1,000 gambling machines to choose from. They have some of the most varied games in the city, too. They carry the famous games like Wheel of Fortune, but they also have a bigger variety of “Buffalo” slots than almost any other casino.
They feature multiple progressive jackpot slots casinos, too. I’m one of those slot machine players who loves a good steak, so the presence of Vic and Anthony’s is a great reason to play here, too. It’s one of the 10 best steakhouses in the entire country.
5 – Sam’s Town
One thing you should be aware of about Las Vegas slots is that the payback percentage is lower on the Strip than elsewhere. The best places to play are older casinos that are a little off the beaten path.
Sam’s Town fits the bill nicely. What it lacks in luxury, Sam’s Town makes up for with high payout slot machine games.
One thing that Sam’s Town offers that isn’t available at other Las Vegas casinos is an online listing of the slot machine games they have available. You can search their database by denomination, type of game, or keyword in the game title.
Be warned, though, Sam’s Town is not your traditional Vegas experience. It’s older and a bit cheesier. It’s probably a more appropriate casino to stay at if you’re older or maybe if you have young children.
As far as the better payback percentages go, that’s worth a visit.
The payback percentage for a casino is the AVERAGE of the slots on the floor. You might play a game with a 75% payback percentage, while your mom might be playing on an identical machine next to it with a 95% payback percentage.
And since the house has the edge, if you play either game long enough, you’ll eventually lose all your money.
6 – Excalibur
If you’re more interested in payback percentage than glitz and glamour, you should look at some of the older properties on the Strip. Circus Circus and Excalibur both count, but Excalibur’s more recent renovations make it somewhat more palatable to the modern gambler.
Excalibur is old enough and low rent enough that they can afford to offer some of the best payback percentages on the Strip. And if you’re not a high roller, you should consider trying the slots here.
They have plenty of penny slots, and even their most expensive game tops out at $100 per spin—a far cry from the $5000 max at some of the other casinos in this group on the Strip.
That’s right. Excalibur is also owned by MGM, so you get to participate in the same huge slot club as most of the other casinos on this list.
7 – Downtown Vegas in General
Rather than close out this list with another casino recommendation, I want to recommend the Downtown Vegas area over the Strip for its selection of unusual slot machine games in various areas.
For example, the biggest slot machine in the world is the SlotZilla zip line. And when I say “big,” I’m being literal. It’s 128 feet tall. You zip down Fremont Street Experience on one of two lines, and the game has a huge video screen with reels and an animated arm to pull.
You can also view antique slot machines at the Main Street. They’re beautiful and well worth seeing. You’ll find them near the registration desk.
Many of the Downtown Las Vegas casinos offer huge, oversized slot machines. One place to find them is on the second level of The D. You’ll have to take the escalator to see this one. Also, you get to play for real coins here, which is a nice change of pace for old-timers who remember being able to cash out with a huge bucket full of coins.
You’ll also find a huge slot machine in The Golden Nugget.
Conclusion
Those are my picks for the seven best casinos for slots in Las Vegas. Do you disagree with my choices?