Slot Machine Legal Percentage Payouts

The more you spend for each round on a slot machine, the higher your payout percentage will usually be. For example, in Louisiana, the payout percentage for $5 slots ranges from 93.2 percent to 94.4 percent. When the casino orders a slot machine, it specifies the long-term payback percentage it wants installed on the machine from the percentages available for the game. Depending on the jurisdiction, the casino may or may not be able to change the payback percentage later on.

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Slot Machine Legal Percentage Payouts 2020
Slot Machine Percentage Payouts
Slot Payout Percentage
Slot Machine Payout Chart

Introduction to Massachusetts Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Massachusetts slot machine casino gambling consists of two large Category One resort casinos, one small Category Two slots parlor, and a cruise ship with an onboard casino sailing to international destinations.

Massachusetts has set a minimum theoretical payout limit and monthly return statistics are publicly available.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Massachusetts*

The minimum legal gambling age in Massachusetts depends upon the gambling activity:

Land-Based Casinos: 21
Poker Rooms: 21
Bingo: 18
Lottery: 18
Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

Since 2011, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has had three gaming regions, each with one casino resort gaming license:

Eastern Region A: This license went to MGM, who constructed a casino in downtown Springfield. It opened on August 24, 2018.
Western Region B: This license went to Wynn Resorts, who constructed Encore Boston Harbor in Everett. It opened on June 23, 2019.
Southeastern Region C: No license awarded.

Massachusetts gaming regulations define large Category 1 casino resorts and small Category 2 slots parlors as follows:

Category One casino:
- Pay a daily tax of 25% of gross gaming revenue
- Appropriate documentation of infrastructure improvements onsite and around the vicinity of the gaming establishment
Category Two casino:
- Pay a daily tax of 40% of gross gaming revenue
- Pay an additional daily assessment of 9% of its gross gaming revenue
- Appropriate documentation of infrastructure improvements
- Limited to 1,500 gaming positions

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Massachusetts

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in Massachusetts if it is 30 years old or older.

Gaming Control Board in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission, known as Mass Gaming, became law on November 22, 2011 when Governor Deval Patrick signed the Expanded Gaming Act.

Casinos in Massachusetts

There are three non-tribal casinos and one cruise ship based in Massachusetts.

The largest casino in Massachusetts is Encore Boston Harbor with 2,800 gaming machines.

The second-largest casino is MGM Springfield with 2,550 gaming machines.

Commercial Casinos in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has three land-based casinos including:

Encore Boston Harbor in Everett located 5 miles north of downtown Boston.
MGM Springfield located 92 miles west of Boston and 26 miles north of Hartford, Connecticut.
Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville located 36 miles southwest of Boston and 22 miles northeast of Providence, Rhode Island.

A cruise ship sailing out of the Port of Boston is the NCL Dawn. The ship offers onboard gambling via slot machines and table games when traveling in international waters.

Tribal Casinos in Massachusetts

In 2012, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe have an approved tribal-state gaming compact to offer tribal gaming in Southeastern Massachusetts. This Region C includes the counties of Bristol, Plymouth, Nantucket, Dukes, and Barnstable.

Subsequently, construction started on The First Light Resort & Casino in Taunton. However, progress has slowed due to lawsuits. Construction has been on hold since mid-2016. It is uncertain whether the casino will ever open.

Another tribal casino may yet open in Massachusetts as it would not require a state gaming license but instead be subject to the federal IGRA. The Aquinnah Cliffs Casino located in Martha’s Vineyard would offer 250 Class II, bingo-style competition games. However, it, too, has also been subject to lawsuits which has delayed its completion.

Other Gambling Establishments

Slot Machine Legal Percentage Payouts Payout

As an alternative to enjoying Massachusetts slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Massachusetts is:

North: New Hampshire Slots and Vermont Slots
East: The Atlantic Ocean
South: Connecticut Slots and Rhode Island Slots
West: New York Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Massachusetts.

Our Massachusetts Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Massachusetts? If so, join our new Massachusetts slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Massachusetts. Join us!

Payout Returns in Massachusetts

Massachusetts law has set a minimum theoretical payout of 80% for gaming machines.

Monthly revenue reports for each casino are publicly available from Mass Gaming. These reports offer monthly casino hold percentages as well as player win percentages. Note that these return statistics are referred to, somewhat misleadingly, as payout%.

The January 2020 player win percentage for each casino is:

Encore Boston Harbor: 92.63%
MGM Springfield: 91.60%
Plainridge Park: 92.37%

In January 2020, Encore Boston Harbor has the highest player win percentage. However, for the prior five months, Plainridge Park had the highest payout win percentage.

Summary of Massachusetts Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Massachusetts slot machine casino gambling consists of two casino resorts, a slots parlor, and a cruise ship offering an onboard casino when traveling to international destinations.

The minimum theoretical payout for slot machines is 80%. Monthly actual return statistics are publicly available for each casino.

Annual Progress in Massachusetts Slot Machine Casino Gambling

In the last year, Encore Boston Harbor opened in Everett. This is the second year in a row that a large casino resort has opened in Massachusetts.

How do Connecticut’s casinos stack up against casinos in other states?

Those of us who try our luck on the slots at Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun hope the next pull of the lever will be life changing. But what are the odds you’ll really walk away with cash?

Connecticut’s two tribal casinos rank in the middle of the pack in terms of slot payouts when compared with other states around the country.

According to the Connecticut Gaming Commission, Foxwoods' slot payout average is 91.85 percent. Mohegan Sun pays back at a rate of 91.71 percent. That means Connecticut has the eighth-highest payout rate of the 20 states requiring casinos to report.

Investigations

The best payout percentage by state is in neighboring New York. The Empire State, with its nine reporting casinos, pays back 93.75 percent. Resorts World in Queens, New York, pays the highest returns, at 95.05 percent.

The second state by average is Nevada, at 93.54 percent. West Virginia is at the bottom of the list, with an average of 89.12 percent payback.

Slot Machine Legal Percentage Payouts 2020

NEW YORK – 93.75 percent
NEVADA – 93.54 percent
COLORADO – 92.85 percent
MISSISSIPPI – 92.77 percent
FLORIDA – 92.46 percent
DELAWARE – 92.36 percent
**KENTUCKY– 92.06 percent
*CONNECTICUT – 91.77 percent
NEW JERSEY – 91.41 percent
SOUTH DAKOTA – 91.36 percent
ILLINOIS – 91.00 percent
RHODE ISLAND – 90.88 percent
LOUISIANA – 90.74 percent
INDIANA – 90.71 percent
IOWA – 90.69 percent
MAINE – 90.68 percent
MISSOURI – 90.64 percent
OHIO – 90.34 percent
PENNSYLVANIA – 90.16 percent
WEST VIRGINIA – 89.72 percent

Percentages for include slots, blackjack, keno and video poker unless otherwise noted.
*Only slot machines
**Historical Horse Wagering

It’s not an exact science. Most states include video poker, Keno and video blackjack in their percentages, which tend to give better odds. Connecticut is the only state to include only slots. States like Nevada and Louisiana report area averages, not individual casinos. Other states, like New York and Florida, exempt tribes from reporting.

The NBC Connecticut Troubleshooters sorted through slot revenue reports submitted to gaming, lottery and racing commissions for all reporting states. The Troubleshooters found that the areas with more competition tend to pay out higher averages.

Also, the lower the denomination, the lower the payback. Penny slots at both Connecticut casinos pay lower than 90 percent and receive almost half the total money wagered. The highest payouts at Foxwoods are the multi-denomination machines. They pay out 95.77 percent. Mohegan Sun’s $10 machines return 96.96 percent.

Foxwoods: July 2014 - May 2015

$0.01: 89.34 percent
$0.02: 90.83 percent
$0.05: 90.40 percent
$0.25: 92.06 percent
$0.50: 91.47 percent
$1.00: 93.50 percent
$2.00: 93.34 percent
$5.00: 93.96 percent
$10.00: 94.70 percent
$25.00: 94.25 percent
$100.00: 95.56 percent
Multi-Denomination: 95.77 percent
Total: 91.85 percent

Mohegan Sun: July 2014 - May 2015

$0.0025: 85.84 percent
$0.005: 85.45 percent
$0.01: 88.93 percent
$0.02: 89.21 percent
$0.05: 88.39 percent
$0.25: 91.64 percent
$0.50: 91.94 percent
$1.00: 93.04 percent
$2.00: 96.62 percent
$5.00: 93.82 percent
$10.00: 96.96 percent
$25.00: 95.38 percent
$100.00: 93.85 percent
Multi-Denomination: 95.19 percent
Total: 91.71 percent

Mohegan Sun president Bobby Soper argues his casino is as competitive as any around the country. He points out the economy and amount of free play credits they give to entice bettors plays a big part in keeping them from being even higher on the list.

'There are certainly a higher percentage of penny machines and nickel machines than previous,' said Soper. 'That across the board, across the industry is going to drive hold percentage.'

This investigation comes at a time when Connecticut is exploring the option of allowing Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun to jointly operate a third state casino, off tribal land, north of Hartford.

Slot Machine Percentage Payouts

Locations being considered include the Enfield Square Mall, the Bradley Off-Track Betting property in Windsor Locks and the former Showcase Cinemas property in East Windsor.

The legislature approved the right for tribes to consider proposals from towns willing to host a satellite casino. Soper expects its cost could save thousands of jobs in the state and cost close to $300 million. It will include slots, table games and a poker room.

Soper hopes to see it as close to the Connecticut border as possible. Just 5 miles from the border, MGM is building a $1 billion resort casino in Springfield. A spokesman for MGM estimates its slot payouts will be in the mid-90 percent.

Slot Payout Percentage

State Sen. John Kissel believes casino expansion is bad policy. He argues a casino in his area of North Central Connecticut will not stop people, especially high-end gamblers, from traveling to Springfield.

'They’re aware of payouts and they’re going to travel,' said Kissel, a Republican from Enfield. 'If Massachusetts is better than Connecticut, all the high-end gamblers are going to Massachusetts and the people that are struggling to just make ends meet are going to end up in North Central Connecticut.'

Slot Machine Payout Chart

In Connecticut, the tribes are required to pay 25 percent of all slot revenue to the state. They don’t need to pay anything on table games. The state has received nearly $7 billion total since Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods opened in the 1990s.

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