Monthly Archives: April 2014

Tight vs. Loose Slot Machines

If you spend any time around slots players or reading up on slots related literature you will probably have come across a variety of slots types and terms, the most popular of which are often “loose slots” and “tight slots“.

These terms usually refer to the payouts of a certain slot machine. A slot is said to be loose when it is programmed to pay out at a slightly higher percentage than the money put into it while a tight slot pays out at a lower percentage than what it earns.

The actual difference between these two types of slots is the difference in their theoretical payout percentage. Modern slot machines are designed to return a theoretical percentage of all credits earned back to the player and that is where the casinos edge comes into play. When a slot machine is advertised as having a payout rate of 96% that means that it pays back 96% of the money it accumulates.

We use the words “theoretical payout” due to the fact that a machine pays out a certain percentage over an infinite amount of time and amount of slots play. It doesn’t mean that you will get back 96% of the money you bet every time you play – it is more of a long term rate.

You may wonder why casinos would offer loose slot machines at all and theoretically earn less than if they were to only offer tighter games instead. The reason behind this is quite logical – slots players are more likely to keep on playing if they think a machine may be loose and if it is and they win then they are happy enough to either keep playing or return more readily to the casino than they would if they kept losing.

Likewise, if a player feels a machine is too “tight” and keeps losing money he/she is more likely to stop playing. The fact of the matter is that the more time a slots player spends playing on a slot, even if it is a loose one, the more money the casino will make so it is really in their best interest to keep players happy and playing.

It is easy to see that setting slot machines theoretical payout percentage requires a fine balance between being too loose and not earning enough or too tight and not earning enough as it fails to keep enough players playing.

Tight and loose slots at Casinos

In both land based and online casinos, slot machines are mixed up either on the gaming floor or within the casino games lobby so it is not always easy to tell which are loose and which are not. So how can you tell which is which?

There are two main ways of determining a slot’s relative “looseness” (for lack of a better word):

  1. Try to find out a slot’s payout percentage – some of these are audited and published but more often than not casinos just publish an overall payout rate for their slots instead of per machine. There are however some exceptions and although it may require a great deal of work, it is possible to sometimes find these.
  2. Play a machine for a certain number of spins or period of time and see how it “feels”. If you find that you win nothing during those spins or that time, move on and compare it to another slot for the same number of spins or time period. Over time as you become accustomed to how certain slots behave you will be able to tell if a machine is loose or not.

While the payout rates of slots is usually regulated by certain government agencies and bodies, beyond those it is really up to the software provider as to what each machines nature will be.

Which Online Casino Group has the best VIP offering?

If you’re weighing casino groups to join and are looking for one to invest your long term loyalty in with the objective of moving up their loyalty program tiers on your way to becoming a VIP then we highly recommend playing at Casinos in the Fortune Lounge Group. These include Platinum Play, Royal Vegas, 7 Sultans and Vegas Palms Casinos.

We make this recommendation upon personal experience as we have played at casinos in this group for a number of years and reached VIP status. The great thing is that you don’t have to be a VIP at these online casinos to get great service, awesome promotions and bonuses as well as an amazing gaming experience.

At the moment, the Fortune Lounge Caribbean Cruise promotion is underway and 50 lucky players will stand the chance to win double tickets aboard a luxurious 7 day cruise on the magnificent Oasis of the Seas Caribbean Cruise liner as well as prizes to the value of €1,000,000! Draws take place each week and this promotion is open to all players so take part now!

In addition to a promotional line-up that is always fresh and offers you new opportunities each month making them the sure leader when it comes to Microgaming casino promotions they also offer a great gaming experience. Not to mention the fact that withdrawals at their casinos take just 24 hours as opposed to other casinos which take 48 hours or more!

If you are serious about becoming a VIP at this group then it’s best to concentrate all of your game play at casinos within their group. Points earned at each casino accumulate to your name and you will move up the tiers of the loyalty program according to your game play.

Once you become a VIP the rewards are really worth it! You don’t have to play at a Las Vegas Casino to have your own VIP casino host. The Fortune Lounge group assigns all VIP’s a designated host. Ours are Nick and Jorn and they always go above and beyond to ensure that we are happy and well looked after and have accompanied us on a number of VIP experiences over the years. They are really great guys and we always have a great deal of fun when we’re with them.

As part of the package, VIP’s are offered their own personally tailored experience. Unlike other online casinos who offer a “one size fits all” offering to all players, The Fortune Lounge Group goes that extra mile to find out what each person enjoys and then arrange to spoil you accordingly. In addition to a variety of gifts we’ve also enjoyed a Mercedes AMG advanced driving experience, a stay at Sun City South Africa as well as invitations to a variety of stunning destinations around the world.

We have just been invited to the fabulous Las Vegas and informed that there are special competitions and events in line for VIP’s to win their place on an upcoming African Safari.

As you can see, there really is a great deal going on behind Fortune Lounge’s VIP curtain and that is definitely something to aspire to and work towards…all it takes is a bit of loyalty and you’ll be on your way to a whole new world of special treats compliments of Fortune Lounge!

Getting the most out of your Casino Deposits

Welcome Deposit Bonuses or match deposit bonuses are probably the most common type of promotion that you’ll encounter when playing at online casinos, poker or bingo rooms and even sportsbooks. Reload Bonuses are another popular offer that allow you to maximize your chances of winning provided you get the maximum value out of these offers. There are a number of ways to ensure that you get the most out of these types of deposit bonuses and here we take a look at how to do just that.

You should always be on the lookout for the best possible bonus offers and casino deals when playing online. Generally players who deposit a minimum of $25 will generally be offered reload bonuses of up to 200% in addition to other free spins or free money deals. By doing your homework you’ll be able to find the best offers and make deposits at casinos offering these and this can make a big difference to your bankroll. If you miss out on a $100 offer and accept a $50 instead just because you didn’t look around, this effectively translates to a $50 loss in your casino funds!

In addition to finding the best offers, you also need to give some thought to structuring your casino deposits in such a way that you will get the maximum value out of these. This may require some self-control as you may have to pass up smaller offers when depositing lesser amounts each week, save your money and rather make a larger single deposit every two weeks or once a month that will effectively earn you a bigger bonus. The benefits of waiting for larger bonuses are that your bankroll will be bigger and last longer which means you may actually

Lastly, you should always keep a bankroll and bonus spreadsheet when playing online. This not only helps you to see where your money went with each gambling session which will keep you gambling responsibly but also keeps you up-to-date on where you have bonuses pending if you play at multiple casinos.

These are just three easy steps to maximising your match deposit bonuses when playing online casinos that will go a long way to managing your bankroll effectively and enhancing your overall casino experience.