Casino Slot Machine Question

[hillbillycruisers]

We are cruisen on the Ecstacy in Dec....our first time on Carnival, but on previous RCI cruises it seemed the slots were extremly tight..didnt see anyone really winning ...we were told by some "seasoned" cruisers that they are looser on the first night out to get you hooked, then get very tight for the rest of the cruise...seems kinda far fetched to me, but then I figured they were the same the entire time...what do you cruise ship casino vetrans think about this rumor?? we dont gamble much, but i was just curious :)

[klfrodo]

Cruiselines are not regulated like Vegas and Atlantic City.

 

Won't find a factual number but most research indicates that cruiselines have a payback anywhere from 65 -80%. Whereas in Vegas it's regulated in the 90's (I believe)

 

That equals VERY TIGHT

 

:D Of course that only means that my gambleing keeps everyone elses cruise costs down.

[pearlandmom]

As far as I know, the cruise lines don't have to follow any regulatory guidelines for payouts like the casinos in Vegas, for instance. My experience has always been that the slots didn't pay off much in general on the ships. I did notice though on my last cruise that folks seemed to be winning more on the last night than earlier in the cruise.

[grandmato4]

We've always tended to find the first night more generous than other nights but have no idea if that's really the case or not. Of coarse after our last cruise I certainly can prove that any night can be a good night as on the 3rd out of a five night cruise I won $11,000.:D

[rick&james]

on all 7 cruises with Carnival i have always won atleast a few 100 dollars on slots on the Fascincation i won over 1000 dollars on slots :0) and the inspiration i won about 500 dollars

[daljettjockie]

We've always tended to find the first night more generous than other nights but have no idea if that's really the case or not. Of coarse after our last cruise I certainly can prove that any night can be a good night as on the 3rd out of a five night cruise I won $11,000.:D

 

I used to believe that too, but I hit the jackpot this summer on the last night.

 

We just got back from the Fantasy yesterday, and I saw people winning all week, including myself. I thought the slots were looser than Vegas. I overnight in Vegas several times a month, and I have noticed lately that Vegas has tightened up the slots considerably.

[southbayer]

I lost each and every time.:(

[TNGALOHA]

I lost each and every time.:(

 

 

Me too!;)

[TNGALOHA]

I lost each and every time.:(

 

 

Me too!:o

[Dee777]

I left a sizable donation at the slots on the Valor in January :p

[Scottohiocpa]

In Nevada, all casinos are required to publicly release their payout rates. Since they are all fighting for customers, they give out from 92 to 98 cents on the dollar. At sea there are no rules, so they can set the rates however they want. They probably set them high enough to keep you coming back but low enough to make some money - my guess would be 70-85.

 

I do believe that the payouts are the SAME no matter when you play - the payouts are controlled by computer boards in the machines and I have not seen any carnival enployees in the machines swapping out cards. I would think any first night luck is just a coincidence.

 

Since payouts are truly random, you have just as much chance of hitting the jackpot right after the machine hit, but many people avoid these machines thinking they are not due for a long time.

 

What decides if you are a winner? The EXACT time your bet is placed determines what you will get. If you lose on a spin, that same spin might have won if you were just a thousadth of a second sooner or later.:)

[calicruise74]

now this is interesting.

 

I could have sworn that the "Carnival Channel" on the TV in your cabin (you know the channel that loops with the info about the ship, casino, etc) talked about how the machines were "..Regulated by the State of Nevada gaming commission" and so forth.

 

I honestly didnt believe it...

[Cincy Gal]

Just returned from a quick trip to Vegas and was pretty much a loser.

 

Was on the Spirit in August and I hit for $10,000 on 5th night of a 7 day cruise :D.

 

It is all Lady Luck and when she will strick ;).

[noblepa]

now this is interesting.

 

I could have sworn that the "Carnival Channel" on the TV in your cabin (you know the channel that loops with the info about the ship, casino, etc) talked about how the machines were "..Regulated by the State of Nevada gaming commission" and so forth.

 

I honestly didnt believe it...

 

There is some cruise line trade group, that Carnival and most other lines belong to, that provides a sort of self-regulation for onboard casinos.

 

That group's rules require that onboard casinos play by the rules in Las Vegas, Atlantic City or London. That only applies to the rules of play, I believe. That is, Carnival chooses to play by Vegas rules. That means that the roulette table will be the same as you would find in Vegas, the rules of play for BlackJack are the same as Vegas. I don't believe that the group rules govern slot payouts. Nevada law does set minimum payout rates, but I don't believe that those laws apply to cruise ships.

 

There used to be a reference to this on Carnival's website, but I just looked and couldn't find it.

 

Paul

[calicruise74]

Thanks for that info noblepa...I guess the catch phrase was "Vegas Rules" not really Vegas (State of NV) regulations.

[crazycath]

Ok those that won big what demoninations were you playing, those that have never won or lost big what demonination were you playing.

 

I am just wondering if that has anything to do with how loose the machines are.

 

Also if you dont mind how much did you have to put in before the big payoff?

 

 

Cathy

[grandmato4]

Ok those that won big what demoninations were you playing, those that have never won or lost big what demonination were you playing.

 

I am just wondering if that has anything to do with how loose the machines are.

 

Also if you dont mind how much did you have to put in before the big payoff?

 

 

Cathy

 

I was playing a dollar machine with 3 coins in. I had hit spin not more than 5 times when I won. I'd played the same machine the two nights before and had walked away with a couple hundred dollars each night. Almost no one was playing the dollar machines on our cruise except me. Anyone that did only played for a few spins and left. On the other hand the penny and nickel machines always had players at them whom I noticed were almost always playing the full amount. I thought it was comical that so many were playing well over a dollar a spin at those machines for hours but considered the dollar machines too expensive :) A couple hours after my win my SIL sat down at the machine beside the one I won on and won $500 on $1 which for him felt like a fortune won as he never wins anything. He had only put in about $5. before winning his $500.

[Onetrufan]

Just got off the Spirit yesterday (Hawaii to Ensenada). One morning I was down in the casino and someone won the BMW on the 2 cent slot. He took the $25,000 instead of the car. You had to play the max - 90 cents per spin to qualify. The casino host said someone also won a car on the previous cruise.

[Cincy Gal]

Ok those that won big what demoninations were you playing, those that have never won or lost big what demonination were you playing.

 

I am just wondering if that has anything to do with how loose the machines are.

 

Also if you dont mind how much did you have to put in before the big payoff?

 

 

Cathy

 

I had been playing quarters but the show had just let out and there was quit a crowed piling up. So I decided to move to the dollars and sit alone and put fifty dollars in and hit with thirty still to be played. It was a two dollar max.

[Cincy Gal]

Just got off the Spirit yesterday (Hawaii to Ensenada). One morning I was down in the casino and someone won the BMW on the 2 cent slot. He took the $25,000 instead of the car. You had to play the max - 90 cents per spin to qualify. The casino host said someone also won a car on the previous cruise.

 

A gentleman had also won a BMW on our August Spirit cruise. He played the same machine all week and hit on the last evening.

[Casino Player]

We are cruisen on the Ecstacy in Dec....our first time on Carnival, but on previous RCI cruises it seemed the slots were extremly tight..didnt see anyone really winning ...we were told by some "seasoned" cruisers that they are looser on the first night out to get you hooked, then get very tight for the rest of the cruise...seems kinda far fetched to me, but then I figured they were the same the entire time...what do you cruise ship casino vetrans think about this rumor?? we dont gamble much, but i was just curious :)

 

 

When you gamble in say Atlantic City or Las Vegas they have a lot of competition for the dollar and could have looser slots. Plus gaming commissions require certain paybacks on slots. Competition causes higher payouts. A cruise ship is outside this jurisdiction and has no need to provide higher payouts. Reason, capitive audience. You don't see cruise ships pulling up next to each other so you could see shows or play in the other's casino.

That said, table games have roughly the same payouts no matter where you play. The house always has the edge. Blackjack, the most popular casino game (don't know why) gives the house an 11% edge if six decks are used dealt from a shoe. Roulette house edge is 5.03% no matter what bet you make. The least house edge is in Craps. If you play the passline the house has a 1.45% edge. If you take the full odds the house allows their edge slips to .80%. Less than 1%. There are ways to bring the house edge down a bit more, but, this is about as fair a game as you could get in a Casino. A fair game is a game where a player and the house has an equal chance of winning.

[crusinpsychRN]

Just got off the Spirit yesterday (Hawaii to Ensenada). One morning I was down in the casino and someone won the BMW on the 2 cent slot. He took the $25,000 instead of the car. You had to play the max - 90 cents per spin to qualify. The casino host said someone also won a car on the previous cruise.

 

I'd take the cash too. But isn't the car worth more than that? Then I get it and sell it.