There are high player returns on the slot floor if you know where to look By Frank Legato   If you arrive at a casino and go directly to the slot floor, it’s a good bet that your main goal is to enjoy the entertainment of today’s vast variety of slot games. However, if your […]

By Frank Legato   As slot manufacturers return to live trade shows, a multitude of new slot games is about to be unveiled. Here’s a sample of what’s coming Slot manufacturers have always synchronized releases of new games with the calendar of casino industry trade shows. Of course, last year, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a […]

When you can’t just bet the minimum By John Grochowski   My wife Marcy and I play a mix of penny slots when we go to the casino together—progressives, non-progressives, games with pick-a-prize bonuses, games with free spins, and games with and without pop culture tie-ins. It was at a progressive recently that another player […]

The original game-show slot, and pioneer of the wheel bonus, the television theme and so much more, turns 25 By Frank Legato THE COMBINATION WAS BRILLIANT. The melding of ideas that went into slot-maker IGT’s creation of arguably the most important slot machine of the modern casino era was simple, opportunistic and ingenious. In the […]

Players share their tales of love-and-hate slot changes By John Grochowski   Modern slot machines can be creative, interactive, exciting, entertaining, surprising and any number of adjectives you’d care to add to the list. That’s the product of constant innovation and change with game makers bringing us new bonus events, new play mechanics and new […]

Incredible Technologies’ Ultra Rush Gold combines a wealth of proven features to supercharge a popular game By Frank Legato   When designing new slot games, supplier Incredible Technologies has always banked on what has been proven successful with players before. Think the “Money Catch Bonus” of the Crazy Money game family, which has been reprised […]

Wagering enough to come out ahead on today’s volatile slots requires vigilance and patience By Frank Legato   Wagering on slot machines a few decades ago was easy. Most of them took two or three coins, mainly quarters or dollars. Your only decision was whether betting a single coin was wise, or whether you needed to […]

Players divulge the methods to their madness By Frank Scoblete   People work hard to earn their money. In fact, as my son says, “It’s called work because it is work.” With the exception of some high rollers who might be so rich that spending amazing amounts causes them no pain, the rest of us […]

Understanding the random nature of slot machines By John Grochowski   For many years, Strictly Slots has addressed concerns of readers wondering how their observations and results squared with the idea that results are random on slot machines. The questions would start, “If results are really random …” followed by something that just didn’t add […]

Slot makers are taking popular features and using them in a new way By John Grochowski   Whether you’re a slot player, game maker or casino operator, versatility in game play is a prize to be treasured. The fast-growing hold-and-respin segment has that versatility. It’s been used for basic bonus play, in more varied bonus […]