If you’ve ever dreamed of bringing the joy of spinning the reels and chasing jackpots into your living room, you’re in the right place. Real money slots are the most popular game-genre nearly everywhere, and are responsible for anywhere from 60% to 80% of all gambling establishment revenues.
Whether you want to buy one for personal or commercial use, there are several things you need to know to make a well-informed decision. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the ins and outs of how to buy a slot machine.
Top 5 Things To Consider When Buying a Slot Machine
We get into the legalities regarding of owning a slot machine so you can own your very own online crfasino game.
Most US states only allow their residents to buy slots that are older than 25 years.
1) Where Can you Legally Own a Slot Machine?
Each US state has the right to pass its gambling laws. Hence, the regulation of games of chance differs from state to state. For example, only six US territories allow residents to enjoy online slots on desktop (PC and Mac) and remote devices. Those states are Michigan, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
So, it stands to reason that rules regarding video slot ownership differ from place to place in the US.
In general, we can divide US territories into three main categories. These are: regions that allow private gambling machine ownership, states that prohibit it, and states which permit their residents to buy older games.
Thirteen states fall into the first group and nine in the second. Concerning regions that allow ownership of veteran slots, this limit can vary from Vegas-style machines with two decades under their belt or more.
2) Your Best Avenues Regarding Purchasing a Real Slot Machine
Essentially the best place to locate used slots for sale is — surprise — the internet.
The World Wide Web is home to dozens of gambling retailers such as Gambler’s Oasis and Slot Machine Unlimited. Plus, it has multiple listing platforms like eBay and Craigslist, where collectors sell off gaming cabinets they wish to unload.
As a general rule, it’s better to snag regular and progressive jackpot slots from reputable retailers. That is the smarter move because such companies likely have repair services. Also, they probably offer a warranty on the machines they sell despite their age.
The price tag of a high-quality gambling device, like those offered by top-end Las Vegas casinos, will run anywhere between $1,000 and $5,000, depending on its complexity and popularity. Expect to pay in the mid-1,000s for a famous reel-spinner that has undergone heavy gaming floor use.
Bally Technologies is likely the most historically important manufacturer of reel spinners.
3) Slot Manufacturers to Know
While the online sphere gets dominated by casino software giants such as Playtech, NetEnt, Microgaming, and a few other online gambling entities, in the brick-and-mortar sector, a different pack of companies is responsible for the products found in land-based locales.
The mentioned Bally Manufacturing is one of the trailblazers in the gaming machine field. Today, its name/logo gets used by Bally’s Corporation and Bally Technologies. The latter got acquired by Scientific Games (Light & Wonder) in 2014. That is a publicly-traded corporation that also has WMS and Shuffle Master under its umbrella. Bally Technologies is a vital player in the slot sector, as it is the company that invented many of the modern gameplay features found in different types of modern slots.
Other famous brands that create top-shelf reel-spinning machines include the following names: Konami Digital Entertainment, International Game Technology, Video Gaming Technologies, Franco Gaming, Aruze Gaming America, Aristocrat Leisure, Ainsworth Game Technology, and the Inspired Gaming Group. You cannot go wrong with products from any of these companies.
4) Things to Pay Attention to When Buying a Machine
The number one thing that most people tend to forget regarding any category of reel-spinner, penny slots, and progressive jackpot included, is how big these machines are. They can go up to seven feet high, so space is often an issue. Naturally, not all devices are super tall, but they are still wide and have some depth to them, so there is always a spatial consideration with slots in play.
Another thing not to neglect is the shape of the machine under review for purchase. Since individuals are unlikely to get high-end slot manufacturers to sell them a single machine, as these entities only deal with casino corporations, the games under consideration will be second-hand slots.
Is refurbishment a part of the deal, in how rough a state is the device in question? Will someone need to repair it or clean up its appearance after the purchase? If so, that should knock the price down.
It does not matter how simple a slot is to play. Its inner workings do not substantially vary from games with multiple bonus rounds.
Also, it’s essential to never forget about the delivery costs. These are heavy pieces of electromechanical machinery. So, they are not easy to transport, requiring a truck and a sturdy dolly to get relocated.
5) Private Slot Usage
You can keep a slot at home, but you cannot offer real money play to others on it.
After you purchase a slot machine, its owner can spin its reels to kingdom come trying to figure out how and when the device will payout wins. However, he cannot offer it to others for real money entertainment.
Laws classify casino gambling as banker vs. player games, house-backed ones. That means customers test their luck by risking money on products that provide uncertain outcomes housed by business entities that guarantee their potential payouts.
These activities get heavily regulated, and anyone who wants to offer these services must undergo a vetting process before getting supplied with a license to participate in this industry. Plus, state regulatory entities can only give out a few per region. — so it’s not easy to get one.
If a person wants to use a slot for a charitable event, you still need permission. The prime motivation for someone to go all out and buy a reel-spinner is the personal satisfaction of owning a vintage gambling machine.
Some fun credit slot action is available at online casinos for those who want to learn how these games work precisely, or, are under the misconception that they can play one game long enough that they can predict its behavior.
A Closer Look at Slot Machines
The first machine that resembled a modern slot got invented in 1891 by two New York innovators, Pitt and Sittman, and it used five drums that held fifty face cards, relying on poker’s hand-ranking system to create winning combos. However, it was not until 1963, when Bally Manufacturing released the first 100% electromechanical reel-spinner named Money Honey, that these games attained the form we know today, the one found at no download gaming platforms.
In the 1990s, slots introduced free spins bonus rounds, breaking through the classic 3×3 mold. While many may think these simple machines can get played on virtually all gambling floors, this isn’t the case.
In the US, reel-spinners that randomly form symbol combinations fall under the legal Class III gambling category, along with classic table games. A distinction must get made between them and VLT machines with a bingo soul. They do not utilize RNG algorithms in the same way. Also, Video Lottery Terminals don’t offer the same high-limit action as traditional spinners.
