Spin to Win

I have intentionally waited until the last day of gambling week to discuss slot machines, those dastardly one armed bandits who can turn dreams into nightmares or pennies into a small fortune. There isn’t a single gambling authority who will recommend that you invest any time or money in these devices and for good reason. For one, it is impossible to figure the odds against you. Most any other game in the casino is transparent enough that you know exactly what chances you have and the size of the house’s edge. Not here. There are broad estimates of what certain machines pay or what certain casinos pay over time but that tells you nothing about which machine to choose. It could be less than 90% of what you wager. That might not be so bad if you weren’t wagering so much and cycling through it so fast, but you are. And those big jackpots you are chasing only make it worse. The more money that a machine pays out for its biggest prizes, the more losing spins it is going to have. But I’m not telling you not to play. It is fun and exciting and the newer machines have a lot of fun bonus rounds and visuals. Just remember that you are going to pay for that entertainment value over time. And that is the biggest lesson to take from this week’s blog. Gambling is a form of entertainment and the money you spend in the casino should be a part of your entertainment budget, not your 401k. That way you’ll always be a winner!