1. Push Button Slot Machines
2. Slot Machine Button Panel
3. Damaged Slot Machine Buttons
4. Slot Machines For Sale

Introduction to Controls Slot Machine Odds

Gameroom Show sells pre-1940s vintage slot machines in excellent, working condition. These rare antique slot machines are also known as “one-armed bandits” because they were originally operated by one lever on the side of the machine as opposed to a button on the front panel, and because of their ability to leave the gamer impoverished. Gameroom Show sells multi-slot machines, Watling.

Who controls slot machine odds is a popular question from slots enthusiasts. It’s quite an interesting question, which I thought my audience would appreciate an answer to.

1. The button is generally found on every slot machine ensuring players with different budgets can engage in the games. It is important to note that unlike the Bet Max Credits button, this one would not set the reels in motion and nothing will happen until the player pulls the lever or presses the Spin Reels button.
2. Learn Slot Machine Basics - Rules, Features and Buttons; Slot Machine Basics. A slot machine is a gambling machine with at least 3 reels (classic slot machines) that spin after the player presses a button. Most modern video slots contain 5 spinning reels or more. The aim of the game is to get a winning combination out of symbols on the reels and get paid.

My most recent encounter with this general question was during the Q&A segment of another gambling podcast, episode #634 from Five Hundy By Midnight. They had a question from David which was, “When a new themed penny slot debuts, what is the typical hold percentage? Does it vary by machine, casino, or both?”

Tim and Michelle, co-hosts of the long-lasting Five Hundy By Midnight, a gambling podcast that’s all about Las Vegas, answered the question well, if somewhat briefly.

I’m sure my own audience would like the answer too, so I’m providing a few more details as well as a more general answer with a bit of the why of it all.

This segment has the following sections:

• Introduction
• A Bit of Background on Legal Requirements
• A Bit of History on Physically Setting Odds
• Slot Machine Types Based on How Odds are Set
• Identifying Who Controls Slot Machine Odds
• Does It Really Matter Who Controls Slot Machine Odds? Yes!!
• Summary

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A Bit of Background on Legal Requirements

To answer this question, I’ll need to delve into a bit of recent history to explain how odds are set in older-style standalone slot machines using a random number generator (RNG). This way is how many people incorrectly believe the odds are currently set on ALL slot machines.

However, starting around 2008, a lot changed with setting slot machine odds. These changes are due to the emergence of new gaming technologies, not only in slot machines but also with the development of casino operating software. Both provide casinos with an increased operating efficiency and therefore low operating costs.

With so many more people visiting casinos in the last decade, and with their profit margins getting smaller every year, casino operators find they cannot afford to ignore the savings opportunities of new technologies.

The second driver for this change to how slot machines are controlled is due to ongoing developments in statutory regulations for gaming jurisdictions. In the U.S., these gaming jurisdictions are the states, territories, or federal district that legally allow gaming.

In essence, casino operators have to follow the gaming regulations for the jurisdiction wherein they are located. In part, these gaming jurisdictions often include laws which place an upper and lower limit on the pay back return for slot machines.

To not lose their gaming license, or to otherwise get in trouble with gaming control authorities, casino operators must remain in compliance with these legal gaming requirements.

Note that commercial casinos have to be comply to gaming regulations as set by the U.S. state, territory, or federal district they are located in. Native American tribal casinos also have to comply with their own set of gaming requirements, which are usually not based on state law.

Rather, these are defined by negotiation between a federally-recognized tribe and the state within which they are located by carefully crafting a state-tribal compact ultimately approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

So, within this overall context, who controls slot machine odds? At a high level, gaming regulators determine the legal limits, if any, for payout returns on slot machines. This is accomplished via state law or negotiated compacts, and usually not changed for a decade, if that often.

Casinos operators are, often but not always, required to provide weekly or monthly reports on actual payout returns to show their gaming authority they are compliant. Sometimes, depending on each gaming jurisdiction, these statistical reports are then provided to the public by the state gaming commission.

Going further, these regular reports can break down these actual payout returns by casino, table games, slot machines, gaming machines, by the denomination of slot machines within a specific casino, or even if the machine has a progressive jackpot. What is done is very specific to the gaming jurisdiction where the casino is located.

Given all these variability of what is or is not done within a U.S. gaming jurisdiction, I’ve created an online series of posts for my audience of slots enthusiasts. It’s meant to help them navigate this dynamic environment of state-specific gaming regulations.

For more information on your specific state, territory, or federal district of interest, see Slot Machine Casino Gambling, State-By-State: A Weekly Blog.

So, at its high level, slot machines are controlled by gaming regulators by the placement of legal requirements for payout return percentages. Sometimes, however, these state-specific gaming regulators do not set limits on payout returns. Put another way, they have deliberately chosen to not set legal limits.

When this happens, somewhat obviously, casino operators do not have a legal requirement for setting payout returns. However, to remain open and not close due to lack of customers, they still have to be careful to not set their payout returns too low.

It’s worth noting that most gaming regulations set a low limit on payout returns to which casino operators deliberately stay well above. To do so is just good business.

A Bit of History on Physically Setting Odds

Push Button Slot Machines

The random number generator (RNG) was developed for slot machines by Bally Technologies in 1984. About a decade later, most slot machines had this RNG, which allowed for easily adjustable odds of winning.

Beforehand, the odds of winning were set in an entirely mechanical manner. This worked well for decades, until the technical development of slot machines began to cause difficulties. Basically, as credits to bet and number of pay lines increased, the physical mechanisms for determining odds began to reach certain physical limits.

Slot enthusiasts loved having a choice of how many credits to bet, as well as playing a slot machine with more than one pay line. Increased credits and pay lines also led to much higher jackpots.

All of these developments led to odds of winning being needed for many more possible outcomes, which mechanical devices for determining the odds of winning began to not be able to handle. In fact, these mechanical devices began to fall behind and actually became less and less random in nature.

As an aside, the topic of randomness is actually quite interesting. True randomness is very difficult, if not literally impossible, to generate. Often, when randomness is needed in either an mechanical or electronic device, various methods are used which are “random enough.”

Technically speaking, there is no such thing as an existing perfectly random number generator. At best, there are only pseudo random number generators, one variant of which was patented by Bally Technologies in 1984.

Moving away from our brief sortie into the philosophy of randomness, the invention of the RNG solved for slot machine manufacturers this limitation of mechanical devices for determining randomness in slot machines. But, it created another problem: With adjustable odds of winning via electronic RNGs, casinos would need to have a large workforce to do that adjusting.

And so, that is what casinos did. They built and trained a workforce of slot mechanics to adjust the odds of winning on their new slot machines to meet their desired performance metrics.

However, the size of that workforce would increase tremendously depending on how often those odds of winning were adjusted. For older style slot machines, this is at least 7 days and may be as much as 2 weeks, as I’ve expressed in Professor Slots Episode #21: Winning at Slots on Older Casinos-Kentucky Slots 2018.

Most recently, since 2012 or so, relatively newer casinos have been able to reduce this costly workforce thanks to new casino operating systems. These systems not only help casinos manage large promotional events with less overall issues, but also allow them to remotely adjust the odds of winning on slot machines connected to the casino’s central computer system.

Of course, this connection to the casino’s central computer system is currently limited to a wired connection due to potential security concerns as well as WIFI bandwidth limits. As a result, using a central computer in this manner is only possible if all the slot machines are physically “wired up.”

Doing so requires sufficient building infrastructure, such as clearance beneath floors and behind walls, to allow for these many, many cable connections. This is only practically possible in all new casinos being built as well as older casinos being heavily renovated. That is to say, renovated to have far more than simply new carpeting and wallpaper.

With wired connections from slot machines to a central computer, the reduced cost of a smaller workforce of slot mechanics, much faster adjustment of casino performance metrics to daily or even hourly updates, and more satisfied customers due to efficiently run events, the question remains. Who controls slot machine odds?

To get closer to the answer to this question, we’ll next have to discuss how the legal limits of payout returns are set on actual slot machines. Why? Because slot machines can be categorized by how their odds are set. And, how those odds are physically set will tell us who really controls them.

Slot Machine Types Based on How Odds are Set

Slot machines can be divided up into methods by which their odds of winning are set. These slot machine types include:

• Standalone
• Casino-Specific Progressives
• Multi-Casino Progressives
• State-Wide Progressives
• Remotely Controlled Onsite by Casino
• Remotely Controlled Offsite by Gaming Regulators

Standalone slot machines are those which are most often found in older casinos, but are technically slot machines including within their cabinets the ability to set and provide odds of winning with a random number generator. A workforce of slot mechanics adjust the odds of winning periodically as directed by the casino operator.

In general, there is a limited number of settings available for these older slot machines. YouTube videos are available from individuals who have personally purchased an older style, standalone slot machine showing exactly how these odds are set.

For those videos I have viewed, there were six possible settings which could be entered after opening up the slot machine door. These settings were based on codes from a booklet provided by the slot machine manufacturer.

Keep in mind that videos such as these are the general source of knowledge most people have about the internal workings of slot machines. Employees of slot machine manufacturers and casinos with access to these payout settings simply aren’t sharing this information due to non-disclosure agreements and other legal restrictions.

Besides which, accessing the control for changing the odds of a slot machine is quite problematic. The slot machine is alarmed, so any tampering without official access (employee card key, entry code, physical key) are required to even open a slot machine door. Not to mention, the casino surveillance system sees all.

Discussing the three types of Progressive Slot Machines mentioned will be the dedicated topic for another time. I’d discuss how the ownership of these Progressive slot machines matters with regards to how the odds of winning are set. Briefly, the amount of the Progressive jackpot is primarily based on how many slot machines are included.

For instance, these can be a carousel of slot machines in a certain area of a casino, it can be a larger number of slot machines located throughout a casino, or a large group of Progressive slot machines located at multiple casinos.

These large group could actually be of two types: multiple properties of the same casino operator, or multiple casino operators, within a single gaming jurisdiction, i.e., state.

Already discussed are slot machines remotely controlled onsite at a casino through the use of a central computer operating system. Only new or heavily renovated casinos have the facility infrastructure to handle the sheer number of cables necessary.

If they are controlled onsite, these slot machines have their odds of winning adjusted daily or hourly by remote access. How often these adjustments are made is, rather unfortunately at this time, a matter of debate.

I’m currently trying to track down state legal requirements of which I’d heard rumors. The rumor I heard was that a slot machine must be idle for at least 15 minutes without a players card being inserted before the casino is allowed, if desired, to remotely adjust its odds of winning. Further, the rumor stated that this practice was typical and originally based on Nevada gaming regulations.

However, this rumor doesn’t pass the so-called smell test. At this time, I’ve currently reviewed state gaming regulations for over 38 U.S. states, territories, or a federal district. I’ve yet to find any substantiation for this rumor. Alternatively, it may well be an accepted business practice built-in to the advanced casino operating systems.

Why do I feel strongly that slots players are protected from having their odds of winnings reduced while playing? It’s simple – the state control board controls the odds of winning on slot machines, and everything I’ve seen, read, and studied tells me they work for you.

I just can’t imagine state gaming commissions would allow something this untoward, this nefarious even, to occur. They have careful casino operating system approval processes in place to prevent it, they watch casino operations like hawks (often from within the casino), and any casino that decides not to be fully compliant is in for a world of hurt if/when caught.

Finally, there are slot machines having their odds controlled off-site by state gaming regulators. These are most or all video lottery terminals style slot machines.

Video lottery terminals are, as their name implies, instant lottery machines. That means they are controlled by the state lottery, which is set up to remotely handle many, many such terminals at any given moment.

Identifying Who Controls Slot Machine Odds

Who controls slot machine odds at a casino you are considering whether or not to visit? Who controls slot machine odds on the slot machine you’re sitting at?

As I’ve discussed before, both on my webpage Assessing Casinos as well as Professor Slots podcast episode #3: Assessing Casinos, Alaska Slots 2017, deciding which local casino you want to spend your time at is an important decision for determining your baseline success at slots.

So, you’ll likely want to know who controls slot machine odds when you’re choosing between, for instance, an older, pre-2012 casino with standalone slot machines or a racino with many new video slot machines.

The top level choice is really about your own gambling goals, as also discussed on my webpage Identifying Gambling Goals or, alternatively, within Professor Slots podcast episode #5: Identifying Gambling Goals, Arizona Slots 2017.

But, whether your gambling goal is entertainment, earning maximum comps, or take-home money, having better odds of winning on a slot machine will help accomplish that goal. So, ignoring other important considerations such as drive time, the spread of the buffet, players club, and etc., the type of slot machine is definitely a consideration.

Casinos with standalone slot machines where the actual machine in front of you has its own dedicated random number generator is relatively easily determined. Ask someone, how old is the casino?

Or, if you don’t want to ask someone or look it up online, just take a look at the slot machine in front of you. Specifically, look at the player card interface area. What does its display look like? Is it a touchscreen display?

Or an LED display like those seen outside of a bank showing the time and temperature for a passerby to see? If it’s a touchscreen, the slot machine is most likely not standalone. If it’s an LED, it most likely is a standalone slot machine.

Determining whether or not a Progressive slot machine is connected to a single carousel, across several carousels within a casino, across several casinos owned by a single casino operator, or across several casino operator properties will be, as previously mentioned, the topic of an upcoming post.

Next up are non-video slot machines with touchscreens at the players card interface. These are all slot machines centrally controlled by a computer onsite at the casino. You can confirm this by learning the date of the casino’s original opening or when it was last heavily renovated.

Keep in mind that a very few casinos have both, assuming they have expanded their original structure not by renovating it, but by building a new casino facility right next to it.

This is the case with Foxwoods Resort, which is itself an older style casino. However, they recently build Fox Tower right next to it, which is a newer style casino.

Finally, there are video slot machines. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to tell the difference between a video slot machine and a video lottery terminal. A video slot machine is controlled onsite by the central computer at the casino. A video lottery terminal is controlled offsite by the state lottery.

The only sure way to tell the difference between these two slot machine types is to take a look at what the state gaming commission says they are at that casino.

For instance, in Ohio, there are currently 4 commercial casino resorts and 7 pari-mutual racinos. The 4 casinos have traditional reel and video slot machines all controlled by a central computer located onsite.

However, Ohio’s seven racinos have a mix of traditional reel and video lottery terminals slot machines. The traditional reel slot machines are controlled onsite with a central computer while all of the video lottery terminals, which externally look exactly like video slot machines, are controlled offsite by the state lottery’s central computer systems.

Does It Really Matter Who Controls Slot Machine Odds? Yes!!

With this improved understanding of how casinos work, let’s consider these two facts. First, that there are types of slot machines, specifically those that are standalone or remotely controlled by casino operator or state. Second, that there are the several ways slot machines can have their odds of winning set on an ongoing basis, depending on their specific type.

So yes, actually, it does matter who controls slot machine odds. Why? Because this is where patterns of winning are found. When slot machines are set up to be as random as possible, and that assigned level of randomness is unchanged over days and weeks, then long-term statistical principles rule.

Meaning, on average over the long haul, people will always loss money playing slots. Put another way, profits are only possible in the short term.. This specifically applies to all slot machines controlled by the state, such as video lottery terminals.

However, when the odds are changed hourly or set over 100% for promotional purposes, then there are better times to play a slot machine – and all that slot enthusiasts need do is figure out when that better time is in order to win more and, potentially, make some level of profit. That’s what I did: I made a profit at slots by looking for and finding winning patterns, when I won 90 taxable jackpots in 9 months.

Only casino operators change their odds hourly or deliberately adjust them for promotional purposes. The state has no need or desire to do so, getting their money no matter what, while the casino is a business, with stockholders and a board of directors, obligated to try to succeed financially.

The casino puts in the time and energy to hit their financial performance metrics. The casinos hire the best general manager who themselves hire the best possible team.

Put another way, the casino has a business need to adjust the odds of winning on their slot machines to eke out a living while the state only needs to be patient. Businesses are not patient – they try things in their ongoing quest for success.

And, really, that struggle is what has changed since around 2012 with the technology behind the winning odds of slot machines. Casinos are always trying new things. And, when they have control over setting the odds on slot machines, they adjust them to try to succeed.

Before 2012, this amounted to increasing the odds of winning to be over 100% on a single slot machine near a busy area in their casino, as a promotional tool with its own limited budget.

With the new casino operating technologies, casinos have been given a finer control over setting those odds. This has allowed them to try new things, which they very much like to do. These new things are to adjust the odds on slot machines more often than ever before.

In financial terms, they’re trying to tune their financial performance metrics on a daily or even hourly basis, something that was never before possible.

I’ve never worked for a casino, so have never been pitched a new casino operating system by a slot machine manufacturer’s sales team. But, it’s obvious that this “tuning” is part of the pitch being made to casino operators. Without having seen it, how can I believe this? Simple. I’ve won a lot at slots through pattern recognition.

What’s happened is that, and it matters not at all how it came about, casinos have obviously bought into the idea of finely tuning their financial performance metrics.

In the case of slot machines, which is the only game as casino offers that I’m interested in, they’ve broken the long-term constant randomness of the odds of winning on a slot machine. Therefore, as all statisticians know, patterns emerge.

So, again, yes it does matter who controls slot machine odds, because those controlled by the casino have had their randomness broken. It matters because slots enthusiasts can look for emerging patterns on these casino-controlled machines, then use them to win more.

In the future, I’ll talk more about the winning patterns I’ve found using this understanding. In the meantime, I hope I’ve made it clear how and why they exist.

Summary of Can You Guess Who Controls Slot Machine Odds?

In summary, who controls slot machine odds is answered by understanding they are controlled by the machine, the casino staff, both, possibly the state if the machine is a video lottery terminal, and by slot machine manufacturers themselves in the case of most Progressive slot machines.

This control over the odds of winning was historically a mechanical device supplanted by an electronic random number generator invented in 1984, afterwards allowing slots machines to be developed having more credits, denominations, and pay lines as well as higher jackpots.

There’s currently older-style casinos with standalone slot machines and newer-style casinos built to have the facility infrastructure necessary for physically wiring up their slot machines to be remotely controlled by a computer server.

I’ve discussed how to tell the difference, as well as explained how slot machines can be remotely controlled by the casino or, in the case of video lottery terminals, by computers established for this purpose by the state lottery agency.

Finally, I’ve discussed if any of this matters to slots enthusiasts looking for an advantage. It does matter. In essence, any slot machines with odds of winning directly controlled by a casino have patterns of winning because casinos keep adjusting those odds to meet their financial performance metrics.

These patterns make it possible for savvy slots enthusiasts to improve their own gambling performance.

Related Articles from Professor Slots

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Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC

If you have a slot machine or you have bought one old used vintage slot machine and want to have some fixes to get it work then obviously you will think you need a machine technician. Many of you will even think of taking it to some repair station to get things done. But here in the guide you will find some of the repairs that you yourself can do with your slot machine and you need not need to join machine technical repair training school.

Like any other machines Slot machines too are a blend of electronic and mechanical components, that wear with age and require routine repairs. Before you begin to repair yourself do note that every slot machine that you have purchased whether old or new comes with installation and user guide manual. You need to read that many a times until you are familiar with each components and parts of the slot machine and understand thoroughly as how the slot machine works.

In your guide to repair slot machines you will find some common repairs that can be carried out by you, some videos to watch as well. If your slot machine has some complex issue then obviously you require a qualified technician.

Changing the Top Florescent Light

The top florescent light bulb is easily changed by following these simple procedures. The replacement bulb is an F15T8/CW 18″ 15 Watt bulb which is available at most hardware and department stores or may be purchased online at Ebay or Amazon or realslotmachinesforsale under the category ‘parts of slot machine’.

• Open the main slot machine door and ensure the door is fully open. Turn off the power to the slot machine. The power switch can be found with the main door open about midway down on the right side just inside the machine.
• If the machine is equipped with a top ticket printer, you must pull the bottom of the printer out far enough to see where the ticket paper is located, and note the area large enough to place a couple of your left fingers under.

• Remove the top metal trim strip which is a cover plate to the right of the ticket printer and/or is located along the bottom of the top glass. There are a couple of clips on the back of the metal trim strip that fit into notches on metal bracket which holds the top glass. The metal trim strip should be lifted upwards and outwards to remove.
• Once the metal trim strip is removed, the next step is to remove the top glass. Note that some top metal trim strips have a slot in the top that holds the top glass and they must be removed very carefully as to not damage or drop the top glass.

• You can now see the top glass is held in place by usually two or three clips that rise above the metal bracket behind the top metal trim strip. Now slowly lift up on the top glass from both bottom edges until the top glass until it is high enough to gently pull it forward and allowing it to slide down and away from the top track and clips holding it in place.
• Once the top glass has been removed, put it somewhere where it will not get knocked over or broken. You will see the florescent bulb in the middle of the top box area of the machine. Care should be taken removing the bulb as it may be very hot. Remove the old bulb by twisting the florescent tube about a quarter to half turn allowing the two prongs on the bulb to slide out of the fixture on both sides of the bulb.

• Remove and discard the old bulb. To install the new bulb, align the two prongs on each side of the florescent tube with the slits on each fixture in the top box of the slot machine. Twist the bulb into place normally using about a quarter to half of a turn. If the bulb is not secure or aligned, repeat the procedure.
• If your slot machine is an IGT S Plus machine, it is equipped with a florescent bulb starter. Then you can replace the starter when replacing the florescent light bulb. The starter is an FS-U Universal Starter. They are available at most hardware and department stores or may be ordered online too. The starter for the top florescent bulb on an IGT S Plus machine is located directly behind the florescent bulb fixture on the left side of the slot machine in the top box area.
• It is replaced by twisting about a quarter to half a turn as it is held in place with a bayonet type mount. Remove the old starter and discard. Replace with a new FS-U Universal Starter by aligning the two pins on the bottom of the starter with the notches in the starter receptacle, pushing it up into the starter socket, and then twisting it a quarter to half a turn into place.
• Prior to re-installing the top glass, turn the power switch on the right inside of the machine on to verify the bulb works properly. If it does not, turn the power off and check that the bulb is properly installed and secure. If replacing a starter, check that it is also properly installed and secure.
• After verifying the bulb is working, it is now time to replace the top glass. If your slot machine has a top ticket printer, ensure the ticket printer is still pulled out so you can place your fingers in the opening while replacing the top glass.
• Carefully and slowly lift up the top glass placing each hand under the bottom of the top glass. Slide it into the upper edge track on the top box of the slot machine carefully lifting it so it slides into the tracks while being able to push the top glass back far enough to clear the two or three raised clips on the metal bracket where the top glass holding track is located.
• Gently and slowly lower the top glass behind the clips so as to allow them to hold the glass in place. If properly secured, the top glass will not be able to slide down or out of its position. Keep a secure hold on the top glass until you are certain it is secured in the proper position.
• Replace the top metal trim strip by aligning the two or three hooks the back through the metal bracket that supports and holds the top glass. Once the hooks on the back are in place, gently push the top metal trim strip down and it should snap into place. If you have a slot machine with a top ticket printer, close it tight into position. Close the main slot machine door and you are ready to play.

Changing the Belly Glass Florescent Light

Slot Machine Button Panel

The belly glass florescent light bulb is easily changed by following these simple procedures. The replacement bulb is an F15T8/CW 18″ 15 Watt bulb which is available at most hardware and department stores or may be bought online as spare parts of slot machine.

• Open the main slot machine door. Turn off the power to the slot machine. The power switch can be found with the main door open about midway down on the right side just inside the machine.
• Facing the slot machine door, look on the right side of the door just around from bill acceptor area. You will see a knob sticking out that is approximately the size of the end of a regular pencil. This knob when pulled out releases the slot machine belly glass assembly (belly door) to fold down so the bulb can be accessed.

• There are a couple of very important thing to remember prior to pulling this knob to release the belly door. First try pulling gently on the knob. If it does not allow you to pull out and you have a lock installed directly above it, the lock must unlocked in order to allow the release knob to pull out. When pulling out the release knob, be ready for the belly door to fold down.
• Most of the time you must lightly pull on both sides of the belly door to get it to fold down, however always place your hand under it so it does not fall down too quickly causing the belly glass to break or crack.
• Once the belly door is in the down position, you will see the access to the florescent bulb bracket that is held in place by a small Phillips screw. Remove the screw and place it the coin tray so it will be handy when you need it after replacing the bulb.

• The long metal bracket that holds the florescent bulb must be slid slightly right or left so as to be able to lift it out of the belly door. Gently lift the metal bracket with florescent bulb out of the assembly far to be able to turn it over to replace the bulb. Be cautious as the bulb could still be hot!
• Grasp the metal bracket holding the florescent bulb and remove the old bulb by twisting the florescent tube about a quarter to half turn allowing the two prongs on the bulb to slide out of the fixture on both sides of the bulb.

• Remove and discard the old bulb.To install the new bulb, align the two prongs on each side of the florescent tube with the slits on each fixture that is on each side of the new bulb. Twist the bulb into place normally using about a quarter to half of a turn. If the bulb is not secure or aligned, repeat the procedure.
• Now turn the metal bracket that holds the newly installed bulb over and back into position in the belly glass assembly. Slid the bracket slightly right or left into position and replace the small screw which holds the metal bracket in place.
• If your slot machine is an IGT S Plus machine, it is equipped with a florescent bulb starter. So you need to replace the starter a well when replacing the florescent light bulb. The starter is an FS-U Universal Starter. They are available online and you can purchase one.
• The starter for the belly glass florescent bulb is located on the back of the main slot machine door on the lower right hand corner as you face the back of the door.

• It is replaced by twisting about a quarter to half a turn as it is held in place with a bayonet type mount. Remove the old starter and discard. Replace with a new FS-U Universal Starter by aligned the two notches on the bottom of the starter, pushing it into the starter socket, and then twisting it a quarter to half a turn into place.
• Prior to closing the belly glass door, turn the power switch on the right inside of the machine on to verify the bulb works properly. If it does not, turn the power off and check that the bulb is properly installed and secure. Also check to ensure the starter is properly installed and secured.
• Lift the belly glass assembly up and push it into place in the slot machine door. Ensure the belly glass door snaps into place and the knob on the side of the door is in its normal position. It is spring loaded so as to not allow the belly glass assembly to open unless it pulled. If the belly door appears to be in place, pull on both sides of the belly door to make sure it is locked and secure.
• If you unlocked the lock above the knob, re-lock it. Close the main slot machine door and you are ready to use your slot machine.

Changing the Push Button Bulbs

All of the slot machine’s push button lights such Play Max Credits, Spin Reels, Bet One Credit, etc. are easily replaced by following this simple procedure. The replacement bulbs are #161 on IGT S2000 machines and #555 on IGT S+ machines and may be purchased from online stores.

• Fully open the slot machine door. Look on the backside of the door. Each push button will extend down from the shelf on the door and will have a small wire bundle going to it. Identify which push button bulb needs to be replaced.
• Carefully pull down on the bottom of the push button area that is normally white and is where you will see wiring connected. Using your thumb and two fingers, pull straight down and the bottom portion of the push button should snap out.

• You will now be able to see the bulb in the top area of the lower push button assembly. Use caution as the bulb may be very hot. Pull the wedge bulb out and discard it. Notice the slot in which the bulb located.
• Place a new bulb in the slot noting the direction of slot ensuring the new wedge bulb is inserted so as to line up in the slot. Push the new bulb into place.

• Replace the bottom of the push button assembly by inserting it into the top portion of the push button assembly. The bottom portion will snap into position. Ensure that none of the wire connections have been accidentally knocked loose on the bottom of the push button. Note the push button light will not illuminate until the slot machine door is closed. Close the main slot machine door and you are ready to play.

Changing the Small Panel Lights

The small panel lights that illuminate the denomination amount and other areas behind the glass are easily changed. For denomination amount lights on the IGT S2000, a #73 bulb is needed and a #86 bulb is needed on the IGT S+ slot machines. They may be bought online from slot machine selling sites.

Here it is described as how to change the lights behind denomination amounts such as .25 Cents. Other small panel light bulbs are changed in the same manner.

• Fully open the slot machine door. Look on the backside of the door. Note the location where the denomination amount would be located near the center just below the slot machine’s center glass. The area will appear to be flat with a small bulb holder projecting out that is slightly larger in diameter than a regular pencil and is flat on two or four sides.

• This bulb holder is removed by simply twisting it a quarter to half a turn and then gently pulling it out of its socket. It is held in place by somewhat of a bayonet type mount.
• Once the bulb holder is removed, pull the wedge bulb out of the socket and discard the old bulb. Caution should be taken as the old bulb may be very hot. Replace the bulb by firmly inserting a new bulb into the socket of the bulb holder being careful to align the wedge bulb correctly into the slot.
• Take the bulb holder and look for two notches on each side of the opening where the bulb holder is inserted. Note there are two notches on the bulb holder. Align the notches inserting the bulb holder into the panel.
• Gently twist the bulb holder about a quarter to half a turn to lock it into place. Verify the bulb is illuminating, and if not repeat the procedure using a different new bulb. Now close the main slot machine door and ready to use.

Cleaning Your Slot Machine

This is common thing and all you need is usually nothing more than a damp cloth to clean the exterior cabinet of your slot machine. Never use any abrasive or ammonia based cleaners on the cabinet of the machine.

The slot machine top, center and belly glasses may all be cleaned on the outside by using a window cleaner. However if you own a slot machine with a frosted exterior glass or one that has any exterior decorated markings such as stars, a window cleaner should not be used as the cleaner may damage the exterior images. Care should be taken cleaning interior glass as a cleaner and cloth may damage labels or markings.

The inside of the slot machine should not require cleaning other than occasionally removing dust. This can normally be done with a damp clean cloth, however ensure the power switch has been turned off prior to cleaning.

When wiping dust inside your machine, be careful not to loosen any wires or connections. Do not use a damp cloth on the face of your reel strips as the playing symbols on the reel strips could come off or become torn. Also be very careful not to touch the back side of your reel strips with a damp cloth especially if the back sides of the reel strips are black. This can cause damage to this type reel strip.

When your Slot Machine Doesn’t Power On

When you get a slot machine and wish to locate or set up at your place, determine the household 120V AC outlet you are planning to use has power. Keep in mind some outlets are controlled on and off by a wall switch.

• With the slot machine unplugged from the outlet and surge protector, open the slot machine main door. Remove the coin tray by lifting up and pulling out the tray. Simply pull it out and down to remove the tray.

• The hopper is on the bottom floor of the machine and slides out on two base rails along two metal guides. Slide the hopper out slowly by grasping the handle with your left hand and supporting the hopper with your right hand. Do not use the black hopper bowl to pull the hopper out of the slot machine.
• On the lower right corner of the slot machine you should see the black power cord coming into the machine. The power cord plugs into the Power Distribution Unit which is located on the back wall of the slot machine.
• Verify the power cord is firmly plugged into place into the right side of the Power Distribution Unit.

• Place the hopper back into the slot machine making sure it slides in easily and completely with the base rails on hopper guides on the bottom of the machine. The hopper plugs into a receptacle toward the back of the machine. It is designed to fit in easily without using excessive force.
• The coin tray can be easily put back into place by ensuring the alignment pins on the coin tray match up to the top alignment holes on the bottom side of the machine. The tray should be pushed down into place. Make sure the tray is even when pushed into place. If the coin tray is not aligned and even, remove the coin tray, and repeat the procedure.
• Verify the power cord is firmly plugged into a good surge protector. Plug the end of surge protector into the outlet you have verified is good, and make sure the on/off switch on the surge protector is turned on.
• Now turn the power switch on the inside right of the slot machine to the on position and verify the slot machine is powered on by lights illuminating.

Jackpot Payout Reset

When your slot machine just hit a 25,000 credit Jackpot it now needs to be reset to continue playing. Depending on the model slot machine you have and the amount of the payout will determine the best course of action.

If you have an IGT S+ Slot Machine and your win is under the maximum payout amount specified on the center glass of the machine, the hopper may run out of coins or tokens. This is normally displayed by Error Code 3300. In this case it usually a simple matter of taking the coins or tokens that have been paid out and putting them back in the hopper allowing it to fully pay out. However, if you won a large jackpot that is “hand pay out”, then follow the steps below.

• First open the main slot machine door. Locate the Jackpot Key which is normally kept inside the slot machine in a plastic envelope on the side of the cash box. If you do not find it inside the machine, often times the Jackpot Key will be strapped with the main slot machine door key. It is a small key as pictured below.
• Take the key in hand and locate the jackpot reset which is a keyhole located on the right side of the slot machine. It is normally about two-thirds up from the bottom of the machine.

• Insert the Jackpot Reset Key into the keyhole. Turn the key only one quarter turn to the right. This will reset the machine, and once you close the main slot machine door, you will be ready to resume play.
• Note that if you turn the Jackpot reset key multiple times you may place your slot machine into a test mode and will thus delay your ability to continue playing.

Some of the Error Codes you get on Slot Machine

Error Code 3300 (IGT S+ Machines)

Simply put Error Code 3300 is normally telling you your hopper is low on or completely out of coins or tokens.

Open the main slot machine door. Look into the hopper. If it is empty or has just a few coins or tokens, place about 500 coins or tokens back into the hopper. Close the main slot machine door. In a few moments you should hear the sound of the hopper’s motor turning and soon the remaining coin payout will begin.

Error Code 3100 (IGT S+ Machines)

Error Code 3100 (Extra Coin Out Tilt) normally signifies either a jammed/stuck coin or token in the coin-out chute on the hopper, or the hopper coin-out sensor has detected the hopper may have paid out an extra coin.

• Open the main slot machine door. Remove the coin tray by lifting up and pulling out the tray. Simply pull it out and down to remove the tray.
• The hopper is on the bottom floor of the machine and slides out on two base rails along two metal guides. Slide the hopper out slowly by grasping the handle with your left hand and supporting the hopper with your right hand. Do not use the black hopper bowl to pull the hopper out of the slot machine.
• Inspect the hopper to determine if any coins/tokens appear to stuck or jammed in the hopper knife or the hopper coin-out channel.
• If a coin appears to be stuck or jammed, empty the hopper of coins/tokens for easier access to clearing the jammed coin/token.
• Once the stuck or jammed coin has been removed, place the hopper back into the slot machine making sure it slides in easily and completely with the base rails on hopper guides on the bottom of the machine. The hopper plugs into a receptacle toward the back of the machine. It is designed to fit in easily without using excessive force
• Refill the hopper with the proper size coins or tokens. The coin tray can be easily put back into place by ensuring the alignment pins on the coin tray match up to the top alignment holes on the bottom side of the machine. The tray should be pushed down into place. Make sure the tray is even when pushed into place. If the coin tray is not aligned and even, remove the coin tray, and repeat the procedure.
• Close the main slot machine door. The error code should be gone and the machine is ready to play.

Error Code 12 (IGT S+ Machines)

The 3.6 volt battery on the slot machine CPU Board normally lasts for years. However when an Error Code 12 is displayed, this is an indication the battery voltage has dropped below 2.9 volts and is now a low battery.

It is recommended to replace the battery as soon as possible. They can be purchased online from ebay, amazon or realslotmachinesforsale. When ordering a replacement battery, they will provide you with detailed instructions on how to change this battery which is located on the slot machine’s CPU Board.

In order to reset Error Code 12 temporarily, simply open and close the main slot machine door. It is important not to wait for a long time to replace the battery as data stored on the RAM may be lost. Replace the battery Asap.

Following are some of the other error codes that might interest you to solve your problem in repairing the slot machine

Damaged Slot Machine Buttons

Hopper is Full and Coins Go Down a Chute to Bottom of Machine

Slot machines that accept coins were designed this way because when used constantly on the casino floor, hoppers could quickly fill. There is a coin level probe on side of the hopper that looks like a brass screw sticking inward toward the hopper bowl. This probe detects when coins/tokens are at a selected level, and will cause the subsequent coins/tokens played to go down a chute to the bottom of the slot machine.

Provided your slot machine sets on a regular casino slot machine stand with holes in the top and the holes are aligned with the slot machine, those coins which bypassed the hopper will go down the chute, through the hole in the bottom of the machine, through the hole in the top of the stand, and into the open area in the stand cabinet. As casinos have done for years, place a small plastic tub in the slot machine stand cabinet to collect these excess coins.

Retrieving Currency from the Cash Box

Though not all slot machines are equipped to accept currency in order to comply with certain laws but if your slot machine is equipped with a bill acceptor, bill transport and cash box, the bills in the cash box can easily be retrieved.

• Open the slot machine main door. The cash box door is located just under the yellow chute for the bill acceptor. Ensure the cash box door is fully open.
• On the right side of the cash box toward the top is a release level. Push release lever down and pull the cash box straight out toward you. If the cash box seems difficult or impossible to pull out, make sure you have pushed the release lever down.

• Hold the cash box in both hands and turn it upside down. Notice on the bottom of the cash box is a door which has two small finger sized holes on one side. Normally the door is held closed by a small piece of electrical tape so the bottom cash box door doesn’t come open while removing it from the cash box chassis of the slot machine.
• While holding the cash box with the bottom door up toward you, open the door and you will see where the bills are stored. The large spring expands as more and more bills are added to the cash box. Remove the bills by pulling them straight out.
• Close the bottom door of the cash box and re-secure the door using the same small piece of electrical tape. Turn the cash box around to the original position when you removed it from the slot machine.
• Align the flat top of the cash box with the flat surface at the top of the cash box chassis from which you removed it. Slide it firmly into place. Now close the cash box door and the main slot machine door and you are ready to use it for gaming.

Slot Machines For Sale

All the content, graphics and videos in this post have been gathered by research for you from various online sources and hope this helps you as a guide to repair your slot machines. Note that many guide books and manuals too are there for you to buy from online stores which are handy to know as how to repair your slot machines. Just stay tuned at realslotmachinesforsale and know many more interesting information about slot machines.