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Why don't non-tribal casinos have Class II slot machines?

28 January 2008

In the Northern San Francisco Bay Area, I play at a tribal casino with all Class II Electronic Bingo Slots. I enjoy the slower pace — and especially my two jackpot wins since October 2007. Why don't the commercial casinos in Reno or Las Vegas also offer this type of gaming? Also since Class II are legal for tribal casinos to offer, can nonprofit organizations also offer this type of game along with traditional bingo for fundraising purposes?

Thanks for keeping most of us gamers informed,
Daniel

Dear Daniel,

Non-tribal casinos don't have Class II games because they don't have to. Class II games were developed so tribal casinos could go beyond offering bingo and offer slot machines — or at least a slot machine playing experience very close to the experience players were used to having in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Tunica — and stay within the law. The non-tribal casinos operate in jurisdictions in which gambling is allowed, so they don't need to play the game of having a device that looks and plays like a slot machine, but is really a bingo drawing or pull-tab game under the hood.

Remember that you don't have to play at the casino's pace. It's not easy to do, but you can slow down and play just a few spins per minute, instead of keeping the reels constantly moving the way the casino would prefer that you do.

I don't know the answer to your last question. I think the answer is that nonprofit organizations would be able to use these games for fundraising because they're just bingo games with a different face. But the machines are so expensive and so volatile that they're only profitable in the long run and therefore not appropriate for occasional fundraising events.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos,
John


Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@comcast.net. Because of the volume of mail I receive, I regret that I can't reply to every question.

John Robison

John Robison is an expert on slot machines and how to play them. John is a slot and video poker columnist and has written for many of gaming’s leading publications. He holds a master's degree in computer science from the prestigious Stevens Institute of Technology.

You may hear John give his slot and video poker tips live on The Good Times Show, hosted by Rudi Schiffer and Mike Schiffer, which is broadcast from Memphis on KXIQ 1180AM Friday afternoon from from 2PM to 5PM Central Time. John is on the show from 4:30 to 5. You can listen to archives of the show on the web anytime.

Books by John Robison:

The Slot Expert's Guide to Playing Slots
John Robison
John Robison is an expert on slot machines and how to play them. John is a slot and video poker columnist and has written for many of gaming’s leading publications. He holds a master's degree in computer science from the prestigious Stevens Institute of Technology.

You may hear John give his slot and video poker tips live on The Good Times Show, hosted by Rudi Schiffer and Mike Schiffer, which is broadcast from Memphis on KXIQ 1180AM Friday afternoon from from 2PM to 5PM Central Time. John is on the show from 4:30 to 5. You can listen to archives of the show on the web anytime.

Books by John Robison:

The Slot Expert's Guide to Playing Slots