Slots Are a Big Part of Casino Profits

When people think of casino games, they often picture blackjack or roulette — high-stakes bouts of chance where fortunes can be won and lost in seconds. But these tables aren’t the only games pulling in the big bucks. Slots are responsible for more than 85 percent of casino profits, and that number is only rising.

Schull notes that while technology has changed the look and feel of slots, the basic mechanics remain the same. In the old days you yanked on a lever and either all the cherries or lucky sevens lined up to win some money or you didn’t get anything. Then computers enabled casinos to put out multi-line machines that can pay out on up to 200 different combinations, with each having a chance of winning and a payout size proportional to the amount of coins inserted.

Players appreciate these new games because they make it clear what they need to do to win, and what will happen if they keep playing. “Persistent play,” says SG’s Mastropietro, is “an important indicator of game performance, as well as player satisfaction.”

As the popularity of these games grows, developers are becoming increasingly cognizant of what draws players to them. They’re also taking advantage of the wealth of data now available on player behavior. For example, SG has recently launched a system called SG Connect to provide its operator customers with valuable player behavioral insights. “These reports can help us better understand player preferences, and ultimately deliver superior games,” says Arrowsmith.