Casino: Do not play slots~!! Unregulated

[albether7]

I've cruised over 30 times and queried the pit bosses and Casino hosts.

 

Without exception they said that unlike Vegas or Atlantic city, there is no mechanism to ensure that the pay-offs are fair...

 

Have you noticed a decline in big winners over the years?

 

They say they oversee their own machines....LOL Think about it...not meeting budget?? Just tighten the pay-outs.

 

No institution will objectively oversee themselves, esp with no overseeing agencies. They play in international water and have the sit. Vegas could only dream about.

 

Think about it...

 

Al

[Krazy Kruizers]

There was a time when we would allow ourselves to play the slots just a little each cruise.

We know that the odds are against our winning anything big.

Then we heard that the cruise lines were changing their machines. That was about 6 or 7 years ago. And all we heard from people were complaints about so few pay outs.

We haven't played the slots since.

[MicCanberra]

I've cruised over 30 times and queried the pit bosses and Casino hosts.

 

Without exception they said that unlike Vegas or Atlantic city, there is no mechanism to ensure that the pay-offs are fair...

 

Have you noticed a decline in big winners over the years?

 

They say they oversee their own machines....LOL Think about it...not meeting budget?? Just tighten the pay-outs.

 

No institution will objectively oversee themselves, esp with no overseeing agencies. They play in international water and have the sit. Vegas could only dream about.

 

Think about it...

 

Al

 

And this is a surprise. Gambling houses have always taken more than they give out.

[MicCanberra]

There was a time when we would allow ourselves to play the slots just a little each cruise.

We know that the odds are against our winning anything big.

Then we heard that the cruise lines were changing their machines. That was about 6 or 7 years ago. And all we heard from people were complaints about so few pay outs.

We haven't played the slots since.

 

We play for amusement, if we happen to gain some money as well as the entertainment then all the better.

[cb at sea]

Even on "regulated" slots, your odds are horrible! Use it for entertainment purposes...and IF you win...great! Odds are, you won't be a big winner!

[albether7]

And this is a surprise. Gambling houses have always taken more than they give out.

 

Missing the point.... it's regarding the absolute lack of cruise industry's casino accountability, not just that "the house always wins"...I.E. Cash cube machine where a robotic hand is directed and dropped on stacks of $$.

 

The pneumatic squeeze- pressure can be adjusted higher or lower, depending on cash payout desired...The owners of such machines aren't in it to lose, but of course to profit...It should be of concern that greed has no outside oversight!!

 

We are led to assume that the cruise lines are fair;)

[DirtyDawg]

 

Missing the point.... it's regarding the absolute lack of cruise industry's casino accountability, not just that "the house always wins"...I.E. Cash cube machine where a robotic hand is directed and dropped on stacks of $$.

 

The pneumatic squeeze- pressure can be adjusted higher or lower, depending on cash payout desired...The owners of such machines aren't in it to lose, but of course to profit...It should be of concern that greed has no outside oversight!!

 

We are led to assume that the cruise lines are fair;)

 

Take heart, what the cruise lines take from you in the casino because of the lack of oversight they give back to you in the form of lower fares achieved from the low wages they pay the crew and the corporate income tax they do not pay. :D

[capriccio]

 

We are led to assume that the cruise lines are fair;)

 

I have never assumed that any casino - on land or sea- was 'fair.' Their objective is to make money by making your part with yours!

[navybankerteacher]

Big surprise: slots are always skewed to favor the house - perhaps more so on ships, but still reliably a fool's game if the player thinks he has any chance in the long run.

 

Of course, there are always a few blowhards who report big wins - or who claim to regularly come out ahead.

 

Still, if you enjoy it - go ahead; as long as you see it as entertainment that you pay for and do not kid yourself into thinking of it as an investment which has ANY chance of paying off in the long run.

[nat9511]

I play penny slots for fun. I allow $100 per cruise and while I don't win much I usually come home with most of my $100 which I put away for the next cruise. It kills time between dinner and the shows and I have a good time.

[calliopecruiser]

I've cruised over 30 times and queried the pit bosses and Casino hosts.

 

Without exception they said that unlike Vegas or Atlantic city, there is no mechanism to ensure that the pay-offs are fair...

 

Have you noticed a decline in big winners over the years?

 

They say they oversee their own machines....LOL Think about it...not meeting budget?? Just tighten the pay-outs.

 

No institution will objectively oversee themselves, esp with no overseeing agencies. They play in international water and have the sit. Vegas could only dream about.

 

Think about it...

 

Al

 

Are there really people who play slot machines trying to win a lot of money? I thought people only played them for the fun and anticipation of possibilities - any money won is a bonus, but not the reason for playing. Like the lottery: I don't know anyone who buys a lottery ticket because they expect to win; they buy it for the anticipation of what they know is a ridiculously small chance.

[Hlitner]

Have to smile at the OP's post. Yes, it's correct in that cruise line Casino's are unregulated and only subject to the supervision of the cruise line (and its franchisee). But saying that slots on ships are not "fair" is not to understand slots in Vegas or elsewhere. The truth is that slots are NEVER FAIR. Yes, they can be fun...but they are not "fair." Slots generally have the worst odds of anything in a casino other then Keno! Games like Blackjack and Craps give the Casino a very small edge (often not much more then 2%. But slots are designed to give the casino a much larger profit...often in excess of 10%. Sure, slot players will often tell stories how they are good and always beat the slots. But the truth is that, on average, they will lose at least 5% of every dollar they put in those machines. So, if you find pushing a button lots of fun...go for it. And if you actually win...enjoy it. Because if you play long enough you will eventually lose.

 

Hank

[leaveitallbehind]

 

Missing the point.... it's regarding the absolute lack of cruise industry's casino accountability, not just that "the house always wins"...I.E. Cash cube machine where a robotic hand is directed and dropped on stacks of $$.

 

The pneumatic squeeze- pressure can be adjusted higher or lower, depending on cash payout desired...The owners of such machines aren't in it to lose, but of course to profit...It should be of concern that greed has no outside oversight!!

We are led to assume that the cruise lines are fair;)

 

What leads you to draw this conclusion? The odds favor every casino in the world very much to their benefit and profit, otherwise they would not be in business. And I think most people understand that befoer they play their first penny. Their accountability is to their bottom line, not yours. If that notion isn't fair to you, then save your money and don't play - that is always your choice.

Edited June 19, 2016 by leaveitallbehind

[zqvol]

I've cruised over 30 times and queried the pit bosses and Casino hosts.

 

Without exception they said that unlike Vegas or Atlantic city, there is no mechanism to ensure that the pay-offs are fair...

 

Have you noticed a decline in big winners over the years?

 

They say they oversee their own machines....LOL Think about it...not meeting budget?? Just tighten the pay-outs.

 

No institution will objectively oversee themselves, esp with no overseeing agencies. They play in international water and have the sit. Vegas could only dream about.

 

Think about it...

 

Al

 

 

If you don't like it don't play. It's called gambling for a reason.

[NMLady]

I've cruised over 30 times and queried the pit bosses and Casino hosts.

 

Without exception they said that unlike Vegas or Atlantic city, there is no mechanism to ensure that the pay-offs are fair...

 

Have you noticed a decline in big winners over the years?

 

They say they oversee their own machines....LOL Think about it...not meeting budget?? Just tighten the pay-outs.

 

No institution will objectively oversee themselves, esp with no overseeing agencies. They play in international water and have the sit. Vegas could only dream about.

 

Think about it...

 

Al

 

Regulated or not, I enjoy playing slots and sometimes I do win.

[BlueRiband]

In the days of mechanical slot machines, they had the nickname "one arm bandits" for a reason.:D

[NLH Arizona]

 

Missing the point.... it's regarding the absolute lack of cruise industry's casino accountability, not just that "the house always wins"...I.E. Cash cube machine where a robotic hand is directed and dropped on stacks of $$.

 

The pneumatic squeeze- pressure can be adjusted higher or lower, depending on cash payout desired...The owners of such machines aren't in it to lose, but of course to profit...It should be of concern that greed has no outside oversight!!

 

We are led to assume that the cruise lines are fair;)

If that is your opinion, then don't play them. Other's of us play them for enjoyment. I've won and I've lost, but have fun. On one of my last cruises, someone won $40,000 and on my last cruise I won over $2,000. Plus, the types of machines they have, the chip has to be changed out to change the odds, which is time consuming and noticeable, since there are people walking through the casinos at all hours. Again, don't play them, if you don't think they are fair.

[margeecruiser]

I understand the electronic chip is changed on the slot machine to change the odds. It seems the slots are "looser" the first couple of days then very tight. Anyone else notice this trend?

 

Margee

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[navybankerteacher]

Regulated or not, I enjoy playing slots and sometimes I do win.

 

Lots of us enjoy playing, and most of us win sometimes - the only certainty about slots is that the more you play them the more absolutely certain it is that you will lose significantly more than you will win.

[NLH Arizona]

I understand the electronic chip is changed on the slot machine to change the odds. It seems the slots are "looser" the first couple of days then very tight. Anyone else notice this trend?

 

Margee

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

I hear that in Las Vegas all the time as well; it is looser in the evenings and tighter in the morning...all a lot of hogwash. If you ask those that win at the end of a cruise, I think they would probably say the opposite, that it is tighter in the beginning of a cruise and loser at the end.

[Donray]

Does anyone understand how the odds are established on a slot machine? One would have to change the complete program on the electronic ones and the wheels on the old wheeled ones.

 

They are manufactured with certain odds and cannot be changed by the buyer.

 

The manufactures don't want people to never ply there machines and therefore guard the software as a trade secret.

[whogo]

Does anyone understand how the odds are established on a slot machine? One would have to change the complete program on the electronic ones and the wheels on the old wheeled ones.

 

They are manufactured with certain odds and cannot be changed by the buyer.

 

The manufactures don't want people to never ply there machines and therefore guard the software as a trade secret.

I disagree. I think they are all programmed to be changeable by the casino.

[Dayenu]

We played penny slots when we could just walk over to the slut machine, put a dollar or a fiver in, and walk away. We never expected to win, we were just having fun on those interactive installments.

 

Now that one has to register and use that machine with almost as much knowledge as using a computer, we walk by. Which is a pity as we'd love to lose some more there, but being on a cruise ship is not about gambling for us.

[Warm Breezes]

We play for entertainment. If we lose, fine, we budget our entertainment money to spend it. If we win, bonus. I have to say I normally come out ahead on our cruises while DH usually comes out behind. Our last cruise we ended up being up $100 total. Bonus! I find I win/lose on a ship the same as I do at a casino on land. Sometimes up. Sometimes down. I never win much. I never lose much either.

[Flatbush Flyer]

 

 

 

Missing the point.... it's regarding the absolute lack of cruise industry's casino accountability, not just that "the house always wins"...I.E. Cash cube machine where a robotic hand is directed and dropped on stacks of $$.

 

 

 

The pneumatic squeeze- pressure can be adjusted higher or lower, depending on cash payout desired...The owners of such machines aren't in it to lose, but of course to profit...It should be of concern that greed has no outside oversight!!

 

 

 

We are led to assume that the cruise lines are fair;)

 

 

If you want the best chance of winning anything in a casino ("regulated" or not), play with the house in craps (don't come/don't pass). Ultimately, due to simple math/statistics, and being sucked in by the intermittent reinforcement, you will lose. But, at least you won't lose as great a percentage of the time (perhaps even lose less money) as will happen with the mindless activity of slot machines.