“But we must consider how we know what we know.
“I think some operators are naturally and understandably cautious of new information that challenges traditional industry practices,” said Lucas. Their results contradict long-held beliefs by casino operators about a player’s ability to detect differences in how much – and how often – a slot machine pays. At least not according to a series of recent studies led by Anthony Lucas, a UNLV Hospitality College professor and former gaming industry operations analyst.įor the past several years, Lucas and colleague Katherine Spilde from San Diego State University have taken to casino floors on multiple properties in the U.S., Australia, and Mexico to investigate. But can players – even the regulars who frequent a particular property – really tell the difference between the house edge on one game from that of another? It’s a common sight on casino floors: patrons jumping from slot machine to slot machine before eventually hunkering down at a game that’s due for the next big payout.
