Just like playing any slot, gas station slot machines have spinning reels and bonus rounds, which makes it easy for players who have previously played slots to have no problem playing these games.
All that you need to do is to put in your money and press the spin button to get the machine started, simply wait for the reels to finish spinning, and if you match symbols in the paylines, you win.
However, if you plan to cut out the middleman and buy a slot machine to enjoy while at home, or practice to get better at the game to potentially hit a huge win, it’s not easy. Moreover, this is not possible in all states in the USA. Depending on where you live in the U.S., each state has its own regulations on private ownership of slot machines. States like Alabama, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin prohibit slot ownership. You can view the U.S. slot machine laws at letsgambleusa.
Unlike other casino games, slot machine games are one of the most fun games to play because the rules are easy to follow, and you only need to luckily hit the best combination to win. These slot machine games follow a specific theme and have different winning values.
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Gas Station Slot Machines VS Traditional Casino Slots
Gas station slot machines are similar to the slot machines found in traditional casinos — in most cases, there’s no difference between them. In some states in the US Nevada and Florida, licensed slot machines that are regularly monitored are very popular in gas stations, restaurants, and bars.
However, in some states, there are also regulated slot machines in gas stations that do not disclose their RTPs to players. These machines are neither licensed nor inspected by the authorities — which is basically the reason why most people don’t fancy playing on gas station slot machines.
But don’t fret because there have also been cases where slot owners who engage in this type of scheme have been arrested and prosecuted in court for defrauding players — you can read more on such cases here.
Gas Station Slot Machines: Worth It?
Technology is getting better every day and that applies to slot machines. In the past, almost every casino game was mechanical and the game graphics are not as interesting as it is today.
But today, there are interesting slot machines with features so good that you’ll be eager to play them all day, just for the fun of it. People can also win a larger jackpot in slot machines rather than little gifts as in the 19th century.
In slot machines, it’s also now common to use player cards to play where slot machines have player card readers and players can even get coupons and cashback as rewards for playing. This is similar to playing slots in traditional casinos where a player can be rewarded with food, drinks, etc.
While there are popular slots developers such as NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, etc., for online casinos — companies like Scientific Games, Aristocrat Technologies, and (IGT) International Games Technology are leading providers of slot gaming machines and technology for the casino industry in the United States.
So, when it comes to slot machines in gas stations, they offer basically the same thing that slot machines in traditional casinos provide to their players — the only difference is that the machine is located in a gas station or owned privately.
Should I Play Gas Station Slots Or Not?
Understandably, most people will question the idea of playing gas station slots due to some of it being unregulated and unlicensed. However, irrespective of this issue, there are still manufacturers and operators who take what they do very seriously by licensing and regulating their gaming machines.
Also, you should understand slot machines are programmed to give some part of the money you wager to gas station site owners, slot machine companies, and local gambling licensing fees/taxes and not to pour out money to players immediately to draw a spin.
The probability of winning big is slim on a gas station’s slot machine, that’s why a huge number of people don’t win the jackpot at once — one person wins the jackpot while several others make a little profit, lose, or walk away with nothing. These slot gambling machines’ percentages are regulated by the Gaming Commission.
More reason why it’s advisable to only play gas station slots for fun and not to be taken as a money-making opportunity in any condition.
But irrespective of this, there have been cases where some people managed to win huge from slot machines — which may be because they are lucky or good at the game — nobody would know. Just last year, there was an article about someone in Texas winning $1.4m with $5 and another person who won $11.8m after betting $3.
Risks Involved In Playing Gas Station Slots
Gas station slots don’t have the best reputation as most of these slot machines are not operated under any state regulations nor does any of the games offer any RTP information — this means that you won’t know the house edge of any game.
So, in most cases, there’s a chance that the slot machine at the gas station is filled with flaws — which means that it might be programmed to the aspect that a player won’t win anything. This is because these gas station slots are considered skill games in the U.S. and the makers of these skill games are not licensed in their states — which gives them the loophole of rigging their products.
If possible avoid playing gas station slot machines, unless it’s just for fun. It’s better to play at land-based casino slots because the casino is fully licensed — which is a better alternative compared to a private owner of a slot machine at a gas station.
Conclusion
Casino games have always been fun to play and slot machines are no exception, however, playing these slot machines at a gas station comes with some risks. There’s not much difference between gas station slots and land-based Casino slots, both offer amazing games. However, the risk of getting cheated while playing gas station slot machines is higher than land-based casino slots.
