SLOT FLOORSentations

Best Places to Play and Trends on the Floor

When it comes to casino games and offerings, slot machines and video poker machines are at the top of the list for both popularity among players, and revenue for the house. With some casinos dedicating over 90% of their gaming floor to machines, it is important for them to offer game variety, exciting promotions, and lucrative incentives to keep players entertained and regularly coming back. We are excited to highlight some of our favorite properties from around the region and find out how each of them is unique and dedicated to their guests.

(Mount Pleasant, Michigan)

1-877-232-4532

SoaringEagleCasino.com

Number of machines/games: 2,899

What trends have you seen among slot players over the past few years?

(What’s hot...what’s not?)

We are seeing a lot of players gravitating more toward electronic table games lately and are excited to accommodate that trend as needed.

What percentage of your casino floor is dedicated to slots and/or video poker machines? Reel and Video Slot Machines account for 90% of our floor and Video Poker games and Electronic Table games combined account for about 10% of our floor. Every year we add more video reel slots and reduce our physical reel slots as well as the Video Poker machines but we are adding more Electronic Table games.

Is the set-up of the casino in place for a reason and how often do you change the layout? The gaming floors at our main casino and at the Slot Palace, located across the street, are designed to offer endless gaming options. We don’t mean to brag, but we have one of the largest gaming floors in the state of Michigan and offer guests all types and denominations as well as table games, poker and bingo. We typically change our floor layouts on a weekly basis to keep things fresh for guests.

How do you come up with your slot promotions and which ones do customers like the most? We have had a lot of success with monthly slot tournaments where our guests can go head-to-head with other slot players for a chance to win big cash prizes and free play (Premium Play). Our players always love big cash and car giveaway promotions, but they also seem to like promotions where they can earn and win free play (Premium Play) that can be used in any of our slot machines.

What are some of the differences between slot players and video poker players? Both games offer a different experience for players and usually have a different type of dedicated player base. Video poker players are more skill-based gamblers and are typically more of a patient gambler willing to play longer skill-based gaming sessions to meet their gambling expectations. Slot players are typically looking for more excitement and are accustomed to shorter gaming sessions and like to move around more often between their favorite games. Slot players are also looking to have a more dynamic ever changing game play experience when they are playing and likely why they gravitate towards playing more video reel slots over the classic physical reel slots. Video reel slots offer many more in game bonus features than your average reel slot game. Players who love playing video slots find that the bonuses keep them highly involved with the game they are playing and expect their gaming sessions to have many in game bonus round entries. decline in video poker players over the last 5 years, so we tend to adjust the percentage accordingly.

What are some exciting things happening at the Soaring Eagle? We are excited about rolling out new slot machines to our gaming floor as well as the announcement of our newest dining option, Ruth’s Chris Steak House opening this spring. It is going to be fantastic!

Is the set-up of the casino in place for a reason? And how often do you change the casino floor layout? We have moved some games off the gaming floor and added spacers in between the games. Guests have given us great feedback on this as it gives them more space to put their beverages and handbags. This has also increased the sightlines of the casino floor and really opened things up so that people can view the memorabilia like Slash’s boots (from Guns and Roses) or Sammy Davis, Jr.’s pipes. We also have the table games pit running down the center of the gaming floor that features a ceiling with guitar frets. We are constantly updating the casino layout as we add new products throughout the year. We try to keep it fresh for our customers.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (Sioux City, Iowa)

1-844-222-7625

HardRockCasinoSiouxCity.com

Number of Machines/Gaming: 658

What trends have you seen among slot players over the past few years? It seems to be ever changing but we continue to see Dragon link from Aristocrat remain a popular game on the gaming floor. I would say that we have been seeing a steady

How do you come up with your slot promotions? And which ones do customers like the most? We are often looking for what is new and trending and try to incorporate those things into our promotions. Our guests love Free Slot Play so you will see a lot of promotions featuring that as part of the incentives and prize structure.

What are some exciting things happening at Hard Rock in the coming months? The Battery Park concert series recently announced Foreigner: The Greatest Hits Tour coming on May 13th. They have already announced their Farewell

Tour so this could be the last time those in the Midwest will get a chance to see them live. We will be announcing more concerts at Battery Park soon so stay tuned!

Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort

(D’Iberville, Mississippi – Gulf Coast)

1-888-752-9772

ScarletPearlCasino.com

Number of machines/games: 825 comfort level of the guests. If we notice a lot of people are playing in one area and it is becoming congested; we will modify the area so everyone can enjoy their machine comfortably. We also take guests comments seriously when deciding on changing the floor layout. As far as placement of the slots, tables and different denomination games, we want our players to find their perfect game in the perfect location that is right for them; whether it is a cozy corner or watching the game on the big screen, we want to offer it to them.

What trends have you seen among slot players over the past few years? What’s hot...what’s not? HOT trends seem to include multidenominational games that give players betting options without changing machines. We have games that allow players to choose a bet that fits their budget ranging from $.50-$50 and still enjoy their favorite game. Additional HOT trends seem to align with games that allow the player to win the top progressive award while betting the minimum bet. Old school games required you to bet max to win the progressive, with a lot of the newer games that is no longer true. What is NOT HOT are old-school 3-coin machines with no bonuses.

How do you come up with your slot promotions and what promotions do customers seem to like the most? Guests enjoy the slot point multipliers, and they can be packaged in different ways; flat like 3X across the board, multipliers by Tier, Mystery Multipliers and more. So, we test out different promotions using those. Customers love the large Free Slot Play Giveaways, and it is really rewarding watching the grand prize winners’ facial expressions when they win!

Ameristar Casino Vicksburg (Vicksburg, Mississippi)

1-601-630-3786

AmeristarVicksburg.com

Number of machines/games: 1,000

How often does your casino floor layout change? And is the layout in place for a reason? We will change the layout based on the

What tips can you give our readers about playing slots and video poker machines? Find the denomination and bet range that falls within your gambling budget; then find the lowest progressive amount as they theoretically hit more often than the higher progressive amounts. And, lastly, before you play on any new machine, always read through the game rules.

What trends have you seen among slot players over the past few years? Customers seem to be gravitating toward the cohesion of virtual gaming and real-time gaming. The ability to play games even offsite through social gaming features, such as mychoice casino, is very appealing. New options on your mobile devices tend to elevate your gaming experience with features like our mychoice app and mywallet gives guests the opportunity to streamline their gaming even further while at the casino.

How much of your casino floor is dedicated to slots and/or video poker machines? We have all the popular table games, but slots and video poker games account for the majority of our casino floor. We keep some of our guests’ favorite slots that have stood the test of time, but we also continually update our games.

How do you determine your casino layout and placement of games? How often do you change the layout? Yes! Similar games are placed together for ease of navigation for our guests. More popular games tend to reside in the areas with higher traffic and then we have separate spaces for high limit games. Similar denomination machines are also grouped together for guests’ convenience. As far as changing the layout is concerned, we just changed it out late last year. The floor configuration fluctuates depending on the wants and needs of our guests. We listen to our guests and are always looking to bring in new games for peak customer experience.

How do you come up with your slot promotions? And which ones do your customers seem to like the most? We have a marketing team dedicated to brainstorming ideas to give our guests the best possible experience at Ameristar Vicksburg. We use social listening to gauge what our guests like and look forward to, and what promotions they find the most engaging. So far, we haven’t had a promotion our guests didn’t like, but they notably respond very well to our Hot Seats, point earning multipliers, and our social media giveaways.

What tips can you give our readers about playing slots and video poker machines? Always use your mychoice card! The rewards are beyond worth it, especially if you enjoy Free SlotPlay, free food, and a whole host of other rewards.

What is happening at the property in the coming months that you are excited about?

We hope you like Asian cuisine, because our new restaurant, Red Lotus, will be opening soon, and it is going to be amazing. In the casino, we are opening a themed gaming pit featuring fan-favorites like Baccarat that will be located where our previous poker room was. We also have some exciting, ticketed events coming up including a 90s themed glow party and a KISS Tribute band. We have also launched a mywallet feature, which is the first of its kind in the state of Mississippi. With mywallet, guests can completely cut out ATM fees, and can continue to fund their favorite games right from their mobile devices. We are excited about this next step in modern technology.

How do you come up with your slot promotions? What promotions or incentives do your customers like the most? We have slot promotions and slot tournaments that change monthly. Customers really like the promotions that involve giveaways of physical items, cash, or free play at the casino so that is what we like to offer them.

Are there any exciting things happening in the casino in the upcoming months? Yes…live horseracing continues here at the property through May 6. There is always added energy and buzz around the property when the horses are running so be sure to stop by!

Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort (Hot Springs, Arkansas)

1-800-625-5296 | Oaklawn.com

Number of machines/games: 1,500

How often do you change the casino floor layout? The casino floor changes as new games and new slots are introduced at Oaklawn. We try to review and change the layout to give customers a fresh look when new features and games roll out.

Hollywood Casino Tunica & 1st Jackpot (Tunica, Mississippi)

HollywoodCasinoTunica.com

1stJackpot.com

Number of machines/games:

1st Jackpot: 718

Hollywood: 701

What trends have you seen among slot players over the past few years? We have seen more of the 1 cent games hitting the market and they seem to be popular with guests. Also, anything with the Buffalo line or Lightning Link are both popular as well.

Is the layout of the casino in place for a reason? And how often do you change the casino floor layout? We tend to place the newer games near an entrance or a major walkway, so they are more easily seen and recognized. Different denominations are mostly grouped together making it easier for the guest to find the game they are looking for in the denomination they choose to play. Signage has also increased around the casino to make it easier to locate the games you are looking for. We also keep the lines of sight open making the table games area more accessible and easier to locate. We recently changed the casino layout at Hollywood and currently in the process of changing the casino floor at 1st Jackpot Casino Tunica.

What promotions or incentives do your customers like the most? Our guests love slot tournaments and interactive promotions that give them a great opportunity to win! New events and promotions are focal points for 2023. We bring a new level of fun for existing and new customers at the best places to play in Tunica - Hollywood Casino and 1st Jackpot!

What are some exciting things happening at the properties in the coming months?

We are excited to introduce a new Fairbanks Steakhouse menu soon as well as the opening of a new Food Hall this spring. We are also excited about a new restaurant called OG Bird opening at 1st Jackpot this spring, so come hungry, we’ve got you covered!

Pearl River Resort: Silver Star and Golden Moon (Philadelphia, Mississippi)

1-866-447-3275

PearlRiverResort.com

Number of machines/games: 2,436 at Silver Star and Golden Moon combined

What trends have you seen among slot players over the past few years? Recently, we have seen guests gravitate to video style games with interactive bonuses. With that being said, we still have many guests who still love the traditional mechanical reel games too, so we keep those games around as well.

Is the set-up of the casino in place for a reason? And how often do you change the layout? Many years ago, it was common to have different areas of the floor dedicated to certain denominations. While that philosophy still may somewhat apply; our floors are much more diverse with different denominations and game types throughout. We are constantly making small changes to the floors and we are always analyzing the floor to determine what would best suit our guests.

Southland Casino Hotel (West Memphis, Arkansas)

1-800-467-6182

SouthlandCasino.com

Number of machines/games: 2,310 slot machines

What trends have you seen among slot players over the past few years? What’s hot and what’s not? While some of the classic themed games will always be popular, we constantly get feedback from our guests about what they like and do our best to deliver on those expectations. Recently, we have seen popularity with the Asian themes and bonus spin games, while the single line games are not really performing as well.

What percentage of your casino floor is dedicated to slots and/or video poker machines? Approximately 98% of our floor houses slot machines, which has occurred over the past few years with increased popularity of the latest games that we put on the floor.

Is the set-up of the casino in place for a reason? And how often do you change it? The layout of the casino is set-up with our guests in mind and to make it easy for them to find their games and comfortable when they play. We tend to group together similar themes and denominations to help accomplish this.

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