There’s a growing debate in the casino industry surrounding slot advantage play, and for good reason. While many operators continue to focus solely on overall slot performance and hold percentage, a critical issue is being overlooked: Who is actually winning the money?
It’s easy to rationalize that as long as the casino is hitting its win targets, everything is functioning as it should. But in reality, allowing advantage players to consistently capitalize on specific slot mechanics is creating an uneven playing field, and that could cost us our loyal customers in the long run.
What is slot advantage play?
Advantage play (AP) has long existed in table games like blackjack, but it’s become increasingly prevalent in slot machines due to the proliferation of persistent state slot games. These are machines where the game state changes and accumulates value the longer someone plays, leading up to a more favorable (and more winnable) condition. Popular titles like Wild Cherries, Rich Little Piggies, and “must-hit” progressives are perfect examples.
Here’s the problem: Regular slot players don’t understand these mechanics. They don’t realize when a machine is close to a big payout or a bonus mode. Often, they walk away from a machine just before the high-value trigger hits — unaware they’ve left behind a goldmine. That’s when an advantage player swoops in, either as an opportunist or a grinder who’s been carefully managing game states, and they capitalize on that opportunity.
The disparity in the experience
There’s a fundamental difference in how slot advantage players and regular players approach the game. Regular customers gamble for entertainment. They engage emotionally. They’re loyal, they visit regularly, and they hope for the chance to win.
Advantage players, however, are not gamblers. They are investors. They don’t play unless the odds are tipped in their favor, sometimes enjoying an edge of 20% or more on a device. Compare that to blackjack card counters who operate with maybe a 2% edge. It’s no surprise that we’ve seen former card counters and even Baccarat players migrating to slots.
What’s more concerning is that some of these individuals are reportedly earning millions through this style of play because they’ve found and exploited a weakness we aren’t addressing.
Why this hurts your casino
Let’s be clear: These players aren’t hurting the house in terms of the monthly win percentage, but they are damaging your business in a more subtle, corrosive way. When your average guest never seems to win, they stop coming. It’s that simple.
Eventually, you’re left with a player base made up of individuals who only show up when there’s money to take. They offer no entertainment value, no long-term contribution to your bottom line, and no brand loyalty. In short, they’re not the customers you want to keep.
From the surveillance perspective, these individuals are easy to spot when you know what to look for. While the average player spends just 7 minutes on a single machine, serious advantage players will sit for up to 40 minutes, working the game state toward its peak. The opportunists, on the other hand, dart from machine to machine, spending just a few minutes where value is already built in.
What should casinos do?
It’s time to shift our mindset. Instead of only tracking overall slot hold percentages, we need to pay attention to who is winning and how they’re doing it. Look deeper into your daily numbers:
- Identify players who consistently win at specific machines.
- Monitor session length and movement patterns.
- Recognize repeated play behaviors that correspond with game states.
- Coordinate with surveillance teams to flag potential AP activity.
Ultimately, your most valuable customer is the one who returns regularly, enjoys the entertainment, and trusts the experience. If that player feels they never win — or worse, sees others winning because of knowledge they don’t have — they’ll take their business elsewhere.
Slot advantage play isn’t a trend that will go away on its own. It’s time the industry starts asking tougher questions and protecting the very players who keep our casinos alive. Let’s not lose sight of the forest for the trees or the long-term guest for the short-term win.
