Penny Slots At Rivers Casino

Penny Slots At Rivers Casino Rating: 5,0/5 332 votes

Slot machines are nothing new in Michigan. There have been slot games at the state’s various casinos for decades.

So, therefore, I’ll review a new video slot machine at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh. With my $91.60 voucher in hand, I went for a walk in the casino to figure out what else I could learn for you with my remaining bankroll. That’s when I spotted a pair of Dragon Emblem Jackpots by Konami penny slot machines. Penny Slots At Rivers Casino, pokerstars find tournament, casino near herkimer ny, 5 dollar minimum deposit poker sites This casino does not have a no deposit bonus at the moment. However, as you have seen in this MegaSlot Casino review, the site has a match bonus which is Penny Slots At Rivers Casino available to new customers of the casino.

Between the 26 casinos in the state, there are more than 31,000 slot machines available for play. Standard reel games, progressive jackpot machines, and immersive 3D experiences are all available within the borders of the Great Lakes State.

That number is set to explode, however, as online casinos join the party. Thanks to a bundle of laws passed in late 2019, Michigan casinos can open virtual versions of their gaming floors to appeal to Michiganders in both peninsulas.

In the sections below, you will find the most relevant resources about slot machines in Michigan. We have all the latest news, information, and bonus offers for how best to attack the one-armed bandits, both live and online.

Free to play slots in Michigan

Michigan casinos expected to offer real money slots

Online slots vs. live slot machines

You may be wondering why you should play online slots when you can spend your money on the live versions just fine. As it turns out, there are several key reasons why you may want to give the virtual iterations a look.

Availability

Except for dedicated cardrooms, every gambling establishment in the country has slot machines. Furthermore, many of these locations are open 24 hours a day. So, to claim there is greater availability online might seem to strain credibility.

However, online slots cannot break down and unless the site itself crashes, you can always access your favorite game.

Online slots are unhindered by weather, time, or location. Michigan snowstorms can easily make the trip to the land-based casino treacherous and foolhardy, but there is no travel restriction online.

You also never have to wait for your turn to play. Even if a single game has hundreds of people playing it, there will always be a seat for you.

Affordability

Everyone has a different financial situation and tolerance for risk. Some people have no problem betting significant portions of their disposable income on gambling games. Others, like the former world’s richest man, Bill Gates, are uncomfortable with the thought of losing much at all.

However, land-based slots are usually not available on a tight budget. Even so-called penny slots typically require bets of 50 cents or more on each spin.

Virtual slots have no such limitations. You can truly play for pennies online, and there are usually several options for doing so.

On the flip side, there is generally no issue with playing high-limit slots online, either. The range of available bet sizes is quite large and accommodating.

Game looseness

In gambling parlance, a slot machine may be described in terms of its “tightness” or “looseness” from time to time. A tight slot machine is one that is reluctant to pay out, while a loose machine does the opposite. The slot machines at McCarran Airport, for example, have been known to be some of the tightest in Las Vegas for many years.

Penny slots at rivers casino buffet

However, as a general rule, online slots tend to be looser than their real-world counterparts. It is common for online slots to publish their return to player (RTP) percentages, and those figures usually exceed the percentages from an average land-based slot.

A typical online slot machine will pay out 95% of its wagers or more. In other words, for every dollar wagered, a player can expect to receive 95 cents back.

By contrast, it isn’t uncommon for land-based casinos to have percentages below 90%. Though it may not seem as though 5 to 10 cents will make that much difference, it’s a huge discrepancy when multiplied by the aggregate total amount of wagers.

Playing free online slots In Michigan

Another feature of online slots is the ability to try them out for free. You’d be hard-pressed to find a live casino allowing you to play for fun on one of their machines.

However, most online casinos have both demo and real versions of their slots available. Players who enter the game’s demo mode will find they have been supplied with a quantity of play money to use for betting.

Now, in most cases, this play money resets every time you visit a new game. So, there’s no sense in trying to hoard your winnings.

The big advantage of playing for free is you can try out slot games before you invest any of your funds. Most people have their favorite slot games based upon themes, features, and layouts, so free play can be a terrific way to find the one for you.

It is also possible to play slots on sweepstakes sites for play money. Sites like Chumba Social Casino and Luckyland Slots have specific currencies, called gold coins, that are designed only for entertainment purposes.

Like the demo versions on true online casinos, the play money sides of sweepstakes sites allow you to try things out without any risk to you. However, unlike the demo versions, you can stockpile the gold coins in your account. Though it’s relatively easy to secure more gold coins in a pinch, it can be a way to keep score about which games are worth your time.

Playing real-money slot games in Michigan

You may not be accustomed to gambling online, so it’s key to understand how playing on a real-money slot in Michigan works. Playing for real money is usually a superior experience to playing for free because there are elements of danger, excitement, and possibility involved.

No deposit bonuses

Before you do anything else, check this page for any no deposit options at your site of choice. Many online casinos offer free bonus dollars or site credits to new players as a way to welcome them to the site.

If any of these types of bonuses exist, we will have the details here. Also, we may be able to inform you about some offers you can’t find elsewhere.

All that is usually required is your sign-up for the site through our secure link. Occasionally, the site may also require that you enter a promotional code in a specified box while you are registering.

Once you’ve completed registration, you will find the funds waiting for you in your newly-created account. Generally speaking, casinos will offer amounts between $10 – $25.

It is usually not possible to withdraw this money directly, however. You will usually have to wager through it and get returns from the machines first, but that’s probably not an issue, since you came here to play, anyway.

Depositing and playing

Once you’ve completed the use of the bonus money (if any), you will need to deposit funds into your casino account to continue playing. As you did for no-deposit bonuses, please check our site for any deposit matches too.

For bonuses of this type, the online casino pledges to match a portion or all of your deposit amount, effectively doubling your money (or some of it, anyway). The simple entry of a promotional code while you deposit could be worth hundreds of extra dollars.

Since the casino depends on your contributions to survive, it will certainly have several different methods of depositing available.

Typically, an online casino in Michigan will have the following deposit options:

  • Credit or debit card
  • Electronic check
  • Electronic wallet (PayPal, Skrill, etc.)
  • Play+ Prepaid Card
  • Bank transfer or wire transfer
  • PayNearMe vouchers
  • Cash at the land-based casino cage

Of course, every site’s offerings are different, so check with the cashier before you fall in love with any particular site.

Penny Slots At Rivers Casino

In general, you should be able to withdraw your funds with many of the same options. However, some of the methods (like PayPal) might require you to use them for your initial deposit before you can withdraw to your account.

Once you have your cash on site, you are ready to go. Please be aware that the speed of play associated with online games is much faster than real life. Although this difference is not as dramatic as for table games or poker, online slots can put you into the hole quite quickly.

Take your time, and practice good money management to prolong your experience and give yourself a chance to win. Otherwise, playing your favorite online slot might be a rather short chapter in your online gambling experience.

Progressive jackpots in Michigan

A progressive jackpot slot is one of the most exciting types of slot games in Michigan. One spin of the reels could net you enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your days.

Some progressive jackpots on slot machines rise into the millions of dollars. However, a typical progressive jackpot prize is usually between $10,000 and $20,000. It’s not enough to retire, but winning a five-digit score will brighten anyone’s day.

Some progressive machines are linked with each other in terms of feeding the jackpot pool. So, players in multiple locations and on multiple games could be contributing to the same kitty.

On the one hand, this fact increases the number of people “competing” for the same prize that you want. However, the sharing of pools causes them to grow faster since they have more sources of income.

Machines don’t always come with a single progressive jackpot, either. Some slots have several of them, and they are classified according to their prize levels.

Typical strata for these kinds of situations are mini, minor, major, and grand prizes. The chances of winning each jackpot also reflect their prestige levels. It is much more likely to grab a mini or minor jackpot than one of the higher prizes.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when you’re playing a progressive jackpot game, however. The first is the jackpots and regular payouts come from the same source: the cash players stick into the games. You won’t be able to win as much on “typical” payouts if the game has to hold some payouts back for the jackpot.

Second of all, some non-progressive jackpot games can come with extremely high prize opportunities. Even if they’re not feeding into a central system, you can win jackpots many thousands of times the value of your bet.

What kinds of slot machines are available in Michigan?

Slot machines have come a long way from the days of clunky reels. Today’s machines have a variety of shapes, sizes, layouts, features, colors, and modes of play that make any trip to the casino or online casino in Michigan a diversified experience.

However, most slot machines can be categorized in terms of their mechanics. These are the types of games that you’re likely to encounter:

  • Three-reel: These are the most basic and traditional style of game and have mechanical reels that actually spin.
  • Three-reel with bonus: Simple games with an obvious focus on an ancillary game feature, such as Wheel of Fortune.
  • Five-reel: Although the extra reels add complexity, these machines are very similar to their three-reeled cousins and still use actual reels.
  • Five-reel with video: This type of slot is the first to do away with actual reels by electing to display them as computer-based graphics. These games can also come with bonus features that appear as a new screen on the game.
  • Multimedia: The most advanced type of slot that functions with touchscreens, 3D visuals, and a fluid reel structure. Multimedia slots are often the most highly-featured games in casinos due to their visual and auditory appeal.

Few slot machines, particularly as they grow more sophisticated, come without a theme these days. Most of the games you’ll see will have full dressing to reflect their themes, from Greek mythology to popular bands, and will seek to immerse you in their worlds as completely as possible.

Taking advantage of rewards programs

Most casinos, whether they are live, online, or both, feature rewards programs. These schemes seek to reward customers for their loyalty and play through the awarding of points, perks, and otherbenefits.

Slot players are almost always going to be able to participate in these programs. Frankly, the long-term profitability of a slot player leads many casinos to roll out the red carpet for them.

Whether you plan to play seriously or not, you should always investigate the reward program at a new casino, both live and online. Most of them come with extremelygenerousoffers for first-time applicants, and you can put yourself in line for some delightful benefits. Common reward perks include comped hospitality, increased levels of service, or exclusive gameplay opportunities like tournaments and free play.

Rewards programs should never come at any extra cost to you. It’s not advisable to make reward program status a goal, but there’s no reason not to be earning points in the background if you were planning to play, anyway.

Michigan slot machine laws

Michiganders have been able to play slot machines in some capacity for several decades now. The first machines began to show up in 1984, and the state has never been without the devices since.

Part of the movement towards slot machines across the Great Lakes State came from some of Michigan’s many Native American tribes. After opening their first locations in 1984, seven of Michigan’s tribes operated under the radar until gaining their compacts with the state government nine years later.

After it became clear Michigan was to be a gambling state, state lawmakers authorized the introduction of three casino properties in Detroit. The 1996 Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act paved the way for the commercial properties that occupy the Motor City today. All three properties have slot machines.

The list of casino properties with slot machines swelled over two dozen in the next 20 years. Then, in 2019, Michigan passed a series of gambling expansion bills related to online gambling.

One of those bills set up the possibility of online casino gambling in the state. Needless to say, slot machines are part of that authorization.

Can I own a slot machine legally in Michigan?

Yes.

Slot machines are fun pieces of machinery. For homeowners, they can be a centerpiece of quirky interior design, a point of pride in the man cave, or simply another option in the game room.

However, because slot machines are associated with an activity as strictly regulated as gambling, their ownership is also subject to a heavy legal burden. Some states outright ban citizens from owning them.

Thankfully, Michigan is not one of them. According to Michigan Compiled Statute 750.303, a person may own a slot machine under two conditions:

  • The machine is 25 years old or older
  • The machine is not used for any gambling purposes

While the time restriction invalidates the purchase of flashier slot machines for now, the statute of limitations will run out soon enough. If you already have an older slot machine in mind that you want to purchase, there are numerous suppliers more than happy to accommodate you.

Michigan casinos with slot machines

Michigan is home to 26 land-based casinos. Three of them are commercial locations in Detroit, and the rest are tribal casinos spread across the state. Every one of them has slot machines onsite.

These machines are top-of-the-line devices, too. There are plenty of Class III machines from developers like IGT, Bally, and Aristocrat.

You can win big, too. Slot titles like Wheel of Fortune and Lightning Link offer the chance at tens of thousands of dollars or more on a single spin.

Most casinos feature a range of bet sizes on their machines. There are options for spinning from 1 cent to $100 per lever pull or button push.

With so many opportunities, it can be difficult to keep them all straight. So, here are all the casinos with slot machines in Michigan.

List of casinos in Michigan with slot machines

Name of CasinoAddressNumber of Slot Machines (est.)
Detroit Casinos
Greektown Casino Hotel555 E Lafayette St, Detroit, MI 482263,000
MGM Grand Detroit1777 3rd Ave, Detroit, MI 482263,500
MotorCity Casino Hotel2901 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 482012,700
SW Michigan/Kalamazoo
Firekeepers Casino and Hotel11177 E Michigan Ave, Battle Creek, MI 490142,700
Four Winds Dowagiac58700 M-51, Dowagiac, MI 49047400
Four Winds Hartford68600 Red Arrow Hwy, Hartford, MI 49057500
Four Winds New Buffalo11111 Wilson Rd, New Buffalo, MI 491172,600
Gun Lake Casino1123 129th Ave, Wayland, MI 493482,000
NE Michigan/Eastern Upper Peninsula
Bay Mills Resort & Casino11386 W Lakeshore Dr, Brimley, MI 49715900
Kewadin Casino - ChristmasN7761 Candy Cane Ln, Christmas, MI 49862250
Kewadin Casino - HesselN 3 Mile Rd, Hessel, MI 49745150
Kewadin Casino - Manistique5630 W, US-2, Manistique, MI 49854250
Kewadin Casino, Hotel and Convention Center2186 Shunk Rd, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783800
Kewadin Shores Casino & Hotel3015 Mackinac Trail, St Ignace, MI 49781700
Kings Club Casino12140 W Lakeshore Dr, Brimley, MI 49715280
Leelanau Sands Casino2521 N West Bay Shore Dr, Peshawbestown, MI 49682350
Little River Casino ResortGovernment Center Dr, Manistee, MI 496601,400
Odawa Casino - Mackinaw1080 S Nicolet St, Mackinaw City, MI 49701200
Odawa Casino - Petoskey1760 Lears Rd, Petoskey, MI 497701,000
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel7741 M-72, Williamsburg, MI 496901,300
Western Upper Peninsula
Ojibwa Casino16449 Michigan Ave, Baraga, MI 49908350
Ojibwa Casino105 Acre Trail, Marquette, MI 49855500
Island Resort & CasinoW 399 US-2, Harris, MI 498451,200
Northern Waters CasinoN5384 US-45, Watersmeet, MI 49969510
Other properties
Saganing Eagles Landing Casino2690 Worth Rd, Standish, MI 48658800
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd, Mt Pleasant, MI 488584,000

Good luck!

Introduction to Rivers Casino Pittsburgh

On Tuesday night, March 12, 2019, I visited Rivers Casino Pittsburgh in the great state of Pennsylvania. My purpose in visiting wasn’t to have a wonderful evening playing slots, although it turns out I did. I was there to evaluate the casino for you.

I played a few high limit slot machines, talked with a few people, tried out a few of my winning slots strategies on lower limit slot machines, had dinner at their buffet and even played a penny slot machine for a while. Here is my trip report for Rivers Casino Pittsburgh.

This article has the following sections:

  • Introduction to Rivers Casino Pittsburgh
  • The Rush Rewards Players Club
  • Checking Out the High Limit Slots Room
  • Success Using the 5-Pull Approach
  • Dragon Emblem Jackpots by Konami
  • Grand View Buffet
  • Nestled in Downtown Pittsburgh
  • Summary of Rivers Casino Pittsburgh

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The Rush Rewards Players Club

Whenever you walk into a casino for the first time, find the players club counter and get a players’ club card. If you’re already a member because another casino uses the same rewards program, then you won’t have to. Unless, of course, you don’t have your card.

I wasn’t a member of the Rush Rewards Players Club at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, so I found the club counter. As typical for me, I had questions. Also usual for me at club counters, I didn’t get entirely satisfactory answers.

I’ve mentioned this before, this lack of valuable information from the personnel at club counters, back in my article Seven Advantages of Players Clubs for Playing Slots. Casino employees can’t gamble at the casinos they work for, so they don’t know the rules from personal experience. All they know is what they’ve read or learned.

Therefore, there’s no reason to get upset about their lack of knowledge. That’s why I asked for a brochure. A little surprisingly, they didn’t have any on hand. As I visit more and more casinos for you, I’ll have to check and see if this is the latest trend.

Perhaps it’s all online these days. I’ve since checked the casino website where I found a link to Rush Rewards under the Casino tab for Rivers. All the rules are there, as far as they go.

As usual, they highlight the number of points needed for each tier level. They are:

  • Rush (Gold): less than 25,000 Base Points
  • Preferred (Blue): between 25,000 and 99,999 Base Points
  • Signature (Black): more than 100,000 Base Points

The perks for each tier level are somewhat generic. Also, as usual, I’ve found an essential piece of information is missing. How much do I need to spend to earn one Base Point?

That information is not anywhere on the page. Why not? My best understanding is this: How many points earned is very much a mystery for table game players. For slots players, it’s simple.

In slots play, money spent equals points earned. Not so for table game players. For them, their rate (as they call it) is based on how much they bet as well as how long they sit at a table and play. Sometimes it even depends on how much they tip their dealers.

For slots players, as I mentioned, it’s simple. Having been to Rivers Casino myself, I can tell you that one U.S. dollar spent equals one Base Point earned. That’s pretty good.

Checking Out the High Limits Slots Room

The second thing I chose to do at the casino was to find the High Limit Slots Room. In part, this is because, when I’m gambling for myself and not you, I’m entirely a high limit slots player.

But, I was visiting and evaluating this casino for you. Still, I attended the high limit slot machine area because I learn something about the quality of a casino from all the time I’ve spent in high limit slot rooms elsewhere. And, I have to say, I liked the look of theirs.

It was clean and walled off. It had around a hundred slot machines and had a counter staffed with two slot attendants and a floor manager. Those are all good signs.

I felt encouraged by all this goodness, so didn’t immediately leave the high limits room. I’d only planned to spend $200 during this visit to Rivers Casino, but probably only needed half of it to perform the casino evaluation.

So, I spent $100 in this high limit slots room. I spread it around, though. I couldn’t resist playing a Wheel of Fortune slot machine which was also a Five Times Play machine. One machine with both of my favorite games! I made 5 bets, spending $25 in total without winning anything. Oh, well.

I next tried three high limit slot machines showing a winning reel combination, spending $25 on each. What I was doing was testing my winning slots strategy 6 described in 3 Easy High Limit Slots Tricks (Winning Strategy 6). Long story short, it didn’t work. Not for me, on that trip, with less than $100 to spend in that high limit slots room.

So, let’s take a breath for a moment and think about all that we’ve learned so far.

  1. The casino invests in their high limit slots room, implying players win taxable jackpots.
  2. The 5-pull slots strategy isn’t set up to win at this casino. Being a limited attempt due to a very small bankroll, this is not a conclusion. Not yet. For now, it’s just under consideration.
  3. There is just no way to test several of my other winning slots strategies, given this was a one-night-only evening visit nowhere near a holiday.

Success Using the 5-Pull Approach

After leaving the high limit slots room, I entered part of the casino which has quarter slot machines. If you’ve ever been to Rivers Casino, the area I’m talking about is just outside of the walled area of the High Limit Slots Room.

It was there I decided to test Winning Strategy 1: Only Win Immediately which I often call the 5-pull method. Again, this was a Tuesday evening in a casino around 7 p.m. Few people were around, although it wasn’t empty.

This low attendance indicates it is a great time to test the 5-pull method. You’re looking for a time when the slot machines will have sat idle for a little while. On a busy Friday night, for instance, that doesn’t happen.

So, I walked up to a bank of slot machines. It doesn’t matter what games there were. They weren’t video slots or progressive slot machines. Well, a few progressive slots were nearby, but trying my Slots Strategy 2: Progressive Slot Machines wasn’t on my to-do list this trip. Maybe next time.

One thing I did notice was that the maximum number of credits to bet was one credit higher for slot machines on either end of each row of slot machines. If the middle 4 or 5 slot machines were 2-credit machines, then the end slot machines were 3-credit machines. I hadn’t noticed that before. Have you?

I also noticed some things which were missing. None of these machines had any bonus rounds, meaning I’d have the same odds of winning when betting any number of credits. I made the maximum credit bets each time.

Penny Slots At Rivers Casino Buffet

So, I had my remaining $100 bankroll for low limit slot machines. I put it all into the first slot machine. I avoided the slot machines on the ends with the higher maximum credits. I also avoided all slot machines with chairs that slot attendants had not pushed back into place.

Recently played slot machines may have their chairs pulled out. It’s the only visible sign they have. As a reminder, the 5-pull method is to bet on an idle slot machine up to five times before switching to another machine. And, if any of those five bets is a winner, no matter how small, then stop playing that machine and move on.

As I describe elsewhere, the underlying principle of the 5-pull method is that both new players at any machine as well as long-term idle slot machines are recognized and rewarded.

Meaning, the 5-pull method is two slots strategies rolled into one approach. Either slots strategy might be in place at a particular casino, but both might also be in place. By playing only idle machines, I was trying to use both strategies at once.

In any case, I took notes of my winnings on each slot machine, but no records for slot machines I didn’t win anything on. Here they are:

  • 3-credits, quarter slots: $30
  • 3-credits, quarter slots: $6
  • 3-credits, quarter slots: $1
  • 3-credits, quarter slots: $0.75
  • 3-credits, quarter slots: $7.50
  • 3-credits, quarter slots: $1.50
  • 3-credits, quarter slots: $3.75
  • 880-credit, penny slots: $30
    • made 3 bets of $8.80 each
    • profit from this slot machine was only $3.60
  • 250-credits, penny slots: $5
  • 640-credits, penny slots: $1.20
  • 30-credits, penny slots: $0.20
  • 3-credits, quarter slots: $1
  • 10-credits, penny slots: $3
  • 5-credits, quarter slots: $2.50
  • 80-credits, penny slots: $0.20

After spending the original $100 bankroll, I had $91.60 in total winnings. That’s a personal payout return percentage of 91.60%, excluding bets made earlier in the high limit slots room.

At this point, having won back almost all my allotted bankroll, now I’m willing to admit that I didn’t try enough in the high limit slots area. We’ve found that one of my winning slots strategies is set up by Rivers Casino to work here.

That’s great, but what other winning slots strategies might also work. While I’ve yet to find a single casino where all 7 of my winning strategies work at the same time, that doesn’t mean we’re done learning. Let’s see what else appears to work here.

Dragon Emblem Jackpots by Konami

I’ve been to the players counter, the high limit slots room, and played a bunch of idle slot machines. What else was there to try?

Well, one of the types of reviews I want to start offering is of specific slot machine game themes. That seems to be of interest to you. I certainly have my favorites, so I appreciate if you do as well.

There is very little connection, if any, between new game themes and winning slots strategies. Whether or not a slot machine is a winner depends upon how the casino has set it up.

Other than laziness on the part of the casino, there’s no reason a casino would ever set the odds of winning to be identical on side-by-side slot machines possibly excepting traditionally networked progressive slot machines. But, maybe not even then.

So, I don’t have a lot of interest in different games themes because I don’t think they matter when it comes to winning. But, what is important to me is meeting your needs and interests. So, therefore, I’ll review a new video slot machine at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh.

With my $91.60 voucher in hand, I went for a walk in the casino to figure out what else I could learn for you with my remaining bankroll. That’s when I spotted a pair of Dragon Emblem Jackpots by Konami penny slot machines.

What I noticed was the admittedly attractive woman winning at one of those slot machines. When I was walking by, all the roll-up noises caused by her winning was very distracting. So, being single as well as liking winning slot machines, I sat down next to her, said hello, and started playing the machine next to her.

It sucked. Seriously. It was such a loser. I could tell right away. No action. No winnings more than the occasional 20-cents or 40-cents. I quickly lowered the number of credits I was betting so I didn’t lose my bankroll completely. I started around 600-credit bets and reduced it until it was around 120-credit bets.

But the woman on the nominally identical machine next to me was doing great. She was winning free games after free games. She even got free games during her free games.

Sure, the difference between the results of our play could have just been luck. Certainly, luck plays a role in every bet on a slot machine. But, I can’t help you be lucky. I can’t even help myself be lucky.

But, what I can do is look for patterns that tell me something about how the odds of winning are set on particular slot machines. It seemed like her machine had better odds. In fact, it seemed like it had much better odds.

Rivers Casino Penny Slots

Then, like some crazy person, she left. She just walked away from a winning slot machine. Who does that? Maybe she thought her winning was just luck. I guess. Perhaps she needed to be someplace else.

Anyways, I slide right on over and put my players’ card into the machine as quickly as possible. Why? Well, one of my theories mentioned in a recent podcast episode has to do with how casinos can remotely change the odds of winning on idle slot machines.

And, no players card in the slot machine and no bets made either is an idle slot machine. So, I made it not be idle as quickly as I possibly could. Can you guess what happened? I won.

I won, and I won, and I won. It was great. Now, by the time I started playing this second Dragon Emblem Jackpots by Konami penny slot machine I was down to around $50 of bankroll. So, I kept my bets small.

That means I didn’t win a lot in terms of dollars. I won often, but each win was small. I won a lot more than I spent with my bets of $1.20 each, though. Below is a picture of a $15.50 win. There was another bonus game win of $35.10 and another of $44.20. My bankroll increased back up to around $100.

Then I went to dinner. Like a crazy person, I got up and left the slot machine. Why? Well, I was pretty hungry, and the buffet would soon close. But, again, I wasn’t there to make money. I was there to help you make money if you visit Rivers Casino.

I’ll mention now that I came back to this same slot machine about an hour later after I had my buffet dinner. Guess what? The odds on that former winning slot machine were now terrible. Isn’t that interesting?

While again it is always possible to have a winning streak based on luck, which for many table games players is a fact of their gambling life, we know better. When playing slot machines, sometimes it’s entirely luck, and sometimes it’s not entirely luck.

For this slot machine, assuming it wasn’t entirely just old-fashioned luck the first time around, it felt like someone lowered the odds while the machine was idle.

I cannot prove my point to you about this being the case for this slot machine. Why? Because I don’t work at this casino or any other casino. Nor do I have the specific job of the person there that has access to the changing odds of winning for this slot machine.

But, as you perhaps already know from your own experiences, it happens so often on one slot machine after another that it’s obvious something is going on. And, technically, it’s entirely possible.

And, being possible, why wouldn’t casinos do it to help guide their financial performance metrics wherever state regulations don’t legally require a maximum payout return limit on a per bet and per slot machine basis. After all, few states have such a specific gaming regulation.

Grand View Buffet

Do you like buffets? I love them, including all the variety while building my plate of food. I’m only slightly kidding when I say I love reviewing casinos for my Professor Slots business mostly so I can sample so many beautiful buffets. Again, I’m only slightly joking.

The Grand View Buffet at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh was both excellent and inexpensive. Using my Rush Rewards Players Club card at the base Gold tier level got me a 5% discount on the costs shown below. That was nice. I’ll note that there are more significant discounts for the higher tiers.

This buffet is upstairs at Rivers Casino. Just go up the escalators at the back of the casino. It’s basically on the second floor along with a hallway to several large conference rooms. The buffet itself is a surprisingly large area with about seven different cuisines. I sampled everything. It was all good.

Nestled in Downtown Pittsburgh

If Pittsburgh isn’t your hometown, then you may not be interested in what’s happening in the greater Pittsburgh area. I’ve been to casinos build out on a vast cornfield in the Midwest, where there frankly isn’t much to do except whatever the casino itself offers.

If Pittsburgh is your hometown, or if you frequently visit Rivers Casinos in other states with the same Rush Rewards Players Club, then we need to talk about complimentary gifts.

Before we do that, I’ll mention the three Rivers Casinos having Rush Rewards. Two casinos are in Pennsylvania. The third is in a suburb located northwest of downtown Chicago. They are:

If you’ve identified your slots gambling goals as including earning complimentary gifts, then you’ll want to know what the Pittsburgh area has to offer.

Why? Because I assume you will succeed at earning complimentary gifts. Whether this is at Rivers in Pittsburgh or Chicago or Sugarhouse in Philadelphia doesn’t matter. Once you start winning comps at any of them, it won’t be long before you start getting offers to visit the other two properties. As in, free offers to travel on the casino’s dime.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Sugarhouse and Rivers Casino Pittsburgh had a bus which regularly transported their slots players in their upper tiers back and forth between the two properties. Further, Rivers Casino Des Plaines-Chicago probably flies them into both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

With all that in mind, what does Pittsburgh have to offer? If you happen to have a personal host due to being in the Signature tier, have you told them what do you want? As it happens, I’ve written up many of the comp possibilities in Winning Strategy 3: Earning Complimentary Gifts.

Yes, earning complimentary gifts or “comps” is a winning strategy. For many slots players, they spend everything they win. So, where’s their profit, if any? It’s in the variety of free stuff they get.

If it’s not a trip, then you’ll want to set aside a spare bedroom for them. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, re-gifting to family and friends is well worth considering.

In Pittsburgh, easy comps to ask for includes admission to:

  • Carnegie Science Center
  • Heinz Field (Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Panthers)
  • PNC Park (Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates)
  • Museums and Parks
  • Fine dining in Downtown Pittsburgh

Summary of Rivers Casino Pittsburgh

I went over my Professor Slots casino trip report for Rivers Casino Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It was first named Majestic Star Casino, but renamed by the time it opened on August 9, 2009. It currently has 2,900 slot machines

In this review, I covered its rewards club, high limit slots room, idle slot machines, a penny slot machine called Dragon Emblem Jackpots by Konami, its buffet, and the local area to help provide insights into possible reward comps in the downtown Pittsburgh area.

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By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC