Make a living advantage playing slot machines

Do people actually make a living playing slot machines?

Yes, this is really a thing. Go to any casino in America and you will find people that do this full-time (or at least attempt to).

Have you ever been sitting at a slot machine and noticed a person come up to the machine next to you, push a few buttons and then walk away? Or maybe the person sat down, played a few spins, and then got up and walked away (maybe after a nice win). That person is known as an AP, which stands for advantage player.

There are certain types of slot machines known as persistent state machines. These machines retain their state when the previous player cashes out. Usually, the machines are progressing towards some type of bonus or jackpot. Once the machines reach a certain point, they become +EV, which stands for positive expected value. This means the player now has an edge over the house.

Advantage players know about these machines and at exactly what point they become profitable (+EV). They will find machines that are in a +EV state, play them until the game is no longer +EV, and then immediately cash out. Casinos still make the same amount of money on the slot machines, but the APs are doing the winning, while the regular players are doing the losing.

Advantage players are also known as slot hustlers. But those with the skills to do this professionally are known as machine pros.

Aren’t slot machines completely random?

It’s true that every spin of a slot machine is generated by a random number generator (RNG) and that each spin is independent of what happened on previous spins. Myths about machines getting hot or cold or overdue for a payout are 100% false.

That said, games with persistent state features function differently and can enter a state of positive expected value (+EV). A RNG still controls the results of the spin, but the rules of the particular game are still followed. So in the photo of the $1,655 handpay at the top of this page, the first four reels are wild because the wilds stay around for two spins (even if a player cashes out). The RNG only controls what happens in the fifth reel, so with four reels being wild, you are automatically guaranteed five-of-a-kind on each row. Anyone who spins in this state is guaranteed a massive profit—in this case, 220x the value of the bet.

To explain further, say there is a pizza-themed slot machine. As you play, you occasionally collect slices of pizza that move up to an empty pizza pan graphic above the reels. After 16 slices are collected, the pizza pan is full and the machine enters a free games bonus. If a player is done playing and cashes out, the accumulated pizza slices remain.

An advantage player will calculate what the average bonus pays relative to the bet size and how much they will lose on average to collect an additional pizza slice. After the tedious and time-consuming process of gathering the data, the AP can use simple math to figure out at exactly what point the game enters a profitable state. So now they know the game is +EV if there are at least 11 out of 16 slices of pizza on the screen. Playable numbers like these are a closely guarded secret in the AP community. These numbers are what I am sharing inside Machine Pro Club.

Why do slot manufacturers make games that are “beatable” and why would casinos carry these machines?

Casinos aren’t losing money on any slot machines (slots are the biggest moneymaker inside the casino). Machines that are “beatable” have persistent state features (explained above) that advantage players (APs) understand and exploit. APs only play a machine when it is temporarily in a state of positive expected value (+EV) and then cash out once it enters a -EV state. They then wait until other players build it up to a +EV state again. Casinos make the same amount of money either way—advantage players are just doing the winning while regular players are doing the losing.

Slot machines with persistent state features keep players engaged and playing longer, which is why casinos carry so many games like these.

Are all slot machines beatable in some way?

No. Only slot machines with some type of persistent state feature ever enter a profitable state. I’d estimate that about 5% to 10% of machines in an average casino fall into this category. So in a decent-sized casino with 700 slot machines, you could find maybe 35 to 70 machines that are beatable in some way.

Is it rare to find persistent state advantage machines at casinos these days?

Not at all. There has never been a better time to be a machine pro. Every single casino I have visited has a ton of advantage play slot machines.

A casino within driving distance of me used to have 26 advantage machines when I first started doing this. They swapped out some older machines with new ones and that number rose to 34 machines. They have continuously added more since then and now there are 48 advantage machines. And this casino is on the smallish side. Larger casinos I know of have 150+ machines with some type of advantage, with more added all the time.

Many of the newer games hitting casino floors have persistent state features. I keep up with the latest games posted as press releases on slot manufacturer websites—more and more of them are touted as having persistent state features that keep players hooked. Casinos love these games because players stay engaged and keep pouring more money into the machines.

“The game really plays a part in that persistent state trend that’s all across the industry right now.”
—Ainsworth game rep during a new game demo

Is it rare to find good plays? Why would a player walk away from a machine when it is close to a bonus or in a profitable state?

The vast majority of people in casinos are casual players who are just there to have a good time. They pay no regard to the mechanics or rules of a particular game. They just plop down, put money in and push the spin button over and over again.

I used to occasionally play slots recreationally before I got into advantage playing. I never bothered to read the game rules or understand how the game bonuses functioned either. I would just spin the reels and move on to another game. This is what 99% of players do.

Also, many slot players tend to be older folks who didn’t grow up playing video games or using computers, so they don’t really pay any attention to the graphics on the screen or understand what is happening. And younger slot players tend to be groups of friends just out having fun and drinking, so they don’t pay any attention to how the game works either.

Sometimes players will abandon a machine in a profitable state because they ran out of money or don’t want to add new money because they think the machine is running poorly. Or else they will cash out right after they hit a big win, thinking the game won’t pay out again for a while, even though there are still active bonus features left in the machine. For example, they might have three reels of wilds that stick around for two spins. They cash out after the first wilds, happy that they just hit big, but are unaware that the wilds will be around for an additional spin. This is actually a very common scenario.

Also, it’s important to understand that persistent state machines retain a unique state for each bet level and at each denomination. So it’s not just one play you check for per machine—most machines have at least five bet levels that can be checked, and some have five different denominations, which often means 25 opportunities to find a profitable play.

So you are saying you wander around a dark and dank casino all day hoping to find plays? That doesn’t sound very appealing.

It does sound awful when you describe it that way. But how about describing the AP lifestyle like this—you have no boss, you get to set your own schedule, you get to take epic road trips around the country staying for free in luxurious hotel rooms, you get lots of exercise walking around (I’ll regularly get 20,000+ steps in a day), you get to meet tons of interesting people and you get to play exciting games for a living. And not to mention that you can make an incredible amount of money doing this. So it definitely beats sitting in a cubicle all day working for someone else, in my humble opinion.

How much money can you realistically expect to make doing this?

Your results will vary depending on your market and local competition. We have members who make six figures a year, with some making well into the mid six figures ($500,000+). This requires an extreme work ethic and a hectic travel schedule (as well as employing a few special tactics you will learn about inside the community that shouldn’t be discussed publicly).

Are all advantage plays as obvious as the ones shown in the photos above?

No. These are just easy examples to demonstrate the concept of advantage play. Many of the best plays are much more subtle and most players don’t know about them.

Is this illegal? Will the casinos kick you out if they catch you doing this?

It is completely legal, and in general, casinos do not care. They are making the exact same amount of money either way. The slot machines still pay out the same—you just are the one who gets the wins rather than someone else.

Security focuses on people cheating at table games. They tend to ignore people playing slots because casino management knows that as long as people are playing slots, the casino is making a profit.

That said, some higher-end establishments will occasionally ask obvious advantage players to leave. This is more common in the Reno/Las Vegas markets than it is in tribal casinos. I’ve personally never had any problems with security. I have buddies who are in the casino checking machines literally 12 hours a day with zero issues. I have heard of people getting kicked out, but that is for belligerent behavior, hassling patrons, locking up machines, using multiple player’s cards, etc. If you avoid camping, loitering and doing anything shady, then you will be fine.

I’m already an advanced AP—will I still find Machine Pro Club useful?

If you are a machine pro, then you know information is money. Having better info than the competition is the only way to stay ahead. Inside MPC, you will get access to the most accurate data available on the latest advantage machines. I extensively track plays and exchange info with a network of other APs. I also have access to hundreds of PAR sheets. All of the playable numbers in the strategy guides get updated as new data becomes available. You will not find better info anywhere on the internet.

These strategy guides are what I use myself as a reference when I am advantage playing. There is no need to search through various websites, private messages, emails, etc to find the latest playable numbers you are looking for. Everything you need is organized in a single place, in an easy-to-use format that you can pull up on your phone while you are inside the casino.

Why are you sharing this info?

A private forum for machine pros needs to exist, so I decided to build it. I love playing slots but can only spend so many hours inside a casino every week. My goal is to create a small community for dedicated machine pros where we can share plays and exchange info, rather than a public website that ruins plays for everyone in the profession.

Who runs this website?

My name is Austin and I’m a software developer by trade. I choose to remain anonymous due to the sketchy (but unfounded) reputation of playing slots.

What’s included in the monthly Machine Pro Club membership?

After subscribing, you will gain immediate access to in-depth strategy guides for 32 profitable games. The guides will tell you exactly when to play—not just generic “more wilds is better” advice. They’re also filled with additional tips and tricks to help you get the most out of the games. I’ll be continuously updating and improving the strategy guides as I get access to more data.

Every week (for 52 weeks) you will get a strategy guide for a new game to add to your arsenal. The focus is on the latest games that you can actually find in casinos these days, as opposed to older games that aren’t really around anymore. The info in the guides should easily pay for itself.

You will also gain access to a private forum where you can ask questions and discuss strategy with your fellow machine pros.

Is there a time commitment to the monthly subscription? Can I cancel at any time?

There is no time commitment and you can cancel your subscription at any time with just a few clicks by following the steps here.

I don’t like signing up for monthly subscriptions. Do you have any other options for getting the strategy guides?

Yes. Check out the products section. You have the option to pay upfront to unlock all of the strategy guides right away without having to wait.

Can I join anonymously? What kind of info do I have to share when I sign up?

When you create an account, you will be asked to enter your email address and full name. For your name, I recommend using your initials or a nickname because the name you choose will become your username in the forums. If you do enter your real name, you can always change your username later. Other members of the forum will not be able to see your email address, but I will be able to view it on my backend. If you are looking for a privacy-focused email provider, I recommend ProtonMail.

Payment is handled via credit card processed through Stripe. You will be required to enter your card number, expiration date, CVC, country and zip code. Your mailing address is not required. I’m not able to view your credit card details on my backend (just the last four digits).

Do you offer any discounts or coupon codes?

Nope. Unfortunately, I don’t offer any kind of sales, promotions, coupons or discounts. Other members paid full price, so it isn’t fair to them if I offer discounts to other people.

I just joined the MPC community. How do I access the strategy guides, search for a game, post an image, etc?

The FAQ in the sidebar should answer all of your questions.

What should I do if I have other questions that are not answered here?

Shoot me an email at machineproclub@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to answer any other questions.

—Austin

AP
Advantage player. A person who engages in any kind of gambling where they have an edge.

Bankroll
How much money you have to gamble with.

Camping
Sitting at a nearby slot machine waiting for a ploppy to get up and leave behind some sweet +EV. I personally avoid camping as I find it creepy (and it’s almost always more profitable to just walk around and look for better plays).

Coin-in
How much total money you run through a slot machine. It’s not the same as how much you lose because an average machine will pay you back roughly 90% of what you put in. So you could do $1,000 coin-in and only be down $100.

Degenerate or degen
Someone with a gambling addiction. They will sometimes attempt basic advantage plays by vulturing, but they use their winnings to further fuel their addiction by playing non-AP machines. Sometimes used as a verb to describe when an AP knowingly plays a game just for fun, e.g., I was degenning on Dragon Link.

Denomination
The unit of your bet size. A 75 credit bet at a 1¢ denomination is $0.75. At a 10¢ denomination, it is $7.50. Higher denominations tend to have a higher RTP.

EV
Expected value. Usually used as +EV, meaning positive expected value from a play. +EV doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to win every time—it only means you have an edge over the house and that if you keep playing, over the long term, you will come out ahead. Some plays will give you slight +EV and other times EV can be massive (and absolutely a guaranteed profit), such as a MHB that is close to hitting or four reels of active wilds.

Hustler
Anyone who attempts to make a profit playing slot machines. Could be a degenerate vulture or a successful machine pro.

Machine pro
A person who makes a living advantage playing slot machines.

MHB
A must-hit-by progressive, sometimes called a mystery jackpot. A MHB progressive increases in value on every spin and is guaranteed to be awarded before it reaches a certain dollar amount. For example, a MHB might start at $250 (called the reset value or seed amount), increment $0.01 for every dollar put into the machine (a meter of 1%), and then be guaranteed to hit before it reaches $500. Some MHBs are programmed to hit at a random point and others are programmed to always hit towards the top. Oftentimes machines will have multiple MHBs, for example, a minor and a major. The minor will be for a smaller amount and will hit more quickly. This serves to entice players to keep playing, while slowly building up the major to a point where it seems worth chasing.

Nerfed
If a slot machine has been nerfed, it means the game software has been updated to make it less advantageous for APs. The extent to which nerfing actually happens is subject to much debate within the AP community.

PAR sheets
Design documents that are distributed to casinos by slot manufacturers so gaming managers can understand the financial impact the machine will have on the casino floor. PAR stands for probability accounting report. The documents contain information about the game’s payback percentage, volatility, hit frequencies, jackpot odds, etc. PAR sheets are usually confidential and not available to the general public, but some APs are able to get their hands on them.

Playing the piano
Quickly tapping through the bet levels on a machine to check for plays.

Ploppy
A player who plops down and mindlessly pours money into a slot machine with little understanding of how the game works. Also called a normie or civilian.

Progressive
A jackpot that gets bigger and bigger as more money is put into the machine.

RTP
Return to player. A setting inside a slot machine that determines the game’s payback set as a percentage. Usually varies from 85% up to 98%, with an average around 90%. Higher denominations tend to have a higher RTP. It’s important to understand that RTP is theoretical and realized over millions of spins. In the short term, the actual return of a machine can be much lower (e.g., a single spin is likely to have a 0% return). Despite what some people on the internet may tell you, slot machines don’t make adjustments to the RTP by factoring in previous wins or losses. Every spin is controlled by a random number generator and the internal math of the machine will cause the theoretical return and actual return to naturally converge over time due to the Law of Large Numbers.

Tilt
If an AP goes on tilt, it means they have entered a frustrated mental state where they are making irrational decisions. This often occurs after experiencing a big loss due to bad variance. If you ever reach this state, it is important to cash out immediately and leave the casino until you get your emotions under control.

Unit
An amount equal to your bet size. A bonus that paid 100 units would be $50 on a $0.50 bet and $500 on a $5 bet. The same concept can also be expressed as a multiple, such as 100x.

Variance
The spread between values in a dataset. In slots, this describes how risky or volatile a play is, meaning you can either win a lot or lose a lot. As a machine pro, variance is your enemy. Even if you are playing an +EV game, experiencing bad variance can destroy your bankroll in the short term. Games with high variance can certainly be lucrative, but you need a big enough bankroll to weather the ups and downs.

Vulture
Someone who swoops in on obvious plays. They often engage in camping (see above) and might not understand the concept of +EV. They learn by copying other successful players.