Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine September 2011

http://www.fortmcdowellcasino.com/

Contents

04 EDITOR’S NOTE What’s on our mind

06 PLAYERS TALK What’s on your mind

27 ENTERTAINMENT Editor’s Picks

28 FUN & GAMES Sudoku & Riddles to keep your mind sharp

29 SAMI’S SMACKDOWN Rants, raves & reflections

30 CASINO SPONSOR DIRECTORY

REGULAR RESPINS

22 FREE GAMES BONUSES What does “Bonus Reels In Play” really mean?

23 CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL GAMING ADG seizes 70 illegal “coin pusher” gambling devices.

24 CASINO BUZZ The excitement never stops at Fort McDowell Casino!

FAST FACTS

18 PAYBACK PERCENTAGES Little known secrets about payback percentages.

20 PLAYING SMART Which is the better bet: Video or Live Keno? How much money should you bring to the casino?

WINNING WAYS

08 COLOSSAL GAMING’S BULL’S EYE™ A little company makes a big splash in Arizona.

10 IGT’S THE HANGOVER™ They’re no longer exclusive to Total Rewards Casinos.

12 WMS’ STAR TREK™ BATTLESTATIONS Available only at Cocopah Casino in Yuma, Arizona!

GREAT GAMES

SEPTEMBER

azgamingguide.com | September 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 03

1010 WMS. © Copyright WMS. All Rights Reserved. www.wms.com, and IGT. © Copyright IGT. All Rights Reserved. www.igt.com.

Slot machine images courtesy of Colossal Gaming. © Copyright Colossal Gaming. All Rights Reserved. www.colossalgaming.com,

1212

88

2020

FEATURES

14 VIP CORNER Meet AIGA Acting Executive Director Valerie Spicer.

16 THE REEL DEAL ABOUT CLASS II SLOTS How are they different from CLASS III slots?

http://www.azgamingguide.com/

http://www.wms.com

http://www.igt.com

http://www.colossalgaming.com


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VOLUME 03 • ISSUE 02

PUBLISHER

Chris Hoft

[email protected]

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Elizabeth Torma

[email protected]

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alexandra Lang

[email protected]

ART DIRECTOR

Melanie Mueller

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mark Novak

Alex Stewart

Samantha Becker

Lana Hartmann

Elizabeth Torma

ADVERTISING SALES

Nina Consiglio

[email protected]

Alex Stewart

[email protected]

MAILING INFORMATION

Arizona Gaming Guide

P.O. Box 20636

Mesa, Arizona 85277

INTERNET INFORMATION

www.azgamingguide.com

www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide

Copyright © 2011 The Arizona Gaming Guide.

All rights reserved.

The Arizona Gaming Guide (AGG) presents casino industry and

gaming related facts as well as personal opinions and expects the

reader to make his or her own decisions. All responses to reader e-

mails and letters are to be considered as advice only. AGG accepts

no responsibility and no liability for any actions of our readers

based on the articles and advertisements presented within this

publication. All pictures, images, logos, trademarks and trade

names, etc. are the sole property of their respective owners. You

must be 21 or older to gamble. Please play responsibly. Help is

available at 1.800.NEXT.STEP or www.problemgambling.az.gov.

EDITOR’S NOTE

04 Arizona Gaming Guide | September 2011 | azgamingguide.com

Your Authority On Everything Gaming

Indian Gaming Benefits Arizona!

We are always very excited to introduce our readers to leaders of the

Arizona Indian Gaming Association (AIGA). In this month’s issue we

present Valerie Spicer, the Acting Director of the AIGA, who brings a

tremendous amount of experience and dedication to the organization.

She is committed to upholding the mission of the association to protect

and promote the general welfare of tribes so they can achieve their

goal of self-reliance. Supporting tribal gaming enterprises is an im-

portant part of the AIGA’s mission. Tribal gaming revenue has not

only advanced the lives of the Indian people economically, socially,

and politically, but it has also been a trusted, proven and significant

source of revenue for the State of Arizona! Since 2004, tribal gaming

has contributed more than $480,000,000 to the Arizona Benefits Fund

and $47,000,000 to various Arizona cities, towns, and counties. These

funds have a direct and lasting impact that is helping meet the needs

of all us Arizonans.

Please visit us at: www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide, become

part of our community and share your thoughts and experiences with

others who also love the same casino games you do. Don’t forget that

you can also find the current and back issues of the Arizona Gaming

Guide on our website at www.azgamingguide.com. For your conven-

ience, we have included the QR codes for both web addresses in our

directory. Let me know what you think of our September issue and

have fun!

Cheers!

Alexandra Lang

Editor-in-Chief

[email protected]

Alexandra

http://www.problemgambling.az.gov


mailto:[email protected]?subject=Reader%20Comment%20(Web%20Publication)

mailto:[email protected]





http://www.azgamingguide.com

http://www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide


http://www.azgamingguide.com

http://www.wms.com/agg-tpirxd

PLAYERS TALK Q&A On Everything Gaming


ASK THE EXPERTS and get a $25 gas card if we decide to print your question! Do you have a question for our staff of casino gaming industry professionals and slot experts? Write us with your questions

and comments in any area of gaming and we will make every attempt to publish a response in upcoming issues. Space is

limited so we are unable to print every letter or e-mail we receive. Please include your name and mailing address with all

correspondence. Mail to: Arizona Gaming Guide PO BOX 20636 Mesa, AZ 85277 or E-mail to: [email protected].

Q: SLOT PAYBACK PERCENTAGES

I recently picked up one of your issues at Cliff Castle

Casino. I’ve got a slot machine in my home and after

reading the instructions it says that the payouts are ad-

justable by resetting a certain switch. My question is: If

I can adjust my machine for more or less payouts can

the casinos also set their machines the same way and do

they? Is there a way to get your magazine mailed to me

each month? I do plan on reading your magazine each

month from now on either by getting an issue or online.

Thank you.

D. Malnati – Wickenburg, AZ

A: D. Malnati, the answer to your first question regarding slot

machine payouts is YES! Just like you, the casinos can set their

machines to various different payback settings. However, before

casinos change the settings on their games they must notify the

Arizona Department of Gaming and document the changes. A

request for a change must be submitted to the Department 30

days in advance and inspectors need to come out and verify the

new settings. Employees from the casino, the Tribal Gaming

Agency, and the Arizona Department of Gaming all need to be

present when changes to the games are made. It’s just not as

easy as many people believe for a casino to ‚tighten‛ or

‚loosen‛ their games. A strict process needs to be adhered to

and several people from various different departments need to

be involved. This is why many casinos don’t change their

settings after the initial percentages have been chosen when the

games are first installed!

To answer your second question, you can read and enjoy our

publication in several different ways!

1. As you know, you can pick up free physical copies of our

magazines in casinos all across Arizona as well as many non-

gaming establishments. E-mail [email protected] for

the location nearest you!

2. You can subscribe to our publication online for free at:

www.issuu.com/ArizonaGamingGuide and you will have our

magazine delivered to your in-box on the first of every month!

3. You can have our publication delivered to your house at

a subscription rate of $35 for one year of 12 issues. If you elect

this option, please send a check or money order to: Arizona

Gaming Guide P.O. Box 20636 Mesa, Arizona 85277.

To get sneak peeks of upcoming articles and be the first to know

about new game installations and much more, join our Face-

book community at: www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide!

Q: CASINO SAFETY

How safe are we at the casinos? I see the security guards

at the door, but I don’t see many of them walking

around. Women are always leaving their purses in be-

tween the slots and I don’t think that’s safe. Do you

know if there’s a lot of crime at the casinos?

Camille Ramos – Phoenix, AZ

A: Camille, one of my favorite movies is ‚Casino‛ where Robert

de Niro plays the casino manager. His narration about casino

security is fantastic when he says, ‚The dealers are watching

the players. The pit bosses are watching the dealers. The shift

bosses are watching the pit bosses. The floor manager is watch-

ing the shift bosses. I’m watching the floor manager. And, the

‘eye in the sky’ is watching us all.‛ Honestly, the casino is one

of the safest places to be. However, even though casino security

has our back, it doesn’t mean we should put ourselves in vul-

nerable situations! Casino patrons need to guard their posses-

sions. I would advise everyone not to use the slot trays or the

area between the slot machines for their personal belongings

because they weren’t meant to house such items as cell phones,

keys, wallets, purses, and money!

Q: LIVE ROULETTE

Why don’t we have live Roulette here in Arizona?

Ben Harris – Sierra Vista, AZ

Ben, Roulette (as well as Craps) are two popular casino games

that haven’t been approved here in Arizona—yet! I believe the-

se games will be allowed eventually. However, first the Tribes

and the State would need to expand their current agreement.

The voter-approved Tribal-State Gaming Compact of 2002 cur-

rently only allows electronic versions of these games. If, and

when, a live version of Roulette (and Craps) will be available is

anybody’s bet.


mailto:[email protected]?subject=Reader%20Comment%20(Web%20Publication)


http://www.issuu.com/ArizonaGamingGuide



Q: PROGRESSIVE ODDS

The Fort Knox Progressive Slot and many others that I

have played always have messages on the screen that

say we need to increase our bet to have a better chance

of getting the Progressives. I think that’s a trick to get us

to bet more. I always see people winning the big Pro-

gressives and they’re always betting the minimum. I

was sitting next to a lady that won over $6,000 and she

was only betting $1.25 which was the lowest bet. I’ve

bet $2.50 and even more than that and I’ve seen other

people bet big amounts and only get the Copper level.

So, how does that work?

Barbara Schultz – Chandler, AZ

Barbara, certain slot machines connected to randomly awarded

Progressives (like Fort Knox) are set up in such a way that en-

courage slot players to play max bet to increase their odds of

hitting a Progressive. The more a player bets, the better his or

her chances are of getting into the Progressive Bonus. However,

once a Progressive has been triggered there are no guarantees

which Progressive level will be hit. The player betting the most

at the bank has the best chances of getting in, but his or her luck

is what will determine which Progressive level will be awarded.

The Fort Knox Progressive Bonus is a ‚fair‛ game. In other

words, the values you see after you’ve picked the safes are the

actual values. For those who consistently find the highest val-

ues during all the picks will make it to the top levels and be

awarded the Gold and Platinum levels. Those who aren’t so

lucky with their picks will be awarded the lowest Copper and

Silver levels.

Just so you know, it really is possible to increase your chances

of being the player at the bank who is selected for the Fort Knox

Progressive Bonus. The best way I can think to describe this

situation is by using a simplified example of a bag filled with

colored balls. Assume each Fort Knox slot machine is assigned

a different colored ball and the number of balls associated with

each machine depends on the player’s bet level. In other words,

bet per line 1 ($1.25) gets one ball, bet per line 2 ($2.50) gets

two balls, all the way up to bet per line 10 ($12.50) which gets

ten balls. Let’s say there are 4 players: Player 1 is betting $1.25

and has one white ball in the bag, player 2 is also betting $1.25

and has one green ball in the bag, player 3 is betting $2.50 and

has two yellow balls as a result, and player 4 is betting the max

and gets ten red balls! Now, there’s a bag of fourteen balls (ten

of which belong to player 4). When the Progressive Controller

randomly picks one colored ball from the bag, which player do

you think is going to have the best chance of being selected? $

Q&A On Everything Gaming PLAYERS TALK


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know you won’t overlook these slots on a casino

floor! You simply can’t! Each slot is over eight feet tall

and uses a huge 42” touch screen monitor for the game

display. Colossal Gaming makes excellent use of their

giant screen from top to bottom and side to side. The

symbols are big, easy to see, and the main game infor-

mation is clearly located and read in the bottom area of

the monitor. Players have instant access to a volume con-

trol, the help screen, and a button to switch denomina-

tions. With the lower half of the monitor devoted to the

reels and information, each of Colossal Gaming’s slots

make excellent use of the rest of the screen where the bo-

nus games are presented. In most cases, players are track-

ing their progress towards a bonus on the top section of

the monitor while playing the base game. This is truly a

unique interface that must be experienced by all slot en-

thusiasts. You’ll get a different feeling while playing this

slot in contrast to games made by other companies that

you are more familiar with.

While these innovations come as no surprise to our staff,

you may be interested to learn that Colossal Gaming was

formed in 2003 by gaming veterans from a company

called Casino Data Systems. Back in the early 2000’s the

founding members of Colossal were designing slots and

also working on what was to become an extremely popu-

lar accounting and player tracking system called Oasis.

Aristocrat bought out Casino Data Systems and is contin-

uing to market the Oasis product to the gaming industry

as Oasis 360TM. Many of you have probably inserted your

player’s card into a device connected to this system right

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I

GREAT GAMES New Slots

By Mark Novak




New Slots GREAT GAMES


Having started over as Colossal Gaming in California, the

company has experienced tremendous growth in the past

few years! Initially, their slots were only available for

play throughout California casinos, but now the company

has expanded their gaming operations into Oklahoma,

New Mexico, Alabama, Michigan, and Arizona! Hopeful-

ly, we’ll be seeing more and more slots from these experi-

enced game designers as they introduce their products all

across the country.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out these slots, we

highly recommend you do so at Mazatzal Hotel & Casino

in Payson or at either Desert Diamond Casino in Tucson

and in Sahuarita. Originally there were only a total of

twelve slots in the entire state. Now, just a few months

later, there are almost twice as many. This is not an easy

feat to accomplish for a small, young company! The major

slot manufacturers have such a huge selection of games

and products to choose from that the “little guys” have a

difficult time making their way onto the casino floors.

Bull’s EyeTM is a 30 line penny game featuring stacked

top symbols, a wild, and a credit based bonus game

played on a dartboard located above the reels. All it

takes is three bonus symbols, scattered anywhere across

the reels, to have the game award prizes from 3 to 1000

times your total bet. One dart per bonus symbol is

launched at the board each time you enter the bonus.

This means the smallest bonus win with three bonus

symbols (three darts) is nine times your total bet. Based

on our game play sessions, this slot feels more like the

games that were designed five to ten years ago. The ex-

perience is definitely less volatile than most newer slots.

In order to fully experience the game, $30.00 is the most

appropriate bankroll for one play session at minimum

bet (30 lines = 30 credits = 30 cents). This should guaran-

tee at least one bonus win, possibly two, while you are

playing and allow you to make up your mind about the

game. You’ll find two Bull’s EyeTM slots available for

play at each of the following casinos: Mazatzal Hotel &

Casino, both Desert Diamond Casinos, both Casino del

Sols, and at Gila River Lone Butte Casino.

Two KachingoTM slots are ready for action at each De-

sert Diamond Casino in 5-cents and also at Gila River

Lone Butte in 5-cents with a multi-denomination option.

This single payline slot takes 10 credits as a minimum

wager. At this bet, a bankroll of $50.00 is sufficient to

experience the bonus and the features of the game. The

KachingoTM symbol on the center reel appears frequent-

ly adding marbles to the slots on the bonus board above

the reels. Once a tube fills up, the free spins bonus starts

with the number of games and the multiplier indicated

by the tube just filled! Our insider sources inform us that

this particular slot is set to a loose payback percentage

of over 90%!

On a final note, both Desert Diamond Casinos just in-

stalled brand new Colossal Gaming slots called Suite

SuccessTM so go check them out! Send us an e-mail at

[email protected] with the word “Colossal” in

the subject and tell us what you think of these games! $





The Hangover™ Slots, based on the popular hit movie

and created by the slot manufacturer IGT, will be coming

to a casino near you soon! An exclusivity arrangement

between Total Rewards (the player loyalty program of

Caesars Entertainment) and IGT meant that players could

only play the fun, new slot at select Total Rewards casi-

nos for the first 60 days after the launch of the new game.

Now, that exclusivity agreement is over and several casi-

nos throughout Arizona will be installing The Hangover™

Slots for their loyal patrons to enjoy as well. Watch for

these new game installs at Casino Arizona – Salt River

and Mazatzal Hotel & Casino in Payson, Arizona in the

very near future.

In The Hangover™ Slots game, the characters Alan, Phil,

Stu and Doug star in four themed progressive pick bo-

nuses. The first of the four bonuses include the “Stun

Gun” bonus in which players press the button to zap

Alan and build credit values. In the “Wedding Chapel”

bonus, players pick from several boxes to reveal wedded

bliss, mugs, and hats for credit values. During “Mr.

Chow's Freaky Free Games” bonus, players are awarded

free spins with locking wild poker chips and can advance

to the “Deal in the Desert” bonus with a chance to reveal

the correct Doug for extra winnings. Additionally, in the

“Villa” bonus, players pick from several icons found in

the hotel room to reveal credits. Base game wilds are

awarded when a police cruiser, an SUV, a tiger paw

swipe, a mattress, or Mr. Chow enters the screen and ran-

domly converts game symbols to wilds. One of the most

entertaining aspects of this game is the voice-over by the

comic actor, Ken Jeong, as Mr. Chow. Fans of “The Hang-

over” movies are sure to find a lot more reasons to love

this new slot machine! $

Image courtesy of IGT. © Copyright IGT. All Rights Reserved. igt.com.

The exclusivity arrangement with

Total Rewards properties is over!


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12 Arizona Gaming Guide | August 2011 | azgamingguide.com


he Final Frontier < available right now at Cocopah

Casino in Yuma, Arizona! Cocopah is currently the

only casino in all of Arizona to offer this brand new

slot machine from WMS, for now. You may have already

played the earlier version of WMS’ Star TrekTM slots and

regardless of your past experience, this game is worth a

try.

The bonus is guaranteed to hit every eight minutes, so

that makes every player a definite winner, frequently.

Furthermore, you build your ships during base game

play between bonuses. The game concept is pretty simple;

the more ships you have, the more you can win in the

bonus! While we didn’t experience it ourselves when our

team played the game at the casino, if any of your ships

survive the Klingon fleet’s attack during the bonus round

they are carried over to the next bonus. The game quickly

becomes a battle to get as many ships as possible before

the timer for the next bonus expires. One easy way to ac-

complish this is to simply increase your bet. A higher bet

creates more ships or adds a bigger and better arsenal to

your fleet for the next bonus round battle. We want to

hear your feedback about this slot. Send us an e-mail to:

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ject field and let us know what you think!

By the way, all you non-smokers will be excited to know

that Cocopah Casino now offers “Smoke-free Sunday!”

You got it! Right now, here in Arizona, you can enjoy a

100% non-smoking casino once a week! So what are you

waiting for? Get away for the weekend and visit Cocopah

Casino and let them know we sent you. For more infor-

mation about Cocopah Casino, please visit their website

at: www.cocopahresort.com $

T

By Mark Novak

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Arizona Indian Gaming Association

Acting Executive Director

Valerie Spicer

Tribes in Arizona contribute a portion of their Class

III Net Wins to the Arizona Benefits Fund! This

Fund provides revenues for education, trauma and

emergency care, wildlife conservation and economic

development. To date, contributions to the Arizona

Benefits Fund have totaled more than $480,000,000!

Valerie Spicer was recently named Acting Executive Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming

Association (AIGA). Last fall, she was selected for the Deputy Director position from a group

of 80 highly qualified candidates from all over the country because of her accomplishments and

her vision for the future of the AIGA. Learning about all of the endeavors she has worked hard

for in her 27 years of experience in the gaming industry, it is obvious to me why she was elect-

ed to lead the AIGA. I’m very excited to introduce her to all of you.

By Chris Hoft

Arizona Gaming Guide (AGG): You haven't been in

your new position for very long. Have you had a

chance to get settled in yet? What is the first item on

your agenda with the AIGA?

Valerie Spicer (VS): Whenever I approach a new posi-

tion, I think it is very important to get a good under-

standing of where the organization is and how best to

take it to the next level. My predecessor, Sheila Morago,

served in this position for eight years and amassed an

incredible amount of accomplishments through her

ability to communicate and juggle multiple balls in the

air at any given moment. It has been a challenge to not

let those balls drop and, at the same time, to identify

what else AIGA could be doing to build a stronger

presence and awareness within Arizona and all of our

communities. Building this awareness has been my fo-

cus for AIGA.

We recently had a really good outreach with the Uni-

versity Medical Center Trauma Services in Tucson.

They approached us to thank the tribes for their contri-

butions which have made an incredible difference for

their Trauma and Emergency Services. In 2002, when

Prop 202 was crafted, trauma centers were selected as one

of the recipients of the Arizona Benefits Fund because at

the time trauma centers in the state were in danger of be-

ing closed. In addition to trauma and emergency services,

the Arizona Benefits Fund has also provided critical fund-

ing for education, wildlife conservation and tourism. I

plan to reach out to all the recipients of the Arizona Bene-

fits Fund and learn from them how their programs have

been affected by these monies. The Benefits Fund has

made a tremendous impact and we want people to know

what has been achieved with these monies. These funds

are automatically distributed every year and we want to

celebrate the accomplishments and the positive changes

that have been made. I know the tribes will feel very

good about this.



AGG: How does the AIGA and the Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) work together?

VS: We have a very good relationship with the ADG and communicate with each other on a regular basis. It is in all

of our best interests that we work closely together. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 established the founda-

tion for tribal gaming. By any measure, Indian gaming is one of the most regulated businesses in the nation. The cred-

ibility of tribal gaming is based on the ability to operate under strong regulation with checks and balances. At the trib-

al level, we have the tribal gaming agencies, the first line of oversight, then the state, and then the federal govern-

ment. As the technology changes we may have to adjust how we track and regulate gaming, what games we can

offer, how we can offer them, and how to perform certain procedures to ensure the integrity of gaming. We also have

in John McCain, a U.S. Senator who is very keen on regulation and oversight. He knows that Arizona has always been

recognized, on a national level, as being highly regulated and for having a great working relationship with the state

regulatory agency. This is a good thing!

AGG: How closely does the AIGA work with national

organizations such as the National Indian Gaming As-

sociation (NIGA)?

VS: We have two tribal leaders who serve as our repre-

sentatives to NIGA. On a regular basis we travel to Wash-

ington D.C. and participate in their meetings, confer-

ences, or attend hearings. Most recently, NIGA held a

summit on internet gaming, land into trust, and a number

of different topics which are critical to our Indian Coun-

try. We also attended the Indian Affairs Committee hear-

ing and round table on internet gaming. I know that other

regional associations, as well as the national associations,

look to us for input on crafting terminology, legislation,

and our responses to legislation. I think this is a very

good position to be in. The NIGC (National Indian Gam-

ing Commission) has been on a national consultation

schedule and I, on behalf of AIGA, as well as the tribes on

their own, have attended several of these meetings. We

are always mindful of what is happening nationally.

AGG: Indian gaming operations have felt the brunt of

the recession. Luckily, casino revenues have seemed to

be picking up over the last couple of years. Do you be-

lieve that the worst is over?

VS: The last two quarterly gaming reports show an in-

crease, which is great. I think this reflects a few things.

Arizonans have a higher comfort level on spending in the

hopes that our state economy is turning around. Howev-

er, it could also be due to less traveling by Arizonans and

stay at home vacationing. Rising gas prices made it diffi-

cult to go out of state and resulted in people staying

closer to home. The casino gaming industry is not re-

cession-proof. We have felt the domino effect of the

economy. Tribes are governments not just a gaming

corporation and they have been impacted across the

board as well. I believe tribes will experience slow, con-

tinual growth towards a positive future. I watched,

along with everyone else, the recent Debt Ceiling chal-

lenges, the Dow’s plunge, and Europe spiraling. These

are all examples of a ripple effect. Tribes are always

keeping their eye on these kinds of events, just like any

other government. We’re all keeping our fingers

crossed that the worst is over and we’re looking for-

ward to moving upward.

AGG: Is there anything you would like to communi-

cate to our readers?

VS: I would like to remind everyone of the identity of

tribes. A lot of people tend to look at tribes and only see

the gaming. There are so many aspects to each tribe

beyond gaming. The tribal governments have a long

and rich history within the State of Arizona. This histo-

ry is actually accounted for in the textbooks that chil-

dren learn from in school. I want people to remember

more about the tribes and to take the time to become

involved with their culture and history. I think a lot of

this gets lost. The tribes are part of the fabric of this

great State of Arizona. $

For more information on the AIGA, please visit: www.azindiangaming.org.

Thank you to Valerie Spicer for her time and Linda Oosahwe at the AIGA

for facilitating this interview. Special thanks to Martha & Pam at Strategies.


http://www.azindiangaming.org

WINNING WAYS Class II vs. Class III Slots


By Alex Stewart

THE REEL DEAL ABOUT

CLASS II SLOTS

lass II slots are popping up in casinos all over

Arizona and many of you may not even realize

these slot machine games are vastly different

from the Class III games we are all accustomed to play-

ing. Class II games even have their own set of rules and

regulations that are separate from Class III games. You

won’t be able to tell the difference between these two

types of games with a cursory glance, but there are some

very important distinctions between them!

Class II Slots vs. Class III Slots

Visually, it’s very difficult to dis-

tinguish between Class II and

Class III slots. All the same lights,

bells, and whistles that are cus-

tomarily found on Class III slot

machines are also incorporated

into the Class II slots. You even

have the option of playing video

or mechanical versions of these

games! However, the tiny bingo

card located somewhere above the

reel window is the dead giveaway

that you are playing a Class II slot!

The main difference between Class

II and Class III slots is that Class II

slots are connected to one central

computer and all the outcomes are

based on one random number

generator running from the main

computer. Essentially, players are

competing against each other for prizes—which are just

disguised as the winning combinations on the game. For

each new game, there are a finite number of possible win-

ning combinations (and losing combinations) that are

awarded to the players participating in the bingo game at

any particular moment. Imagine playing lottery scratch

tickets. Once a certain combination has occurred, it can-

not occur again until all the scratch tickets have been

used and a new game is started. Therefore, each game on

a Class II slot is dependent on the previous game. Class

III slot games, on the other hand, each have their own

random number generator located inside the individual

slot machines and each game is completely independent.

This is why it’s actually possible to get back-to-back jack-

pots on a Class III slot because all winning and losing

combinations are available to players on every spin.

Are Class II Slots Fair?

The math models behind Class II

games are set up in a slightly

different way than the math mod-

els for the Class III games—that’s

all! There is nothing unfair about

it! The overall payback percentage

of the slot is based on how many

winning and losing combinations

there are in a finite pool of out-

comes. When a bingo game is over,

the central computer picks a player

with a winning bingo and awards

a prize from the “electronic” stack

that includes a finite number of

outcomes. A player doesn’t see

what’s going on behind-the-scenes.

If their bingo card is a winner, then

they will see a winning combina-

tion on the screen in the form of

three red 7s, for example.

Why Even Have Class II Slots?

Class II slots that mimic electronic bingo were originally

invented so that certain jurisdictions that weren’t allowed

to operate Class III games could offer and benefit from

this form of gaming. With so many great Class II game

titles, slot directors in Class III jurisdictions have been

intrigued enough to place them on their slot floors too! $

CC


http://www.playqcr.com/


WINWIN

tay away from the penny slots and start playing the dollar slots if

you want to increase your chances of winning. Generally, the

higher the denomination is the higher the payback percentage.

Casinos do this to reward players that are willing to place higher bets.

Based on my industry experience, this is a common breakdown of pay-

back percentages by denomination: 1¢ 85-91%, 2¢ 87-91%, 5¢ 88-92%,

10¢ 89-93%, 25¢ 92-95%, $1 93-96%, $2 94-96%, and $5 95-97%.

And, here’s another hint: If you generally play a 30 line penny game at

bet-per-line five for a total bet of $1.50, this is the same as playing a 30

line nickel game at bet-per-line one for the same wager! Playing the ex-

act same slot game in a higher denomination can earn you a few extra

percentage points! Try it and see if you can feel a difference. The other

added advantage you’ll be getting by playing the higher denomination

games is a boost in your players card status. $

SS

By Liz Torma

ave you ever played your favorite slot machines

outside of Arizona and felt as though something

was off? Well, it probably wasn’t your imagina-

tion. According to the gaming regulations established in

Nevada, slot machine paybacks can be set as low as 75%

and this includes Laughlin as well! California doesn’t

even have a minimum! Here in Arizona, our gaming reg-

ulations don’t allow anything below 80%. It kind of

makes you want to play close to home doesn’t it? $

HH

The payback percentages for Video Poker are generally much higher than the payback percentages for Video Keno, but

that doesn’t mean Video Poker is necessarily the better game. Numbers can be deceiving, especially in the case of pay-

back percentages. Sometimes the hit frequency is just as important as the payback percentage of a game! Hit frequency

describes how often various wins occur and how much they return relative to the odds of hitting them. For instance,

when playing straight up Video Keno whose 7-spot pays 7,000 to 1, the odds of hitting this award are about 1 in 40,000

games. Well, guess what? These are the exact same odds for hitting a Royal Flush playing Video Poker! In my opinion,

the 7,000 to 1 payout for catching a 7-spot sure beats the 800 to 1 payout for a Royal Flush! And, the 6 out of 7-spot for a

400 to 1 payout isn’t so shabby either, especially since it happens 1 in every 1,300 games on average! $

WINNING WAYS Payback Percentages

Photo courtesy of IGT. © Copyright IGT. All Rights Reserved. igt.com.


http://www.hon-dah.com/


here are so many factors that you need to

consider when determining your bankroll

for a night out at the casino. What denomi-

nation you plan on playing, what bet level, the

volatility of the games, and how long you’d like

your entertainment experience to last for are just

some important factors you need to take into ac-

count when determining your casino budget.

Let’s assume you can afford to spend $100 for one

trip to the casino. That amount of money should

buy you (on average) one hour of play time on a

penny slot machine game with medium—high

volatility, betting the absolute minimum (assume

it’s 30 cents playing all the lines). Now, as soon as

you start to deviate from any one of those catego-

ries, you need to increase your casino spending

money. For example, playing 60¢ you should bring

$200 for each hour of desired play time, 90¢ you

should bring $300/hour and so on. Of course,

some of the newer slot machines that are much

more volatile may require slightly more money

while the older and less volatile games may re-

quire slightly less. The key is to be realistic, so you

never find yourself in a situation where you’re out

of money and tempted to withdraw more. Know

what kind of player you are, follow these rules

and you will never come out short! $

ive Keno typically has a house edge of around 30%

or more whereas the Video Keno version has a

much lower house edge of around 8%! However,

the speed of play doesn’t necessarily make it the most

preferable choice between the two versions. Assuming

you can squeeze in 15 games in one hour playing Live

Keno at $1 per game, the cost/hour is $5 in the long run

(cost/hour = 15 games/hour x $1 bet/game x 30% house

edge = $4.50/hour). Playing Video Keno at an average

speed, you can play 300 games in one hour. At a cost of

$1 per game, the cost/hour to play Video Keno is $24/

hour (cost/hour = 300 games/hour x $1 bet/game x 8%

house edge = $24/hour).

If you choose to play Video Keno over Live Keno, you

will be choosing the game with the lowest house ad-

vantage. However, the 22% you save will cost you, in the

long run, an extra $19.50/hour because of the speed of

play. Nevertheless, I prefer Video Keno over Live Keno

and to lessen the disadvantages I set the game to the

slowest speed (whenever possible) so I can play less

games per hour and I always keep my eye out for the best

pay schedules. I also never play more than a one coin wa-

ger since all wins are proportional and, of course, I al-

ways use my players card! Good luck and have fun. $

L

By Lana Hartmann

WINNING WAYS Playing Smart

VIDEO or LIVEVIDEO or LIVE

KENO?KENO?

How Much $$$$ Should You Bring

To The Casinos?

T


http://www.777play.com/

FAST FACTS Free Game Bonuses

ave you ever felt as though it’s easier (or harder)

to get certain winning combinations during a

free games bonus round? Well, the reel strips

that are used in the base game are not the same reel strips

that are used during the free games, most of the time.

Yes, that’s right! In order to distinguish the bonus reel

strips from the existing reel strips used during base game

play, regulations in several major gaming jurisdictions,

including Arizona, require a visible difference in the sym-

bols if an alternate set of reels is used. In addition, a clear

statement needs to be displayed somewhere on screen, on

the game, and in the help screen, indicating that a change

in reel strips has taken place during the free games. In

fact, in most cases, if you look closely the symbols have

been flipped horizontally and some color change has hap-

pened as well. The reel strip background generally chang-

By Lana Hartmann

HH


es as well. And, just to be even more obvious, some man-

ufacturers write the word “BONUS” across the reel strips!

This is all done to make sure players understand that a

change has occurred and they don’t feel cheated. Addi-

tionally, with all these modifications to the game there

can be no doubt to a player that they are currently in a

bonus.

Changing the reel strips during the bonus can allow the

mathematician to control the volatility of the game. In

other words, they can increase or decrease the hit fre-

quencies of the individual wins, change your chances of

re-triggering the bonus, affect (on average) how much

each free games will pay, and so on. Next time you play

your favorite slot game, see if you can tell a difference

between the reel strips and what changes were made! $

BONUS REELS IN PLAYBONUS REELS IN PLAY What does that even mean and how does it affect how the game plays?

Slot machine image courtesy of WMS. © Copyright WMS. All Rights Reserved. wms.com.


Gaming News FAST FACTS


he Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the Ari-

zona Department of Gaming recently announced

a joint operation combating the proliferation of

illegal gambling machines. A task force of agents and

investigators from both offices seized more than 70 gam-

bling machines known as Coin-Pushers at 57 metro

Phoenix locations. The Arizona Department of Liquor

and the Arizona Department of Public Safety actively

assisted in the operation as well.

Coin-Pushers are machines into which a player inserts a

coin, usually quarters, in an attempt to have a "pusher" (a

moving part within the machine) push other coins, to-

kens, jewelry, and currency of various denominations off

a shelf and into a collection bin for retrieval. Players are

not guaranteed a return for their money and any return

depends on chance.

Most of the seized Coin-Pushers have been in operation

since January 2010, and public complaints alerted offi-

cials. Affidavits filed in support of search and seizure

warrants have estimated $200,000 in illegal gambling rev-

enue generated by the machines in the past five months.

The affidavits explained that in addition to being illegal

gambling devices, the machines are a fraud because they

contain hidden compartments into which many coins fall

without becoming available to the player, giving a false

impression of the chances of getting more value than the

cost of playing.

"These devices are a fraud on the public," Attorney Gen-

eral Terry Goddard said. "They are built cleverly to de-

ceive the player into thinking that coins or other valua-

bles are about to fall into the collection bin as winnings,

but players can't see how they really work." Distribution,

installation and collection of revenue generated from the

Coin-Pushers are violations of numerous criminal offens-

es that include promotion of gambling, fraud, money

laundering, benefiting from gambling, and possession of

a gambling device. “Protecting our communities from

illegal gambling operations is a priority,” said Mark

Brnovich, director of the Arizona Department of Gaming.

“We take complaints of such activity very seriously.” $

Many thanks to Talia Otto, Rick Medina, the Arizona Department of Gaming, and the Arizona Attorney

General’s Office for this article. For more information on the Arizona Department of Gaming, visit

azgaming.gov. For more information on the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, visit azag.gov. Photos are

courtesy of the Arizona Department of Gaming, © Copyright Arizona Department of Gaming. All rights

reserved.

CRACKDOWN ONCRACKDOWN ON

ILLEGALILLEGAL GAMINGGAMING

T

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne (L.) and Arizona

Department Of Gaming Director Mark Brnovich (R.)

oversee destruction of the Coin-Pushers.

Seized Coin-Pushers being destroyed at

Arizona Recycling Corp.


FAST FACTS Casino Buzz


Fortopoly Picture this classic game of strategy and chance, trans-

formed, Fort McDowell style. Introducing Fortopoly, a

spinning whirlwind of chances to win big. Exciting

prizes including the grand prize drawing where two

lucky winners will take home a 2011 Volkswagen Jetta,

daily drawings like the Bag of Chance and bonus spins

on the giant Fortopoly game board, are sure to leave

people wanting more! And you’re in luck, because

Fortopoly runs through September 26, 2011. Don’t lose

your turn to witness the Grand Prize car drawing Sep-

tember 26th at 8pm. Daily drawings are Fridays, Satur-

days, Sundays and Mondays, 1pm, 5pm and 8pm, so

you’ll have plenty of chances to make your move.

Fort McDowell CasinoFort McDowell Casino Where there is something for everyone!

Lunar Bingo The Fort McDowell

Casino, known for

the Valley’s largest

cash payouts, offers

the newest late-

night trend for all

Bingo enthusiasts –

Lunar Bingo. An exciting and original twist on the tra-

ditional game, it combines black lights, cocktails, loud

music and giveaways, making for a Bingo experience

unlike any other. Many people are finding themselves

becoming “Lunartics,” and you could be next. So grab

your friends, a few glow necklaces, and get ready to

have some serious late-night fun. This year, Lunar Bin-

go will take place on the 3rd Saturday of every month

starting at midnight.

Karaoke

Showcase your singing talent and get a taste of the spotlight

this year as Fort McDowell presents Karaoke with Attitude.

Don’t miss your chance to compete and win cash and/or

Crown Credits in this exciting elimination, multiple round,

karaoke event. Choose your favorite song and take the stage

in the Lucky 7 Saloon because you could be the next Fort

McDowell Casino karaoke star! Didn’t make it through your

round? Relax, you could be the lucky Wild Card winner,

drawings at the end of each qualifying round. Karaoke with

Attitude’s Final Round is October 6th, 7pm-10pm. $

Many thanks to Stephanie Riley at ReThinc for her assis-

tance with this article. For more info about Fort McDowell

Casino, visit their website at www.fortmcdowellcasino.com

or call 1-800-THE-FORT (1-800-843-3678).


http://www.fortmcdowellcasino.com

http://www.wms.com/agg-tpirxd

http://www.ddcaz.com/

Editor’s Picks ENTERTAINMENT


Venues, times, dates, and ticket information may be subject to change. Please verify all details and any age restrictions with each venue as the event approaches. Photo copyrights belong to the artist. All rights reserved.

WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY Stargazer Pavilion

Cliff Castle Casino Hotel—Camp Verde

September 16th—Doors at 7PM

Tickets start at $35—800.381.SLOT

Don’t miss this American icon and Country Music

Hall of Fame inductee, who will soon celebrate his

80th birthday, and has a music career which spans

seven decades!

RON WHITE Diamond Center

Desert Diamond Casino—Sahuarita

September 30th—Doors at 7PM

Tickets start at $45—520.294.7777

Comedian Ron ‚Tater Salad‛ White has performed

with Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Ca-

ble Guy on the highly acclaimed ‚Blue Collar Come-

dy Tour.‛

JERSEY ROCKS Showroom

Talking Stick Resort—Scottsdale

Thursday thru Saturday—Now thru Oct. 1st

Tickets start at $19.99—480.850.7734

A rousing tribute to the many generations of music

that have come from the Garden State including

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, the Ronettes,

Billy Joel, and Bon Jovi.

CREEDENCE RELIVED Event Center

Mazatzal Hotel & Casino—Payson

October 8th—Show at 6:30PM

Tickets start at $15—800.777.PLAY

This group has re-captured the look and feel of

Creedence Clearwater Revival with their rugged Levi

jackets, shaggy hair cuts, beards and one heck of a

live show!


SUDOKU Each of the columns, rows, and nine 3x3 grids must con-

tain all of the digits 1 - 9. None of the digits may appear

more than once in each column, row, and 3x3 grid. (Solution on page 30)

1 6

2

7

2

9 7

6

4 1

2

3

2

1 5

2 7

9

9

1 8

5

7 9

8

6

4

7 3 8

RIDDLES

1. An undercover police officer needs to infiltrate an

illegal gambling club, but first he needs to figure out a

way to get in so he can disguise himself as a player.

One night, the police officer realizes that people are

being let in by saying a secret password, so he decides

to put a recording device close to the door. The first

person walks up to the door and replies “six” after the

man behind the door says “twelve.” Then, another

person walks up to the door and is let in when he re-

plies “three” after being told “six” by the man inside.

At this point, the police officer is sure he’s cracked the

code and feels he doesn’t need to wait any longer. He

goes up to the door and after the man inside says to

him “ten” the police officer replies “five” wholeheart-

edly. Unfortunately the police officer is in grave trou-

ble, because he didn’t say the right password! What

should have been the right password?

2. Cher doesn’t have one. Arnold Schwarzenegger

has one and it’s big! Michael J. Fox also has one but

it’s small! The Pope has one but never uses it! Tiger

Woods has one and uses it all the time! What is it? (Solutions on page 30)

FUN & GAMES


http://www.problemgambling.az.gov/



SAMI’S SMACKDOWN

Do YOU have something to rant about? Write me at:

[email protected]

By Sami Becker

FROM A CASINO

EMPLOYEE...

Sami, I work for a casino in Arizona, so I want my

name to be ANONYMOUS! I don’t want to take the

chance of being fired because I’m ranting about my

customers. I’ve worked in a casino now for 8 years

and I’ve heard a lot of things in that time. It’s to the

point where I really need to tell someone! I want to

tell people what I’ve heard and inform the families

of gamblers what they really need to know. They

need to know what’s going on, how a lot of gam-

blers think, and what some gamblers are really say-

ing when they call home. Okay, so here it goes …

I’ll be walking around inside my casino or outside

the casino and overhear customers on their cell

phones telling the person on the other line that they

are somewhere else and not at the casino. They will

say something like, “Hi honey, I’m at Costco” or “I

just left Wal-Mart.” I don’t know how they get away

with it, because they have no money and no grocer-

ies! I feel these types of people shouldn’t be at the

casino spending the rent or grocery money. They

just might be addicts who need help. I want all the

people that do this to know I appreciate their busi-

ness and I love seeing them playing and having fun.

However, if they’re not supposed to be in the casino

then they shouldn’t go. If they have a gambling

problem, they need to call for help at 1-800-

NEXTSTEP (1-800-639-8783) or visit their website at

www.problemgambling.az.gov. Thank You!

Anonymous Writer –Arizona

Thank you, so much, for taking the time to write us! I com-

mend the casinos, and employees like yourself, for caring

and prominently displaying the hotline number through-

out the casino. At some point, everyone needs to take re-

sponsibility for their own actions. Family and friends

should be aware if someone they love is exhibiting signs of

a gambling problem (or are displaying addictive tendencies

towards anything else such as food, drugs, alcohol, shop-

ping) and encourage them to get the help they need! $

*EXP. 10/1/2011

ADULT SEWING LESSONS!!!

This is the "YOU CAN

MAKE IT" series of les-

sons! NEW THIS SUM-

MER, WE WILL BE OF-

FERING WEEKLY ADULT

SEWING LESSONS!

http://www.hearmedaz.com/


http://www.sallysfabrics.com/


http://www.problemgambling.az.gov

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

Fort McDowell Gaming Center

Beeline Hwy (SR 87) and Fort McDowell Rd North of Fountain Hills

1-800-843-3678 fortmcdowellcasino.com

843 Slots, Live Keno, 1,700 Seat Bingo Hall,

24 Poker Tables, 15 Blackjack Tables

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

Casino Arizona—Salt River

524 N. 92nd St, Scottsdale E of Loop 101 at McKellips Rd and 92nd St

1-480-850-7777 casinoaz.com

Over 900 Slots, Live Keno,

54 Table Games

Casino Arizona—Talking Stick Resort

9700 E. Indian Bend Rd, Scottsdale 1 mile E of Loop 101 on Indian Bend Rd

1-480-850-7777 casinoaz.com

Over 800 Slots, Live Keno,

47 Poker Tables, 54 Table Games

Tohono O'odham Nation

Desert Diamond Casino

7350 S. Nogales Highway, Tucson 1 mile S of Valencia Rd on Nogales Highway

1-520-294-7777 desertdiamondcasino.com

1089 Slots, Live Keno, 270 Seat Bingo Hall



1100 W. Pima Mine Rd, Sahuarita S of Tucson at I-19 and Exit 80 (Pima Mine Rd)


890 Slots,



Highway 86, Why 1½ miles E of Why, AZ on Highway 86


76 Slots

Tonto Apache Tribe

Mazatzal Hotel & Casino

Highway 87, Payson S of Payson on Beeline Highway(SR 87) 1-800-777-7529 777play.com

413 Slots, Live Keno, 280 Seat Bingo Hall,


White Mountain Apache Tribe

Hon-Dah Casino, Resort & Conference Center

777 Highway 260, Pinetop 3 miles outside Pinetop at Highways 260 & 73

1-800-929-8744 hon-dah.com

802 Slots,


Yavapai-Apache Nation

Cliff Castle Casino & Hotel

555 Middle Verde Rd, Camp Verde 1 mile E of I-17 on Middle Verde Rd

1-800-381-7568 cliffcastlecasino.net

656 Slots,


Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe

Bucky's Casino

Highway 69 and Heather Heights, Prescott N at top of hill next to the Prescott Resort

1-800-756-8744 buckyscasino.com

301 Slots,


Yavapai Casino

1500 E. Highway 69, Prescott Hwy. 69 at Heather Heights on S side of SR 69

1-800-756-8744 buckyscasino.com

235 Slots

Arizona Department of Gaming

1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

1-602-771-4263 azgaming.gov

Office of Problem Gambling (1-800-NEXT STEP or 1-800-639-8783 )

1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450

Phoenix, Arizona 85007

1-602-542-8998 problemgambling.az.gov Source: Arizona Department of Gaming-Tribal Gaming Status-07/01/11

1 6 9

2 5 8

7 3 4

4 8 2

3 9 7

6 1 5

3 7 5

6 4 1

8 9 2

8 7 3

6 9 1

4 2 5

1 5 4

2 7 8

9 6 3

9 2 6

4 5 3

1 8 7

3 8 6

5 4 7

9 1 2

7 2 9

8 3 1

5 4 6

5 1 4

2 6 9

7 3 8

Solution to the Sudoku

Solutions to the Riddles

1. The number of letters in the word is the correct password.

The police officer should have replied ‚three‛ when the man

behind the door said ‚ten.‛

2. Their surname.

DIRECTORY OF CASINO SPONSORS


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Documents

Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine September 2011