Best Slot Machine Ever

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by Steve Bourie

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The Seminole Tribe of Florida has six casinos in the state: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino-Tampa; Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino-Hollywood; Seminole Casino-Coconut Creek; SeminoleClassic Casino-Hollywood; Seminole Casino-Brighton; and Seminole Casino-Immokalee.

All of their casinos offer slot machines and five of them also offer blackjack, as well as other kinds of house-banked card games. According to the Miami Herald, it was estimated those casinosgenerated about $2.3 billion in profits in 2016 http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/article166085722.html. Since the average U.S. casino generates about 65% of its profits from its electronic gaming machines, it would be fair toestimate that the Tribe’s machines earn about $1.5 billion a year for them.

The only other competition for the Tribe’s casinos are the eight local pari-mutuels in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties which all offer slot machines, but are not allowed to offer live tablegames, such as blackjack. All of these pari-mutuel casinos, also known as racinos, are in competition with the Seminole’s three Broward county casinos, but the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel& Casino in Hollywood alone generates more profits than all eight of the racinos combined.

Florida gaming regulations require all of the pari-mutuel casinos to report how much their slot machines actually pay back to the public. This “Average Payout Percentage” information isavailable to the public and can be seen on the state’s website at http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/pmw in the “Slot Revenues” section. Additionally, each racino must post a sign in the casino showing the average monthly payback percentage forall of their gaming machines. Usually, the average for all of the casinos is around 92.5%

The Seminoles are not required to release information on the payout percentages for any of their casinos and they keep this information a closely guarded secret. They say that theirmachines pay out at a rate comparable to the pari-mutuels, but no one knows for sure, and the topic is sometimes a source of controversy.

If you read reviews of Seminole casinos on Yelp, Tripadvisor, or on our website at americancasinoguide.com you will see some reviewers say they believe the machines are set to around 60%, orlower. As someone who has written about casino gambling for more than 25 years, I know that isn’t true. The procedure for deciding what a slot machine is set to pay back to the public is rathersimple. When a casino orders a slot machine the manufacturer will offer them a choice of chips to put in the machine and that chip is what controls the long-term payback percentage in thatmachine. Generally, there are about six to eight different chips to choose from and the payback percentages can be as high as 98 percent to as low as 82 percent.

Casinos, almost universally, put the highest-paying chips in the highest denomination machines and the lowest-paying chips in the lowest denomination machines. This means that $25 slots willhave chips returning around 95-98 percent and the penny machines will have chips returning around 86-89 percent.

The lowest payback I ever heard of for a chip was about 80 percent, so I knew that the 60 percent number in the user reviews was not correct, but could there be some way to find out what themachines at the Seminole casinos really paid back to the public? After a lot of research, I believe that I have correctly calculated this information and what follows is my story of how I didit, plus a simple formula to show how anyone can do it. Additionally, we’ll take a look at the returns on some specific machines at some Seminole Casinos and see how they compare to the returnsat other casinos. Now, in order to start this discussion properly, you’ll first need some background information on how casinos work.

When discussing how casinos make money, it is important to know the term “theo,” which is short for theoretical. This is how a casino expects to make money on its games. It’s referred to as“theo” because it is a theoretical number that is not guaranteed. However, the casino knows that the longer you play, the more likely your loss will approach the theoretical win for thatparticular game.

As an example, if you play a slot machine that has a 10% theo, then the casino would expect to keep about 10% of all the money you play through that machine. So, if you played $1,000 throughthat slot machine, the casino would calculate its theoretical win as $100 because 10% of $1,000 is $100. Now, since this is gambling, anything can happen when you play that machine. You may win$600, or you may lose $400 and, actually, the casino itself doesn’t know what will happen. All they know is that as long as people continue to play that machine, the casino will end up keepingabout 10% of the money that goes through that machine because the machine has a “theo” of 10%.

In order for a casino to calculate your total theo for your visit, and what you are worth as a player to them, your play must be tracked and that is done by the player’s club at each casino.All casinos have a player’s club where visitors can join and have their play tracked on the machines in order to earn “comps” such as free food, free drinks, free shows, free gifts, invitationsto special events and more.

To track your play you are issued a card, similar to a magnetic-striped credit card, that is inserted into the machine and it will track your wins and losses, as well as the total amount of allyour bets. Naturally, the more you play on the machines, the more free stuff you will get from the casino. When deciding how much to give you back in benefits for your play, the casino mustfirst calculate your total theoretical loss to determine how much they have earned from you. Then, based on that total, they will rebate a certain percentage back to you in the form ofcomps and free play. The actual percentage rebated to the player is a trade secret for each casino but, again, it is always based on a player’s tracked theoretical loss.

I live only one mile from the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood and I joined their Seminole Wild Card player’s club shortly after the property opened in 2004. Although I did not playmuch in the ensuing years, in late 2013 I began to play rather heavily and it continued through early 2017. My game of choice was video poker rather than slot machines because there is a skillinvolved in video poker and I used software to learn how to play my hands properly. Eventually, I played at an expert level that allowed the casino to have only a slight mathematical edge overme.

Overall, my results were pretty good as I hit quite a few royal flushes in 2016 and that helped me to come out ahead for my three years of play. In early 2017 the casino made some changes totheir video poker games, which made them less desirable, and I stopped playing. During my period of play I used that opportunity to analyze the Seminole Wild Card Player’s club and, following,is what I discovered.

The set-up of the Seminole Wild Card Player’s club is somewhat unusual because at most casinos when you play a machine you will earn points based on the total amount of money you put through amachine. On some machines it may be that $5 earns one point, while on other machines it may be $10 or $25 earns one point.

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The Seminole Wild Card Player’s club is different because players don’t earn points on each machine, instead they earn comp dollars. As an example, for playing $10 through one machine you mightearn six cents, while on another machine you might only earn three cents. So, if you ended up playing $1,000 for the day on the same machine, your comps would total $6 on the first machine, or$3 on the second machine. As a player, you wouldn't really know why one machine gave more comps, but you could correctly theorize that the machines that had a higher rate meant that the casinowas making more of a theoretical win from you and that's why they could give you back more comps.

The comps you earned could then be spent like regular dollars at hotels, restaurants, bars, lounges and retail stores at any of the six Seminole Casinos. Besides earning comps, each day's playalso earned you status credits and those enabled you to reach a higher player's card level. Interestingly, there was no information on a formula for how the status credits were earned. As aplayer all you knew was that you could check your account each day to see how many status credits you earned for your previous day's play.

The player's club only has three tiers: Platinum, Elite and X Card. All players start at Platinum and to reach Elite you need to earn 3,750 status credits within a three-month period. X Card isreserved for the casino's biggest players, but there is no public information available on what is needed to attain that level.

I easily attained Elite level and after tracking the comps and status credits I earned each day, within a few months I began to realize that the status credits actually represented my totaltheoretical loss for each day. I was able to confirm this through test play on certain machines, as well as speaking with other knowledgeable players.

Once I knew that the earned status credits represented my total theoretical loss I was then able to compare that number to the total comps I earned on that same day and I realized that therewas a relationship between those two numbers. As an example, one day I earned $48.75 in comps and I was awarded 828 status credits. By multiplying $48.75 by a factor of 17 the result was828. Another day I earned $30.83 in comps and 524 status credits. Once again, by multiplying $30.83 by 17 the result was 524. That relationship was absolute and no matter what day I played, Ifound that I could always multiply the amount of my earned comps by 17 to determine my status credits (theoretical loss) for that day.

Since I now knew how to calculate my theoretical loss for the day, based on the comps I earned, I then realized that I would be able to calculate what the casino had set as its theoreticalpayback percentage for any electronic game on the floor.

How to Calculate the Theoretical Payback Percentage on a Slot Machine - I believe that anyone can calculate the theoretical payback percentage on any gaming machine in aSeminole Casino by using a formula that I created. The key to calculating a machine’s theoretical payback percentage is to track how many comp dollars you earn for putting exactly $100 in playthrough a machine. For example, if you bet $1 a spin, just track how many comp dollars you have earned after making 100 bets. Once you know that number, you can simply multiply it by 17 and youwill know the casino’s theoretical win rate for that machine. Deduct that number from 100, and you will then know the theoretical payback for that machine.

As an example, let’s say you put $100 through a penny slot machine and you earn 54 cents in comps. Just multiply .54 x 17 and you will get 9.18, which represents the casino’s theoretical winrate for that machine - 9.18%. Then, deduct 9.18 from 100 and you get 90.82 which would represent the casino’s theoretical payback percentage for that particular machine - 90.82%.

I found this method to be accurate and I tested it on dozens of machines at four different Seminole casinos. It should also work at the other two Seminole casinos since they all share the sameplayer’s club. One word of warning, however, is that I found the method to only be accurate for single-denomination machines. If you play a multi-denomination machine the method cannot berelied upon to give you an accurate payback percentage for all of the denominations.

How Do Slot Paybacks at the Hard Rock in Hollywood Compare to the Other Local Casinos? In trying to determine an average payback percentage for slot machines at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Irealized that it would not be possible to get an actual accounting and I would just have to make an educated guess based on the results of playing some machines in different denominations.

Therefore, I randomly played 10 different machines throughout the casino in three different denominations: pennies, quarter and dollars. As mentioned previously, I had to play exactly $100through each machine and in some instances it wasn’t possible to play exactly $100, so I might have gone over by a few pennies.

Machine

In the table below you can see the results for playing 10 random penny slots and the average theoretical return was 88.37%

Date PlayedMachine #Namecomps earned for $100 coin-inTheoretical HoldTheoretical Payback
30-Nov012714 10130Moon Maidens$0.6811.56%88.44%
17-Aug040312 04892Quick Strike Mystery Rewards0.6911.73%88.27%
30-Nov010103 11114Desert Dawn0.5910.03%89.97%
17-Aug034106 09083Quick Hit Platinum0.6410.88%89.12%
17-Aug050907 10010Fu Dao Le0.6911.73%88.27%
30-Nov012106 11952Jungle Riches0.6911.73%88.27%
17-Aug013504 10609Super Wheel Blast Lion of Venice0.7011.90%88.10%
17-Aug013510 10618Wild Leprecoins0.7011.90%88.10%
17-Aug043702 08245Buffalo Special Edition0.7212.24%87.76%
14-Oct051502 12178Rumble Rumble Bison0.7412.58%87.42%
Average11.63%88.37%

In the table below you can see the results for playing 10 random quarter slots and the average theoretical return was 90.89%

Date PlayedMachine #Namecomps earned for $100 coin-inTheoretical HoldTheoretical Payback
30-Nov067510 11231The Enforcer$0.457.65%92.35%
30-Nov032301 32091Triple Double Diamond0.539.01%90.99%
30-Nov013704 09830Thunder Eyes0.549.18%90.82%
30-Nov074701 11731Quick Hit Platnum Plus0.6310.71%89.29%
30-Nov101406 08598Cash Cove0.498.33%91.67%
16-Oct064103 09534Colossal Cash Grand Dragon0.477.99%92.01%
16-Oct034708 12048Double Hot Fire0.549.18%90.82%
16-Oct075307 10059Black Diamond0.5910.03%89.97%
16-Oct101309 09950Mystery Rewards Glistening Jade - Rapid Hit Fever0.539.01%90.99%
30-Nov075305 09528Crystal Star0.5910.03%89.97%
Average:9.11%90.89%

In the table below you can see the results for playing 10 random dollar slots and the average theoretical return was 91.40%

Date PlayedMachine #Namecomps earned for $100 coin-inTheoretical Hold
Hold
Theoretical Payback
17-Aug075504 50787Spin & Win Instant Spin$0.477.99%92.01%
17-Aug069001 09079Quick Hit Platinum0.518.67%91.33%
12-Oct069710 09348Wild Red Sevens0.447.48%92.52%
12-Oct069707 09345Triple 777 Red Hot 3 Reels0.447.48%92.52%
12-Oct041806 05563Black & White 7s0.477.99%92.01%
30-Nov067804 10546Double Jackpot Lions Share0.5910.03%89.97%
14-Oct065405 10508Midnight Eclipse0.477.99%92.01%
30-Nov068904 08728Dragons Luck0.5910.03%89.97%
30-Nov068105 10158Sky Rider0.589.86%90.14%
16-Oct055307 50806Blazing 7s 3 Reel0.508.50%91.50%
Average:8.60%91.40%

So, now that we have analyzed the theoretical payback percentages on these machines, how do they compare to the actual returns on slots at other South Florida casinos in those samedenominations?

Well, unfortunately, Florida’s Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, which compiles the statistics on payback percentages for all racetrack casinos only releases information on the average payoutfor all machines within each casino and not for specific denominations. We did put in a public records request asking for a breakdown of those stats by denomination, but we received thefollowing reply: “The Division does not maintain information responsive to the following request: slot machine gaming revenue reports by denomination (one cent, nickel, quarter, dollar, etc.).”

Since we couldn’t get information on payback percentages by denomination, it was not possible to compare the Hard Rock’s machines with those at the pari-mutuels. However, it was possible tomake an educated guess about the overall returns on the Hard Rock’s machines. For the 12-month period from July 2016 through June 2017, the pari-mutuel casino with the highest average returnswas Magic City at 93.55% and the lowest returns could be found at the Isle in Pompano where they averaged 90.91%. Therefore, based on the numbers shown in the tables above, I would have toagree that the Hard Rock Hollywood’s slot paybacks are “comparable” to those at other local casinos and they are not set to pay back at the low rates that some people would suggest.

How Do Returns on Machines at The Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa Compare to Returns at Casinos in South Florida? On the American Casino Guide website visitors can leave a review forany U.S. casino and the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa has gotten almost 200 reviews - https://www.americancasinoguide.com/florida/seminole-hard-rock-hotel-a-casino-tampa.html The vast majority of those reviews are complaints about how bad the paybacks are on the slotmachines. The thinking seems to be that, once again, the machines are set to pay back at a very low rate, especially since the Tampa casino has no competition because the nearest non-Seminolecasino is about 250 miles away. That sentiment seemed somewhat logical to me so I thought I would investigate further by making a trip to Tampa to visit the casino.

I arrived late in the day and I spent a few hours that evening, as well as a few more hours the next morning testing various machines using my formula. My thought was to find some of theexact same machines I played at the Hard Rock in Hollywood and to see if the theoretical payback percentages were lower. This turned out to be harder than I expected as I found it difficult tofind the same machines in the same denominations. One other thing I noticed was that there did not seem to be too many penny slots. Instead, the vast majority of the lower denomination gameswere two-cent slots. This was not the case at the Hard Rock casino in Hollywood, where penny machines were abundant.

Eventually, I did find a few machines, in three specific denominations, that were the exact same as the ones I played in Hollywood and the table below shows how the results compared.

For penny games there were three machines I tested and, interestingly, all three had the same theoretical payback percentage as at the Hollywood Hard Rock.

Date PlayedMachine #Namecomps earned for $100 coin-inTheoretical HoldTheoretical PaybackLocation
14-Oct051502 12178Bison Rumble Rumble$ 0.7412.58%87.42%Hollywood
23-Oct082802 05797Bison Rumble Rumble$ 0.7412.58%87.42%Tampa
17-Aug050907 10010Fu Dao Le$ 0.6911.73%88.27%Hollywood
23-Oct092206 6026Fu Dao Le$ 0.6911.73%88.27%Tampa
17-Aug070712 04056Buffalo Special Edition$ 0.7212.24%87.76%Hollywood
23-Oct043702 08245Buffalo Special Edition$ 0.7212.24%87.76%Tampa

Finding quarter games proved to be a bit harder. I only found two machines that were identical to ones at the Hollywood casino and, once again, the theoretical payback percentages matched upfor both casinos.

Best slot machine ever win
Date PlayedMachine #Namecomps earned for $100 coin-inTheoretical HoldTheoretical PaybackLocation
16-Oct075307 10059Black Diamond$ 0.5910.03%89.97%Hollywood
23-Oct324002 30380Black Diamond$ 0.5910.03%89.97%Tampa
30-Nov075305 09528Crystal Star$ 0.5910.03%89.97%Hollywood
23-Oct015205 30371Crystal Star$ 0.5910.03%89.97%Tampa

At the dollar level I found four machines that matched up with their Hollywood casino counterparts. On the first one, Triple 777 Red Hot Three Reels, the comps earned were the same as at theHollywood casino. This was great because the comp rate on every machine was matching up perfectly, so far, but that soon stopped.

Date PlayedMachine #Namecomps earned for $100 coin-inTheoretical HoldTheoretical PaybackLocation
17-Aug069707 09345Triple 7 Red Hot Three Reels$ 0.447.48%92.52%Hollywood
23-Oct380605 50232Triple 7 Red Hot Three Reels$ 0.447.48%92.52%Tampa
16-Oct055307 50806Blazing 7s Three Reel$ 0.508.50%91.50%Hollywood
23-Oct040111 50330Blazing 7s Three Reel$ 0.396.63%93.37%Tampa
17-Aug069001 09079Quick Hit Platinum$ 0.518.67%91.33%Hollywood
23-Oct180209 50437Quick Hit Platinum$ 0.416.97%93.03% Tampa
17-Aug075504 50787Spin And Win Instant Spin$ 0.477.99%92.01%Hollywood
23-Oct353601 50197Spin And Win Instant Spin$ 0.569.52%90.48%Tampa

On the three-reel blazing 7’s machine the comp rate was 39 cents, which would correspond to a theoretical payback percentage of 93.37%, which was higher than the 91.50% figure for the samemachine in Hollywood. A similar thing happened with the next machine I tested: Quick Hit Platinum. The comp rate on this game was 41 cents which would equal a theoretical payback percentage of93.03% which, again, was higher than the 91.33% figure for the same machine in Hollywood.

Then, on the last dollar machine I played, Spin & Win Instant Spin, the results were slightly worse. That machine gave 56 cents in comps, which would correspond to a theoretical return of90.48%, versus the same machine in Hollywood which came in at 92.01%

So, interestingly, the theoretical payback percentages for the first eight slot machines in Tampa were either equal to, or better than, the same machines in Hollywood. This was very surprisingas I thought they would be lower at the Tampa casino because they had no direct competition.

But what about all those player reviews complaining that the slots in Tampa paid less than the slots in Hollywood? Well, my research showed that the machines were set to pay back at about thesame rate in both places. However, there didn’t seem to be quite as many penny machines in Tampa, most of them were 2-cents and higher, and this could offer an explanation.

Penny machines are the most common denomination found in U.S. casinos. For example, at the two Indian casinos in Connecticut, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, penny machines make up about 60% of allthe slots on the floor. While I didn’t take an inventory of all the machines in Tampa I was struck by the fact that penny machines were not in abundance. Since the Tampa casino has nocompetition, it could be that they were forcing players to make a higher average bet simply by having fewer penny machines available. If so, a higher average bet would result in players losingtheir money faster, thus explaining the sour sentiments of some players. Keep in mind that the Hollywood casino would not be able to easily do the same thing because of competition from othercasinos. If a player in Hollywood didn’t think there were enough penny games available they could just go to a different casino. A player in Tampa would not have that option.

Now, looking back, it is true that one slot machine in Tampa did come in with a lower theoretical rate, but that could have simply been a mistake. Keep in mind that the casino knows what thechip in each machine is set to pay back to the public on a long-term basis and, in turn, they will set the player’s club comp rate to approximate that number. Sometimes mistakes are made andthe rate could be set too high, or too low. That could be what happened here, or perhaps it was intentional and there was a specific reason for that particular setting.

In conclusion, I hope that everyone reading this report understands that it is not a complete analysis of all machines at either casino. To undertake such a project would have required a hugeamount of manpower, plus a rather large bankroll to withstand the gambling losses that would be expected.

I am just one person who set out to investigate this subject as it is my area of expertise. I have been writing about payback percentages at casinos for more than 25 years and I believe that mywork is accurate. Should anyone from Seminole casino operations want to present any further information on this subject I would welcome hearing from them. I would be also be glad to print anyrebuttal that they might want to send to me concerning this article.

Buffalo is without a doubt one of the most loved and played slot machines ever, especially the classic version that’s found in almost all casinos and gambling rooms across the US.

It wasn’t until 2012, however, that Aristocrat produced the online version of Buffalo slot machines. And it also became an instant hit with newbie and seasoned slot players alike.

Buffalo slot machines boast some of the best graphics, rich gameplay, and plenty of ways to bet and win. In fact, it was one of the first slot machines to ditch the old 243-way reel betting system for the robustXtra Reel Power system.

Today, there are a ton of fabulous versions of Buffalo slot machines to play at an online or land-based casino, including Buffalo Grand, Buffalo Stampede, Buffalo Gold, and the spanking new Diamond edition.

With a fresh look & feel, the slot is more popular than ever and has certainly made a name for the Australian gaming software developer.

What makes Buffalo slot machines stand out and so popular? More importantly, is playing the slot game worth your time and money?

For all the answers and more, please read this top-down review of Buffalo slot machines.

Buffalo Slot Machines: an Iconic Slot That Continues to Push the Envelope

You don’t need to look far and hard to realize that Buffalo is hands down the most popular slot machine in the United States. Walk into any Vegas casino, and you’d be surprised to find a row of Buffalo slot machines fully occupied by satisfied players.

Even in the online casino realm, a lot is going for the slot. It has cut a niche for itself in the past six or so years, eclipsing other wildly successful slots like Mega Moolah, Hall of Gods, Starburst, and Wheel of Fortune when it comes to player numbers and online casinos that carry it.

Whether you are in the UK, Australia, Canada or here in the US, you will have no trouble finding a Buffalo slot machine in a land-based casino. If you are a Las Vegas fanatic, head over to Harrah’s Hotel & Casino, and you’ll be overwhelmed by the number of machines right at the heart of the slot room.

Buffalo Slot Machines Review: Symbols and Gameplay

At the core, Buffalo is a standard five-reel video slot machine featuring 4 rows populated by up to 1024 betways or ways to pay.

All winning combinations pay from the leftmost end towards the right and are paid as multipliers of the wager on a per reel basis.

The exception is Scatter wins which are paid as a multiple of the total wager and are paid in any combination. The slot features scatter symbols, wild symbols, and other special bonus features, helping keep the play interesting as well as rewarding.

Scatter Symbol

The Scatter symbol is represented by a Gold Liberty coin in the Buffalo slot game. The Free Spins bonus feature is activated when 3 or more Scatter symbols appear anywhere on the board. They pay as follows:

  • Five (5) of a kind pays 20x the total wager
  • Four (4) of a kind pays 10x the total wager
  • Two (2) of a kind pays twice the total bet.

Wild Symbol

Buffalo slot games come with non-stacked Wilds. The Wilds are depicted by the Sunset symbol which can land only on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th reels. When it appears on any of these reels, the Sunset (Wild) symbol can substitute for all other symbols except for Scatters.

When the Wild symbol substitutes for other symbols on the reels, the Sunset symbol shines bright or glistens before replacing them on the tiles. As such, every Wild count toward the winning combo.

No Pay Lines!

This is perhaps what makes Buffalo a stand-out slot game.

Unlike most video slots, Buffalo slot machines don’t feature pay lines. Instead, they employ the Reel Power betting system, the latest creation by Aristocrat. This not only adds some sizzle to the game but also builds trust, which means you don’t have to worry about ifthe slot game is rigged.

Instead of activating pay lines with credit/money, you can buy positions or tiles in the playing area represented by 5 reels by 4 rows in five levels. In other words, the first four Reel Power levels buy one to four reels, beginning from the screen’s left side, as well as all positions/tiles on the third row.

With that in mind, instead of wagering on a per-line basis as with many slot games, with Buffalo you bet per reel. Moreover, there is a wager multiplier associated with each of the five reels.

Other Key Symbols

Again, Buffalo slot boasts five classic reels, each with 4 spaces that can deliver more than a thousand betting ways. The reels can be filled with any of the 13 different symbols, with every symbol having its paytable.

The low value symbols are the standard playing card ranks, starting from nine through Ace — i.e. 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A.

The Ace is unsurprisingly the most important of the card symbols. It’s represented by a green gemstone emblazoned with a red-colored letter A. Three of a kind pays 10x wager per reel, four of a kind pays 50x, while five of a kind pays 100x the bet per reel.

The King is represented by an orange letter K. Three of a kind pays 10x wager per reel, four of a kind pays 50x, while five of a kind pays 100x the bet per reel.

The Queen is depicted by the letter Q in yellow. Three of a kind pays 5x wager per reel, four of a kind pays 20x, while five of a kind pays 100x the bet per reel.

The Jack is represented by the letter J in blue. Three of a kind pays 5x wager per reel, four of a kind pays 20x, while five of a kind pays 100x the bet per reel.

The Ten is depicted by number 10 in red. Three of a kind pays 5x wager per reel, four of a kind pays 10x, while five of a kind pays 100x the bet per reel.

The Nine is represented by the number 9 in green. Two of a kind pays 2x per bet on the reel, three of a kind pays 5x wager per reel, four of a kind pays 10x, while five of a kind pays 100x the bet per reel.

Apart from the two special symbols mentioned above (Scatters and Wilds), the remaining 5 are animal symbols, namely: the Buffalo, the Puma, the Eagle, the Elk, and the Wolf.

The Buffalo (actually American Bison) is the only stacked symbol, and the highest paying, for that matter. When two of a kind appear, it pays 10x the wager per reel. Similarly, three of a kind pays 50x, four of a kind pays 100x, and full house (five of a kind) pays 300x bet per reel.

The Puma and the Eagle (Bald eagle, to be precise) are the next most valuable symbols on the Buffalo slot game. They pay similarly, with three of a kind paying 50x your bet per reel, while 4 of a kind and 5 of a kind pay 100x and 150x your bet per reel respectively.

Both the Elk and the Wolf pay 20x your wager per reel for three of a kind, while four of a kind and five of a kind pay 80x and 120x your wager per reel respectively.

The Free Spins Bonus Game

The bonus rounds add to the excitement of playing Buffalo slot machines, which is why it is one of thebest slots in Las Vegas.

The Free Spins bonus game is triggered when 3 or more Scatters appear on any place on the screen, including non-purchased tiles/positions. The number of free spins you receive will depend on the number of Scatter symbols that appear on the reels.

You will get 8 free spins for 3 Scatters, 15 free games for 4 Scatters, and a whopping 20 free spins for 5 Scatters.

The good news is that you can receive additional free games when you’re playing the bonus round with free spins. For instance, you will get 5 free spins when a set of two Scatters appear concurrently on the screen during the bonus game.

But that isn’t all. All free spin winnings are increased twofold or threefold by the Wild symbol appearing anywhere on the screen. This is purely random, and the multiplier is shown on the board.

On the overall, the total win per spin can be multiplied during the bonus game up to 27x.

Popular Versions of Buffalo Slot Machines

What we love about Aristocrat is that every Buffalo version they release becomes a huge hit. These new variants are more robust and offer more rewarding features than the last, all while retaining the best features and bonuses.

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The classic Buffalo slot machines were replaced by deluxe version. It was very similar to the original, except for the fact that you’d pick the multiplier of the Buffalo symbols. This choice game with a small catch.

If you choose a larger multiplier (the highest was 5x), then you receive fewer free spins in case you activate the bonus game.

The Stampede version came right after the deluxe edition. It came with portrait screen, and it felt a bit fresh with Buffalos running up the screen. Aristocrat followed this version with the two most popular versions — the Buffalo Grand and Buffalo Gold slots.

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The two came with bigger screen real estate, new bonus games, and more innovative features such as spinning wheels. The latest iteration is the Diamond edition which is one of the most exciting and innovative versions yet.

Let’s take a closer look at each popular version.

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(a) Buffalo Stampede Slot Machines

This version came right after the deluxe edition. From afar to a newbie player, it looked very similar to the original version. For instance, it integrated all the attractive features of the original slot, including the Wilds, Scatters, and Bonus game.

Buffalo Stampede was and is still unmistakably fun and rewarding to play. However, it comes with a tiny price: it’s not exactly cheap to play, with a 70-cent minimum bet per spin.

Perhaps the most prominent new addition was the animation of the Buffalo symbol that seems to charge straight at you on the screen. It also waved the lasso on the screen, making the slot quite exciting.

The buffalos also appeared from the bottom on the stampede, running up across the screen. Their move upwards elongated the screen, increasing the number of rows. This implied that you could win on a far higher number of paylines during the Buffalo stampede.

Much akin to the original version, the Buffalo Stampede games offer the player an opportunity to re-activate the free spins bonus game. That is because you only require 2 bonus symbols to re-activate the game, including Scatters and Wilds.

(b) Buffalo Gold

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Just like the original version, Buffalo Gold is an All Ways slot with Scatters and Wild symbols. Unlike the Stampede and deluxe versions that are relatively expensive, however, you can spin the Buffalo Gold slot machine with just 40 cents per spin.

Plus, you can garner massive wins during the bonus game. In fact, it is not uncommon for some players to rake in up to $4,000 or more when playing Buffalo Gold bonus round.

Whereas the classic edition provides you with a standard free spins bonus game, the Buffalo Gold version gives you a collection bonus game. What that means is that you can collect Gold Buffalo coins that will convert symbols into jackpot symbols for the rest of the bonus game, increasing your chances of winning by a huge margin.

To win the maximum payout, you will have to land all of the 15 golden Buffalos. When this happens, you can hit one of the biggest jackpot payouts. And the best part is that the bets can usually be adjusted so it won’t cost you a fortune.

Another advantage of playing Buffalo Gold slot is that it comes with a very commendable RTP. That implies that you can get plenty of playtime out of the game even if you have a small to medium bankroll.

It is worth noting that, while Buffalo Gold is generally a generous slot, it occasionally goes through sporadic spells where there are no free spins triggered or decent wins made. This is where you patience can pay handsomely.

(c) Buffalo Grand Slot Machines

The Grand is perhaps the most enjoyable version of all Buffalo slot machines out there. It offers plenty of entertainment, but this doesn’t necessarily translate into value for money.

From experience, it looks like the Grand favors high-roller players who bet more money per spin. This is because the jackpot can only be triggered when you have wagered the maximum bet, which is totally different from the gameplay of Buffalo Gold and Stampede.

The bottom line is that if you are a low-stakes slot player, you can expect to deal with lower payouts, which means you will most probably run through your bankroll a lot quicker.

On a more positive note, the Grand lives up to its hype when it comes to fabulous graphics, and high-stakes players have a bigger chance of landing huge payouts.

In a nutshell, the Grand is not for small-time slot players who’d like to turn their pennies into gold. It’s for high rollers who want to get value for their status of play.

Another upside of this version is that the screen is so big, housing a lot more paylines than the previous edition. This multiplies your probability of landing a decent win, even if you are playing a minimum bet. Unfortunately, that also means it can guzzle up your entire bankroll in a few spins.

(d) Additional Versions

Aristocrat has released numerous other successful and not-so-successful versions in between and after the three editions mentioned above.

For example, one highly popular version allows the player to pick the volatility of the game. Interestingly, you can find versions with different math in different countries, casinos or areas of the country.

Buffalo Max is a version designed for high-roller players. It’s meant to reward players who play more, but it doesn’t seem to have any traction with its target audience. Perhaps, gamblers have given it a cold shoulder for punishing them for wagering 40 cents rather than playing the max bet of $4.

The latest version released by Aristocrat is the Diamond edition as part of its tenth anniversary. The slot machine is what it seems to be – it has a honeycomb feel and look to the reels, and boasts 4K display to boot.

Buffalo Slot Machines Review: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are Buffalo Slot Machines Penny Slots?

No, you will not be able to play Buffalo slot machines with a penny per spin. However, the slot machine has been designed similarly as a penny slot. That might be the reason why most people keep thinking it is a penny slot. If you want to learn more about this topic, here is a handyguide to penny slots.

Who Designs and Makes Buffalo Slot Machines?

From the original to the Diamond Edition, all Buffalo slot machines were designed and produced by Aristocrat, one of the best providers of slot machines and games for the US casino industry.

Where can I Play Buffalo Slots?

The allure of Buffalo slot machines is that they are so popular with players and casinos that they are found virtually everywhere. In Vegas, you can find them at hotel lobbies and of course on casino slot floors. Flamingo Casino or Harrah’s Hotel are some of the greatest venues.

Online is where the action is as far as Buffalo slot games are concerned. Here, you can try out every version to figure out which one is best for your style of play and bankroll.

Major gambling sites like Slots lv (you can read our comprehensiveSlots lv review here) offer several versions of the game.

Are Buffalo Slot Machines Rigged?

To the best of our knowledge and experience, we have found Buffalo slot machines to be credible and trustworthy. If you want to learn more about how to choose a safe and reputable slot, please read this article that explains all about slot rigging.