When Is the Best Time to Play Slot Machines at a Casino?

When people ask me, “When is the best time to play slot machines at a casino?” I can already tell they’ve been using the Internet too much. 

The truth is, there is no good or bad time to play a slot at a casino. If you’ve read my post about how to play slot machines for a living, you probably already understand this.

Let’s start off by dispelling a huge myth about slot machines and time.

Slot Machines Don’t Behave Differently at Different Times

This is a huge caveat that I wanted to get out of the way at the beginning of the post.

This belies a misunderstanding of how slot machines work. It borders on conspiracy theory thinking. And this applies to slot machines in the big Atlantic City casinos as well as the slot machines at Miami Valley Gaming.

Casinos put slot machines on the floor because slots give the casino an advantage over time. The key here is “over time.” The house can afford to pay out an occasional jackpot because it holds an advantage over players.

To some extent, payout rates are set by the market. The average slot machine payout in Las Vegas is 92.82%. The machines are set that way because that’s the sweet spot between profitability and volume of play. Nobody would play a slot that paid out at a rate of 50%, and no casino would host a slot that paid out a rate of more than 100%.

That 92.82% average RTP means Vegas casinos are winning 7.18% of every pull of every slot machine. Think of slots as machines that accept dollar bills and pay back $0.93. It takes a little time, but casinos get very rich on slim advantages.

That 92.82% figure is an average over 12 months of play. Playing a slot at 4 AM puts you up against the same mathematical odds as playing at 4 PM.

There’s no difference, odds-wise, in the way a slot machine plays based on the time that’s on your watch.

Knowing which slots have the best odds has nothing to do with timing.

The Myth of Time-Based Slot Machine Payouts

It doesn’t take much digging to find awful time-based slot machine advice on the Internet. One anonymous blogger says the best time to play is in the morning. Another insists the best time to play is at night.

The justifications for these clock-based assessments of slot machine payouts are equally all over the place. One guy says that if a slot machine’s jackpot didn’t pay out the night before, it would be more likely to hit in the morning.

People shilling this advice that there’s a “best time” and a “worst time” of the day to play slot machines all depend on the same few logical fallacies. Of course, a jackpot doesn’t know how long it’s been since it’s been hit, and each pull of a slot machine carries about the same odds of a jackpot payout.

In the real world, slot machine payouts are tracked and compared over the life of the machine. It’s impossible for anyone to say what time of day a particular machine is most likely to produce a win. That’s because slot machine manufacturers and the casinos who host the games don’t concern themselves with machine payouts at specific times of day.

When Is the Best Time to Play Slot Machines at a Casino?

The answer to this question depends on personal preference. It also depends on where you’re playing slots.

Let’s start with the best time to play slots in terms of crowd size.

Most- and Least-Crowded Times to Play Slots

Some people like gambling in a crowd. I can see the appeal of a crowded table game. Crowds drive up the energy. People tend to bet more and bet in a riskier way when a large group gathers.

I’m not sure I understand why a person would want to play slot machines in a big crowd of other slot players. It could be the camaraderie or the added buzz of excitement. Whatever the reason, such people exist.

Generally, the most crowded time at a casino is Friday night starting around 7 or 8 PM and going on until the wee hours.

I looked at crowd sizes using the Google tool for a few different big casinos in Vegas. Each of them registers their busiest times on Friday nights from 9-10 PM. The crowd builds up to that point, then starts to disperse. It’s gone by around 3 AM.

If you want to play in a crowd, hit up your local casino around 9 PM.

Slots players who want to avoid crowds should stick to early mornings on weekdays. Visit between 3 AM and 8 AM for slot solace. I can all but guarantee that the slowest time at any US casino is something like Tuesday morning at 4 AM.

That’s asking a bit much for people who want to avoid crowds while they gamble. If you’d prefer to wake up later, you’ll see crowds of around 10% capacity between 8 AM and 11 AM at most American casinos.

The Best Time to Play Slots for Freebies & Bonuses

As a consumer, I’m really driven by the offer of free stuff. I don’t think I’m unique. Everybody likes something for nothing.

Casinos love to drive traffic with stuff like bonuses, contests, and giveaways. You can find free-play slot tournaments and other slot-specific giveaways.

So, what time is best for slot players looking for freebies?

Stop thinking in terms of the clock and start thinking in terms of the calendar.

The best time to chase giveaways and other perks for slots players is around major holidays. Christmas and New Year’s are big, but I’d also add Halloween, the Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving to that list. Around these major holidays, casinos do everything they can to entice people to spend some cash on a slot machine.

Besides major holidays, casinos with sportsbooks often see huge crowds during major sporting events that you might want to bet on. The Super Bowl is the first one to come to mind if you like to bet on the NFL, but you can find huge crowds for championship events for any of the major sports — including baseball, basketball, and soccer, too.

What does that look like?

You’ll find a lot of cash giveaways. These are usually traditional raffles where you have to be present to win. You’ll also find casinos giving away cars and hosting free play tournaments. Anything to try and get people in the door.

My nearest casino, L’Auberge in southern Louisiana, which isn’t far from Coushatta Casino, usually combines a bunch of different promotions at major holiday times. Last year, on the 4^th of July, they had free play tournaments for slots and poker, cash giveaways on the hour, and raffles for cars and other high-value items. To top it all off, they had a big fireworks display for their guests as the sun set.

Rather than worrying about if it’s better to play a certain slot in the morning or at night, head out to your nearest casino on a major holiday and grab some truly free stuff.

You can’t win more at slot machines by gambling at different times of the day. But if you visit casinos around big national holidays, you may be able to take advantage of some freebies that make your time playing slots a little less painful.

When Is the Best Time for Play Slot Machines at Casino? It’s a Matter of Personal Preference

To be honest, I have a preferred time to play slot machines.

I like to hit the casino on the weekend, but a little before the big rush. If the casino is as busy as it’s going to be at around 10 PM, then I want to be at the machines around 7 or 7:30.

A casino gearing up for a big Friday or Saturday night is a joy to behold. The staff are genial, even giddy at the prospect of a big rush and fat tip jars. The lines are short, the machines aren’t crowded, and you can get drink service faster than you’d believe possible.

I find the pre-rush service and atmosphere to be the just-right mix of fast and courteous. I like the energy in the room. And I like that I can spread my legs a little and don’t feel someone’s breath on my neck when I walk around.

Does this personal preference have anything to do with the games being easier to win?

Absolutely not.

I know that most of the time I lose a little money when I play slots. Occasionally, I’ll walk away with an extra $100 in my pocket. My expectations are realistic.

It’s important to work out your own personal preference for when to play slots. But I don’t think tying that preference to an expectation of more winnings is a recipe for disappointment.

Choose a favorite time to play slots because you like a sparse crowd, or a room full of energy, or the pre-dinner drink specials on the main gaming floor.

Don’t choose a favorite time to play slot machines because you think you’ll win more often.

You might also do some research into where the best games are. I’ve written posts about the loosest slots in Atlantic City or the best slots at the Seminole Hard Rock, for example.

Conclusion

When is the best time to play slot machines at a casino?

When you have a couple of free hours and some expendable cash in your pocket.

Everything else is nonsense. You won’t gain any advantage by waking up at the crack of dawn and stumbling bleary-eyed into the casino at 3:30 AM.

If you like playing slots early in the morning, by all means do it. If you’re an afternoon gambler, and you want to be out the door by 5 PM, then that’s your prerogative. You can’t manipulate a casino’s advantage by timing your entrance to the casino. When you’re playing slots, you’ll always be up against a losing proposition, whether you play at dawn or dusk.