Where are the Highest Paying Slots in Nevada?

RTP comparison reveals the best paying slot machines in Nevada.

When it comes to gambling, people have developed conceptions over the years as to how and where they can achieve better odds of winning. Some say it’s the games you play. Others say it’s the casino in which you play them. I (and everyone else with a higher education in gaming) say it’s both. But if there’s a specific game you want to play, location is everything!

I’m talking specifically about slot machines. Everyone knows these aren’t the best paying games overall. If you want the highest possible RTP, you have to play blackjack or video poker with a perfect strategy. That takes time and mental energy that some players simply aren’t willing to expend.

Slots fans play for the simplicity and entertainment value above all else. For these players, you won’t convince them there’s a better overall game out there. And since choice of game is out of the question, location becomes the primary focus. And with that, we’ve drug up statistical data that reveals…

…the best paying slot machines in Nevada.

Las Vegas, Nevada is the gambling mecca of the western hemisphere. When we think of casino hubs, The Vegas Stripis the first place that comes to mind. But it’s not the only place in the Silver State that caters to gamblers. There’s many more – some more famous than others. Downtown Vegas, North Las Vegas, Reno, Carson City, Henderson, Laughlin, Boulder Strip, Silver Springs, the list goes on and on.

When you compare the best paying slots from one area to the next, there are two locations that rank highest, appearing consistently on the list more than any others, Downtown Vegas and Boulder Strip. And then there’s the two obvious choices to compare – Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Strip.

If you think Las Vegas and The Strip are the same thing, think again. As far as reports from the state’s gaming regulators are concerned, Las Vegas refers to the casinos that are “off the Strip”. Downtown Vegas is the area North of the Strip, including Freemont Street. The Boulder Strip isn’t a single location, but rather a series of 30+ casinos that appear along a long strip of the Boulder Highway, from Downtown Vegas to Henderson and beyond.

Now that you know where they are, let’s compare the average slot machine RTP (return to player) between these four locations, based on recent data from the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB). For absolute accuracy, we’ll divide the payout ratios by coin denominations (penny slots, nickel slots, quarter slots, etc).

Highest Paying Slots by Denomination

Location		RTP of 1¢ Penny Slot Machines
The Strip		88.38%
Las Vegas		90.88%
Downtown Vegas		89.15%
Boulder Strip		90.38%
Location		RTP of 5¢ Nickel Slot Machines
The Strip		91.64%
Las Vegas		95.29%
Downtown Vegas		93.40%
Boulder Strip		96.21%
Location		RTP of 25¢ Quarter Slot Machines
The Strip		89.35%
Las Vegas		96.41%
Downtown Vegas		94.25%
Boulder Strip		96.13%
Location		RTP of $1 Dollar Slot Machines
The Strip		92.43%
Las Vegas		95.39%
Downtown Vegas		94.63%
Boulder Strip		96.13%
Location		RTP of All Slot Machines Combined
The Strip		91.96%
Las Vegas		93.53%
Downtown Vegas		92.67%
Boulder Strip		94.34%

Best Paying Slots are Off The Strip and Off the Grid

The table above clearly shows that the Las Vegas Strip is, in fact (and as rumored), the worst place to play slot machines. The best paying slot machines in Nevada are found on the Boulder Strip, with Off-Strip casinos in Las Vegas coming in a close second.

Not surprisingly, the penny slots are the worst of all. No matter where you play them, the best average RTP in the reporting period was only 90.88%. The highest average, 96.41%, was found on quarter slots in off-Strip Las Vegas casinos. But overall, Boulder Strip casinos had the highest RTP average out of all categories.

On a final note, you’ll find similarly high RTP slot machines entirely off the grid. The online casino industry is famous for housing the highest paying slots of all. For the month of May 2019, Royal Vegas Casino recorded an average slots RTP of 96.87%. That’s higher than any of the slot machine RTPs recorded by the NGCB in a similar time frame.