Casinos Score Big With 1¢ Slots

Penny-pinching gamblers are flocking to casinos for a cheaper bet these days: penny slots. The machines enable them to play longer with the same amount of cash, and, thanks to modern paper payouts, no longer burden them with noisy bucket-loads of coins. Casinos don't mind the games, either. "Their house edge is bigger" on them, one slots expert told the AP.

Many casinos say penny slots are providing the only revenue on the rise. States are winning too: Missouri raked in half of all casino revenue from penny slots last year, and Nevada drew one quarter of slot revenue from the machines. But one gambling expert says players are deluded: "The average play per spin is obviously way above a penny—usually the 30- to 50-cent range, depending on the market."
(More Missouri stories.)