Introduction to New York Slot Machine Casino Gambling 2018
New York slot machine casino gambling currently consists of 23 casinos and pari-mutuel racinos, including:
- 9 Pari-mutuel wagering racinos, all with slot machines;
- 6 Class III American Indian tribal casinos (with Las Vegas-style gaming, including slots);
- 4 Class II American Indian tribal casinos (with bingo-style gaming);
- 3 Commercial casino resorts, with a fourth opening in mid-2018;
- 2 Canadian casino resorts, located in Ontario across the Canadian border from Buffalo; and,
- Cruise ships departing from the New York Manhattan Cruise Terminal.
Slot machines at Class III American Indian tribal casinos in the state of New York are actually video lottery terminals controlled by the New York State Lottery, which are required by state law to have a minimum payout return of 92%.
Betting results for slot machines at commercial casinos and pari-mutuel racinos are controlled on location per usual machine internal microchip or casino central server.
No minimum payout return appears to be available, but actual payout return statistics are publicly available for the 4-month fiscal quarters of each year.
This post continues the weekly blog series “Slot Machine Casino Gambling, State-By-State“, a year-long online resource project dedicated to guiding slot machine gambling enthusiasts to success.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in New York*
The legal age for gambling is 21 for casinos run by the Seneca Nation of Indians through the Seneca Gaming Corporation, but 18 for other casinos in the state of New York.
American Indian tribal casinos in the state of New York only had Class II bingo halls from 1988 with the launch of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act through 1993.
In 1993, the first Class III Las Vegas-style gaming casino opened after a state-tribal compact was negotiated with the federally-recognized St. Regis Mohawk Tribe.
Slot machines at tribal casinos in New York are video lottery terminals (VLTs) controlled by the New York State Lottery. These electronic games are typical video slot machines, with the exception that the results of a bet are determined by the central lottery system.
By state law, these VLT slot machines are required to have a minimum payout return of 92%. No actual payout return statistics are publicly available.
At non-tribal casinos, the result of a bet on a slot machine is not determined by the state lottery server, but instead by a microchip in the machine itself or by a central computer located in the casino.
A minimum payout return percentage for non-tribal casinos does not appear to be publicly available. However, actual payout returns are publicly reported by the state gaming commission (see below).
Quite interestingly, and this is not the only section of this document which is highly interesting, the state gaming regulations has a Section 5319.45: Software Requirements for Percentage Payout, which reads:
- “If progressives, bonus systems, merchandise and so on are external to a game’s prize pool, the values shall not be included in the percentage-payout calculation. The independent testing laboratory approved by the commission shall provide the minimum and maximum theoretical payout percentage for the game within a certification report, unless otherwise noted. Additional external awards added to a game shall require a re- evaluation of the theoretical payout percentage, considering the value of the award and other relevant factors. The independent testing laboratory approved by the commission shall re-evaluate a game’s theoretical payout percentage when requested.”
- “Gaming devices that may be affected by player skill shall meet the requirement of this section when using a method of play that will provide the greatest return to the player over a period of continuous play.”
- “The minimum percentage requirement shall be met when playing at the lowest end of a non-linear pay table (i.e., if a game is continuously played at a minimum bet level for the cycle of the game and the theoretical return to the player is lower than the minimum percentage, then such pay table is not permissible).”
- “Double-up or gamble options shall have a theoretical return to the player of 100 percent.”
*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws apply to various forms of gambling. This information is not intended to provide legal advice.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in New York
It is legal to privately own a slot machine in the state of New York if it is 30 years old or older.
Gaming Control Board in New York
In 2012, the New York State Division of Lottery was merged with the New York State Racing and Wagering Board to create the New York State Gaming Commission.
As a result, the Commission regulates all aspects of gaming activity in the state of New York, including:
All forms of pari-mutuel wagering, including harness and thoroughbred horse racing;
- Class III tribal gaming (maintains a 24-hour presence and verifies employees);
- State lottery, including video lottery terminals in and outside of casinos; and,
- Charitable gaming.
Their relatively long Mission Statement from their About webpage reads:
“The New York State Gaming Commission’s mission is to ensure that all lawful gaming and horse racing activity conducted in this State is of the highest integrity, credibility and quality. Operating in the most efficient and transparent manner, the Commission conducts the New York Lottery and serves the best interests of the public by providing responsive and effective state gaming regulation. The Commission strives to ensure that all stakeholders in the gaming and horse racing industries, including the consumers who wager on activities regulated or operated by the Commission, are treated in an equitable and responsible manner and to promote the health and safety of horses and all participants in racing. By consolidating various regulatory functions into one oversight body with broad powers, the Commission seeks to ensure fair and strict regulation of all gaming activity while reducing costs and regulatory burdens to the gaming industry. The Commission aspires to provide the regulatory structure necessary for New York gaming activity to operate effectively in a global, evolving and increasingly competitive marketplace to generate revenue for aid to education and for the support of government, and to contribute to overall economic development and job creation in New York”
On their website, the Commission provides the general public with both monthly and weekly Commercial Gaming Reports for each commercial casino resort on their Gaming webpage.
Payout return percentages for slot machines are publicly available for both the commercial casinos as well as pari-mutuel wagering racinos. These reports are available for each quarter of a year. For the second quarter of 2017, the following payout returns were reported to the Commission:
- Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel: 91.54%
- Del Lago Resort & Casino: 91.01%
- Empire City Casino: 93.10%
- Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack: 91.90%
- Hamburg Gaming at The Fairgrounds: 91.49%
- Jake’s 58 Hotel & Casino: 93.27%
- Monticello Gaming & Raceway: 92.21%
- Resorts World New York City: 94.14%
- Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady: 90.30%
- Saratoga Casino Hotel: 92.21%
- Tioga Downs: 91.43%
- Vernon Downs Casino Hotel: 91.44%
Casinos in New York
The largest casino in the state of New York is the Resorts World Casino New York City. It operates approximately 5,550 gaming machines and 475 table games. The second largest is the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel in Niagara Falls, operating approximately 3,300 gaming machines and 100 table games.
In late 2013, the New York state legislature created four commercial casino resort licenses. Three have already opened. The fourth, Resorts World Catskills is expected to open in mid-2018.
All casinos in the state of New York, plus 2 nearby Canadian casinos across the border from the Buffalo-Niagara area, are listed below. Click this complete listing for New York slot machine casino gambling individual website links.
- Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort in Hogansburg, a tribal casino with Class III Las Vegas-style gaming.
- Batavia Downs Gaming & Hotel in Batavia, a pari-mutuel racino.
- Casino Niagara in Niagara Falls, Ontario, a Canadian casino.
- Del Lago Resort & Casino in Waterloo, a commercial casino.
- Empire City Casino in Yonkers, a pari-mutuel racino.
- Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara, Ontario, a Canadian casino.
- Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack in Farmington, a pari-mutuel racino.
- Hamburg Gaming at The Fairgrounds in Hamburg, a pari-mutuel racino.
- Jake’s 58 Hotel & Casino in Islandia, a pari-mutuel racino.
- Lakeside Entertainment in Union Springs, a tribal casino with Class II bingo-style gaming.
- Monticello Gaming & Raceway in Monticello, a pari-mutuel racino.
- Resorts World Casino New York City in Jamaica, a pari-mutuel racino.
- Resorts World Catskills in Kiamesha Lake, a commercial casino. A mid-2018 opening is expected.
- Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady in Schenectady, a commercial casino.
- Saratoga Casino Hotel in Saratoga Springs, a pari-mutuel racino.
- Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca, a tribal casino with Class III Las Vegas-style gaming.
- Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in Buffalo, a tribal casino with Class III Las Vegas-style gaming.
- Seneca Gaming – Irving in Irving, a tribal casino with Class II bingo-style gaming.
- Seneca Gaming – Oil Spring in Cuba, a tribal casino with Class II bingo-style gaming.
- Seneca Gaming – Salamanca in Salamanca, a tribal casino with Class II bingo-style gaming.
- Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, a tribal casino with Class III Las Vegas-style gaming.
- Tioga Downs in Nichols, a commercial casino.
- Turning Stone Casino Resort in Verona, a tribal casino with Class III Las Vegas-style gaming.
- Vernon Downs Casino Hotel in Vernon, a pari-mutuel racino.
- Yellow Brick Road Casino in Chittenango, a tribal casino with Class III Las Vegas-style gaming.
Summary of New York Slot Machine Casino Gambling 2018
New York slot machine casino gambling currently consists of 25 casinos and pari-mutuel racinos, including two Canadian casinos across the border from Buffalo. Cruise ships with on-board casinos also depart from the New York Manhattan Cruise Terminal.
Video lottery terminals exist at Class III tribal casinos in the state of New York. These actual slot machines are controlled by the New York State Lottery, and are required by state law to have a minimum payout return of 92%.
Actual payout returns for New York slot machine casino gambling at commercial casinos and pari-mutuel racinos are publicly available for the 4-month fiscal quarters of each year.
Professor Slots Video on New York Slot Machine Casino Gambling 2018
Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots
- Series: Online Resource: State-By-State Slots Gambling Summaries – Now in its second year, this series is an online resource dedicated to slot machine casino gambling enthusiasts. It provides 56 weekly, detailed gambling summarizes covering each U.S. state, territory, and the federal district to capture dynamic changes occurring of late in the U.S. gaming/gambling industry specific to slots play.
- Previous: New Mexico Slot Machine Casino Gambling 2018 – New Mexico slot machine casino gambling consists of 27 tribal casinos and racinos. Class III gaming is permitted by tribal-state compacts. Slot machines are legally permitted by state regulations at licensed racetracks and non-profit groups. Tribal casinos have a minimum payout return of 80%. Others are 80% to 96%.
- Next: North Carolina Slot Machine Casino Gambling 2018 – North Carolina slot machine casino gambling consists of two American Indian tribal casinos owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. These North Carolina tribal casinos are not legally required to provide payback returns. However, they are required to be between 83% and 98%. Slot machines are video games of skill.