How to Play the Penny Slots

Low rollers unite! These days, you can't buy anything with a single penny, but it is worth a pull on a penny slot machine. Playing the penny slots is an ideal way to make your gambling dollars last longer. Sure, there's no chance at winning a jackpot big enough to retire and move to Fiji, and serious gamblers scoff at the thought of playing the penny slots, but these machines give casino-goers a lot of entertainment value without dropping some serious cash. But what's the skinny on these slot machines? How do you play the penny slots?

What are penny slots?

Penny slots are the lowest denomination video gaming machines accept. Typically, penny slots are found in their own section on a casino floor, usually noted by an overhead sign. Penny slots work exactly as other video slots of larger denominations-press the button to spin the reels and hope the graphics line up in your favor.

Is it really only a penny?

In theory, yes. You can insert a penny in the machine to get one spin of the reels. It won't win you the jackpot and you probably won't hit on anything because you only are allowed to win on one line (usually the middle line). However, like most video slot machines, to increase your chances of winning and to increase the amount you could win, you'll need to play more than one line AND use a multiplier (this means playing more than one coin at a time-most slots allow players to use three to five coins). For example, if you hit three cherries on a line, one coin could pay back 10 pennies, two coins could pay back 20 pennies, and three coins could pay back 30 pennies. All of these extras costs more pennies-by the time you've added in all the extras, one pull could cost you several dollars.

Penny Slot Machine Risks

Because it's only a "penny," penny slot machines are the easiest on which to blow your budget. Insert a $10 bill into the machine and the screen notes that you have 1,000 "credits" with which to play. Initially, it seems like you could play forever -and in theory, you could, if you play one coin on one line, which is 1,000 pulls. Most gamblers don't do that-the coin multipliers and the multiple lines drain that 1,000 quickly. You keep hitting the max bet and lines, thinking, "it's only pennies." Ten minutes go by and those 1,000 credits are now down to 50. The next thing you know, you're feeding another $10 bill down the machine. Use caution!

Best practices:

If you're playing the penny machines to pass the time, don't use the max bet and lines on every pull and your money will last longer. If you're playing the max bet and coins on each pull, add up the cost of what each reel spin actually costs-you might be better off playing the dollar machines. Remember, it's not "just a penny" on those slots!