Casinos Are Cracking Down on Slot “Vultures,” Reasons May Surprise You

We’ve written 3,049 stories for this blog and we finally, finally get to use a clickbaity headline! Very exciting.

Technically, “clickbait” involves enticing readers with a headline but not delivering on the promise of that headline, the content is often dubious or of questionable value. Well, that’s this blog every single day, so this is right in our wheelhouse. This time, however, we’re not only going to deliver on the promise, we’re going to exceed your expectations. Actual results may vary.

But at least we have an excuse to create an A.I. image of a vulture in a casino, so there’s that.

All right, we’ve got some ground to cover before we get into the meat of this story.

What is a “slot vulture,” you ask? Basically, slot vultures seek to improve their odds of winning by watching for slot machines with “persistent” bonuses or jackpots. These slot machines show how close you’re getting to a bonus. Vultures wait for others to feed the machine, then they “swoop” in to grab a jackpot.

These slot machines have grown in popularity in recent years, as has the practice of trying to game the system.

A couple of things worth noting: What we’re describing isn’t cheating.

Depending upon who you talk to, some refer to “vultures” as “advantage players.” The reasoning is they’re making smart decisions based upon their knowledge of these games.

It’s like card counting in blackjack. It’s not illegal, per se, it’s just frowned upon and casinos can refuse service to anyone.

Another thing worth mentioning is some machines that appear to have “persistent” bonuses and jackpots actually don’t. Slot makers realize players like the idea of having an edge, so they’re designing games with bowls of coins, pigs that swell and firecrackers that simulate persistent bonuses, but don’t actually do anything. They’re for show.

Here’s a video about “perceived persistence.”

The games that actually do show players how close they’re getting to a win are a problem for casinos, and we actually were surprised by the reason.

We asked a longtime casino manager why casinos would mind vultures if they aren’t cheating. The machines are being played by novices and experts alike, the game holds whatever it holds, what’s the issue?

The issue, it turns out, has a lot do with casinos wanting all their customers to have the opportunity to hit bonuses and jackpots.

Slot vultures aren’t stealing jackpots, they’re stealing fun.

Also, vultures have become more aggressive recently, often hovering over machines primed for a hit, and intimidating regular guests into leaving the machine.

Naturally, there’s a financial element to this disdain for slot vultures. If you combine their style of gambling with loyalty club perks, players can beat the casino.

Ironically, if vultures weren’t greedy, they might be able to get away with their questionable tactics. They often can’t resist using their casino loyalty club card, which means casinos can track their play and see which machines they’re playing and winning on consistently. Anyone playing just persistent bonus games isn’t a typical casino customer.

When casinos detect vulture behavior, they have the option of pulling the plug on that player’s perks.

Which brings us to why this subject has been in the headlines recently. MGM Resorts recently did a crackdown on slot vultures and those in the casino industry say it’s the smartest thing the company has done in some time.

MGM Resorts dove headlong into its player data and informed advantage players (in some cases, “lifetime winners”) they are welcome to play, but the casino company isn’t going to treat them to same way as their typical customers anymore.

No more invites to free play tournaments, no offers or comps based upon slot play. “All events and tournaments you are currently booked for…will be cancelled.” Free rooms, canceled.

No, that’s not a typo. “Canceled” is more common in America, while “cancelled” is more of a British English thing. Who made you like this?

MGM Resorts, it seems, is done with slot vultures’ bullshit.

This isn’t a new issue, however.

Casinos have been trying to warn guests about vultures for some time. This warning started popping up on machines at Cosmopolitan back in early 2023.

This idea of “persistent” jackpots has been around since the early days of slot machines. Old-timey slots would sometimes show coins in jackpot hoppers. This visual was irresistible to gamblers, as it conveyed that the machine was due for a hit.

So, if this is a known problem for casinos, why do slot makers continue to design slot machines this way? Because they’re popular.

CDC Gaming has done a number of great stories about this issue.

CDC Gaming says “the list of the Top 25 most popular machines is dominated by those with progressive meters, perceived persistence bonuses or true persistence features.” The psychology of such slot machines is fascinating.

So, while vultures are within their rights to try and gain an advantage over casinos, casinos have the right to address the issue as they see fit. Casinos are for-profit businesses, after all. Curating the guest experience is a big part of running a casino.

Fun story.

We were chatting with the aforementioned casino manager about vultures and asked for an example of games with persistent jackpot features. He pointed to a bank of machines (pictured below).

He explained on how this machine, Buffalo Ascension (arguably the most popular of the persistent bonus machines), you could see the three middle reels expanding to show the bonus was getting closer to hitting. He also pointed out the specific machine which was most advantageous to players at that moment. During our conversation, a player strolled by the bank of machines and sat a the one he’s pointed out. The casino manager immediately said, “Vulture.”

If you’re looking for an edge on Buffalo Ascension, look for the prominent protrusions. Which was, predictably, the name of our band in high school.

Slot vultures aren’t just random individual players, by the way. Bonus-chasing (or “pot chasing”) teams have formed and they roam casinos looking for slots ready to pop.

Maybe five minutes after spotting that vulture playing Buffalo, another guy breezed by the bank of slots and snapped a photo. The casino manager said this was a scout for his team. These scouts make dozens of passes through multiple casino a day, capturing the status of the machines with persistent bonuses, so others can jump in to play at just the optimal time. It’s a whole thing.

Are bonuses and jackpots guaranteed? No, but the odds are better and that can add up to consistent wins, especially when combined with free play and other loyalty club perks.

We get it. Some would say these players are just smart. Every gambler wants to get an edge over casinos, especially since casinos have math and time on their side.

Here are some advantage play slots.

Nobody’s getting mad if you’re playing smart. Casinos are mad slot vultures are preying on unsuspecting gamblers, though, and they’re fighting back.

Where do you stand on this topic? Are vultures (sorry, “advantage players”) just using acumen and strategy to improve their chances of winning or are they “stealing” jackpots on the backs of tourists loading up the machines for the folks who treat this as a full-time job rather than recreation?