UPDATED: 10:39 a.m. EDT September 8, 2003
You can't make it to Vegas as often as you'd like, and you're not satisfied with video games on your computer. What can you do to recreate that Vegas experience in your own home? Buy your very own slot machine!
In stores all over the country and on Internet sites around the globe, you can find actual slot machines used in actual casinos. I'm talking about all of your favorites -- Double Diamond, Red, White & Blue, Blazing 7, "Wheel of Fortune" and more. You can get everything from a classic reel machine to a newer video machine, including the multidenomination, multigame machines that are becoming ever more popular.
But with all of the options available to you, it's important to know whom you can and can't trust when you're thinking about buying a slot machine. Some general rules of thumb:
Stay away from auction sites or businesses that only operate through the Internet. Slot machines are high-tech gadgets that get a lot of wear and tear during their casino lives. It's too easy to shine one up and put a picture on an auction or Internet site, luring you into buying the same way the casinos lure you into playing. Then you might be stuck with a lemon.
Try to find a vendor that also does service and repair. It's not just about having someone to go to if it breaks -- although that is important. But when you have a vendor who also services and repairs machines, you'll usually be dealing with people who are more than just salesmen trying to make a quick buck.
Ask about things like warranties, shipping charges and hidden fees that may not be listed with the purchase price. All of these can and should affect your decision about which machine to buy and where to buy it.
Check the laws in your state to see if it's even legal to own one. I've put together a handy reference chart that will allow you to check for where you live.
One of the vendors I found and was impressed by was
The Slot Machine Store in Tucson, Ariz. Owners Bill and Georgia Rodrigues got their start in the slot machine business almost 10 years ago servicing and repairing slot machines for Las Vegas casinos. They opened their first branch of the Slot Machine Store in 1999 and have been expanding ever since, with a second Tucson location now open and as many as two more stores opening soon in Phoenix.
Unlike some vendors, who buy anything available blindly and then turn around and try to sell it back to customers no matter what the condition, Bill and Georgia handpick the machines they sell during frequent trips to nearby Las Vegas.
"When casinos sell machines, they send a list and most people bid on them blindly. You might windup with 50 machines that are junk and you still have to turn around and sell them to make your money back," explained Georgia. By viewing the machines before they buy them, they make sure to only get the best quality merchandise.
Wandering through one of their stores is like strolling through a Vegas casino, only smaller and without a buffet. The machines come in all shapes, sizes and varieties -- from decorative round-tops to console models; from standard reel slot machines to multigame video poker; from IGT brands like Wild Cherry and Double Diamond to Bally Gaming machines like Roaring 20s and Blazing 7, and much, much more. No matter what type of machine you're looking for, they probably have it or can find it.
Some of the machines have been modified to accept tokens, but most still run like regular slot machines -- taking in and dispensing actual cash! Many of the newer machines even have bill acceptors so you can slip $20 into it and start playing. Bill mostly recommends nickel machines for home use, since you can fill up the hopper with $100 worth of nickels and not have to worry about it anymore.
Prices are reasonable, also. They have machines starting as low as $399, although the name-brand machines from IGT or Bally's will probably run you in the $1,000 to $1,200 range. Pricey, yes, but still hundreds of dollars cheaper than what you'll find at most stores located in Las Vegas, where I've seen similar machines for as much as $2,000 a pop.
If you're not going to be anywhere near Arizona, you can still purchase a machine over the phone. Bill and Georgia will find out what you're looking for, advise you on the best type of machine for your needs, and send you pictures of your new baby. Then, they'll ship anywhere in the United States for reasonable rates (think a couple hundred dollars at most for a big, heavy slot machine) and each machine comes with a 90-day parts warranty and one-year labor if you're in the area of one of their stores, and six months for parts if you're not. They'll even coach you on how to set it up, maintain it and fill it up with coins when necessary.
It's this kind of friendly, family-oriented customer service that impressed me most. This is the Mom and Pop of slot machine stores!
Just to give you an idea of the kind of inventory they have, I have set up a page on with some snapshots of machines that were in stock when I visited. You can view it by
here.
The Slot Machine Store West
4018 N. Oracle
Tucson, AZ 85705
(520) 888-0004
The Slot Machine Store East
7878 E. Wrightstown
Tucson, AZ 85715
(520) 885-3937
This Week's Trivia
Q: Excalibur is the only major hotel-casino on the Strip whose name starts with the letter E. What letter of the alphabet starts the most, with 4 major hotel-casinos directly on the Strip starting with that letter?
ANSWER
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