Strictly Slots December 2022

SPINNING REELS BY SEAN CHAFFIN

Harry Reid International Airport’s slot machines have made over $1 billion.

FLIGHTS OF FORTUNE? Seeing those reels line up just right is a thrilling experience

T his month’s“Spinning Reels”features three players seeing some massive jackpots headed their way,a look at the slot business at the LasVegas airport,one of the first NFL slots, and much more. It seems many gamblers are tempted by the bright lights of those slots at Las Vegas’s Harry Reid International Airport—whether just arriving into Sin City or for a few last shots at a jackpot before leaving town.That led to a milestone for the airport’s slot operator in October. Michael Gaughan’s Airport Slot Concession (MGASC) operates the machines and announced that the games had reached $1 billion in revenue since the games launched in 1986. According to the company, those terminal slot machines have generated almost $40 million in gross revenue annually.That equates to an average of $34.4 million in revenue for the airport, which helps to keep airport operating costs down and, in turn, plane ticket prices low, MGASC officials note. “We are happy that the slot machines located inside Harry Reid International Airport not only provide Las Vegas visitors the opportunity to spend a fewminutes at one of our slot machines while they wait for their flight,”MGASC General Manager Patricia Ross said, “but that the revenue generated also helps lower the operating costs for airlines at the airport and those lower rates trickle down to tourists who plan on visiting Las Vegas.”

The company operates more than 1,430 slot machines in all the airport’s terminals and has 245 employees. Reid, along with Reno Tahoe International, are the only two airports in the entire country that offer visitors one last shot at that major jackpot before getting back to the real world.

CLASSIC SLOTS LANDS JACKPOT SALE

C lassic slot machines and gambling memorabilia have become popular collectibles for those with a few extra bucks to spend. One collector certainly had more than a few bucks to spend in mid-November. A Caille Bros. Five-Cent Roulette floor-model slot machine dating back to 1904 sold for $246,000 as part of a sale by MorphyAuctions. The machine may not have the latest in 4K high definition and every bonus

24 DECEMBER 2022 ■ STRICTLY SLOTS ■ www.casinocenter.com