The Chicago-based manufacturer recently expanded to production of casino slot machines, and has had hits in casinos with games like “Crazy Money” and “King of Bling.” Incredible Technologies (IT) got the license to create a new game based on The Munsters in partnership with game design studio GC2, producer of such popular IGT slots as. Poor quality and/or rogue casinos using free chips to try to reel in unsuspecting players. Free chips with ridiculous conditions attached. For example, What Casino In Vegas Has Munsters Slot Machine $100 free but you must wager it What Casino In Vegas Has Munsters Slot Machine 100 times in total, then you can only withdraw if your balance is. The company's betting games can now be found in casinos as far afield as Mexico and South Africa. At first sight, Fazi's games are pretty basic. However, among the many 5-reel slots the developer has put out, it has managed to find some space for some reasonable graphics and gameplay.
Incredible Technologies takes players back to 1313 Mockingbird Lane with “The Munsters Family Portrait”
By Frank Legato
“People are rooting as the frame goes back and forth,” says Schrementi. “They’re hoping it either ends all the way on the left or all the way on the right, because the big wins are on the left, and (the picking bonus and others) are on the right. You’re watching the reels, but you’re also hoping the frame ends up on either side.”
For people of a certain age, the theme is burned in the memory—images and one-liners from a campy 1960s TV sitcom that gained near-cult status through the magic of syndication.
We know the address where TV’s The Munsters was set: 1313 Mockingbird Lane. We remember the best bits like we watched them yesterday, which, in many cases, we did:
Grandpa: “Hmm. What smells so good?”
Herman: “I cut myself shaving.”
We remember the characters—various monsters and ghouls trying to fit into a suburban middle-class neighborhood, including Grandpa the vampire, Herman the Frankenstein monster, his wife Lily—Grandpa’s daughter and, of course, another vampire—and Eddy, their son who somehow ended up as a werewolf. (We never asked why.) Then there was Marilyn, the beautiful niece who was embarrassingly normal, at least by Munster standards. (Lily: “Oh, Marilyn… the circles under your eyes. How lovely you look today.”)
Also burned into our collective memory are the gags and bits from the show: Herman Munster’s childlike tantrums, in which he would cause earthquake-like tremors pounding his fist. Grandpa causing explosions in his mad-scientist lab, or trading barbs with Herman in one of the best examples of classic TV chemistry between comic actors, namely Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis (a pairing that survived two series—remember Car 54, Where Are You?). All the cast members (aside from Marilyn, of course) remaining hilariously clueless about why mailmen and milkmen were terrified to enter their suburban haunted mansion.
The original CBS series ran only two seasons, from September 1964 to May 1966, when it was one of two monster-in-the-suburbs comedies (it ran concurrently with The Addams Family). But after decades of reruns and feature films (three with the original cast), the show’s characters—particularly those portrayed by Gwynne (Herman), Lewis (Grandpa), Yvonne De Carlo (Lily) and Butch Patrick (Eddy)—have become pop icons.
A few “Munsters” slot machines appeared several years ago, from slot-maker IGT, which proved the entertainment value of the Munsters theme. This year, the theme is tackled by Incredible Technologies, the slot and video game manufacturer famous for Golden Tee Golf and many other classic arcade games. The Chicago-based manufacturer recently expanded to production of casino slot machines, and has had hits in casinos with games like “Crazy Money” and “King of Bling.”
Incredible Technologies (IT) got the license to create a new game based on The Munsters in partnership with game design studio GC2, producer of such popular IGT slots as Coyote Moon and Kitty Glitter. “They are located near here in Alton, Illinois, and we have a very good relationship with them,” says Daniel Schrementi, vice president of gaming marketing and new media for Incredible Technologies. “They brought The Munsters to us. We liked the feature, we liked the license, and we’re excited to release it.”
The two suppliers made the theme come alive through a combination of IT’s video game expertise and special game features created by GC3, most prominently a base-game and bonus feature called “Slide & Win.”
“We’re one of the few companies that does true, real-time 3D graphics on everything we do,” Schrementi says. “It’s a video game type of engine. That powerful engine mixed with our digital sound and our overall presentation fit this game.”
The technology allowed IT to fit in scores of video clips from the original TV show, including bits featuring all the main characters. “They pop up for big-win celebrations, scatter events and win symbols—real, black-and-white video clips from the show,” says Schrementi. “Any fan of the show is going to be drawn to the game just to see their favorite clips pop up. It’s all the famous stuff.”
One thing the game also has that appealed to players of the prior Munsters slots is that famous theme song—the surf-guitar series theme that millions of people could probably hum if asked to. In fact, Schrementi says the theme music was one of the elements that immediately appealed to players who were brought in to test the game during development. “People recognize the theme from playing other versions of The Munsters,” he says, adding that this game will capitalize on that popularity with “a new game mechanic and a new way to play.”
Slide & Win
That new way to play is Slide & Win, which presents the player with a nine-reel game screen—nine reels, three symbols each. However, there’s a sliding transparent frame that covers a five-reel portion of the screen, and it slides back and forth as the reels spin. It lands on a five-by-three section of the screen, and the 40 paylines apply to that section for winning combinations.
If the five-by-three frame lands on the far left of the screen, it will activate reels populated by a lot of wild symbols and the “Mad Lab Bonus” trigger. On the far right is a trigger for an interactive picking bonus called the “Free Slide Bonus.”
“People are rooting as the frame goes back and forth,” says Schrementi. “They’re hoping it either ends all the way on the left or all the way on the right, because the big wins are on the left, and (the picking bonus and others) are on the right. You’re watching the reels, but you’re also hoping the frame ends up on either side.”
The bonus events mine the best moments of The Munsters, both in the bonus content and in the TV show clips that accompany them.
The Slide & Win mechanic comes into play in both, including the free-spin event won through the Mad Lab Bonus. When the bonus is triggered, the game takes you into Grandpa’s dungeon laboratory, where you pick one of the show’s characters. The symbol showing that character then becomes wild during 10 free spins, which repeat the Slide & Win feature to result in a lot of extras such as bonus “Potion Award” multipliers, extra free spins, and the bonus symbol that retriggers the entire event.
The other bonus is a new kind of picking event called the “Mad Bat Bonus.” The player picks from a screen of bats to reveal various bonus credits, but then the Slide & Win frame comes to life, moving from right to left and adding multipliers to the awards as it goes across the reels.
According to Schrementi, theme and bonus feature come together perfectly in this game. “In the history of our company, we really like to try things that are daring and different, and this fits right in,” he says, adding that the Slide & Win feature is likely to become commonplace on a number of future IT games.
Meanwhile, he says, Slide & Win is enhanced by all that video from the show’s funniest moments, which appear with all the big game events—“big wins, scatter wins, line wins… any time the player is happy,” says Schrementi.
That concentration on the characters and bits from the show, he says, is what makes The Munsters Family Portrait special. “The theme works because of the popularity of the show, the attraction of the theme and the core demographic of when the show was popular—not only when it was new in the ’60s, but in syndication, which is when it really gained its momentum and true popularity.
“It is a theme that transcends multiple generations.”
Look for the Munsters slots everywhere by this month. At press time, it was in 10 casinos across California, Florida and the Midwest (see box), but Schrementi says it will be in all 14 of IT’s licensed jurisdictions, including Nevada, by mid-summer.
“We’re pretty excited about this game; it looks completely different than anything that’s on the floor,” he says. “We have high hopes for this one.”
The Munsters Family Portrait Incredible Technologies Slot Type: Five-reel, 40-line video slot; free-spin and second-screen bonus events; multi-denominational Payback % Range: 86%—96% Average Hit Frequency: Approximately 50% Top Jackpot: 200,000 credits Availability: At press time: CA, FL, IA, IL, LA, MI, MI; others pending |
The first pit stop in Las Vegas for most visitors is usually a casino. Whether you are an experienced player on the casino floor or just starting, slot machines are the most profitable and entertaining games available.
Slot machines have proven to be popular among players time and time again. Casinos and other entertainment facilities are profiting tremendously from the revenues collected from slots.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board reports that the Las Vegas Strip contained over 160,000 slot machines in 40 different locations in 2019, generating revenues reaching almost $270 million per month.
While these numbers are beneficial to the establishments and their operators, slot machines are also known to be the most profitable game in a casino for the user.
Slot machines, on average, have an RTP, or return to player, between 75% and 98%; in other words, for every dollar a player spends, the slot machine will yield about 75 to 98 cents right into their pocket.
Even with the high RTP and revenue, Las Vegas and other cities famous for their casinos fill their halls with slot machines because anyone can press a button.
Commitment is never a priority; the player can put down a small individual bet. A poker face is never required, neither is real skill, to win big.
However, research is still encouraged to profit off of slot machines at the highest level, such as reading on user experience on specific games and reading the RTP at each Las Vegas casino.
Return to player is perhaps the most critical factor in picking the best slot to play in Vegas. The higher the RTP percentage, the more likely the slot will payout.
An amateur way to discover a slot’s RTP percentage is to test it with a bet. If a slot claims to have a 94% payout, then after a $100 bet, the payback would equate to about $94. While this may seem straightforward, this method does not fit every player.
Checking message boards and online threads, as well as comparison sites containing slots reviews, are a great way to find the best slots in Vegas. Notable websites encourage players to share their experiences with slot machines; most of their reviews focus on the amount of cash they get to keep after playing.
Another tip to finding one of the better slots offered in Las Vegas is to look for promotions. By signing up to the casino’s player’s club, customers can access unique games, receive free slot plays, and gain eligibility to have freebies on their next visit.
Benefits are significant, especially when the rounds on the slot machines are free, increasing the already high payout.
The most profitable slots are coined as “loose slots” because they pay out the most amount of money to the player and are thus very desirable among customers.
A feature of profitable slot machines called “progressive jackpots” has become a popular way to transform a couple of hundred bucks to millions.
Progressive jackpots offer prize money compared to the national lottery games, which can easily make a millionaire in a single evening.
According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the dollar slots pay back an average of 95% of receipts, 25 cent slots payout 93% on average, and 5 cent slots give back 90% to the players.
The payout from slots at the downtown or other off-Strip locations is one or two percent higher than those on the Strip. Hotel-casinos frequented by locals, such as Sam’s Town, pay better than the tourist hotels in the city. Nevada residents well know that fact when they consider which facilities contain the best slots in Vegas.
Moreover, the newer and more luxurious hotels are known for having the overall poorest RTP percentages.
Some of those hotels include the Bellagio, Venetian, Mandalay Bay, and the new Wynn Las Vegas. Since the amenities of these hotels are off the charts, slot machines do not have to be the most profitable asset (at least to the player).
However, some of these lavish hotels offer great prizes and entertainment that makes a higher payout from the slot machine. The Bellagio, for example, provides a slot tournament with 2,300 games as options. From jackpots and progressive features, the Bellagio slot machines can grow small bets into millions.
Generally, the best slots in Vegas are located in the older properties of the North Strip.
Slot machines may look flashy and modern, especially themed slots, but that does not mean they have the highest payout. The more traditional and old-looking games may be a better money’s worth.
Much like the endorphin rush of a “win,” a good-looking slot machine can trick the brain chemistry into wagering more money than intended. With that in mind, a simple-looking slot should be considered to help players gamble responsibly and win big.
Rather than always playing Star Wars or Avengers slot machines, players should have an eye out for the more dated and less appealing slot machines available on the casino floor. Many of them have substantial RTP rates and have stood the test of time.
One of these seemingly unappreciated slots is housed in Slots-a-Fun at Circus Circus Casino in Las Vegas. The selection includes classics, such as “Double Diamond” and “Red, White, and Blue.” Although they are not the flashiest, they are the best slots in Vegas.
Slots-a-Fun is a classic and exclusive casino that incorporates slot machines paired with an arcade, pool tables, bowling, and other forms of entertainment. Their slots have been proven time and time again as the machines to make the next big Vegas winner.
As mentioned before, these slots are not located conveniently for the tourists on the Strip. A general rule of thumb to follow: the more touristy the casino, the lower the payback on the slot machines.
While the Las Vegas Strip has a win percentage of about 8%, the slots in Reno and Boulder have a more generous casino wins of around 5%.
Some of the casinos located in Reno, Boulder, and North Vegas include Eastside Cannery, Sunset Station, M Resort, Jerry’s Nugget, Texas Station, and Boulder Station.
Geographical location should not be the only consideration when looking for great slots. Some veteran gamblers and websites claim that corners within a specific casino itself have some of the better slot machines.
High traffic areas, such as near elevators, a front desk, aisles, showrooms, registration areas, etc., contain the loosest slots in the casino.
Some people do not even have to go to a casino to access a slot machine. An entertainment facility is perhaps the unrivaled source to use for the best slots in Vegas.
Airports, convenience stores, and grocery stores are the first locations to avoid playing slot machines. Even though the majority are in clean and well-run establishments, they do not offer significant returns with their slot machines.
What these three different places have in common is that under Nevada law the slot machines in airports, convenience stores, and grocery stores are entirely controlled by large corporations.
With that in mind, it should not be surprising that the slot machines in these facilities provide a much lower payout percentage than the typical slot found in a Las Vegas casino.
Even though convenience store owners can obtain a lease or purchase of slot machines, the Nevada law changed in favor of larger corporations having control over the slots and their payouts.
Nevada grocery stores are the only place that can legally provide slot machines because they have leased the space through a larger company. Although they can offer marginally better odds than the former two, grocery stores should still be avoided when it comes to slot machines.
The loosest slot machines in the past 12 months have been Megabucks and penny slots. Megabucks had the tightest slots at over 11% casino win percentage. Penny slots are the most popular denomination, even though their win percentage is not the most generous.
Megabucks offers some of the best slots in Vegas with the highest winnings. In 2014, a man playing a Megabucks slot machine in Rampart Casino hit a $14 million jackpot after playing for five minutes on a $20 bill when the slot paid off.
This payout is not the only one from a Megabucks machine. Megabucks has produced life-changing jackpots for multiple players for over two decades.
Their slogan markets the casino’s accomplishments perfectly: “Dream big. Win big”. Even with players only spending a $1 for a spin, there is always a chance of the jackpot prize of $10 million.
In addition to Megabucks and Slots-a-Fun, there are plenty of casinos offering some of the best slots available in Las Vegas.
Many websites report O’Shea’s, Stardust, and older casinos located on the north side of the Strip as the places to visit for great and profitable slot machine winnings.
What Casino In Vegas Has The Most Slot Machines
The casino nearest to offering the loosest slots in Las Vegas is Palms resort, which has an average game payout percentage of about 94%.
Lower payout slot machines also have distinct locations on the casino floor. Some of those include the leading slot machine on the floor, those near the table games, and close to the poker room. Since all of these areas have too much action, either from different games or other slots, the RTP does not have to be too high.
Furthermore, it is better to be aware of which specific slot machines should be avoided. The reason behind it is the exact opposite as to why the already mentioned slots are the best: the worst slots have a low percentage of payback.
Several slots have unfortunately been added to the universal list of worst slots found in Las Vegas, such as Wish Upon a Jackpot by Blueprint Gaming, Adventures in Wonderland by Ash Gaming, and King Kong by Cryptologic due to their low RTP.
Different software companies specializing in slot machines have reputations that reflect off of the RTP’s. While some developments have been mentioned before for their low percentage payback, others are renowned for their slots having high RTP rates.
Playtech is one of the more famous software companies that develop successful and popular slot machines located in Las Vegas casinos. Games created by this company include: Goblin’s Cave, Ugga Bugga, and Ocean Princess. All offer reputable and above-average percentage payouts.
Other software companies known for distributing slots with high paybacks are Barcrest, WMS, and NetEnt.
In addition to Palms Casino and Resort, there are other casinos in Las Vegas that have multiple slots maintaining an above-average payout.
Fitzgerald’s Casino and Hotel has established a favorable reputation for offering the loosest slots in downtown Las Vegas. Ranked regularly, the machines in Fitzgerald’s that are given the best paybacks include reel, penny, and progressive slots.
Slot machines are incredibly entertaining, easy, and a great reason to visit a Las Vegas casino.
Although research is essential, in-depth research is not necessary unless you are wagering a significant amount of money. Specific slot machines should be sought out to cash in millions, which has been proven to be possible within five minutes of playing.
The different themes, bonuses, promotions, and prizes, prevent slot machines from ever becoming boring. For some lucky few, a slot will transform a single $5 bill to $5 million or more than that colossal amount.
With the press of a button, a slot machine can make an average player into a millionaire, or give the customer an affordable and responsible amount of fun on the Las Vegas casino floor.
With some of these tips that differentiate the better slots in Las Vegas, slot machines can become more of a calculated game than intended.
Overall, Vegas is the numero uno destination to play slots in the United States. The key is to be wise and risk only as much as you can afford to lose.
It is essential to ask around and try some old slots that have a proven track record of wins. Don’t just be impressed with design and wager money in the excitement!