Misleading slot machine advertising?

I just returned from Reno where I couldn't help but snap pictures of these advertisements. Click on them for a larger version.





I'm not disputing that the claims made in these ads are truthful. However, what bothers me is that they contain no useful information about the return of the slots at these locations. In intelligent slot player should ask, "How much did the players bet to win that much?" Are these ads fooling anybody? I don't know whether to be mad that Circus Circus and the Reno airport think we're this stupid or depressed that we really are.

The question for the poll is what would you think after reading one of these ads?

PT'S does the same thing around here. I'm pretty sure there are some people that believe the casinos are losing. Lol

I was at a place that would have a running meter in real time how much "players were winning!" but that's probably every win that all players get back per spin, but with no losses recorded. Spin $1 get .50 back, add that to the meter!

Regarding those ads: for most people here they know better, but I suppose it looks good to a ploppy. They might be thinking to themselves "well if this casino advertises this and the others don't, what do the other casinos have to hide?"

Lotteries often advertise the same way.

Might as well keep a running tally of everyone who has hit a jackpot in Vegas.

Quote: Wizard

I just returned from Reno where I couldn't help but snap pictures of these advertisements. Click on them for a larger version.





I'm not disputing that the claims made in these ads are truthful. However, what bothers me is that they contain no useful information about the return of the slots at these locations. In intelligent slot player should ask, "How much did the players bet to win that much?" Are these ads fooling anybody? I don't know whether to be mad that Circus Circus and the Reno airport think we're this stupid or depressed that we really are.

The question for the poll is what would you think after reading one of these ads?

My question would be, have they actually loosened their slots? How many slots must one loosen before someone can make a claim like this?

My guess is the had a bad month and decided to capitalize on it.

Have you forever given up on your quest to regarding information about slot paybacks and casino faults advertising.

That was a worthy endeavor. Perhaps you shouldn't give up. I think most people hate faults advertising and non information disclosure.

You were looking for stuff to write about. This would be a good subject to revisit. Perhaps everyone could keep their eyes peeled and relay the information.

There's a few places in Vegas that blatantly advertise certain percentage paybacks yet the have nothing close.

Will other publications pick up stories like this?

I've never had money all hanging out of my suitcase before, or a g-string either.

Unfortunately, this is how advertising works nowadays. It's common across all forms of advertising, including statistics. Maybe there's a bar graph showing men earn $25/hour working and it showing women earning $20/hour working. [Just random numbers I chose.] But the bar graph doesn't start at $0 at the bottom, it starts at $15. Looking at such a graph, it would appear men earn double the amount women make, even though they'd really only be making 25% more than women.



And although such a bar graph would be misleading (to the naked eye, without realizing the graph started at $15 instead of $0), it would still be truthful.


I remember a few months ago, CNN news was on TV and they showed some percentages. I don't remember what it was exactly, but had to deal with the white population and black population and the % of arrests. The way the information was displayed, it made it look like black people were arrested (or in jail or were victims of "police brutality", or whatever it was) at some astonishingly huge rate, far beyond what it was for white people, and I was pretty shocked. Anyway, I pulled out the calculator app on my phone, and figured out there was nothing abnormal about the information given, meaning white people and black people were both arrested (or in jail or whatever it was) at an almost perfect/equal rate.

Of course, they could do other things. Perhaps they'd say the population of a city is 15% blacks, but then say 75% of the arrests were for minorities (ie: non-whites). That might seem shocking and "omg racist cops!" might be the first thing in your mind....before you realize that 65% of the population is mexican.





It's a sad truth how advertising works. Either they find two things that are not related and try to relate them ("loose slots" and "total payouts" without considering the coin in / losses.....or "mens wages" and "womens wages" without considering the types of professions men tend to be in versus women or the percentage of men versus women actually working.....etc.)......or they get some kind of data and present it in a misleading way (ie: starting a bar graph at $15 instead of $0, so it looks like men make 2x what women make [again the dollar amounts are random numbers I picked to illustrate it]).


Another sad truth is, because of all this stupid advertising that isn't real or proper.....it causes us to sometimes doubt the real and legitimate advertisements or statistics.

Quote: AxelWolf

Have you forever given up on your quest to regarding information about slot paybacks and casino faults advertising.

That was a worthy endeavor. Perhaps you shouldn't give up. I think most people hate faults advertising and non information disclosure.

You were looking for stuff to write about. This would be a good subject to revisit. Perhaps everyone could keep their eyes peeled and relay the information.

There's a few places in Vegas that blatantly advertise certain percentage paybacks yet the have nothing close.

Will other publications pick up stories like this?

I got the Vegas Club to stop saying they had the loosest slots downtown. I'm always open to keeping slot machine casino advertising honest. Some of the time, like with the El Cortez, they will provide some figures on request to back up their claims. Others, like the Palms, let a third party, Anthony Curtis, see the figures.

Shall we say I'm happy to try to keep them honest. Let me know the specifics of what advertising you find fishy.

Quote: mcallister3200

I've never had money all hanging out of my suitcase before, or a g-string either.

It looks to me like that woman has no feet.

Quote: Wizard

I got the Vegas Club to stop saying they had the loosest slots downtown. I'm always open to keeping slot machine casino advertising honest. Some of the time, like with the El Cortez, they will provide some figures on request to back up their claims. Others, like the Palms, let a third party, Anthony Curtis, see the figures.

Shall we say I'm happy to try to keep them honest. Let me know the specifics of what advertising you find fishy.

Interesting, I didn't know that.

They did have some good slots and still have some good video poker.