Class III slot machines are the ones we all know and love. These slots you will find in Las Vegas and Atlantic City and most of the other casinos of America. Class II machines are for specific jurisdictions, often introducing a bingo element into the slot machine experience.
To the untrained eye, every slot machine looks the same. But did you know there’s a huge difference between class ii vs class iii slot machines?
Almost every country in the world regulates some form of slot machines. They are offered to the adult public within licensed land-based casinos, online casinos, taverns, clubs, airports and/or charitable gaming facilities. While they all tend to look the same, there may be some very distinct, almost imperceptible differences between them. It all depending on whether they are Class II orClass III slot machines.
The legal delineation between class ii vs class iii slot machines is a purposeful one. They gives regulators more control over what types of games – and exactly how much winnings – players have access to. The decision to place one type or another in various facilities is often determined by the type of license an operator possesses, and the laws of the jurisdiction.
In many cases, especially throughout Canada, only full-scale casinos are permitted to host class iii slot machines. These are the kind found in major gambling destinations like Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Macau. Charitable gaming facilities, like the 30+ provincially regulated bingo halls across Ontario, are restricted to class ii slot machines.
Class II vs Class III Slot Machines
The easiest way to describe the difference between class ii and class iii slot machines is to compare the traditional class iii variety – those found in Vegas – to a scratch off lottery ticket. When a lottery agency prints tickets, they know exactly which ones are winners, and exactly how much profit they’re going to make once they are all sold.
That’s how class ii slot machines work. They are programmed like instant win lottery tickets. Every spin is predetermined as a winner or loser, and every winning spin’s value is already programmed into the machine.
Class iii slot machines are built on the foundation of a Random Number Generator (RNG). Patented in 1984 by Norwegian mathematician Inge Telnaes, the RNG is capable of giving a slot machine complete and utter unpredictability, while giving manufacturers control over the probability of outcomes.
Before Telnaes invented the first virtual reels with RNG technology, a slots’ payout percentage was based entirely on the number of reels, and the number of symbols on each reel. If a 3 reel game had 8 symbols per reel, there would be exactly (8x8x8) 512 possible combinations, meaning it would pay its jackpot, on average, 1 in every 512 spins.
Slot Machine Classes By the Law Books
Any educated gambler would prefer to play class iii slot machines. Their odds of hitting a large jackpot are always higher. The RNG ensures that a jackpot can pay out at any given moment, not when the machine decides it’s time. But in many jurisdictions, the availability of class ii and class iii slot machines is determined by local and/or federal law.
The classifications of slot machines was first introduced by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, which defines class ii vs class ii slot machines. Note that Class I gaming refers to traditional Indian gaming based on a tribe’s cultural ceremonies and/or celebrations, thus has no bearing on any type of slot machines.
IGRA Definition of Class II Slot Machines
The term ‘‘class II gaming’’ means—
(i) the game of chance commonly known as bingo…pull-tabs, lotto, punch boards, tip jars, instant bingo, and other games similar to bingo…
The definition explicitly excludes:
“…electronic or electromechanical facsimiles of any game of chance or slot machines of any kind”.
IGRA Definition of Class III Slot Machines
The term ‘‘class III gaming’’ means all forms of gaming that are not class I gaming or class II gaming.
Knowing the Difference Between Classes
A I said before, class ii and class iii slot machines look exactly the same. They use the exact same style of reels and graphics, and present the same types of features. A mere glance at the game screen, and you’d never know one from the other.
The easiest way to tell the difference between class ii vs class iii slot machines is to look at the signage in the gaming facility. By law, only class iii slot machines can actually be called “slot machines”. All class ii games will be referred to by another name.
Common names for class ii slot machines include Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) and Bingo Liners (machines programmed to pay out like a bingo card game). In Ontario, they are called TapTix machines (because it’s like tapping a button to play a scratch off ticket).
Whatever name they may go by, if the casino or gaming facility doesn’t call them “slot machines”, they are not real class iii slot machines.
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Slots has been a thing for eons. Over the decades, it has simply evolved and changed in form. But at its core, the gambling basics have remained unchanged. In the past decade or two, the industry has experienced many ‘tech upgrades’ that have increased the number of punters in the world. Today, you don’t have to take a trip down to Las Vegas. All you need is a steady internet connection an online casino you trust and you are set.Speaking of casinos, (land-based or online), there are two types of slot machines they feature; Class III and Class II. The two slots machines operate differently. The Class II slot machines are common in slots parlors. They are attached to Native American Casinos or horse racing tracks. Owing to improved tech tools, Class II slot machines have become more sophisticated. So much so that casual punters have a hard time telling them apart from Class III slot machines.
But you are in luck. In this piece, we shall scrape off the confusion by explaining the basics and answering some common questions related to Class II slot machines.
So, let’s get to it.
What Exactly Are Class II Slot Machines?
It’s simple. The Class II slot machines are designed to replicate Class III slot machines while remaining within the confines of the regulatory guidelines. The Class system is clearly stated and defined in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act by the Federal Government. The Act defines all Class II games as bingo regardless of whether computer, electronic or any other tech gadgets are used with it and if it is played in the same room with bingo or any games similar to bingo.
The immediate consequence of this regulatory Act was that the high stake bingo games were legalized. Yes, the bingo games held in halls were super popular at some point. But with time, as developers sought to upgrade their gaming experience, they leaned towards a casino-like environment and experience. Though they managed to incorporate Class III casinos in some of their gaming options, they were met with a lot of resistance and legal issues.
It was during this time that Class II slot machines were designed. Since their inception, key players in the industry have been working around the clock to replicate Class III machine experience in Class II jurisdictions. Engineers have been contracted to build in-house systems while slot manufacturers were brought on board to create games that would run on the designed systems
How do they Work?
It’s true, aside from the LED bingo card which displays your card patterns for every spin; it’s really hard to differentiate the Class II from the Class III. The big part of the difference lies in how the game operates. So let’s peep under the hood and see how Class II slots machines are designed to meet legal requirements of being a bingo game.
Class 2 Slot Machines Explained
First, there is usually a 20-millisecond window. Any person that presses the ‘Play’ button during this window enters into a common draw. For this draw to run there needs to be a minimum of two players (there is no maximum number). If there are only two players, one of them will get the winning pattern.
So here’s what happens when a video or slot poker is brought into the picture. Designers extrapolate odds of specific bingo games to video or slot games’ results that have similar odds. Usually, there are extra algorithmic processes that are in play which help to determine the outcomes but usually, the end results are similar – you pull the machine handle and the reels spin.
From the moment you pull the handle to the millisecond before they stop, you become one of the participants in a multiplayer bingo game. The results of the bingo game are ‘reported’ by the reels when they halt. If you are lucky, you’ll win some cash. So now if you think about it, you’ll have had a Las Vegas slot machine experience while in the background, the machine meets all the requirements which make it legal in Class II slot machine jurisdictions – areas where bingo is legal but RNG machines are not.
Now, most casinos that run the Class II slot machines claim that their odds are similar to those of Class III machines. This is how they explain it – it’s more like a scratch-off lottery card. But instead of scratching you’ll be pulling a handle.
And though this analogy is close to the real thing, it’s not quite accurate.
What do Class II Slots Look Like?
While they look extremely similar to Class III machines, the main way in determining if it is a Class II machine is to look on the display for a bingo table. It will look quite obvious and will indicate that the machine is using bingo logic rather than the typical RNG of a Class III machine.
Here’s an example below – notice that there is a bingo table located at the bottom right of the display.
Should You Play Class II Slot Games?
This is a really good question. And believe it or not, it’s pretty common. But despite this, its answer is not straight forward. But here’s something that will help you make that decision.
Gambling experts insist that Class II games are similar to lottery scratch tickets than Class II machines. You see, with lottery scratch tickets, the prize is determined before the printing of the tickets. Class II games may have shorter realization times but unfortunately, they aren’t random. The moment you pull the slot handle, the outcome of whether you have won or not and what prize you have won has already been made. The reels are only there to deliver the news.
Class 2 Slot Machine Manufacturers
Why do Casinos Prefer Class II Slot Machines?
Why is it that modern casinos seem to have a mix of Class II and Class III slot machines and games? And why is it that even with the mix, they are skewed towards class II games?
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Well, first, the IGRA granted casinos self-regulating powers when it came to Class II games. However, with Class III games, they must be officially undergo rigorous testing through third parties and approved goverment organizations. This is to ensure that the randomness and reliability of the machine is deemed fair.
Second, casinos don’t have to pay taxes on the revenues generated from the Class II games. But on the Class III games, they are obligated to pay taxes.
Thirdly, the odds on winning in a Class II game are worse because you are put against a large pool of players to win instead of relying on RNG.
There you have it. Everything you need to make an informed decision. Hopefully, after reading this Class II and Class III slot machines don’t confuse you anymore. So with that go have a ‘happily ever after’ gambling experience.