When people talk about "coin pushers," they are usually describing devices where you have to physically push a coin into the machine to make it work. For example, there are games where you send a coin through a slot to attempt to knock other coins off the side of a ledge. In the past, these were fun games people played when they went to casinos; that is no longer the case. It is highly unusual to see a casino with a coin pusher in it. On the other hand, there are plenty of arcades that still use coin pushers. Many bars have set up a nostalgic areas with old arcade games, and there are coin pushers that operate in those specific areas.
Are Coin Pushers Legal in Certain States?
Coin pushers are now considered illegal in casinos in the vast majority of areas. In Minnesota and Illinois, it is legal for a casino to have a coin pusher, but it has to be licensed by the Department of Revenue. If the coin pusher in the casino has not been licensed by the Department of Revenue, it is considered illegal, and the casino itself could be shut down. Now, many casinos use electronic machines that protect patrons and the casino. That is why many casinos have decided to go away from manual coin pushers.
Why Are Coin Pushers Considered Illegal?
Coin pushers are considered illegal for a number of reasons. Because of the design, there is an unknowable amount of coins that could spill off the side of the ledge. It is very difficult to predict how they might fall so the coins might end up going back to the house and not be paid out to the player. Therefore, a lot of people are taking unnecessary risks, and it is very difficult to regulate how these machines work. As a result, it is highly unusual to see a coin pusher in a casino, but it is still possible to see a coin pusher in an arcade in certain situations. You should be careful if you decide to play one of these games.
What Types of Games Are in Casinos Today?
Even though coin pushers are highly unusual in casinos, there are still plenty of other games that are popular. A lot of people go to a casino to play Blackjack. Many people also enjoy going to the casino to play craps. There are also lots of fun electronic games that people can play. It is not necessary for someone to play against the house, as they can play against other players while they are there. Because there are so many opportunities available at a casino, there are still a lot of people who like to go and play games regularly even if there's no opportunity to use a coin pusher.
We get this question around once a year and always enjoy running the answer, even though it doesn't change. People, including us, remember these machines with fondness, so it's a fun stroll down memory lane.
The name of the "coin-pusher machines" is Flip-It.
There’s something hypnotic about inserting a quarter or dollar token into a slot, then watching as spinners “flip it” onto one of various shelves. Mechanical arms push it into a stack of money that's moved closer and closer to the edge of the front spill tray. In fact, some people go so far as calling it addictive.
Flip-It isn't exactly a big money-maker for the casino, which is most likely why they’ve gone away over the past 20 years. Most Flip It enthusiasts play one quarter at a time (we know we did!), then stand and watch for a few moments for an outcome. Not exactly video poker -- where even slow low-rollers can run hundreds of dollars an hour through a machine.
The casinos did, of course, make a little money on Flip-It machines. A lot of quarters spill over the side edges and disappear into the bowels of the machine. That’s the casino hold. Basic strategy is to insert the coins into the center slots, so as to avoid the edges as much as possible.
There are a few more nuances to this game (volatility, jackpot baskets, coin-counting, and the house edge) and if you’re interested, Michael Bluejay tells the whole Flip-It story on wizardofodds.com. At the time it was written (2002), there were still coin-pushers at Golden Gate and Four Queens downtown and the Stratosphere and Sahara on the Strip.
Variations of the machine can still be found in some arcades; rather than coins being returned, you get tickets that can be exchanged for prizes.
But we haven't seen a Flip-It machine in a Nevada casino in nearly two decades. Most of the old quarter-pushers have migrated to cruise-ship casinos. Jean Scott always liked to check the machines when the ship was in choppy waters. "A big wave might shift those quarters to make it easier to score!"
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I'd like to know this, as I've never seen one inVegas. Assuming there are any, I'd say Circus Circus would be most likely to have them.
... Never given it any thought before.
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oren3417
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2. Re: Where can I find coin pusher machine in Vegas?
2 years ago
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Thanks
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PhillyWill
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3. Re: Where can I find coin pusher machine in Vegas?
2 years ago
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This topic pops up every year or so. Here's the recent thread: //www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g45963-i10-k13224948-Coin_Pushers-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html
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rhinoman7
Kenosha, WI
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4. Re: Where can I find coin pusher machine in Vegas?
2 years ago
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If you are looking for Time Share pushers, they are EVERYWHERE!!!
At least they were beforeVegas shut down.
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PlatinumPaul
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5. Re: Where can I find coin pusher machine in Vegas?
2 years ago
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I'm sure Circus Circus has them in the Midway, but they are kids games where you win tickets for prizes not real gambling coin pushers that might have a roll of $20 bills you try to push off.
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Chivas69
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6. Re: Where can I find coin pusher machine in Vegas?
2 years ago
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I see some of these big money coin pushers on you tube and I can never understand how they make money!
There's all these prizes of money, chips, even gold coins and a lot of $100 prizes. But, at the start of the day the machine can only hold so many quarters, so at the end of the day it can't really have many more quarters in it yet it will have given away quite a few $100 chips and bundles of notes! How does that machine make that money back that it's giving away? Each $100 is 400 more coins on the pusher!
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rhinoman7
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7. Re: Where can I find coin pusher machine in Vegas?
2 years ago
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"I see some of these big money coin pushers on you tube and I can never understand how they make money!"
It's physics and a well placed air bubble.
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Chivas69
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8. Re: Where can I find coin pusher machine in Vegas?
2 years ago
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I've read that a lot of quarters fall down the sides inside the machine for the owners to collect later but surely that can't make up for giving a few hundred dollars away every day?
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PlatinumPaul
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9. Re: Where can I find coin pusher machine in Vegas?
2 years ago
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@Chivas
Watch the Joshua Hartley channel, he does a good job of explaining it.
Basically on the high end ones, you do a buy in at a set amount. Say $400 gets you maybe $20 worth of quarters. You can only use these buy in quarters along with any that fall down. The trick is to get those money stacks, chip, etc. not necessarily to win more quarters.
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Chivas69
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10. Re: Where can I find coin pusher machine in Vegas?
2 years ago
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Ah gotcha
I've seen loads of the vids . Most probably the ones you mention. When he says $400 I was just presuming he was getting 1600 quarters. Lol
There are some vids though and it's quite clear they must own the amusement centre or the machines are in their own homes!