Question of the Day - 28 November 2023

We get this question fairly frequently. The last time was answered it was a year and a half ago, but it appears it's time to do so again.  

Capping a slot machine simply means locking it down. This is most often done by a slot attendant on behalf of a player at that machine who wants to take a break: go to the bathroom, step outside for some fresh air, get a quick snack, etc. Perhaps the player has been on the machine for hours and just knows he or she is about to hit the progressive; capping the machine prevents the next player from coming along, inserting a five, pressing the spin button, and stealing that player's jackpot -- at least in the mind of the poor player whose bladder is about to burst or will expire in the next two minutes without food. 

Many players take issue with machine capping, especially video poker machines with good payback percentages that they're hoping to play. 

This also becomes an issue when players abuse the capping privilege. For example, they'll claim to just be going for a quick snack, then sit down to a four-course dinner in the steakhouse. Or they'll lock down one machine and you'll see them an hour later firing away at a different machine in the high-limit pit. Or they simply never return. 

It's a tough call for the casino. In some, the slot attendant has discretion and will often ask for how long the player will be gone. If he or she isn't back within a reasonable amount of time, the SA uncaps it. At others, the SA has no discretion and has to follow whatever the slot manager or player's host decides. Still others declare certain slots off-limits for locking up, which is why you see the tag noting that for particular machines, again the best VP schedules, capping is not permitted.  

And then there's the challenge of actually finding a slot attendant to cap a machine for you, as mentioned in the comments to the previous question. With all the cutbacks and labor shortages, capping isn't as common as it once was, with SAs fewer and farther between all the time. 

One thing's for sure: Never leave money in a slot machine from which you walk away, whether it's locked for you or not.