Question of the Day - 16 March 2025

Good question.

In our humble opinion, video poker isn’t going away, but it is becoming less common in many casinos, especially on the Strip. There are a few key reasons for this trend.

Casinos make much more money from slot machines than VP. A typical slot machine has a house edge of 5%-12%, whereas full-pay video poker games can have a house edge of less than 1% (or even a slight player advantage with optimal strategy and comps). Many casinos have removed high-payback video poker machines in favor of more profitable slot machines. And the VP machines that remain in the tourist corridor are the lower-paying versions, which drive away players, which make the machines less profitable -- turning the whole thing into a vicious circle.

In addition, younger casino visitors tend to prefer slot machines, electronic table games, and social-style gaming rather than video poker, which requires more skill and patience. As a result, casinos focus on what attracts the biggest audience.

All that said, while video poker is shrinking on the Strip, it’s stronger in locals casinos and off-Strip properties like South Point. Downtown casinos still offer playable games, though not like the good old days.  

Meanwhile, although brick-and-mortar casinos are reducing VP inventory, online casinos and apps continue to offer it, sometimes with better paytables than land-based casinos.

All in all, video poker isn’t dead, but it’s being pushed out of high-profile areas in favor of more profitable options. However, you can still find good games if you know where to look — especially in locals casinos, downtown Vegas, and certain regional markets. And there's always good old competition, which we've just witnessed in a major upgrade in the VP inventory at the Rio, where you can now find 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54%) and 8/5 Bonus Poker (99.17%) starting at quarters, both on the floor and at the bars.