... is published on page 14 in the current December issue. Thought some of you might be interested in the reply by the Editor.

SILVER STRIKE
"I'd like to inquire about silver premium tokens, or what are commonly referred to as "Silver Strikes" in the casino token collecting hobby. I'm hoping that someone at Casino Player could explain to me and other token colelctors why Atlantic City casinos have removed all of this type of reel-spinning slot machines, which paid out silver, redeemable coins housed in plastic capsules in lieu of quarters or $1 tokens.

Many Las Vegas properties still offer these machines, popular with collectors, to their customers. In fact, some machines have players lined up waiting to play them. Even the airport has them in Vegas, while Atlantic City no longer offers them to slot players anywhere in town. It seems to me that the casinos would welcome paying out $10, $40 or $200 tokens that are not likely to be presented for redemption, instead of paying out in cash. It's like sending a check to the electic company that never gets cashed."
Archie Black - Brick, NJ

Here is Casino Player's published response:
"The slot of which you speak, Silver Strike, by the former Anchor Gaming (now a subsidiary of IGT) had a much longer-than-normal life in Atlantic City casinos. It was first placed in 1995, and was still out on the floors as recently as last year. Seven years is a very long life for any of the vast majority of slot games. That said, casino slot managers make their game decisions based on hard numbers - namely, daily 'win' per unit. That figure is the daily profit a machine brings to a casino after all the jackpots are paid out. If that number drops to a consistently low level for any gfame, it is gone to make way for a more profitable game. As you have seen, enought people are still flocking to the game in Vegas that it is still on the floor, but if the numbers drop, the machine will vanish from there also.

Contrary to your comment, casinos do not welcome paying out tokens that will not be redeemed. They want to pay out cash so that cash is pumped right back into that slot or another slot. If they pay a token that is going to be taken home, it's automatically out of the wagering pool --- they are not getting it back. Casinos do not live on collectors; they live on gamblers. And gamblers put their winnings at risk."

There you have it gang. If you would like to respond to the letter, or the publisher's response via email, please do so directly to Casino Player at letters@casinocenter.com