Archie the article is spot on.. I've witnessed this over the last 15yrs being a predominately a slot player that has had some amazing fortitude & my share of good wins in the past with minimal entry bets & overall long time rate of play.
This has changed.. My rate of overall play has declined dramatically & rate of initial bet has increased to a non-sustainable level. The mention of free play was a factor that I was unaware of and it has effected me in an insidious way not thought of.. I don't count on or currently rely on any free play, it's a bother to me. I move casino to casino and don't benefit much from the free play.

Most casinos have 300 penny to 500 penny max bet machines "NOW" to cover all lines and be able to go into a bonus round.
It's getting hard to find a 150 penny or 200 penny max bet machine. and nearly Impossible to find a 90 penny machine.
Gone are the days of casinos having random players getting W2's for hitting here and there on the casino's floors. it used to be an electric feeling that one would get when players hit decent jackpots for "small wagers" on single payline 5 cent, 10cent, 25cent or $1 with max bet . You could hear and see payouts in almost every isle with regularity.
On slots "NOW" ---- The hold is terrible, The Staff is reduced, The service mediocre, The payback worse than roulette!!!! I've recently switched to various card games to restore some form of fun & having a good run of random luck against the house that is not predestined in a preset computer algorithm.
With slots - you don't stand a chance, they've evolved into razzle dazzle games that mentally ya think you're gonna win, but instead they get rid of the customer faster and let a new fresh wallet sit down faster-- more players per hour in the same seat.

All the casinos floor space is relegated to high rollers, $3 to $5 max bet---pennies?
We're all high rollers when playing on penny machine's covering the max bet!

Gabe