Free Play Declines in Pennsylvania, West Virginia

Free play in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, after peaking a few years ago, has declined. Free play still amounts to more than a quarter of the total of wagers placed in both states. Casino consultant Vince Manfredi (l.) says there are a variety of reasons for the dip.

The amount of free play on slot machines in Pennsylvania and West Virginia have declined in the last few years.

In Pennsylvania casinos gave away $681.2 million in 2012-2013, which was the peak, according to the Gaming Control Board. The next year free play was $622.4 million. That amounts to about 27 percent of the total.

West Virginia’s peak year was 2011-2012, when free play was $93.9 million. It fell to $74.3 million the following year according to the West Virginia Lottery.

Casino consultant Vince Manfredi, whose company pioneer free play in North America told Player’s Advantage: “From operator’s point of view, there’s a cost to giving a player free pulls on a slot machine.” Sometimes players play until they convert the giveaway into cash and then stop.

Manfredi speculates that one reason free play peaked when it did was because of the Great Recession, when incentives were needed more. Now they are not needed as much.

At the same time, one of the slot machine’s biggest fan, the Baby Boomer, is growing older. Millennials are less interested in the machines, which don’t compare favorably to the electronics games they are used to playing.

Manfredi advises casinos to rely less on free play and more on actual customer service and an overall positive experience. He advises relying on “an environment that’s perhaps less smoky, or more friendly, or has a loyalty program a little bit more favorable.”