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Tuning in to theme machines
The hottest trend in slots links the game to popular TV shows (such as Bewitched, Beverly Hillbillies, and the Wheel of Fortune), traditional board games (such as Monopoly, Yahtzee, and Battleship), movies, cartoons, and so on. These theme machines rely on familiarity and popular branding to entice loyal fans.
But in most cases, I suggest you skip these theme machines, even if you’re a big fan of Vanna White or Jed Clampett. The reason is simple: These machines have bad odds. Typically, the casino must agree to share the revenues from any slot connected to a celebrity, show, or cartoon. (You don’t expect Vanna to let them use her face for free, do you?) Consequently, the pie has more slices — and smaller paybacks.
