'My boyfriend plays cards and I like to sit and play these while he does that.' 'I'm just here to have fun,' said Stephanie Wright, 41, of Kansas City, as she played a one-cent 'Blazing 7s' machine at Isle of Capri. That makes them especially big among people who go to casinos for the social aspect. With 3-D video graphics, bonus spins and familiar story lines like 'Star Wars' or 'Wizard of Oz,' the machines provide a form of 'active participatory entertainment' that wasn't available with the old three-reel slots. Gamblers feed the machines cash - or credit cards, in some states - and any winnings are paid out with a paper ticket that can be redeemed at a cashier's cage or money machine or used to place more bets. The machines allow wagers anywhere from one penny to $10 or more per spin. To play penny slots - which include video poker machines and slots with colorful video narratives, as well as machines that look and operate more like traditional one-arm bandits - gamblers place electronic bets in one- or two-cent increments. They just want to have fun and play a long time with little money.'

'People playing penny machines are not concerned about that. 'Casinos just love them because the average bets are the same as the quarter or dollar games, but their house edge is bigger on these games. 'Affordability is why people love them,' said Frank Legato, a slot machine expert and editor of Las Vegas-based Global Gaming Business magazine.

Winning slot videos missouri casinos