Where are the loosest slots in Missouri? That is the question, to paraphrase Hamlet.

The loosest slot games in Missouri in 2023 are Fireball and Whales of Cash. The most popular slot machine games in Missouri casinos are World of Wonka and Dragon Link. And the best payout casinos in Missouri are Ameristar-St. Charles and River City Casino & Hotel.

The 13 casinos in Missouri make a stripe across the center of the state, before trailing down the shores of the Mississippi River toward Arkansas and Louisiana.

This post covers the slot machine gambling industry in Missouri for the year 2023. In this post, I cover game features like payout and return statistics, then give my take on the best and loosest Missouri slots to play in 2023.

Missouri Slot Machine Returns & Payouts Determine the Loosest Slots

Missouri slot machine statistics are reported dutifully by the Missouri Gaming Commission monthly, in multiple formats, free to the public. I love when state gaming commissions report information like this.

Overall, the house edge on an average slot machine in Missouri is just about 9.68%. That makes the Missouri slot machine scene about average in terms of player odds in the US gambling industry. You get better odds playing slots in Missouri than in Las Vegas or Atlantic City.

But there’s plenty of variation among the various denominations on offer. Since Missouri’s gaming revenues and other statistics are reported by machine denomination, we can make some assumptions about slot machine returns in the Show-Me State.

The state’s 14,631 slot machines earned more than $135 million in revenue, paying out more than $1 billion in winnings. That means slots are about seven times as profitable to the Missouri gaming industry as casino table games and other machines.

Which Denominations Are the Loosest Slots in Missouri?

The best denomination slot games in Missouri in terms of odds are high-limit slots. Depending on the casino, slot players face the best odds when betting at least $5 per credit. At some Missouri casinos, these higher-limit games give the house an edge as low as 2%. But, since these machines are relatively rare – maybe 1 or 2% of the overall slot scene in the state – let’s take a look at a few other denominations that offer decent game odds.

Nickel slots in Missouri offer a lot of value. First of all, there are thousands of them across the state, so they’re a lot more accessible than the state’s high-limit offerings. Second, the average house edge on these games is around 95.5%, which is considerably better than you’ll find on the state’s penny slots. As of last year, there are about 600 of these games in Missouri, which means you’ll find dozens at each of the state’s casinos.

If you’re looking for the best player odds on Missouri Slots – try to steer clear of the state’s penny slots. The average house edge for penny slots in Missouri is around 11%, something like 5 or 6 times worse than you’ll get playing high-limit slots. As is the case in other US gambling jurisdictions, you’ll find a lot more penny slots than nickel slots. At some Missouri casinos, low-odds penny slots outnumber high odds games by a factor of 6 to 1.

Which Missouri Casinos Should You Favor and Which Should You Avoid?

Since the Missouri Gaming Commission releases an annual report of average slot machine RTP at different casinos, I can say explicitly which casinos slot players should avoid.

For example, the casinos at the top of the list are average around a 9% house edge. That’s not great, but it’s not the worst in the country. At the bottom of the list of 2023 Missouri casino slot machine odds are the Isle of Capri Kansas City, St. Jo Frontier, and Mark Twain Casino, which average about a 10.5% edge. That 1.5% difference in average edge seems small, but over time that difference can add up.

So much of a good slot strategy involves reducing potential losses, so I suggest you avoid those three Missouri casinos in 2023 if you want to play slot games with the best odds.

Which Casino in Missouri Pays Out the Most?

I’ve identified the two highest paying casinos in Missouri for the year 2022, which is the most recent full year of revenue information that we have for the Show-Me State. I don’t foresee anything happening that would cause these two casinos to not also be the highest paying in Missouri throughout the year 2023.

Ameristar-St. Charles

Ameristar-St. Charles may have the largest collection of slot and video poker games in the state, counting more than 2,000 on my last visit in 2022. Denominations range from penny slots up to $100-per-credit high-limit games in the casino’s high roller section. This Ameristar location consistently produces the lowest average house edge in Missouri, hovering around 9%, and that’s across all denominations.

The Ameristar-St. Charles casino is about a half-hour from downtown St. Louis right up against the Missouri River. It’s one of three major casino properties located in or near St. Louis. It’s a stone’s throw across the river from one of the state’s other best places to play slots – the Hollywood Casino & Hotel St. Louis.

River City Casino & Hotel

Across town from Ameristar-St. Charles, on the Mississippi River, sits River City Casino & Hotel. Their collection of 1,900+ slot and video poker games is among the biggest in the entire Midwest. The site’s average house edge for slot machines is a little more than 9%, about on par with the Ameristar-St. Charles.

The experience for slot players at either of these sites is about the same. They both have a couple of nice restaurants I’ve eaten at a few times before, and the gaming and amenities and everything else is about the same. You get slightly better average odds at Ameristar-St. Charles, but River City is a good hour closer to gamblers on the eastern side of town, so it’s more accessible for some.

Which Games Were the Loosest Slots in Missouri in 2022

I picked the two slots games below as among the best to play in Missouri in 2023 based on game features like RTP as well as local factors like accessibility and popularity. The two games below are among the best machines to play when you gamble in Missouri in 2023:

World of Wonka

WMS Gaming makes the popular World of Wonka slot, with an advertised 96% RTP. This game is based on the classic Gene Wilder film from 1971, not any of the remakes made in recent years. It’s animated, but the characters all look like familiar figures from the movie. The max bet on this penny slot machine is 600 coins, or $6. It has a progressive top prize, not tiered like other modern progressive games, but offering one ever-increasing jackpot that resets to $100,000.

Dragon Link

Dragon Link isn’t a slot machine, it’s a phenomenon. There are dozens of Dragon Link variants and hundreds of machines made in imitation of it. It combines special features like “hold and spin” with bonus symbols, scatter symbols, and side games that create a more video game-like experience than traditional slot machines. The manufacturer advertises a 96.1% RTP, placing this game among the best on the floor in any Missouri casino.

The Loosest Slot Machines in Missouri (2023)

Missouri has a pretty big slot scene, with nearly 15,000 games spread across 13 casinos. That gives players a lot of choice in terms of where to play and which game to pick.

The two slot games described below were the loosest Missouri slots in 2022 and without some major changes, I expect them to be the loosest 2023 games as well. They’re among the best in the state, based on the manufacturer’s posted RTP figures and the state’s annually-released average house edge figures.

Fireball

Fireball is a simple fixed-jackpot game with 5 reels and up to 40 pay lines. It’s available in the loosest denominations in Missouri, including the nickel and multi-denomination formats that offer the best odds in the state. Fireball is popular because it offers eight unique mini-games while you play, creating a gaming experience that’s a little more involved and attention-grabbing than the usual pull-and-wait style of playing slots. The manufacturer’s posted RTP is 96.8%.

Whales of Cash

This Aristocrat classic is a 5×3 slot that offers a relatively low set of fixed prizes that players attempt to modify with the many multipliers available for different in-game combinations. The manufacturer lists an RTP of 96.4%, placing Whales of Cash head and shoulders above the average Missouri slot machine offering.

Conclusion

The best slot machines in Missouri are available at Ameristar St. Charles and River City Casino & Hotel. Both these casinos have plenty of the loosest Missouri slot machines. By focusing your play at these casinos, you’re putting yourself in the best position to beat the house.

Missouri is a big state and the dozen or so casinos currently open are dotted across its landscape. Regional differences exist between casinos, and I may have missed an important detail, a loose slot game, or a great Missouri slot casino. Since the point of writing this post is to highlight the loosest slots in Missouri in 2023, I’d love it if someone would leave a comment about a loose Missouri game I should try. I’ll update the page to reflect any changes in the state’s slot machine industry.