Coin based slots definitely aren’t the in thing in the gaming world. In fact, they haven’t been popular since video slots passed them by in the 1980s.
Nevertheless, some Las Vegas casinos still feature a small collection of coin-operated games. But these gambling establishments are now struggling to run their coin based machines due to a US change shortage.
El Cortez Feeling the Sting of Coin Shortage
Located in downtown Vegas, El Cortez is one of the biggest hotspots for coin based slots. It still offers over 200 games that accept nickels and quarters.
According to El Cortez general manager Adam Wiesberg, the casino is having more trouble stocking these games than ever. El Cortez had $120,000 in change before COVID-19 hit.
They deposited $90,000 of this into the bank when forced to shut down during the pandemic. Now open again, the casino is struggling to get this change back.
“Our first coin order that we did after reopening, in July, we ordered $30,000 in quarters,” says Wiesberg. “When the Brinks people came, they brought us just $500 in quarters.
“That’s when we realized firsthand that there was a coin issue. We’re fortunate we kept that $30,000.”
No Fee on Exchanging Change for Cash
Normally, El Cortez charges a 5% fee when people exchange coins for cash. But they’ve waived this fee in light of the change shortage.
“People can come to El Cortez and change out your piggy banks for free, which has helped increase the amount of coin we’re bringing in,” explains Wiesberg.
“We used to empty those machines much less frequently, but now we’re emptying them every day. For a weekend, those machines will have $75,000 in coins if we wait until Monday to empty them.”
When Will Coin Shortage End?
No end is in sight for the shortage on coins right now. That said, casinos like El Cortez will keep guessing on when things will go back to normal.
For the time being, all they can do is encourage gamblers to bring in change. These exchanges may be enough to help them keep coin slots moving.