It can be frustrating when you sit down at a slot machine, put in a ticket or money, and then discover that the spin button isn’t working. A player asks the obvious question.
Why doesn’t the casino fix broken buttons?
Jill B.
Most casinos don’t choose to have broken buttons. If a machine is out of service, it’s not making money. Sometimes a machine is waiting for a replacement part. This can be especially true for older machines where sourcing parts can be an effort.
However, sometimes they don’t know the machine is broken. Ask yourself the question: Did you report that broken button or did you move on? We suspect most players move on instead of reporting the issue. That means the machine will sit broken until their techs discover the issue.
So we should get in the habit of pushing that service light and let the casino know there’s an issue. The worst case is they already knew, and you lost a bit of playing time. If we all get in the habit of reporting these issues, machines will likely be fixed more quickly.
There are some casinos that don’t keep up with maintenance, but this tends to be unusual. Broken machines aren’t helpful to the casino, and if there’s a consistent issue, players may realize the issue and choose to play at another casino.
But even when casinos do the right thing, some buttons are easier to break than others. And then there’s the button slappers that put heavy wear on the buttons.
So it can be awareness, waiting for parts, or neglect. Whatever the reason, it’s a frustrating experience when you find a broken button. But we encourage players to report them so the issue can be solved by the slot techs. Hopefully the machine will be in good shape when you make your return visit.
Have a question? Submit yours here!
