<!--
// The Central Randomizer 1.3 (C) 1997 by Paul Houle (houle@msc.cornell.edu)
// See:  http://www.msc.cornell.edu/~houle/javascript/randomizer.html

rnd.today=new Date();
rnd.seed=rnd.today.getTime();

function rnd() {
        rnd.seed = (rnd.seed*9301+49297) % 233280;
        return rnd.seed/(233280.0);
};

function rand(number) {
        return Math.ceil(rnd()*number);
};

// end central randomizer. -->


var facts = new Array();
facts[1] = new Array ("factoid", "Progressive games come in three types. A wide-area progressive is a game in which many machines at different propensities compete for one large, ever-increasing jackpot. An in-house progressive ties machines together at one property. And some stand alone machines have their own progressive jackpot.");
facts[2] = new Array ("factoid", "Video slots have been around for many years, and their popularity is growing, but traditional reels still garner most of the slot business. Games like 'Double Diamond', 'Wheel of Fortune', and 'Red White and Blue' are consistent favourites.");
facts[3] = new Array ("tip", "Loose slots pay back more on average than tight slots, but remember that short-term payback tends to be more volatile than long-term payback. So a game may at first appear to be tight , but actually be loose (and vice versa).");
facts[4] = new Array ("factoid", "The average payback of a slot machine in Atlantic City is about 92%. The average payback of a slot machine on the Las Vegas strip is about 94%. The loosest slot in the world can usually be found in North Las Vegas. Machines there typically pay back about 96%.");
facts[5] = new Array ("factoid", "The principles of probability were developed in the seventeenth century by Blaise Pascal and Pierre de Fermat. Pascal had friends who gambled, and he  wanted to help them win. Probability is used today for many purposed, such as insurance actuarials and weather forecasting, and we owe it all to gambling.");
facts[6] = new Array ("tip", "Remember that a slot machine keeps your original wager regardless of whether you win or lose, so a two coin win is actually only one coin if the bet was one coin. And a one coin win (typically in video poker) is actually a push (a tie).");
facts[7] = new Array ("tip", "Hit frequency for slot machines is typically between 8 and 33 percent. Reel-spinners usually hit less often than video slots, but it depends on the game and the number of lines in play.  A game that hits frequently is not necessarily loose, especially if most wins are less than the value of the wager.");
facts[8] = new Array ("factoid", "The gaming industry in the United States generates more revenue than the combined income from movies, the music business, theme parks, and organised sports : over $60 billion every year. And that's gaming only. The income doesn't include income from restaurants, shows, shops and other peripheral businesses.");
facts[9] = new Array ("tip", "Two games can be identical on the outside but set to payback differently on the inside. This is especially true when the two games are in different casinos. Don't assume that Double Diamond in Casino A will  necessarily pay the same as Double Diamond in Casino B.");
facts[10] = new Array ("factoid", "Slot machine optimal strategy differs from video poker optimal strategy because the latter is absolute: there is only one way to correctly play a video poker hand (the cards and the paytable determine the strategy). In contrast reel games have unknown variables, so optimal strategy required some informed guesses.");
facts[11] = new Array ("factoid", "Isle of Capri in Iowa has 1048 slots. The Hilton in Atlantic City has 2034 slots. Sands has 2060. Trump Taj Mahal has 4,825 and Foxwoods in Connecticut has 6640. There are 60,000 slots on the Las Vegas Strip and more than 160,000 in the state of Nevada.");
facts[12] = new Array ("tip", "The best time to play slots is when the casino is relatively empty. Fewer players will be competing for the loosest machines. Avoid weekends, holidays and major conventions. Mornings and afternoons are generally better than evenings.");
facts[13] = new Array ("tip", "Every machine has a multiple-digit identification number somewhere on its exterior. The number is unique to that machine. Having the number will help you find it again if its moved to another section of the layout.");
facts[14] = new Array ("tip", "Keep your eyes and ears open when looking for loose slots. If you see someone winning a lot (or losing a lot) on a particular machine, note that machine and adjust your strategy accordingly.");
facts[15] = new Array ("factoid", "Casinos in the US use IRS form W2G to report jackpots of $1,200 and over. Amounts under $5,000 are reported but they are not subject to federal withholding when the player provides a social security number. Amounts above $5,000 require 28% withholding when the payoff is more than 300 times greater than the wager.");
facts[16] = new Array ("tip", "Increase your session bankroll to 200 times the standard bet if the units are less than one dollar. This gives  you more chances to win on tighter nickel and quarter games.");
facts[17] = new Array ("factoid", "Look closely and you'll see that slot machines are labelled with the phrase 'Malfunction voids all pays and plays' Its like buying a soda. Lets say the soda machine breaks and 50 soda come out. You're entitled to one soda, not fifty.");
facts[18] = new Array ("factoid", "Wide area progressives (progressive machines linked across multiple properties) are typically owned by a slot manufacturer. The manufactured leases the machines to the casino, shares the revenue and is responsible for paying the top prize.");
facts[19] = new Array ("tip", "Got a players club question. Ask a casino host (one of the well-dressed, perpetually sociable people you'll find hanging around the players club desk). That person will tell you how much action is required for a buffet, free room, show ticket or whatever other comps the casino is offering. It never hurts to ask.");
facts[20] = new Array ("factoid", "Comps and the action required to get them can vary wildly. Upper tier properties like the big fancy palaces on the Las Vegas strip generally require more action for comped meals than smaller and older casinos.");