VLT Cost of Play Calculator – Information Sheet
The COP Calculator is designed to help players accurately estimate their long term average cost of play on Manitoba’s VLT machines.
- The COP wheel shows the average long term cost of play that accounts for all wins and losses over time.
- Because the short term results on all VLTs are unpredictable, player costs during any one hour of play may vary widely and can sometimes cost a player considerably more than the long term average.
- The average costs shown on the calculator are based on a 7% house advantage, which is the theoretical hold on all Manitoba’s VLTs. In other words, over the long term VLTs will keep an average of 7 cents from every dollar bet.
- Speed of play has been set at 12 bets per minute (or every 5 seconds) which is believed to be a reasonable estimate of a typical speed of play. Faster play will tend to increase average hourly costs. Playing slower and/or taking breaks will tend to reduce hourly costs.
Operation of the COP Wheel:
- The wheel has 5 bet size options: $0.25 $0.50 $0.75 $1.00 $1.25
- The average cost per hour for each bet size is shown directly below.
- The wheel has 4 options for hours of play per week: 1 3 5 7
To estimate the average long term costs of VLT play:
- Choose a bet size
- Choose the number of hours of play per week
- Read the long term average costs of play for a week, a month, and a year shown in the cut out window
If a player or someone affected by someone else’s gambling wants further information or expresses gambling related concerns, please direct them to the Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-463-1554.