Trax...what you are referring to is called "luck".
Depending on the location, slots have the highest "take-out", the portion of profit a joint makes outside of what goes back to paying "winners. Games like keno, craps, roulette, blackjack, etc have a lower takeout, but depend on gaining profit over the long haul.
The slots at Mc Carren Airport in Las Vegas have the highest take-out in Las Vegas (run by the city transportation authority) and some running 20.0%. I had mine at 9.99999%, and that was about right. Most casinos have their chips set to 14.25% to 18.9%.
There are two types of slots players.....the "THIS is MY machine" player and players who play 3 to 4 spins on a machine, then manchine hop to the next machine, ad inifinitum.
Because of take-out, I'll machine hop at The Billagio, but stake out a single $1 machine at The Rio.
The same player who hops on a machine and on the third spin wins $500 can easilly sit at another machine and feed a$500 into it and lose it all over a 3 hour timespan. Odds & luck. You win some along the way, but end up losing in the long haul.
Out of all the bets at a legit joint, the "come-out" line (odds) bet is the most conservative, and the only bet in the house where the house does not have a statistical advantage. Go to the hole in the wall that is "Casino Royale" in Vegas (next to Harrahs) and bet $2-$6 bucks (even dollars, not odd) every bet on the "odds" bet, and STAY AWAY from the 3/5/6/8/9 bets and you will consistently walk away with $200 to $400 a night.
Problem is most gamblers don't see it that way, they see it that the higher odds bets pay more, so they "lost" money if they don't bet on them. I'll do a 6 or an 8 on craps from time to time, but not often.
Paper seller: Last I knew, there are no LEGAL gambling establishments in the state of Texas. If you are getting TI/TO (ticket in/ticket out) paper sales for paper than normally goes in a gaming machine it's probably illegal.
No surprise though, there are only two gaming establishments in Arkansas (I ran one of them for 3 years) and there are PLENTY of illegal gambling locations right here in Hot Springs. Poker and slots mainly.
I prefer the legit joints...I'm going to Las Vegas next week.
See you at The Rio.
68ROX