Penny slots aren’t going away, but pennies are, and the Nevada Gaming Control Board has clarified how the state’s casinos must make their customers aware of how they intend to pay out slot machine winnings.
Southern Nevada’s big casino shops have been slow to respond to explain what policies they have to pay players if it involves penny-only increments.
In a memorandum released by the head of the control board’s tax and licensing division Chan Lengsavath, casinos will be allowed to round payouts up to the nearest 5-cent increment or round down on payout increments ending in 1, 2, 6 and 7, but not consistently round down to the nearest 5-cent increment.
The key to Lengsavath’s memo is that every casino in Nevada publicly posts its policies and follows them consistently.
“In November 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department discontinued the minting of pennies,” the Comptroller’s Board’s notice of pennies discontinuation reads. The Finance Ministry stated that “the money will remain legal tender” and states will be instructed to approach the issue “differently based on unique considerations.”
The memo says casinos can alert customers with signs throughout the casino, signs anywhere tickets can be redeemed and on-screen messages at kiosks during redemption.
The Board of Control also offered a third option. Casinos may give their customers the option to donate amounts that are not in five-cent increments (or any amount) to charity. If that election is allowed by the licensee and the patron chooses to donate the amount rounded to charity, it will not be considered rounded. Instead, it would be considered a donation from the patron to the charity after the first payment.
MGM Resorts International’s casinos seem to have the most generous policies in the interest of players.
A representative said that in the event that pennies are not available for payouts, amounts owed to players would be rounded up to the nearest nickel or dime, regardless of the amount.
For example, if a player owes $2.01 and there are no pennies available, the payout would be $2.05 and if a player owes $2.06, the payout would instead be $2.10.
A company representative said that öre is still accepted as a form of payment and that the new monetary policy does not affect digital or credit card transactions.
It also applies to retail, hotel and food and beverage transactions.
A representative from Wynn Resorts Ltd. said the property has “lots of pennies”, but that in the event none are available in the cage, customers can get a penny ticket-in ticket-out voucher or the company can arrange a penny donation to charity on the customer’s behalf.
Representatives for Caesars Entertainment Inc. properties, Station Casinos, Boyd Gaming Corp., Golden Entertainment Inc. and Fontainebleau Las Vegas did not respond to requests for information on what their penny policies would be.
The Treasury Department abolished the minting of pennies in November because the cost of making them exceeded their value.
This is a development story. Check back for updates.
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