Las Vegas offers hundreds of places to gamble. In addition to the 150 non-restricted licensees in Clark County that offer 16 or more machines, taverns, grocery stores, gas stations, and laundromats have video poker and other games, but no live tables or sportsbooks. These are called restricted licenses.
At first glance, the tavern and retail machines look just like the ones in casinos. However, there are major differences.
Tavern and store paytables are usually much worse than those in casinos
Most tavern and retail gaming licenses are in the locals market. Casinos in those areas offer 99% and better video poker. Station Casinos properties have 100% payback machines. Taverns never offer video poker games like this.
Today, the typical best tavern and retail video poker game is 7/5 Bonus Poker (98.01%). We found that game at Brooksy’s at the Las Vegas Ice Center and Seventy Six, a new Station Casinos tavern concept. Both of these taverns offer great bar food, too.
Some Dotty’s offer better paytables. However, these usually require a $25 minimum bet, which is well above the average tavern player’s comfort and bankroll.
Most tavern video poker games are in the 95 to 97 percent range for returns. The best game is often 6/5 Bonus Poker (96.87%). In this instance, video blackjack that pays even money is a better game if it allows doubling down and splitting.
Nearly all locals casinos offer 8/5 Bonus Poker (99.17%) or better. Restricted licenses have 7/5 or 6/5 paytables for the same game. Double Double Bonus that pays 9 coins on a full house and 6 on a flush is common at locals casinos. Taverns have 8/5, 7/5, and sometimes even 6/5 paytables. Here are the hourly expected losses of those games at 600 hands per hour.
8/5 Bonus Poker
- $1.25 bet: $6.23/hr
- $2.50 bet: $12.45/hr
- $5 bet: $24.90/hr
7/5 Bonus Poker
- $1.25: $14.93/hr
- $2.50: $29.85/hr
- $5: $59.70/hr
6/5 Bonus Poker
- $1.25: $23.48/hr
- $2.50: $46.95/hr
- $5: $93.90/hr
Double Double Bonus Poker
9/6 Double Double Bonus
- $1.25: $7.65/hr
- $2.50: $15.30/hr
- $5: $30.60/hr
9/5 Double Double Bonus
- $1.25 bet: $15.98/hr
- $2.50: $31.95/hr
- $5: $63.900/hr
8/5 Double Double Bonus
- $1.25: $16.49/hr
- $2.50: $32.85/hr
- $5: $65.70/hr
7/5 Double Double Bonus
- $1.25: $24.53/hr
- $2.50: $49.05/hr
- $5: $98.10/hr
Reasons people play at taverns over locals casinos
Some players do not care about odds. They want a welcoming environment where the bartenders and patrons all know each other. Taverns offer this. That is harder to find at a locals casino.
Convenience often factors into the decision. Taverns are on nearly every Las Vegas corner. Locals casinos are spread miles apart. Some parts of the Las Vegas valley are 10 miles from a full-service casino.
Tavern drink service tends to be better than at casinos. There are usually no time limits between drinks. Casinos only offer one to three drinks per hour on the casino floor and have light systems to regulate bar service.
Taverns usually serve food at the bar. This allows players to eat and gamble at the same time. Food comps are easy to get on losing nights. Players cards also award free meals to loyal players.
Promotions may make up for some bad paytables
Taverns offer some promotions that may make up for some of the poor paytables. Some are like casinos, offering free slot play and meals. Others are usually only found at bars, including hot seats, envy free play when another player hits a jackpot, and cards of the day.
Envy free play often depends on players club tiers. It hits when another player scores a big keno win, royal flush, or makes a four of a kind with the card of the day.
The card of the day hits when a player makes quads with it. They spin a wheel that is weighted to the lower amounts. It returns about 0.1% for every quad on the screen at that moment. I have seen taverns have times of the day where all 13 cards are offered, or at least quad fives to kings. One example is Brooksy’s on West Flamingo Road near Fort Apache Road. I have seen this offered on Sundays. This casino also has 7/5 Bonus Poker.
When all the cards of the day are on the board, the game returns about 99.4% with slot points and before mailers. That approaches full-pay Jacks or Better territory, so in this example, the tavern may be your better bet.
Last Updated on September 18, 2025 by John Mehaffey
