Circus Circus: Kid-Friendly With The Loosest Slots on the Strip

Childhood memories made at Circus Circus will last a lifetime. The most family-friendly resort on the Strip has expanded the Midway arcade and recently added three new rides to Adventuredome. While the hotel and theme park cater to kids, Circus Circus has three casinos, 22 retail stores, two pools and a salon for its grown-up guests. Circus Circus has three bars serving cocktails, frozen drinks and beer. For the 21 and over crowd, Slots-A-Fun features adult entertainment, billiards, bowling and a gift shop. 

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Circus Players Club

Gamblers at Circus Circus earn players points for putting money at risk in three casinos: Main, West and Slots A Fun. Members of the Circus Players Club earn one point for every $3 coin-in to a video poker machine. Five hundred players points are worth $1. The points earned per dollar of coin-in-playing slots varies from machine to machine at Circus Circus and Slots A Fun. Circus Players Club does not disclose its method of distributing points to table game players. Circus Players Club does not have tiers.

How Rewards are Calculated

In the long run, the house keeps a piece of every dollar a gambler puts at risk in a casino. That’s why employees at Las Vegas casinos are happy to offer rewards to loyal gamblers. Comps are based on the average dollar amount a player is expected to lose each day, known as average daily theoretical or ADT. It’s unrelated to how much you actually win or lose. 

ADT is determined by the type of game you’re playing, your average bet and how long you stay at the table. In the end, the casino comes up with a dollar figure representing how much it expects you to lose each day, and comps you around 20 – 30%  of that amount.

How to get More Comps

You can’t get points without a players card, but there are still times it’s best not to use one. Primarily, when you don’t plan to gamble long or invest much money. Pretend you put $600 into play on Saturday, then in a rush to catch your flight the next day, you can’t resist tapping the spin button a few more times. Do that and the high rating you earned Saturday will plummet. In situations like this, go ahead and play Sunday, just don’t use your players card.

It may take some of the fun out of gambling, but you’ll earn the most comps by draining your entire bankroll for the trip in one day at one casino. Gambling $600 on the same day earns a player a higher rating and more comps than betting $200 in chips each day for three days.

First-time players card members are eligible for the new member promotion below.

Earn and Receive

• 1,500 Points – FREE T-shirt
• 2,500 Points – FREE Specialty Drink
• 5,000 Points – FREE Buffet
• 7,500 Points – 2 FREE Nights
• … and you keep the points!

Prizes must be claimed within 48 hours of joining the Circus Players Club.

Inquire About a Casino Host

Think of your casino host as you would a concierge at a hotel. A host will remember what you like and get you the best comps to suit your wants and needs. This includes things like upgraded rooms, limo rides to and from the airport and show tickets. A high roller at one casino may not be worth much at another. Your money means more to a casino like Circus Circus than an upscale property such as the Wynn. If you like what you hear and you gamble frequently, ask the person behind the rewards desk to check your play to see if you qualify for a host.

Back-End Comps

Casino guests who do a good deal of gambling can request comps, and many times they’ll be granted. Back-end comps can only be applied to items charged to your room. Before checkout, ask your casino host to evaluate your play and remove any charges possible. Don’t ask for back-end comps until you’re done gambling for the remainder of the trip. You don’t need your own casino host to qualify for back-end comps. Just go to the rewards desk and ask to speak to the host on duty. It takes courage to approach a casino host, but if you can work up the nerve, there’s no downside and you might be surprised by what you can save.

Line of Credit

Most large casinos, like Circus Circus, allow players to apply for a line of credit. This gives a player the freedom to gamble without carrying large amounts of cash or being burdened by the constraints of daily ATM limits and fees. The minimum amount that can be requested at Circus Circus is $2,500. If approved, the casino gives you a marker that can be traded to the dealer for chips. Typically, a player has 30 days to pay off a marker, but casinos usually prefer you settle up before check-out.

How do I Spend my Rewards Credits?

Redeem Players Points for free nights, free slot play and meals at The Steakhouse, the Pizzeria and the Circus Buffet.

Protect your Rewards Credits 

Circus Players Club members must use their players card at least once every 12 months or lose their points. There’s no minimum amount you have to spend to remain active. All it takes to maintain your balance is a spin of the reels or a single bet on red or black, for instance. 

Slots

Circus Circus has the loosest slots on the Strip. A locals favorite, Magnificent 7’s $1 slot machine returns 97.4%. A $1 slot machine on the Strip traditionally returns 95% to 96%. Typically, slot machines on the Strip return less than Downtown or the Boulder Strip. Anything but typical, Circus Circus is cited by several websites as having the highest returns in the city. The family friendly hotel has three casinos with video slots and classic coin machines in denominations ranging from one cent to $25. Steps away from the main casino, Slots A Fun is an adults only casino with arcade style entertainment.

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Video Poker

Once considered the best place in Vegas for video poker, Circus Circus was home to a half-dollar Aces and Eights game that returned 100.25%. The game was removed from the casino at the end of 2020, but the usuals didn’t seem fazed. A few years later, more than 1,400 slot, video poker and keno machines are sprawled out across the casino floor. Video poker machines on the Las Vegas Strip payout 97% – 99%. The house advantage in video poker is one of the lowest in the casino. Unlike slots, the outcome of a hand of video poker is influenced by the player’s skill level. Study basic strategy charts to learn the right way to play every possible hand of video poker. You can find strategy charts online and in casino gift shops. Most casinos don’t mind if players consult strategy charts while they play.

Based on five-card draw poker, the goal of video poker is to make a hand that matches the pay table posted on the machine. Jacks or better is usually at the bottom of the pay table, good for even money. After inserting money into the machine, press “deal,” and your five-card poker hand will be dealt. Press the “hold” button corresponding to the cards you’d like to keep. The rest will be discarded and new ones will be drawn when you press “deal.” The cards displayed on the screen make up your final five-card poker hand to be evaluated against the pay table.

Blackjack

Players place their bets and are dealt two cards face-up in 6-deck games and above. The dealer deals two cards to himself, one facing down and the other facing up. Players take turns playing their hands in a clockwise direction around the table. The player examines his two cards and the dealer’s up card to dictate his next move. Sometimes it means doubling down and committing more money to a hand with value. In many cases, basic strategy says you must hit even though the next card to come puts you at risk of busting. 

Hitting is the right choice if a player’s hand is likely to improve with another card. A player chooses to stand when he’s happy with his hand or wants to avoid busting. When a player has the advantage, he can double down. Card counters double down when the math tells them the dealer is in jeopardy of going over 21. To double down, a player places a new bet to the left of the original, and is dealt one, and only one, additional card. When a player is dealt two cards of equal value, he can split and turn his hand into two. He places another bet to the left of the first one and one new card is added to each of the originals. Finally, some blackjack tables allow players to surrender their hands in exchange for half their bets back.

Craps

What’s the best thing about  going to the casino? If having a good time tops your list, you’re missing out if you don’t know how to play craps. The players bond because a large group of them are rooting for the shooter to roll the same number. When he does, they all win in unison. The excitement at the table builds as each player’s bets are paid out. When the shooter is “hot,” a party usually breaks out at the table.

By now you’re either intimidated or jonesing to join in on the action. Either way, you need to learn how to bet before you can play the game. The first choice a player makes is whether to bet the Pass Line or The Don’t Pass Line. Around 90% of players choose to bet on the Pass Line, or with the shooter. This way, they win when the shooter wins and lose when he loses. The only other option is to bet on the Don’t Pass Line which works the opposite way.

Once all bets are placed, the shooter picks his dice and rolls, angling for a seven or 11, called a natural. When the first dice roll, called the Come Out, goes in his favor, the players who bet the Pass Line win even money. Players who bet the Don’t Pass Line lose, and the shooter rolls again. When the shooter rolls a two, three or 12, Pass Line bettors lose and the shooter rolls again. Don’t Pass Line bettors win on a two or three, and tie when the shooter rolls a 12. Roll four, five, six, eight, nine or 10 and that becomes your Come Out Point. Win by rolling it again, without rolling a seven. 

Once your Come Out Point is established, you can place an odds bet. It’s the only bet in the casino with no house edge. Most Las Vegas casinos offer 3-4-5x odds, allowing you to wager up to 5x your original Pass Line or Don’t Pass Line bet. Experts recommend making the maximum allowed odds bet, bankroll permitting. 

If you prefer to play solo, the electronic craps game at Circus Circus may be a good option. It’s played with a digital craps table and real dice. The popularity of electronic craps games and “Shoot to Win Craps” bubble machines has exploded over the last several years. Circus Circus also has electronic roulette.

Roulette

Taking a backseat only to blackjack, roulette was the second most popular table game in the state in 2021. That’s according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board which collected data from more than 400 of the state’s largest casinos to compile its report.  Roulette players lost $428 million in Nevada casinos in 2021, a 100% increase over the year before.

The losses aren’t surprising when you consider the house’s 5.26% advantage. Drastically increase your chance of winning by sticking to outside bets. These include, odd/even, low/high and the most popular bet in roulette, red/black. The only thing you miss out on with these smart bets is the slim chance of winning a massive amount of money. High risk wagers have double-digit payouts, while outside bets pay even money. Outside bets are still the best option because they win more than 47% of the time. 

On the opposite end of the spectrum, a single-number bet, called a straight bet, has the worst odds at the table… and the highest payout. Inside bets seldom pay off, but when they do the payouts are massive. Winning less than 3% of the time, a straight bet pays 35:1. Classified as an inside bet, it’s a wager on one number or group of numbers. A double-zero roulette wheel has 36 numbers and two zeros. 

Three Card Poker

A popular stud poker-based game, it’s your hand against the dealer’s when you play Three Card Poker. Place an Ante bet and optional Pair Plus side bet that pays when a player has a pair or better. Three cards are dealt face down to the players and the dealer. The player looks at his hand and decides between folding and forfeiting his Ante, or making a Play bet the same size as his Ante. The moment of truth arrives when the dealer turns over his cards and compares his hand to the player’s. Get paid even money on your Ante and Play bets when you beat the dealer’s qualifying hand of a queen or better. When the dealer’s hand doesn’t qualify, win even money on your Ante and your Play bet is returned. The Pair Plus wager pays out on a pair or better, whether or not the player wins the hand.

The probability of being dealt a specific hand changes when you play with three cards. The odds of making a straight, for one, are lower than those of making a flush. A straight is ranked higher than a flush in Three Card Poker… the reverse of standard poker. There are fewer ways to make three of a kind with three cards than a straight, making it the highest ranking of the three. The opposite is true in standard poker where three of a kind ranks above two pair and below a straight.

Sportsbook

A new operator in William Hill and a facelift weren’t enough to save the sports book at Circus Circus. The sports book was replaced by a William Hill betting kiosk in March, 2022.  

New Owner, Big Changes

Circus Circus has undergone its share of wear and tear, so when Treasure Island owner and billionaire Phil Ruffin purchased the property from MGM Resorts, he began a multi-year renovation project. In 2019, Ruffin paid $825 million for the hotel and casino, as well as a 10-acre RV park, 37-acre festival grounds, Slots a Fun and Adventuredome.

As part of the renovation, Adventuredome added a teacup ride, a big swing and a go cart course, rides designed for children too small for the so-called big kids rides. The Big Top Food Court reopened in November 2021, after a $9 million makeover. Dairy Queen, Popeyes, Pick Up Stix and Einstein Bros. Bagels are the new additions to the 15,000-square-foot food court. For guests who come to gamble, Circus Circus updated its casino floor and is scheduled to build a 330-square-foot daiquiri bar at Slots a Fun.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Circus Circus Casino