The slot machine. Boy has it evolved over the years. From the basic single-payline three-reel pull-the-lever style, still very prevalent and very popular, now there are video slots with multiple screens, bonus games, and as many as 100 paylines. All kinds of graphics, characters, styles... machines you sit at, sit in front of, stand in front of, even machines with TV monitors and ones with treadmills or exercise bikes attached to them!

But if you've never walked onto a casino floor, it can be intimidating. Huge open rooms with machines everywhere. Flashing lights, clanging bells, mirrors, signs... Where do you go? What do you do?

I recommend before anything else, you just walk around. Go to an Information booth to get a property map and gaming guide. Watch people playing. Don't get in their face and don't get too close. Watch how they play and how the machines pay. Play a simple machine first - one with three reels, a simple pay table, and 1 or 2 coin maximum bet per play. Read the information on the glass front - how the symbols pay, how the game works. Each machine has a button to get change, a button to call for help, a button or buttons to place your bet and a button to start the action. Reel-spinning slots have a lever on the side to pull; it is the same as the START or SPIN button on the front. You can use coins, tokens or folding money, depending on the machine denomination. There are 1c, 5c, 25c, 50c, $1, $2, $5 and more, even as high as $5000 per play! Play at a machine that you feel comfortable with and is within your budget. Put your money in and see that the machine accepts it and that the value appears on the credit meter. You may drop coin into a slot or feed folding money into a bill acceptor, similar to what you use at a snack machine or coin laundry. Many machines now use special paper tickets that print out once your money is accepted or you decide to move on. No more getting your hands dirty scooping coins out of the tray. You can use the ticket in any machine that accepts it, or cash it in. Don't lose it; anyone who picks it up can cash it. Video slots, the ones with the computer screen, have HELP or INFO buttons; use them to see how the machine pays and how the game works. Learn and observe. The casino has tutorial sessions for table players, but no such classes for slot players. Their primary source of income is slot machines. Knowledge is power and profit!

Did you put your Player Card in the slot? Ummm...you did get your Player Card, didn't you? Before you play in a casino for the first time, find a Player Club booth and register. Each casino calls their club by something different but the idea is the same. Bring positive ID and show it to the clerk. S/he will register you into the casino computer and issue you a card. The card looks like a credit card. Insert it into the appropriate place on the machine and leave it there. As you play, your activity is recorded on the casino computer. This allows the casino to rate you as a player and make special offers to you, such as contests, giveaways, cash rebates, and comps, or complementaries, such as free hotel rooms, free show tickets and free meals at casino restaurants.

Casino staff people are all around ready to help you. Cashiers walk around with carts ready to make change or exchange old bills for new. Drink servers will provide you with free beverages while you play. A casino host may introduce themselves to you and offer to help with anything you need. There is someone to empty the ashtrays [yes you can smoke in most areas] and the trash. There are people to replace coins in empty machines and repair defective ones. And of course, security people are ever-present. Some casinos even have their own police, fire and EMS personnel. All of them are there to help you.

You are there to have fun. It is certainly fun to make money, but keep in mind, 80% of the people who play go home broke. Thats how the casino pays the bills. So if you do win, think about slowing down or even stopping. Never play with money you need for daily life, such as rent, mortgage and utility bills. Never use credit cards or ATM cards to get cash at the casino; there are hefty fees. The casino may offer you a line of credit or arrange for you to use markers, cash advances against your bank account. Be very wary of these offers. A casino is the last place on earth you want to bounce a check or miss a payment. There are brochures that explain these services.

Did you win big? If you lined up all the right symbols and achieved a hefty payout, the machine will lock up and flash its display with the words CALL ATTENDANT. Of course, you don't actually have to do that yourself; the machine will alert someone to come and pay you. There will be music and the light on top of the machine, called a candle, will flash. People will stop by and congratulate you. If you win $1200 or more, the casino will prepare a tax form called a W2-G. This document shows your name and address, the time and date, the casino information and the amount you won. It is forwarded to your state Revenue people and the IRS. The casino host or attendant will ask you if you want taxes taken out or if you choose to do so on your own. The IRS deducts 28%; the casino will compute the state tax from the state you live in. If you play regularly, you will probably want to do the taxes on your own, as certain gaming activity is deductible. If this is a one-time visit or you are a casual player, have the taxes taken out by the casino now, and you won't have to worry about it later.

You may also wish to practice at home before visiting the casino. Many slot machine manufacturers have teamed up with software companies to create computer game programs that simulate the real thing. They are available at department stores, office supply stores, gaming suppliers and online.

When your play is over or you just want to take a break, walk around and shop, see a show, or have a meal. Explore the facilities the casino provides. Get a spa treatment, sit at the pool, work out in the gym. Enjoy!