The walls are paneled in gray and the floors are carpeted in brown. The majority of players smoke and ventilation is barely noticeable. Her boyfriend, who is playing in another room nearby, pops in and hands Rae another stack of twenties from one of the three ATMs in the hall. That's the kind of edge a serious player looks for. But regular players also know the advantage ultimately is with the house, so many rely on hunches and rituals in an effort to even the odds.
Experienced gamblers play the machines at a remarkable clip.
It's a pace that many gamblers maintain for hours on end, leaning into the glowing screen, saying nothing to the other players seated only inches from them. Jerry Jackson's run is over. Jackson gets hugs and high fives from his sisters, Patsy Wolfe and Georgia Helms, also of Fayetteville. The trio play at the Silver Slipper two or three times a week. Helms says her husband doesn't understand the attraction of video gaming, but doesn't mind her doing it.