First of all, I want to make clear that when I make this statement I don't have any evidence to back it up. If you know more or if you want to change my opinion on this feel free to send me an email.

In my opinion, the slots machines that you can find in airports are set by manufacturers on the lowest payout rate allowed by the law of the particular state that you're in. I am a person who travels a lot and in all this years I have never heard or seen someone saying that he won big at those slot machines. They are there just to help people pass their time and of course for the manufacturers pleasure and profit.

Despite all this, it seems that the whole airport slots phenomenon is definitely on a roll and growing in popularity day by day. According to a report I recently read online, air travelers are arriving hours early these days and gambling more at airports such as the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, where slot machines sit side-by-side with baggage carousels and departure gates.

The result of tightened security after September 11, as travelers arrive earlier to offset possible delays, has been a windfall especially for Las Vegas airport, as gambling revenues and some other concessions have taken off.

My advice is to watch carefully how you spend on these airport slots. A few bucks here and there won't necessarily hurt, but don't get carried away in search of some big payoff that's not likely to happen.