Every state in the United States has its own regulation against availability of slot machine publicly or privately, the only state that has the loosest restriction against slot is the state of Nevada. That is why that almost every store runs a few slots in Las Vegas. Several states like Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri allow slot machines only on licensed riverboats or permanently anchored barges. Mississippi changed policy after Hurricane Katrina about casinos on the Gulf Coast, as they are now allowed to run along the shoreline. Delaware allows slot machines at three horse tracks, they are regulated by the state lottery commission. Casinos located in reservations for Native Americans are only permitted if the tribe reaches a pact with the state in which it is located, just to dedicate a portion of gross revenue from slots to the state.

Usually each state categorize slots into groups, are they are put in certain set of classes. However there are no federal laws governing slot machines. Again, each state may have different regulations against different classes of slots. For example in many states, Class III slot machines are referred to traditional slots. Class III slots run independent from each other and a centralized system, and each spin has the same equal probability of winning for the slot player. When a slot player chooses to play this type of slots, it is useful for the slot player to know that he is playing against the casino or online casino, and there is high possibility that the slot player may lose the game.

Class II slots also known as "Video Lottery Terminals" or "VLTs" are a series of slot machines connected to each other using a centralized computer system which is supervising the operation of each linked slot and determines the outcome of each wager on each linked slot machine. In this type of slots, the slot player plays against other slot players for the same common jackpot, however there is certain to be a winner in each game.

Slot clubs are a bonus club program in land-based casinos for slot players, the slot player can let the casino to be able to track the player's activity by inserting the slot membership card into the slot machines while playing. Later, the casino returns a portion of the amount of money that was bet by the slot player in different forms of "comps" like food, drinks, room upgrades, or even cash back. However, it is required for the slot player to insert the slot club membership card into the slot machines while playing so the slot casino will be able to track the player's bet activity in the casino. Online slot casinos can simply track the player's activities, because slot players are required to sign in before being able to play the slots. This bonus program has a significant impact in land-based casinos and is taken very seriously.