Progressive
slot machines have jackpots that steadily increase
over time as more people play them. There is
usually a reasonable starting jackpot, and the
amount increases until someone wins. Then the
process repeats itself.
The jackpots in progressive slots can be huge.
It is easy to find the machines that offer progressive
jackpots at the casino. The jackpot amounts
are displayed prominently in brightly-colored
lights.
Here are some tips to consider if you are thinking
about playing progressive slots.
First, you should decide whether you would prefer
to play progressive slots or regular slots.
Casinos usually have close to the same profit
margin on each type of machine, so you can bet
that if there is a huge jackpot, the smaller
prizes are lower to make up for it. Because
it is more likely that you will win the smaller
payouts, you could be trading in some of your
winnings for a long shot that will never pay
off. Only you can decide whether the shot at
the jackpot is worth the tradeoff.
Next, keep in mind that jackpots get huge for
a reason. It is because of the ridiculous odds
against winning that jackpots reach the tens
of millions of dollars. Do you feel lucky enough
to be 1 in 50 million? The odds of winning that
life-changing jackpot could be up in that range.
It’s hard to know the exact odds because
casinos are not required to disclose them. However,
in general, the higher the jackpot is, the lower
the odds of winning.
When playing for progressive jackpots, look
for the highest jackpot on similar machines.
For example, if there are several stand-alone
progressives that are identical except for the
amount of the jackpot, go for the higher jackpot.
The odds of winning will be the same for similar
machines, regardless of the amount of the jackpot.
You might also notice that one interconnected
group of progressives offers a much higher jackpot
than another similar-looking group in another
part of the casino. Chances are, the differences
in the amount of the jackpot have more to do
with the time since the last win than the odds
in this case. Go for the higher jackpot.
Avoid playing on machines if the jackpot meter
is not moving. Either the jackpot is not progressive
or it has topped out, and has reached its maximum.
Always bet the maximum number of coins when
playing progressive slots. Most of these machines
will not pay the jackpot on smaller bets, so
this is extremely important. There’s no
point in playing the progressive machines if
you are not going after the jackpot. You will
get higher paybacks on the lower-level combinations
playing regular slots instead.
Don’t think that a certain machine will
pay out soon just because the jackpot is high,
even if it’s higher than it’s ever
been before. The payout of the jackpot does
not happen when it reaches a certain level.
It is always random. The chance of hitting the
jackpot on any individual spin is always exactly
the same, regardless of how long it has been
since the last win.
Even in video poker, where it is possible to
figure the machine’s payback level, it
is not safe to assume that the jackpot must
hit soon because it is over that level. The
machine could go far past that level this time,
and hit twice within a short period of time
afterward. There is no such thing as a sure
thing. You can never predict what will happen
in slots. |
