Slot Jackpot Frequency

7 June 2014

By Jerry Stickman

I wrote you a few weeks ago and know you get so much mail but figured I'd try again in case you had a chance to answer. My question is I have played Lucky Duck/Mr. Money Bags at Choctaw in Durant. They have all denominations.

Most of the 25 cent ones max at 75 cents. They do have a section of quarter ones that max at a dollar. The 75 cents max ones do not have a progressive. The dollar max ones do. What I notice is even though the progressive set of 25 cent Mr Money bags maxes at a dollar, the progressive is 1000.

If I were to hit the 3 money bags symbols on the one that maxes at 75 cents, the pay would be 2500. My question is, for both sets to give off the top pay, I have to get the 3 matching money bag symbols. Is the one with the progressive set to hit more often since the top pay is lower even though it is $1.00 a spin max rather than the 2500 you could get on 75 cents?

I hope I explained that all right. I am trying to figure what would be better to play. I would think the 25 cents that maxes at 75 cents would be unless the other hits more. Most of my spins are zero or under 5 dollars at max bet.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Diane


Hi Diane,
Your question is a thoughtful one and shows you are thinking about the various factors that affect slot play and return.

Just a little clarification first. The games you play are not progressive machines, just regular games. With a progressive game the jackpot amount increases as the games are played. The games you mention have a fixed jackpot amount.

Also, the games you mention are what are referred to a class II games, also called Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) or bingo style games. These differ from class III (Las Vegas style) games. With class III games each game has its own random number generator and each spin is independent of any other machine in the casino. The returns are determined by the probability of hitting particular combinations and the pay for those combinations at each machine. The probabilities and pays are calculated to give the casino its edge over the long haul.

With class II games, each player is competing with others in the casino by playing an electronic bingo game. You should notice the bingo card somewhere in the machine’s face. The bingo card is what tells you it is a class II game.

With a class III game it would be logical for a player would hit the 1,000 credit jackpot more often than the 2,500 as each game has its own probability table. However, with class II slots everything is determined by a central server. It is still likely, even probable, that the 1,000 jackpot will be hit more often than the 2,500 jackpot but not certain.

Regardless of which game you play, the house will take from 5 to 17 percent – and probably closer to the 17 percent amount – of whatever you run through the machines over the long haul. Simply stated, this means it really doesn’t matter in the long run which game you play. If you have fun on a particular game, go ahead and play it. Just make sure you are playing with money you can afford to lose.

All the best in your casino and life endeavors,

Jerry “Stickman”

Jerry's new book is "Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker!" You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerry@aol.com