Ask The Slot Expert

Dear John,

Recently I was totally appalled when I spent a good three hours playing a single slot machine, and when my money was out, I got out of the seat to go home, and the very next person, on their first spin, got the jackpot!

Is it true that if I had continued playing, it would have still paid the jackpot to me? I understand the randomness factor, but surely the machine was bound to have paid the jackpot soon anyhow?

R.C.

Dear R.C.:

I can imagine how upset you were.

It's not true that you would have won the jackpot had you continued playing. The Random Number Generator in the machine is constantly generating new random numbers. You would have had to have hit the Spin button at exactly the same time that the other player hit the button to have won the jackpot.

The machine was bound to pay the jackpot. The probability of hitting the jackpot is the same on every spin. But it was not bound to pay it soon. No machine is ever due.

Best of luck in and out of the casinos!
John

Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@home.com.

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