Whether they are on the hunt for progressive games or fixed pots, players are clamouring behind slot games for their shot at jackpots. The promise of instant cash is appealing to many, but it’s important to remember that if all players hit the jackpot, there wouldn’t be any jackpots left to win. So, how often do slot machines hit the jackpot? Join us as we find out!
WHICH FACTORS AFFECT HITTING THE JACKPOT?
When it comes to slot games in online casinos, it’s virtually impossible to know which game has a better chance of turning your spins into a win. However, there is a little more to your odds than blindly playing random slots. Jackpots are governed by what’s known as a Random Number Generator. Essentially, this is a complicated algorithm found in online games that turns random numbers into data which is then converted, at random, into a winning combination.
That being said, while this means the odds of your spins landing a prize are left to chance, there are other elements to keep in mind. Although keeping track of your odds may not necessarily lead to larger or smaller payouts, even on lesser-known games, they may come in handy when selecting a game. Let’s look at some of those factors now.
RETURN TO PLAYER RATE
The RTP (or Return To Player) is a percentage that represents how much a slot will pay out over time. A high RTP means the slot machine will pay out the player’s bet back over time, in a higher amount, while a low RTP means less of the player’s wager is paid out, and so less money.
The RTP isn’t an precise indicator of how often slot games hit or how the slot win cycle goes, and a guarantee for frequency of payouts cannot be made.
That said, it’s a good way to identify which games can help increase your potential to hit a jackpot. In general, you should always look for high RTP machines to shore up your odds and chances of winning anything! Expect the highest risk games to have low RTP, however nothing is guaranteed.
FIXED OR PROGRESSIVE POTS?
When jackpot hunting, be aware of the type of jackpot you’re playing for. There are two different types of jackpots:
- Fixed jackpot slots — the prize pot remains fixed.
- Progressive jackpot slots — The jackpot grows over a period of time.
Progressive jackpots are ones that grow in size, according to how often the reels are spun. Progressive slots take a small portion of the main wager to grow its coffers, which are emptied once the winning jackpot combination is made. These jackpots also may have a minimum bet requirement.
Progressive jackpot slots come in three different forms:
- Standalone progressive pots — Jackpots that grow according to the players on that machine.
- Local progressive pots — Jackpots that grow as part of a casino network, usually in tandem with other slots found on the casino floor.
- Global progressive pots — Jackpots that grow as part of a global network of online slots, with players from around the world contributing and competing. Mega Moolah is a good example of such online slot machines. Jackpots in progressive jackpot slots may take a long time, sometimes years, to pay out.
The chances of winning a progressive jackpot stand at fewer than one in a million. But this isn’t too unrealistic for a slot machine hit. Some of the most popular progressive jackpot slot machines found at top casinos, like Mega Moolah or Mega Jackpots, have proven to be millionaire-makers with just one jackpot spin, on several occasions.
DAILY JACKPOTS
Apart from fixed and progressive, there is another type of jackpot that players should keep their eyes on if they want to boost their chances of winning — daily jackpots.
Daily jackpots are prize pots that open their coffers at any point within a 24-hour cycle. These time-sensitive jackpots are no less easy to predict than regular jackpots in any jackpot slots, but you can be sure that within a 24-hour period, these jackpots are going to pay out.
Once again, it is impossible to predict how and when a slot machine will pay out. However, it can surely help your chances at potentially earning a payout when using one of these daily jackpot slot machines.
VOLATILITY
Slot volatility is yet another term that looks at the figures from a different perspective, so to speak. Slot volatility refers to the payout frequency of a slot, and how much it has paid.
Playing slots that are highly volatile means you will earn bigger payouts, but those wins will also be paid out colder and slower overall. When a slot is low in volatility, the slot payouts come more frequently, however they tend to not be big winnings.
Volatility is a concept generally applied to regular slot machines, more than it is applied to many slots featuring a big jackpot. This is because regular slots don’t have jackpots, which, if won, may (but not necessarily) pay back much more than what the one player bets in a game. However, knowing whether a slot is a high volatility slot game or not, will help you manage your bankroll and keep your funds safe when you play slots with jackpots.
SUMMARY
Some slot machines may pay out money more frequently than others. Others take much longer to open their coffers but expect a big win in payouts. Jackpots like Mega Moolah and all the Mega Moolah variations are popular for this reason, as some lead to a fantastic win.
There are a few factors that influence how a jackpot is hit — volatility and RTP in particular. A low-volatility slot machine may pay out more frequently than other machines, but the winnings are often small. A high-volatility slot game might pay less frequently but with bigger wins overall.
Unfortunately, there is no way to say how often a jackpot will hit if you spin its reels. It is crucial to ensure you play responsibly. While smaller jackpots pay frequent payouts most of the time, this does not mean you shouldn’t take precautions before attempting to play such a game. While you can’t guarantee yourself a win on any casino game, there are ways to guarantee that you don’t lose all your money in a flash!