Vegas Q&A: What Are Odds Of Winning Progressive Slots?
Updated: 4:31 p.m. EDT May 14, 2004
Question: How much competition do you have in trying to
win one of those progressive slot machine jackpots like Megabucks?
Is it just a few machines in one casino or is it machines all over
Las Vegas and does it matter statistically?
Manny in Houston
Answer: It totally depends on the progressive you're
playing.
Megabucks is a statewide progressive jackpot, so all of the
Megabucks machines in every casino across Nevada is hooked into the
same system. Others like this are Wheel of Fortune and Quarter Mania
progressives, although it's important to note that they are only tied
to machines in Nevada and not similar ones in other states.
I'm not good at figuring out statistical odds on stuff like this
since technically your odds of hitting the jackpot are the same no
matter what machine you play at, however it does stand to reason
that the more machines in play on one jackpot reduces your chances
of the jackpot hitting on the specific machine you're playing.
I like to use the cards in a hat analogy when trying to figure
out stuff like this. If you've got a 52-card deck in a hat in front
of you and your goal is to pull out the ace of spades your chances
of doing that are 1 in 52. If there are a dozen hats in front of
you, all with 52 cards in them, and you can try to pull the ace of
spades out of any one of them your odds are still going to be 1 in
52.
But if there are a two people competing to be the first to draw
the ace of spades out of any of the dozen hats then your chances of
doing it first are reduced. The more people and the more hats you
add, the less your chances of being first.
There are many progressive jackpot machines in Las Vegas casinos
and not all of them are tied to machines throughout the state. Some
are specific to a certain casino and include only 10 or 20
machines – maybe less.
There are even individual jackpot machines where the progressive
is not tied to any other machine in the casino. The Blazing 7's are
the most popular and omnipresent version of this.
Of course it usually holds true that the fewer machines tied to
the jackpot the lower the jackpot amount. On the Blazing 7's you
usually don't see them get much past $1,200 while the Megabucks
jackpot is probably close to or over $9 million by the time you read
this.
If you have a question you'd like to submit, click here.
Answer: It totally depends on the progressive you're
playing.
Megabucks is a statewide progressive jackpot, so all of the
Megabucks machines in every casino across Nevada is hooked into the
same system. Others like this are Wheel of Fortune and Quarter Mania
progressives, although it's important to note that they are only tied
to machines in Nevada and not similar ones in other states.
I'm not good at figuring out statistical odds on stuff like this
since technically your odds of hitting the jackpot are the same no
matter what machine you play at, however it does stand to reason
that the more machines in play on one jackpot reduces your chances
of the jackpot hitting on the specific machine you're playing.
I like to use the cards in a hat analogy when trying to figure
out stuff like this. If you've got a 52-card deck in a hat in front
of you and your goal is to pull out the ace of spades your chances
of doing that are 1 in 52. If there are a dozen hats in front of
you, all with 52 cards in them, and you can try to pull the ace of
spades out of any one of them your odds are still going to be 1 in
52.
But if there are a two people competing to be the first to draw
the ace of spades out of any of the dozen hats then your chances of
doing it first are reduced. The more people and the more hats you
add, the less your chances of being first.
There are many progressive jackpot machines in Las Vegas casinos
and not all of them are tied to machines throughout the state. Some
are specific to a certain casino and include only 10 or 20
machines – maybe less.
There are even individual jackpot machines where the progressive
is not tied to any other machine in the casino. The Blazing 7's are
the most popular and omnipresent version of this.
Of course it usually holds true that the fewer machines tied to
the jackpot the lower the jackpot amount. On the Blazing 7's you
usually don't see them get much past $1,200 while the Megabucks
jackpot is probably close to or over $9 million by the time you read
this.
If you have a question you'd like to submit, click here.
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Q: The new Wynn Las Vegas will be the most expensive hotel ever built. At over $2 billion it works to around $625,000 for every room in the hotel. Prior to this, which Vegas hotel had the highest room to cost ratio? ANSWER The Weekly Trivia Question is sponsored by the Online Memorabilia Museum at Vegas4Visitors.comThe Full Story
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