Five myths about slots and jackpots

Rumors are an integral part of the online slots world. It’s easy to see why many people often get the wrong idea about slot machines. There are certain myths spread about this popular form of entertainment, which are often passed on by “people in the know”.

While these fantastic ideas are generally harmless on their own, the problem is that they spread through the community and gain a degree of credibility among players with no experience or knowledge.

If only these people would consider the facts about slots and jackpots, all these misunderstandings would be cleared up in an instant.

Cumulative Jackpot

The progressive jackpot “will be won very soon” or “will not be won for a while, as it was just won.”

Self-proclaimed online slot experts are spreading a lot of confusing and often conflicting information in the cyber world. These are the people who are trying to sell the “winning formula” for success and who seem to “know” when the big progressive jackpot is going to be hit.

The logic is that the longer a progressive jackpot is not won, the more likely it is to win. Therefore, if the progressive jackpot has just been won, this game should not be played as it is unlikely that the jackpot will be won again for some time.

As attractive as this logic may seem, unfortunately it is completely false and it is easy to prove why.

All slot machines in reputable casinos are powered by a software known as a random number generator. It is he who determines which symbols will be displayed during each “spin” of the reels. Each time you press the button, the slot selects a random number from all available.

This means that no matter when the jackpot was last won or not, every time someone plays the game, they have the same chance of winning the jackpot as any other person before or since.

The slot is not a conscious entity, it does not “know” when the last jackpot was won, and it does not know that the jackpot cannot be awarded until it reaches a certain threshold. The process is completely random (otherwise it would be easy for licensing authorities like eCogra to catch it).

The result of this is that no one can know when a progressive jackpot is “ready to be drawn”, just like a jackpot won a short time earlier is not an indication that the jackpot won’t be won for some time.

The progressive jackpot can be won on the next spin, next week, month, year or longer. That’s why it’s random and why it’s fair.

Slot Machines

Online slot machines can be “hot” and “cold” at the discretion of the casino.

This notion is that casinos can manipulate games to make it look like it’s “easy” for the player to win, and then when the player bets more money on them, the games suddenly start to lose, making the casino a nice profit.

Of course, such an overbalance in the game will be very easy for licensing authorities to detect, and what’s more, companies like eCogra, which certifies casinos as offering fair games, will easily notice this during their millions of test runs of gaming software.

While it is certainly true that casinos do not misrepresent fair games in any way, this does not mean that a game cannot go through a payout period or a relatively inactive period. The random nature of the games means that there will be times when the game will pay out more or less than usual.

This does not mean that the game is distorted in any way, it is just another confirmation that the game is truly random and fair.

Bet Amount and Jackpot

You can win a big jackpot in the slot only if you bet the maximum possible amount per spin.

Some people think that if you are going to win really big prizes on a progressive jackpot slot, you need to bet the maximum amount possible to give yourself a chance to win the biggest prize.

While wager-based jackpot amounts vary, there is no requirement that the highest amount bet to win the big prize, and the best proof of this comes from real life.

In December 2022, UK player John O won a jackpot approaching £6m on Mega Moolah, yet his total bet on that spin was only 30p.

You lost a lot, so you win

Online slot machines are paid out only after the player has deposited a certain amount in the slot/casino.

Unfortunately, the fact that slots use independently verified fairness controls again completely defeats this idea. So is the notion that the game can somehow recognize which player is playing and then record how much they paid into the pot before judging whether they deserve a payout.

Unfortunately, slot machines are not that smart yet!

Bonuses are a scam…

You cannot win money by playing free spins/bonus money.

Many people believe that if a casino offers free spins, then nothing worth winning can be won. The casino will detect that bonus money is being used and will not allow you to win anything as a result.

Again, the easiest way to disprove is with a real life example. In January 2014, a Dutch player won a jackpot of over one million euros by playing Major Millions progressive slot from a mobile phone.

Trick? He did not use a cent of his own money to play. On his birthday, the casino sent him bonus money to play with and the player simply used it when he hit the huge progressive jackpot.

So it’s worth remembering that online slots are arguably one of the most highly regulated forms of gaming that can be found on the internet today, and while these myths may seem to be based on common sense, they are all false.

The player has the same chance of winning in a spin as the person following him, regardless of how much he played, where the money came from and how long ago it was since the last big payout.