Peruse any casino, and you will find TONS of slots. These games are popular for many reasons. Easy to play. Fast-paced. Often themed in fun and exciting ways. Slots also have the potential to feature nice jackpots.
Who hasn’t been attracted by a big potential slot payout? But as you review your options, you’ll often see many different offerings. Daily. Hourly. Mega. What are the differences, and which option is right for you?
Timed Jackpot Overview
Timed jackpot slots are actually a relatively new concept common to online slot games. They add a “ticking clock,” element to the game that increases the excitement. Generally speaking, they will be progressive in nature.
This means that the jackpot will increase the more people play the games that are eligible. Take the example of an hourly jackpot featured at an online casino. The jackpot may start small at $1000. However, as people play the game during that hour, it will increase—sometimes by a substantial amount.
The time limit is not extremely long, so there is only so high it can go. But that clock ticking can also make the betting more desperate. More emphasis may be placed on that one-hour mark because it will be gone soon. The same is true for a daily jackpot. In this case, the last payment will be higher, as more players will have contributed to the progressive jackpot. The concept, however, remains the same.
These time-limited jackpots generate a feeling of chance and urgency that standard progressive jackpots may not. The players are aware that someone has to win within the time frame, be it hourly, daily, or weekly. This pre-determined schedule of payout ensures the games become very attractive for players who would be discouraged by the mind-boggling chances of winning greater, non-time-limited progressive jackpots.
These limited-time promotions also benefit online casinos since they attract traffic at a specific moment and encourage continuous play. Even some websites display countdown clocks and rising jackpot amounts on their front page to benefit from the anxiety of missing out among players for a potentially lucrative offer.
Unlike traditional jackpots that might go months without being triggered, timed jackpots ensure regular winners and create more frequent success stories that casinos can promote to attract new players.
Mega Jackpots
Mega jackpots generally reflect the more standard approach. They could feature a fixed amount, or they could use the progressive model. Either way, the figure will usually be high, and the odds of winning will be proportionately low.
The actual numbers are unknowable because the jackpot will depend on the game and the casino offering it. However, you can pretty much look at this as the opposite of timed jackpots.
Where hourly or daily prizes are designed to be won frequently, mega jackpots might sit around for weeks or months at a time.
Which jackpot has the best odds?
To determine the best odds is very difficult because it is so dependent on the game itself. That said, you can generally assume that the shorter the countdown clock, the better your odds are.
Hourly prizes will generally have better odds than daily prizes. Daily prizes will generally have better odds than mega jackpots.
Which should you play?
If your only hope is to hit it big, hourly prizes are probably the sweet spot. The odds are simply better here than for any of the other jackpots. However, conventional slot wisdom indicates that playing for prizes is never a good idea.
No matter how enticing the jackpot may seem, the odds are never in your favor and you can get in trouble chasing the big hit.
Instead, go in with a clear strategy. Decide how much you are willing to spend in advance and stick to that number. If you want to put some of that money toward a jackpot, then by all means do so.
However, it’s a good idea to also seek games that make you happy. There are so many themed slots with fun mini-games that may ultimately bring you more pleasure than simply pursuing big prizes.
Remember also that you can always learn more about slot probability by researching the game’s return to player rating.
With online slots, this number will often be clearly displayed on the game itself. For physical machines, you can find the return to player percentage online or by speaking with someone at the casino.
If a game has a 96% return to player percentage, that means that, on average, the casino claims $4 out of every $96 wagered on the game.
Obviously, your experience can vary dramatically from that figure. If you bet $100 on a single spin and lose, your return to player percentage will have been 0. If you make that same wager and win, it will be much higher.
Slots are not a science. You need to pick the approach that works best for you.
