What Are The Odds Of Hitting Max On A Slot Machine?

It’s every slot machine user’s dream. You walk out of the casino with the jackpot and you’re a lot richer than when you walked in!

Whilst this is a fantasy of many, for others, it has become a reality. After all, winning the jackpot is the number one reason most people play slots. 

Slot machines are fun to use and can be a great way of winning some extra dollars. Of course, there is a line between fun and addiction.

But, for many, a little go on the slot machines is something they do now and again in the hope to win big (see also “Can You Win On Slot Machines?“).

But, how likely are you to hit it big on a slot machine (see also “Do Slots Hit In The Morning?“)? What are the odds that you, out of the possibly thousands of people who have used the slot machine before you, would win the jackpot? Well, we’re here to find out.

In today’s post, we are going to examine the odds of winning big on slot machines. As you can imagine, statistically, your odds of winning the jackpot are not very high.

But, there is still a chance, right? Read on to find out if you are better off trying another game or if you should stick with the slots to hopefully win big soon.

Odds Of Hitting The Jackpot On Slot Machines

Let’s start with your chances of winning any large, major jackpot. In reality, your chances of doing this start at around 50 million to 100 million to one.

Those are not the best odds you will see but the good news is that this is not always the case with slot jackpots.

This is because the likelihood of someone winning a slot machine’s jackpot typically depends on the RTP (Return to Player Percentage) rate and variance of the slot game. 

These odds are provided by a selection of software providers, so the true chances are typically dependent on the probability of the game itself. For instance, some slot machines have odds of 600 million to one.

The slot odds in today’s article are taken from wide area and local network progressive slot machines (see also “What Is A Progressive Slot Machine?“), rather than fixed jackpots.

By this, we mean that every time someone spins the reels on these slots, the amount you can win from the jackpot increases.

Wide area network progressive slots count spins from players worldwide, whereas local progressives count the spins from slots within a curtain vicinity.

Therefore, local progressives tend to have lower jackpot prizes due to their availability. 

How RTP (Return To Player Percentages) Works

Every slot machine is designed so it pays out a certain percentage of bets to players over a long period of time (see also “How To Pick A Good Paying Slot Machine“).

These are known as Return to Player Percentages or RTP% and can change from one game to the next. In other words, they are theoretical. Moreover, the RTPs are generally calculated over the long-term. 

Slot spins are completely random. However, certain odds are programmed into different slots (see also “How Are Slot Machines Programmed?“) depending on the exact number and the layout of the symbols present on the machine. 

You can usually find a list of RTPs by online casinos and developers. More often than not, you’ll also find them in the slot paytable. 

Compared to physical slot machines, online slots typically have better RTPs. A physical slot machine has an average of 85% compared to 97% with an online casino.

Over time, you should try and get accustomed to the slots that offer the best payouts over a long period of time. 

How To Win Slot Jackpots

You may be wondering if there is anything you can do to give you a better chance of winning big on a slot machine.

Well, to give you any “better” chance, you’ll first need to understand the PRNG (Pseudorandom number generator) algorithm.

Whether you use a video or online slot, they all use a PRNG algorithm. This determines the results of every spin there is. This algorithm works via entropy data and seeds that produce real results.

Of course, there needs to be true randomness so entropy is derived from real-world factors, like the system clock. 

You would need to spin the slot’s reels with the specific entropy data and seeds set in order to be closer to winning the jackpot. This usually means doing it at a particular, specific time.

But, this does not mean you have a higher chance of winning the jackpot. You would also have to achieve one of the numerous results that was created by the unique entropy data and seeds. 

Overall, the main reason hitting the jackpot on slots is so difficult is because of the high variance rates and conditions that have been set. 

Combinations And Payouts

As you can probably understand, calculating each and every odd in a slot machine is not necessary, or even possible. However, you can estimate how often certain combinations show up, such as three symbols. 

The odds of you achieving a winning combination is essentially down to the number of reels in the slot machine plus the amount of icons on every reel. 

Here’s an example – you have a standard three reel slot machine. This will have three reels with 20 symbols on each reel. Therefore, the odds of getting one specific symbol is 20/1 (one in 20).

When hitting a symbol is 20/1, hitting a combination of three symbols equates to 1 in 8,000 (20x20x20). In other words, there are 8,000 combinations possible. 

When trying to win the jackpot with bonus special symbols, the chances become lower. With only one on each reel, the chances of hitting it big are one in 8,000.

Say there are four jackpot symbols on each reel, that would mean the odds of achieving a winning combination is one in 666 (4/20 x 4/20 x 4/20 = 12/8,000).

For those with five reels, which are the majority of slots, the possible combinations go into the millions. 

In Summary

The odds of someone winning the jackpot on a slot machine depends on RTP%. But, in general, the chances are very low, typically around 50 to 100 million to one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3jIVLyWdVs&ab_channel=TheJackpotGents