Some players seemingly get jackpot handpays all the time, while others struggle to achieve one. This question will likely be familiar to some:
I haven’t gotten a handpay in a year. Any suggestions?
Carrie N.
Today we’ll start with advice that will work, but we don’t suggest, and conclude with advice we actually believe is the right choice.
Bad Advice #1: Play More
As slots continue to get more volatile in nature, the handpays are in there, but they can be in harder to reach places. This can mean you get clumps of them at some times, and none in others, which may be your case here.
So, you could just play more slots, with the over time expectation that things average out. But we don’t recommend playing more just for the chance of a handpay, because it can also continue to be a drought. It also means spending more to attempt to win more, which is never a good strategy.
Bad Advice #2: Bet Higher
The jackpot handpay threshold for slots is an arbitrary number, triggered regardless of bet amount. The fact it just increased in January also means the bar has been raised.
But as we’ve shared elsewhere, larger bets mean you don’t need as sizable of a win to hit it. At the current $2,000 federal level, a $2 bet would require a 1,000x win. But a $10 bet would only require a 200x win, which occurs with more frequency.
Actual Advice: Don’t Play for the Handpay
You didn’t specify how much per spin you were betting, but we never advise players to pursue a jackpot handpay as their goal. We think a 100x win is still special, even though it’s beginning to be something that happens a bit more often now with the continued evolution of slots.
Where a jackpot and its specialness can depend in part on your bet level, a multiple of your bet as a goal can be a bit different, because it’s adjusted based on your bet level and so the general difficulty will be the same at any bet level.
Chasing a jackpot handpay will likely mean players who do have some nice wins, say $200 on a $2 bet, will burn through it trying to win $2,000 because that’s the goal being chased. And that’s not a healthy gambling scenario.
Instead, we encourage players to lock in wins, set limits that are reasonable and help keep the entertainment aspect of gambling fun, and be sure to celebrate those unusual moments that lead to a nice result.
Have a question? Submit yours here!
