Here’s another variation on the “slots must be fed to pay” scenario:
Basically you can only win what you spend. When I cash out I never hit again till I spent that back and some. I believe they go off what u spend to determine how much you are going to win.
Guy C.
Have you ever read one of those (seemingly many) articles about 21 year olds in Vegas hitting big jackpots? If 21 is the minimum age to play slots in most states, we can reasonably assume that they haven’t gambled nearly the amount that they won.
When Brian won his biggest jackpot of all time, he was up significantly for that trip to MGM Grand Detroit. He was even up for the entire year!
And we also love the story of a member of our staff winning a $12,500 Grand jackpot on a $1 spin – he left with more than twice the money he came on board with, as it was on a cruise ship, and it was his very first time with that cruise line, meaning he certainly hadn’t put in more than he took out.
Casinos don’t need to worry about how much you put in vs. got paid, because the games are already designed with an advantage for them built in. In the long run, the games will make money for the casino – it’s mathematically assured. Casinos don’t just offer the chance to win big prizes out of the goodness of their heart, after all.
The structure of this setup means there’s likely going to be more losers than winners. The balance of slots generally means 1 in 5 to 1 in 6 sessions will be winning ones – of course, the ability to win big means those winning ones have the potential to be gigantic, including in those examples we outlined before.
Players also want a chance to win bigger – studies have been done confirming that people much more prefer a smaller chance at a big win than a 50/50 chance at doubling their money. Watch a roulette table and see how often players bet numbers over just a simple red/black or odd/even bet and you’ll see what we mean.
So no, it’s not that you have to lose to win – over time, we’re all expected to lose – the excitement of those short-term wins, and the chance for those truly exceptional wins, just give many of us some reason to want to actually play a game that will cost us money in the long run.
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