Most progressive jackpots are designed to build until awarded. With no upper limit, it can be quite enticing when players notice that it’s been growing for awhile. So how is it decided when it will be paid out?
Slots with progressive jackpots: does the slot machine already have a number in mind on when it will pay out OR does it decide at the moment the button is pushed?
Debra M.
The answer to this will depend in part on the type of jackpot. With many (but not all) “must hit by” progressives, the value it will be awarded is decided at the time it resets after the last time it was awarded. So in that way, the number in mind is often established.
For a more traditional progressive that’s open-ended, it comes down to the timing of the spin. For instance, take Dancing Drums. When you start the spin that closes the pot, the bonus is predetermined, so it knows which jackpot will be awarded. So it’s related to the button push.
When you’re playing games like Lightning Link, whether or not you fill the board is impacted by the series of presses that each spin of the bonus takes, as the bonus relies on the random number generator (RNG). So that last spin that drops the last ball is when it’s confirmed the Grand progressive jackpot will be awarded.
So whether the case of a predetermined bonus like Dancing Drums, or an RNG-driven bonus like Dragon Link, the timing of the button press is in play, because if the timing was different the bonus may not have happened at all.
But since different types of progressives work differently, there is a mix of both types of scenarios that can take place, so this is one of those times where the answer is, technically, both – but each game will have its own rules that determine this, and in most cases those aren’t shared in the pay table, so as players we won’t truly know.
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