Today’s question is one of those “grass is greener” questions because we see the same question on both sides of the fence:
Why is it that some players can hit a jackpot on a lower bet? It seems like if I want anything to pay my bet needs to be high. And still no hit??? When you use your card, does the casino expect you to always bet a certain amount based on your bet history? For example if I’ve been betting 10 a spin, then lower my bet, does it affect my chances of winning?
Arlene
There’s a lot to unpack here. Let’s start with betting vs. jackpots.
Generally speaking, there’s more lower bettors on the casino floor than higher ones. So, you may notice lower bettors getting more jackpots because there’s simply more of them. Given enough people, enough bets, enough time, you’ll see them happen.
We get letters from people on the other side though, saying it seems like you have to bet high to get a jackpot and it’s impossible to jackpot at a lower bet. Of course, since a handpay jackpot is a set amount, higher bets are more likely to trigger it than lower ones, because relative to your bet it doesn’t take as much of a win to trigger it.
The good news is the casino may expect you to bet a certain amount to maintain your offers, but when it comes to playing the slot itself, changing your bet won’t hurt you any more than it will help you. So lowering your bet doesn’t affect your overall chances of winning.
However, it may put a jackpot more out of reach, since progressive chances are proportional to your bet, and a lower bet requires a bigger win relative to your bet to get a jackpot. On the flip side, you’re not investing as much per spin for those opportunities, and it tends to balance out overall.
And as far as jackpots on a lower bet, Flip The Switch’s editor can count four jackpots to his name, all at $3 or less bets. But that’s across a 20+ year history of gambling. So while it’s possible to get those jackpots at lower bets, it’s certainly not as frequent as it would be with higher bets, as Brian Christopher’s own gambling would attest.
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