Psychology
Jackpots are surprisingly extremely divisive in gambling circles.
Just take the lottery, the biggest jackpot games out there.
They are not expecting to win, or in some cases even get close.
Yet all the things you could do if they did draw your lucky numbers.
The surge of adrenaline is very palpable.
On this page, we will look at what exactly draws players to jackpot games.
For example, a slot that has a maximum payout of 1,000x or 2,000x are a good start.
These games generally either have 1 fixed top prize, multi-tiered jackpots, or progressive jackpot prizes.
Most jackpot slots have 4 prizes: Mini, Minor, Major and Mega jackpots.
Progressive Jackpots
The progressives work in a different way.
The jackpots on these games increase every time you play them.
It will then continue to climb up as you play more, until someone wins it.
There are standalone progressives, that work with just 1 video slot.
These range from tournaments with weekly leaderboards to slots tournaments with the biggest jackpot prizes out there.
The contests are not limited to slots either.
The hope, excitement, and anticipation that these games create is quite magical.
They provide a form of entertainment that classic blackjack or poker games don’t really do.
Just like playing the lottery, we always fantasize about what we would do if we won.
These players take great entertainment from the thrill of what ifs.
The UK National Lottery is one of the largest and has been running since 1994.
It is estimated to have madeover 7,400 millionaires since 1994, with approximately seven new millionaires each week.
Casino games, just like lotteries, must have an element ofhouse edge.
That is, the operator must make a profit on their games.
The house edge is achieved by manipulating the paytable, or the top prize.
Take a jackpot prize of 20,000x.
The odds of hitting it would surely be 1 in 20,000, or 0.005%.
But thereal oddsof hitting it are shorter, because of the house edge.
But who is to say that the house hasn’t put a greater edge on the odds?
After all, we can only useRTP, a theoretical value, to assess the probability of winning.
And most gamers accept the fact that these tremendous wins are close to impossible.
The edge can easily be a lot higher, and your chances of winning it are tiny.
A lot of gamers write off these types of games because of that.
The reasoning is sound.
Are Jackpot Games Worth It?
It is very much a personal preference amongst gamers.
This is more dangerous, as they may feel inclined to keep playing until they land in the green.
But jackpot gamers are not generally stimulated by near wins.
Jackpot gamers, on the other hand, are not likely to go bust playing for the jackpot.
We don’t really get people impulsively placing 100 lottery tickets to increase their chances of winning.
The Allure of Jackpot Games
There are both positives and negatives to take out of jackpot games.
The fact that you will probably never experience a true, life-changing jackpot is quite damning.
Yet it still feels good to try.
The top prize is something that catches the eye and doesn’t fail to dazzle.
You should always remember though, that these games are intended for entertainment purposes only.
Even expert bettors and professional gamers have tasted their fair share of defeat.
Or, reach out to a gambling harm prevention organization for advice.
Daniel has been writing about casinos and sports betting since 2021.
