For many people, entering a casino means the excitement of playing games, breathing in the atmosphere, and having a fun time socializing. Of course winning a jackpot and leading a luxurious life for the rest of the days, is also a nice to have! People who have been into the casino would be familiar with its unique and colorful environment. The lights, the sound, the music and the idea of becoming a millionaire entice people as honey attracts bees. You can try your luck at Blackjack, Roulette, Poker tournaments and of course the all time favorite, slot machines!
Slot machines have been around for decades and every passing minute brings out better and improved version of the machine. They are among the most easily recognizable games in a casino. For a beginner to gambling, we recommend a slot machine. They are popular due their potential to collect a huge payout. In countries such as the US, UK, Canada and Australia, these machines are readily accessible outside casino’s including airports, hotels, bars and parlors. People simply love to play the game regardless the time and place.
Although slot machines are very simple and easy to play, there are many questions raised for those who really want to master the game of slots. A common question raised when discussing slot machines is:
What is the difference between Progressive and Non Progressive Slots?
Therefore, in this article, we define the terms, talk about what the differences are between progressive and non progressive, which style is suited for which type of player, provide an FAQ section and discuss many more aspects about slots.
History and Evolution
Slot machine’s origin can be tracked back to the 19th century. In 1891, Sittman and Pitt, a New York-based company, introduced slot machines. The original machine came with 5 drums and 50 playing cards. It would cost you a nickel to play and was readily available in several bars. To reduce the odds of someone getting a royal flush two cards-jack of hearts and tend of spades- was removed from the machine. This reduced the odds up to 50 percent.
Players pulled the lever in order to play. The initial payout was non-monetary prizes such as cigars and drinks. In addition, there was no direct payout system. The winners had to go to bar owners for their rewards.
Later sometime from 1889 to 1895, Charles Augustus Fey, inventor of the first slot machine, came out with the slot machine that had a mechanism of automatic payouts. To allow automatic payouts, Charles reduced the win complexity of the machine. Instead of the playing cards, there were five symbols and in place of drums, there were three reels. The five symbols included a liberty bell, horseshoes, spades, diamonds, and hearts. The highest prize was for 3 bells, the machine became extremely popular and since there was no patent for the design, everyone copied it.
In 1902, there was an official ban on slot machines; however, Charles’s slot machines were still manufactured. The era of the fruit machine began due to lack of cash prizes. People got fruit gums and sweets to their corresponding food symbols. A few years later, a Chicago based manufacturer named Hebert Mills came up with another variation of a slot machine and named it Operator Bell. The machine was available in almost all salons, shops, bowling alleys and tobacconists.
Among these numerous slot machines, progressive slot machines made their mark in very little time. Game Technology developed them and they were the game changer. They made the entire slot machine experience more exciting and thrilling. Game Technology named the machine Megabucks. The machine had a style of instant life-changing jackpot. The idea behind progressive slot machines is that a series of slot machines are internally integrated. The machine has a giant pari-mutuel jackpot system. The idea of winning a luxurious life made people fall in love with slot machines to a completely new level. Progressive slots now act as a lifeline for a casino.
With so many slot machines out there, people are often wondering which one is better in comparison to the other one. The debate between progressive and non-progressive slot machine has taken the internet by storm.
The Slot Machine Evolves
For coming many years, there was very little change in the slot machines. They remained purely mechanical. The player had to pull the lever in order to play, but in 1964, things took a different direction. Money Honey, a fully electro-mechanical slot machine came into existence. Bally, founder of Money Honey, released this version, although the game still used a lever to start. The bottomless hopper slot machine was capable of dishing out up to 500 coins automatically. Its popularity leads to other electro-mechanical variation of the machine. Likewise, in 1976, Fortune Coin introduced a video slot machine. The first video slot machine used 19 inches Sony Television.
The next major development was in 1996, when WMS industries Inc. came up with “Reel ‘Em” slot machine. The machine came with a second screen bonus round. The bonus round showed an entirely different screen. The bonus round allowed the players to win additional payouts. This made the game more intriguing and addictive. By this time, slots were among the most popular machines at casinos. They were generating almost 70 percent of the casino’s profit and they took about 70 percent of the space as well.
The advent of Online Slot Machines
In the mid-’90s the boom of the internet led to online slot machines. Surprisingly, online slots became more famous in comparison to traditional casino games including online blackjack and roulette. Initially online slot machines had the same style as that of the land-based games. However, with time and improvement in programming, people introduced enhanced and improved versions of the game.
Types of Slot Machines
With slot machines being so popular, in the modern day, we have a wide range, type and variety of slot machines.
- Progressive Machines
- Single-coin machines
- Multipliers
- Buy-Your-Pay Machines
- Multiple Payline Machines
- Wild Play Machines
- Big Berthas
- Multi-Game Machines
- Touch-Screen Machines
- Reel Slot Machines
- Video Slot Machines
How did Progressive Slot Machines come to exist
For coming many years, there was very little change in the slot machines. They remained purely mechanical. The player had to pull the lever in order to play, but in 1964, things took a different direction. Money Honey, a fully electromechanical slot machine came into existence. Bally, founder of Money Honey, released this version, although the game still used a lever to start. The bottomless hopper slot machine was capable of dishing out up to 500 coins automatically. Its popularity leads to other electromechanical variation of the machine. Likewise, in 1976, Fortune Coin introduced a video slot machine. The first video slot machine used 19 inches Sony Television.
Progressive Slot Machine
Unlike previous slot machines, a progressive jackpot offers bigger payouts. The payout increases every time the game is played. The payout accumulates until someone hits a jackpot. To add a little more spice to make the payout even bigger, numerous progressive jackpots machines are linked together. A small percentage of all the money played in the game is contributed towards the jackpot.
This is the basic methodology of a progressive machine. There are three different types of progressive machines
- The Stand Alone Progressive
- In-house Progressive
- Wide Area Progressive
Stand Alone Progressive Slot Machine
The stand-alone progressive slot machine has a fixed jackpot, and it is not linked with any other machine. The fixed top jackpot is a result of a certain percentage of the coins played. This percentage is added to the award for the highest winning combination. Most of the paybacks are equal to the other machine of a denomination. However, the stand-alone progressive slots do offer a much lower jackpot in comparison to machines that are linked together.
In-House Progressive Slot Machine
In-House otherwise known as Proprietary progressive machines are a group of different machines linked together. These machines might be in a single casino, or linked with other properties. This depends whether the gaming company owns more than one casino. In-House progressive machines offer a more substantial jackpot then stand-alone machines. In addition, these machines hit more jackpots in comparison to wide area progressive machines.
Wide Area Progressive Machines
If you are looking for the life-changing jackpots, you should try your hands on Wide Area progressive machines. The operator owns the game; however, the casino does share a certain percentage of the winnings. Games like Quatermain, Megabucks are owned by IGT. If you hit a jackpot, a life full of luxury is guaranteed.
None-Progressive Slot Machines
Non-Progressive Slot machine- are as exhilarating as the progressive ones. Although they have a different payout strategy, that does not mean that, they are less exciting. Non-progressive slot machines have independent odds, therefore the chances of a win constantly increase. The key point to remember here is that different machines have different payouts. A machine that is attracting more people generally deemed as having a better payout in comparison to a machine attracting fewer people. Therefore, some people believe, to ensure a good amount of payout, you need to pay close heed to the machines that are attracting several people. We cover more about strategy in a later section.
Difference between Progressive and Non-Progressive Slot Machines
The thrill of progressive and non-progressive slot machines has been attracting people for decades. Regardless of the number of times, you have been to a casino, every visit offers the same experience, You tend to enjoy the visitors’ colorful lights, the music, and the exploring environment. Both progressive and non-progressive machines have the capability to offer big jackpots. However, we must add the progressive machines do tend to offer a better payout most of the time.
The major difference between progressive and non-progressive slot machines is the jackpot. In progressive machines the jackpot accumulates over time, whereas, the non-progressive slot machines offer a fixed jackpot. In addition, the chances of winning at non-progressive slot machines are more in comparison to progressive ones. Progressive machines are flashier and they have the ability to attract patrons instantly. Despite the lower chances of winning at a progressive machine, people are still inclined towards playing it mainly because of the handsome amount of payout. Both slot machines are similar, but they have a different payout system. The number of bonus spins makes a difference.
We firmly believe that both categories of slot machines are fun to play and they offer a lot of excitement. Many people are of a view that there is no difference between taking chances of both machines, however, to increases the probability of your win you need to have a positive attitude, take the right chances and apply the right strategies.
Different Slot Strategies
Since the beginning of slot machines, people are always looking for strategies that will increase their winning chances. There are different slot strategies available and among these strategies, we have Hot and cold slots, analyzing the frequency of wins strategy and many more. Despite the popular believes some of these strategies are myths especially in the modern world.
Hot and Cold Slots
This is among the most popular strategies that people have been using for decades to hit a big jackpot. The strategy describes the ability of a machine to give payout or to withhold them. If a machine is giving frequent payouts, it means that it is hot and vice versa. Frequent visitors of casino are confident that they can accurately predict the behavior of the machine. This might have been true with the initial mechanical machines as they started to give major payouts after a certain number of spins; however, with the modern technology this strategy is no longer valid.
Modern slot machine uses a random number generator system, it means that every spin offers the equal probability of hitting the big jackpot. There is no such thing as a hot or cold machine. However, such is the popularity or rather strong belief in this myth, some casinos will use this myth as a marketing point to attract customers, There are certain casinos that will indicate whether a machine is hot or cold, even online hot and cold machines have different sections.
Nonetheless, as far as the idea of hot and cold goes, we can assure you that there is no deterring from this belief. A slot machine is a game of chance, and there no such thing as hot or cold. The game is purely luck based. Regardless the type of machine you are playing on, it may be progressive or non-progressive the payout system is randomized. It is impossible to decipher the machine pattern. Often though, there is a sense that your gut feeling can help you in win it!
Analyzing Frequency of Payouts
Analyzing the frequency of payouts is another strategy that is often used and could be considered the opposite ofthe hot and cold strategy. People often believe that machines are programed in a way that they pay outespecially when the losses have been to many. This strategy does hold some merit, as by law a slot machinemust meet a certain ratio of payouts in the long run.. Therefore, if a machine is has not been giving payouts for a good length of time, in theory there is a high possibility that it will start to give them out soon.
Keeping a close eye on these machines can help you hit a jackpot. When you are in a casino do pay heed to machines that have minimal or no payouts, try your luck when the time is just about to end. You never know you might end up being a rich man.
Others
Different people have different strategies that they believe help them win the jackpot. Of course, something that works for me, may not work well for you. There is a fine line between strategy and superstitious. For instance, moving clockwise in a casino will help you hit a jackpot. The coins temperature has an effect on the machines payout and many. In our opinion, we consider them superstitious, but some firmly believe in them mainly because they have been able to win using these techniques. In other words, we cannot say one strategy is wrong and the other is right. If something works for you, it is right, if not, it is wrong.
Whether you opt for a progressive slot machine or you play a non-progressive slot machine, you will still have a lot of fun. There is no harm in trying out these strategies and making yourself rich without a few hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I a slot player who should stick to non-progressive or progressive slot machines?
Playing each type of slot machines offer thrill and excitement. There are good reasons for playing any one of the two slot machines i.e. progressive and non-progressive. The type of slot machine that you should stick to mainly depends on the type of gambler you are. If you want that your wagering bankroll should provide support for longer playing session, then we suggest you stick to non-progressive machines.
It is common knowledge that non-progressive machines offer better odds of winning in comparison to progressive machines. Of course, there is a trade-off. In non-progressive slots, the payout is not a major one. They have substantially smaller jackpots. You will be hitting the jackpot more often, but the jackpot is not going to be a big one. You might hit only a couple of thousands on a non-progressive jackpot and this is their top jackpot. A couple of thousands is not a bad deal; however, it is not a life-changing event.
On the contrary, if you are a gambler who is all in and wants a big score, then progressive slot is the game for you. If you do not care about extending your wagering dollar, give progressive slot a shot. There is always a possibility that you make big. The top jackpots on progressive machines hit significantly less, but they are awe-inspiring. They range from a couple of hundred thousand to millions of dollars. Hitting a jackpot at a progressive slot will change your life for ever. So, as long as you have the money, give your luck a shot. You never know you might end up a millionaire.
What does BAR mean on a slot machine?
To understand the meaning of bar on a slot machine, you need to delve into slot history. In 1907, Industry Novelty Co came up with a Bell Fruit Gum Slot machine. Later in 1910, Mills Novelty Company also introduced a slot machine. The reels on these slot machines included bar, apple, orange, melon, and cherry symbols.
Due to anti-gambling laws at that time, the payout was in form of a fruit-flavored gum instead of money. It is that time when the bar and the cherry symbol become traditional to the slot machines. Both these symbols are still used. In some slot machines, cherries in a row mean minimal payment. The bar symbol was the company’s logo. It is originally a photo of the chewing gum, later they stylized it as a bar.
What is the payout on slot machines?
The payout system and percentage vary from machine to machine. Slot machines are generally programmed to pay out 82 to 98 percent of the winnings that are wagered by the players. The theoretical payout percentage or better known as Return to Player-RTP varies from system to system and jurisdiction. For instance, in Mississippi, the RTP is 80 percent, in New Jersey, it is 83 percent and in Nevada, it is 75 percent. A certain fraction of the money wagered on a slot machine is returned to the operator of the slot machine and the rest to the players during the play.
What casino game has the best chance of winning?
Slots are among the most popular casino games, mainly because they tend to have a good RTP rate. On average online slots have a 95-96% RTP and land-based ones have 75-98%. There are games that have higher RTP, but slots are popular because they are easy to play. The non-progressive slots have higher odds of winning then the progressive one.
Second, in line, we have Roulette. In Europe, the RTP is 97.3% for single zero while in America the RTP is 94.7%for double-zero roulette. After Roulette, craps is an exciting game and it has a good RTP. Lastly, we have Baccarat. The game tends to offer 99% of RTP, meaning, the odds of winning are extremely high. Blackjack is another game with good RTP.
Can you win money playing online slots?
The simple answer to this question is yes, you can win real money by playing online slots. However, there are certain factors that you need to understand. First, how do you in real money without investing real money? Casino bonuses! Now days, every casinos is trying to attract customers online and on land. To attract gamblers, they offer online casino bonus that is usually not more than 10 dollars. You can use this real money to play slots online, however, it is imperative that you read the terms and condition to avoid any pitfalls.
To make sure that you are playing safe and getting real money, use a safe casino. Do not opt for any random casino. In addition, if you are a newbie, we suggest you start with minimum bets instead of going for the big shots.