Short answer: It’s random.
Long answer: It’s random, but people don’t want to accept this, so they invent systems and patterns where none exist.
Let me explain why every “trick” you’ve heard about is bullshit, and then I’ll tell you what actually matters (which isn’t much).
How Slot Machines Actually Work
Every modern slot machine—online or in a casino—uses a Random Number Generator (RNG). This is software that generates numbers constantly, even when nobody’s playing.
What this means:
When you press spin, the RNG has already determined the outcome. The spinning reels you see are just animation. The result was decided the microsecond you hit the button.
The RNG generates thousands of number sequences per second. Each sequence corresponds to a specific combination of symbols. When you spin, it grabs whatever sequence it’s on at that exact instant.
This is provably random. Gaming authorities require third-party testing companies (eCOGRA, iTech Labs, GLI) to verify that RNGs are producing genuinely random outcomes with no patterns.
So when someone tells you they’ve figured out a “system,” they’re either lying or deluded.
Every “Trick” That Doesn’t Work
“Play at Certain Times When Machines Are Loose”
The claim: Casinos make machines pay out more at busy times (weekends, evenings) to attract crowds. Or they make them tighter during busy times because people are playing anyway.
The reality: Slot machines don’t change payout rates based on time of day. The RTP (Return to Player) percentage is set in the software and doesn’t fluctuate.
Even if a casino wanted to change RTP based on time, they can’t just flip a switch. Changing RTP settings requires physically accessing the machine (or server for online) and going through regulatory approval. It’s not happening between 6pm and 10pm on a Friday.
Why people believe this: Confirmation bias. They remember the one time they won on a Saturday night and forget the 20 Saturday nights they lost.
“Play Machines That Haven’t Hit in a While”
The claim: If a machine hasn’t paid a jackpot recently, it’s “due” to hit soon. Find the cold machines and play them.
The reality: RNGs have no memory. Every spin is independent. The machine doesn’t know or care if it paid out 10 seconds ago or 10 years ago.
The odds of hitting the jackpot are identical on spin 1 and spin 1,000,000. Past results don’t influence future spins.
Math example: If a slot has a 1 in 10,000,000 chance of hitting the jackpot, that probability doesn’t change whether it hit yesterday or hasn’t hit in five years. Every single spin is 1 in 10,000,000.
“Play Machines That Just Paid Someone Else”
The opposite claim: After a big payout, the machine goes cold. Avoid machines that just hit.
The reality: Same as above. RNGs don’t have a memory or a cycle. A machine that just paid someone $50,000 has the exact same probability of paying another $50,000 on the next spin.
There are documented cases of the same slot hitting major jackpots back-to-back within minutes. It’s rare, but mathematically possible because each spin is independent.
“Max Bet Increases Your Chances”
The claim: Betting maximum coins or maximum lines increases your probability of hitting the jackpot.
The reality: Partially true, but misleading.
On some older machines, max bet was required to be eligible for the top jackpot. But that’s about eligibility, not probability. If you’re not max betting, you literally can’t win the progressive jackpot—you’re excluded from it.
On modern machines, bet size doesn’t change the hit frequency or probability. You’re not more likely to trigger a bonus round or hit a jackpot at $5 per spin versus $0.50 per spin.
What bet size does change: How much you win when you do hit. Bigger bet = bigger payout, but same probability of hitting.
“Slots Near Entrances Are Looser”
The claim: Casinos put loose (high RTP) machines near entrances or walkways so people see others winning and get excited.
The reality: This might have been true in the 1980s. It’s not true now.
Modern casinos place machines based on floor space optimization, themes, and player flow—not RTP. Plus, most jurisdictions require RTP to be posted or available, so placing “loose” machines strategically doesn’t even make sense anymore.
Online, this concept is completely irrelevant. There’s no “entrance” or “high traffic area” on a website.
“Use a Players Club Card / Don’t Use a Card”
The claim: Using a rewards card makes the machine pay less because the casino knows you’re getting comp points. Or, conversely, using a card makes it pay more because they track your play and want you to keep playing.
The reality: The card tracks your play for comp purposes. It has zero effect on RNG outcomes.
The machine doesn’t communicate with the rewards system to adjust payouts. It’s reading your card for tracking only. The RNG is running independently.
This myth probably persists because of superstition (“I started losing after I inserted my card”) and misunderstanding of how the technology works.
“Bet on All Paylines to Improve Odds”
The claim: Activating more paylines increases your chances of winning.
The reality: Activating more paylines increases the number of ways to win per spin, but it also increases your bet size proportionally.
If you bet on 1 payline at $1, you’re risking $1 per spin. If you bet on 20 paylines at $0.05 each, you’re still risking $1 per spin. The odds per dollar wagered are the same.
More paylines = more frequent small wins, but your total cost per spin is higher. The RTP doesn’t change.
“Stop the Reels Quickly to Influence the Outcome”
The claim: Pressing stop mid-spin or stopping each reel individually can somehow influence where the reels land.
The reality: The outcome was determined the instant you pressed spin. Stopping the reels manually just reveals the already-decided result faster.
You’re not influencing anything. You’re just speeding up the animation.
“Play When the Progressive Jackpot Is High”
The claim: Wait until the progressive meter is high before playing because your odds of winning are better.
The reality: Your odds of hitting the jackpot don’t change. What changes is the value of the prize when you do hit.
A progressive slot might have a 1 in 10,000,000 chance of hitting whether the jackpot is at $100,000 or $10 million. The probability is constant. The payout just varies.
However: There is a rational strategy here. If a progressive is unusually high, the expected value of playing improves. You’re not more likely to hit, but if you do hit, the payout is better. This can, in rare cases, make the slot EV-positive if the jackpot is high enough.
Most players will never experience this because progressives rarely get high enough to offset the house edge on the base game.
What Actually Matters (Not Much, But Something)
RTP Percentage
This is the only number that matters: Return to Player percentage.
A 96% RTP slot returns, on average, $96 for every $100 wagered over millions of spins. The house edge is 4%.
Why this matters:
Playing a 96% RTP slot versus a 92% RTP slot means losing money 50% slower. Over hundreds of hours of play, this adds up.
The problem: Most players don’t check RTP. They pick slots based on themes, graphics, or bonus features. They’re choosing entertainment over math.
Where to find RTP: Some games display it in the info/paytable screen. Some don’t. Reputable casino review platforms often list RTP by game. I checked data on casinowhizz.com/online-slots-real-money when researching this article—they list actual RTPs for different slots at different casinos, which matters because the same slot can have different RTP settings depending on where you play.
Volatility
Slots have different volatility levels:
● Low volatility: Frequent small wins, rare big wins
● High volatility: Rare wins, but bigger payouts when they hit
Why this matters for jackpots:
If you’re specifically chasing jackpots, high-volatility slots are the play. You’ll lose more often, but the rare wins are larger. Low-volatility slots pay out more frequently, but you’re never hitting a massive jackpot.
The trade-off: High volatility requires a bigger bankroll to survive the dry spells. If you’re betting $1 per spin on a high-volatility slot, you might go 200+ spins without a meaningful win. If you only have a $100 bankroll, you’ll go broke before you get a chance at the jackpot.
Progressive Jackpot Mechanics
Some jackpots have better odds than others, not in terms of hit probability, but in terms of expected value.
Must-hit-by progressives: These have a jackpot that must hit before a certain amount (e.g., must hit by $500). If the meter is at $490, you have better EV than if it’s at $100. The hit probability is the same, but the payout floor is higher.
Wide-area progressives: These are linked across multiple casinos. The jackpot gets huge (Mega Moolah, Megabucks), but the odds of hitting are astronomical—often 1 in 50 million or worse.
Local progressives: Linked across machines in one casino. Smaller jackpots, but slightly better odds than wide-area progressives.
If you’re chasing jackpots: Must-hit-by progressives when they’re near the ceiling are the best EV. Wide-area progressives with $10 million+ jackpots are terrible EV unless you’re okay with lottery-level odds.
Bet Sizing Relative to Bankroll
This isn’t about improving your odds—it’s about surviving long enough to have a chance.
Basic math:
If you have $200 and you’re betting $5 per spin, you get 40 spins. If the slot’s hit frequency is 1 in 100 spins for a meaningful win, you’re statistically likely to go broke before you hit anything.
If you’re betting $0.50 per spin, you get 400 spins. Now you’re in the range where you might actually hit a bonus round or decent win.
For jackpot hunting: You need enough bankroll to last hundreds of spins. Calculate how many spins your bankroll allows at your chosen bet size. If it’s under 200, you’re not really giving yourself a chance.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Jackpots
The reason people look for tricks and systems is that accepting pure randomness is psychologically difficult.
If it’s random, that means:
● You have no control
● You can’t improve your chances
● Winning is pure luck
● Everything you’ve done to “increase your odds” was pointless
Humans hate this. We want to believe we can influence outcomes. So we invent patterns, superstitions, and systems.
But slot jackpots don’t care what you believe.
The RNG is running. The probabilities are fixed. Every spin is independent. You’re either going to hit the jackpot or you’re not, and nothing you do changes that probability.
What You Can Actually Do
Since you can’t change the randomness, here’s what you can control:
1. Choose Higher RTP Slots
Play 96%+ RTP slots instead of 92% RTP slots. You’re still losing, just slower. This gives you more play time for the same budget, which means more spins, which marginally increases your chances of hitting something big simply through volume.
2. Understand the Volatility You’re Playing
If you’re chasing jackpots, accept that high-volatility slots will drain your bankroll fast. Budget accordingly. Don’t play high-volatility with a small bankroll and then complain about not hitting anything.
3. Only Play Progressive Jackpots You Can Afford to Chase
Don’t bet $5 per spin chasing a $50 million progressive if you only have $200. The odds are so astronomical that you’ll go broke long before you have a realistic shot.
If you’re going to chase progressives, focus on smaller local progressives or must-hit-by progressives near their ceiling. Better odds, more realistic outcomes.
4. Set Loss Limits and Stick to Them
The biggest trick to not losing everything chasing a jackpot is to stop playing when you hit your loss limit.
Decide in advance: “I’m willing to lose $200 chasing this jackpot.” When you hit $200 lost, stop. Don’t chase. The jackpot odds don’t improve because you’re down money.
5. Don’t Believe Anyone Who Says They’ve Figured It Out
If someone tells you they have a system, they’re either scamming you or fooling themselves.
RNGs are tested by third-party auditors. They’re certified random. Casinos don’t change them based on time, location, player status, or moon phase.
The only people “beating” slots are either:
● Getting lucky (temporary)
● Exploiting must-hit progressives with +EV situations (rare)
● Lying
The One “Trick” That’s Not a Trick
There is one thing that technically improves your odds of walking away with jackpot money: quitting when you hit it.
Sounds obvious, but most people who hit jackpots keep playing and give it back. They hit $10,000, feel invincible, keep spinning, and leave with $2,000.
The actual strategy:
If you hit a jackpot—any jackpot—cash out immediately. Don’t play another spin. Walk away. That’s it.
This doesn’t increase your odds of hitting the jackpot in the first place. But it does guarantee that you keep the money if you do hit.
Why Casinos Love These Myths
Every myth about slot machine tricks benefits the casino.
“Play at certain times” → Keeps people playing longer trying to find the “right” time
“Play machines that are due” → Keeps people playing more machines, more often
“Max bet for better odds” → Increases revenue per spin
“Machines near entrances are looser” → Keeps people walking around trying every machine
The house edge doesn’t change. The RNG doesn’t change. But if you believe you can influence it, you’ll play longer, bet more, and lose more.
That’s why casinos don’t aggressively debunk these myths. They’re profitable.
Final Answer
Are there tricks to hitting jackpots easier?
No. It’s random. Completely, provably, mathematically random.
Is there anything you can do?
● Play higher RTP slots
● Understand volatility and choose accordingly
● Size your bets relative to your bankroll
● Target +EV progressive situations when they exist (rare)
● Stop playing when you hit
That’s it. That’s the entire list.
Everything else—time of day, hot/cold machines, player cards, stopping reels manually—is superstition, confirmation bias, or casino marketing disguised as strategy.
The jackpot will hit when it hits. You can’t make it happen faster. You can’t predict when it’ll happen. You can only decide whether you’ll be playing when it does.
And if you’re playing long enough to be there when it hits, you’re probably already down enough money that the jackpot barely puts you ahead.
That’s slots. That’s gambling. That’s random number generation.
Anyone telling you different is selling something.
