Question of the Day - 28 April 2019

Michael Lawton, senior research analyst with the Nevada Gaming Control Board, says the answer isn't as simple as saying that all progressive machines must have the same odds.

“Yes, that is one option,” he tells us. “The other is to equalize the expected value of the winning common payoff by setting the odds of winning in proportion with the amount wagered.”

The regulation governing this reads as follows …

3. Gaming devices connected to a common payoff schedule shall:

(a) All be of the same denomination and have equivalent odds of winning the common payoff schedule/common award based as applicable on either or both of the combined influence of the attributes of chance and skill; or

(b) If of different denominations, equalize the expected value of winning the payoff schedule/common award on the various denominations by setting the odds of winning the payoff schedule in proportion to the amount wagered based as applicable on either or both the combined influence of the attributes of chance and skill, or by requiring the same wager to win the payoff schedule/award regardless of the device’s denomination. The method of equalizing the expected value of winning the common payoff schedule/common award shall be conspicuously displayed on each device connected to the common payoff schedule/common award. For the purposes of this requirement, equivalent is defined as within a five percent tolerance for expected value and no more than a one percent tolerance on return to player or payback.

Michael Shackleford, the “Wizard of Odds,” puts it into layman’s terms.

If multiple machines share a common jackpot, for example a bank of video poker machines with a shared progressive jackpot for a royal, then one of the following must be true:

1.  All machines have the same bet amount required to win the jackpot, as well as the same chances of hitting it.

2.  If the machines are of different bet amounts, then the probability of hitting the jackpot will be proportional to the bet amount.

3.  The player is required to bet more credits at a lower denomination to win the jackpot, equalizing the total bet amount required to have a chance to win the jackpot.

So you were expecting maybe a simple answer to a simple question? Well then, the answer is yes -- with all the above conditions.

But not so fast. We also asked slot expert John Robison and we'll give you his answer, which complicates things further, tomorrow.