Slot Machine Carousels

Most casinos have groups of slot machines that are grouped by denomination called carousels. They usually have a theme that is designed to attract a certain kind of player. In Nevada, casinos advertise carousels with a higher payback, by using a slogan such as 'Up to 97 percent payback.

The disclaimer is the 'up to' phrase, which means that only a few machines in the carousel may pay back as high as 97 percent.

Carousels are sometimes linked together to calculate a progressive jackpot. These types of machines differ because the top jackpot is not a set amount, but increases as players deposit more money.

For example, the top jackpot may increase five cents for every dollar played in the carousel. Every machine contributes to the jackpot, and the first machine to hit the jackpot symbols wins the award.

When the jackpot is won, the top award reverts to the minimum amount that is determined by the casino.

The Megabucks and Quarter mania style slots are machines that are linked together between different casinos. The jackpots on these machines can reach the multi-million dollar level, much higher than individual casinos would be able to offer.

The machines are linked to a central computer by phone lines, allowing the machines to communicate with the computer that eventually determines when the winning combination will be hit.

If you want to play these progressive machines, you must deposit the maximum number of coins, because you are not eligible for the top jackpot unless you do. Imagine how painful it would be to hit the winning combination and only have one coin in. Instead of winning, say, $5 million, you'd only win $5,000. It's one of the few instances where winning would hurt.