Page 6 - August 2007 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
WChasing a Dream: Winning “The Big One”
e all have dreams. Some of us have dreams of becoming rich and successful, while others may have dreams of fame and glory. Many of us just want a better life for our families and loved ones.
a plan that I like to use that limits the amount of money I risk on big progressive slots. I decided that I would play one spin a day on the Megabucks slot in my attempt to win the million dollar jackpot.
One spin will cost $3 to play, so for a year it will cost me $3 x 365 days or $1,095. Now, if the return on Megabucks is 90 percent, my theoretical loss of playing is $109.50. Of course this is only 365 spins of the machine so anything could happen. I could lose the whole amount or I could get lucky and win the progressive or some of the lesser amounts on the pay table.
I do not visit the casino every day. So my playing strategy is to set aside my daily “progressive bankroll” and then play the number of spins from my last visit. For example, if I visit the casino once a month, I will take 30 spins on the Megabucks machine. I put $90 in the bill receptor and then spin 30 times and cash out the credits I have left on the machine. By doing this I am taking advantage of any smaller wins, and hopefully will not lose the entire $1,095 yearly bankroll.
You may decide that risking three dollars a day is within your means and decide to use a “go for broke” strategy for your money. If this is what you chose to do, you can play o any credits that you win from your daily spins.
ey say not to put all your eggs in one basket and you should not spend all of your gambling bankroll chasing a progressive jackpot. Keep in mind that the odds of hitting Megabucks are 50,000,000 to one, while the odds of getting stuck by lightning in any given year are 400,000 to one.
Good Luck.
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes...Knowledge Stays Forever.”
Bill Burton is the Casino Gambling Guide and columnist for the Internet portal About.com, located at http://casinogambling.about.com. He is the author of 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets and Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available online at www.billburton.com. He is also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps, http://www.thecrapsclub.com.
Chasing a dream is nothing more than setting a goal and doing whatever is necessary to achieve the desired results. ere is nothing
wrong with chasing a
in 41.4 million. At rst glance you see that the odds are slightly better to hit the lottery than the top slot progressive, but that does
not tell the full story. e overall return of the games is based on the top jackpot along with all the smaller amounts that can be won while playing. e overall return on the Megabucks
slot is between 85–90%. IGT, the maker of the slot, does not give the exact percentage of the game in California so we will use the high end of 90%. So the theoretical is 10 cents for every dollar you gamble. Now compare this with the California lottery which has an overall return of 53.9% (the gure posted on their website.) is makes your theoretical loss about 46 cents for each dollar wagered. With this in mind, if you want to chase your
walking on the moon is simply unattainable. e odds of this happening are zero; however, the odds of winning a million dollars or more are slim, but still attainable.
to achieve the desired results. There is nothing wrong with
chasing a dream, but you must have a realistic perspective on the chances of fulfilling your dream. My childhood dream of
“Chasing a dream is nothing
dream, but you must have
a realistic perspective
on the chances of
ful lling your dream. doing whatever is necessary My childhood dream of
more than setting a goal and
Many of us who like to
gamble for entertainment
have the dream of winning
a few million dollars. walking on the moon is simply
ere are two ways to try to win a multimillion dollar jackpot. You can play the lottery or play a progressive slot at the casino.
unattainable. The odds of this happening are zero; however, the odds of winning a million
dollars or more are slim, but still attainable.”
Megabucks® vs
SuperLOTTO Plus®
We all know that any
form of gambling is based on the odds. If your dream is winning “ e Big One” you need to fully understand the odds. Some games give better odds of winning than others.
dream of winning a million dollar prize you are better o playing the Megabucks slot.
Strategy for Playing
Chasing your dream of winning the progressive slot jackpot at the casino can quickly deplete your gamblingbankroll.Ifyouwanttogoforalife-changing jackpot, you should only risk a small percentage of your gambling money playing the games. Here is
Let’s compare the California SuperLOTTO Plus® game to the casino slot progressive Megabucks®.
e odds of hitting the progressive jackpot on the Megabucks slot is about one in 50 million. e odds of hitting the top prize in the SuperLOTTO is one
Page 6
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
August 2007
About Gambling With Bill Burton