Video Lotter Terminals

I understand the basics of VLTs. That is, they are all tied to a large mainframe computer and each "play" is like a scratch off ticket. However, I have also read online that players are competing with each other, instead of the "house." I assume that means that if someone already won the jackpot, then it is gone for the day.

My question centers more around the number of people playing each day. For example, if a VLT casino is crowded, then more people are playing and someone is more likely to win the jackpot. So, do VLT casinos offer the same number of potential wins each day or does it vary? How are the odds calculated compared to a traditional slot machine, etc.?

Any insights would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

It's not for the day per se, it's based on a fixed pool of tickets. When that virtual pool is gone, the game creates a new one. Each set of tickets is functionally identical to a set of pull-tabs or paper scratch tickets -- how fast you go through them is just a function of how many people are playing. The odds are calculated based on the known distribution of outcomes in each set of tickets, just like the prize flare on a set of pull-tabs or scratch tickets.

In systems that I've worked with in the past, they allow perhaps a thousand pools to be run concurrently. The player never knows how many pools are active and how many prizes are left in the active pools. Also, every unique bet amount and line combination has it's own pool.