Blazing Sevens progressive -- does it ever get positive?

Does the $.25 Blazing Sevens with the progressive ever even _approach_ the break even point, or am I pipe dreaming here? I was thinking with a very generous slot club promotion it might be worth playing. Are returns ever approaching the 97-98% pay back range with a high enough progressive?

The short answer is yes, there is a point at which the value of a progressive jackpot makes the payback of the machines over 100%. The problem is you would have to know what the base payback percentage is of the machine to know what progressive amount this is. Blazing Sevens, like almost all other slots can be set to return different payback percentages to the player. Unlike video poker where you can determine the payback percentage by looking at the paytable you are unlikely to know the base payback percentage of a slot.

I think in Ontario they cap the blazing 7s progressive at $1500 on the $1 machine. I doubt they ever get to a +EV, even after the players card promos. I think the 25c machines also have a cap... maybe $250?

But for any progressive slot/VP jackpot without a cap, there exists a point where the combined edge turns positive (as noted above, it's normally impossible to calculate with a slot machine)

I don't think you will find anyone on the gaming floor who knows the answer to your question.

The general rule with progressives is that they are to be avoided since alot of the payoffs go into the jackpot. It's better to find machines with a constant payout that doesn't require you to pay the extra coin to get that jackpot.

Thanks for the info, it's a great help.

I think I will stay away from the progressives since I can't determine the base payback and it's not worth the risk. Plus it is really boring to play three-line reel slots. By the way, dwheatley, the play I was contemplating _is_ in Ontario so I will check to see if they cap the progressives next time I am at the casino.

boymimbo, do you mean that a large percentage of the payback is tied up in the jackpot? If so, I agree with you. However, I would keep playing until I hit the jackpot, so theoretically I would not have to worry about losing that return.