My grandparents love the penny slots.

When we would make the yearly multi-generational trip to the casino (my brother and I, my parents, and my grandparents) they would b-line straight for the penny games. I thought they were crazy. My brother and I would laugh at them and head over to the tables, my mom would head to the quarter games, and my dad would hit-up the bar.

We would all have some fun, win or lose a little, and meet back up at the end of the night. My grandparents, somehow, always walked out with more money then us. Either they lost less or won more. Every time.

Maybe it was karma, they are the best people I know, or maybe it was something else.

What is it with penny slots?

You may think the penny slots are a penny a pull or spin… WRONG! I found out from my grandparents, and multiple online sources, that most players play the max-bet. That bet can go as high as 5x on 5 lines on some machines, meaning that my grandpa was betting $1.25 each spin, making my mother look like a chump.

Penny slots also have some of the best progressive jackpots on the floor (or on the site). A progressive jackpot is a jackpot or grand prize that increases each time the game is played and NOT won. So, every time someone loses on the machines or game you are playing, the jackpot grows. It grows and grows until someone eventually wins it. These pots give you the chance at big money even with one-cent wagers. Even though the penny payouts and odds aren’t as high as other games, you still have a chance at winning larges sums of money with a pretty low buy in.

Another interesting tidbit, penny slot players typically spend more per hour then a player on a higher-priced machine. This is attributed to the ability to bet multiple times on more lines and that a penny slot player will play longer thinking they are playing with lower stakes, even if they are max-betting each spin.

Know your limits and remember just because it’s a ‘penny’ machine doesn’t mean it won’t add up or that, usually, you aren’t ONLY betting a penny each time.

There’s something about the penny machines that seems so right though… If you lose big at the tables or another game and your flat broke, you can usually scrap together a few coins and get yourself a couple of spins on a penny slot.

Maybe that’s the problem with penny slots or maybe that’s why they’re so great? As always, that’s for you to decide.

For me though, at this year’s family trip, I’ll be right next to grandma trying my luck one cent at a time.

Looking to try your luck at the penny slots but still a little unsure if you would like to do it in front of other people at a brick-and-mortar casino? Check out this great list of online penny slot options at CasinoSmash.

Time to bust open that piggy bank, the penny is back and cooler then ever!