This is all an aside on 'slot experts' and other mathematical games of chance. And it's also a fun little thing to work out on your own for those that enjoy math. But if you enjoy playing the games, then knowing you're doing so at an edge is even more enjoyable. In any case the point here is that variance is brutal when you're talking about edges that come from rare events. If you consider the jackpot the house's money (which it isn't - which is why this does not matter to them), then suddenly it becomes the case that the house may wipe out players in the short run, but will lose money in the long run. Normally the house wins in the longrun, but can get wiped out in the short run. In effect the role of the house and the player swaps. But it does mean that as your plays approach infinity, so does your wallet. That doesn't mean you'll earn money after 100 or even 1000 plays. When that added value exceeds x it suddenly becomes profitable to play the game.
Many games have a jackpot that adds a fixed value per hand. There are lots of +EV (expected value) opportunities in many house favored games of chance including slots and video poker.
