Most online casinos differentiate between classic jackpots and jackpot slot games. But since all slot games have a “Jackpot prize,” what’s the difference?
Well, a progressive jackpot is a prize that increases every time a player plays a slot game. The jackpot keeps on rising until a player wins it. This means that the jackpot prize is not fixed – click here to play.
In a progressive jackpot slot game, a small percentage of every qualifying bet accumulates towards the jackpot. A player can win it arbitrarily or by navigating a special bonus game.
How Progressive Jackpot Slot Games Work
Contribution
For every qualifying bet, a small portion is siphoned off into a separate pot used to fund the jackpot. Let’s take Mega Moolah by Microgaming as an example. All the players playing will be contributing both to and playing for the same jackpot.
Many progressive jackpot slots are linked across multiple online casinos, making a pool of players adding to the same jackpot even bigger. The longer the jackpot goes unclaimed, the higher the chance of winning millions of pounds.
The Seed
What happens when a player wins a jackpot and why doesn’t it start at zero? Progressive jackpots must start somewhere because no one would play a slot with a jackpot of 0 or 10 euros.
That starting point of a progressive jackpot is called the “seed” amount. It is guaranteed by the casino or game supplier. For example, IGT’s Megajackpots™ prize pool is seeded at 500,000 euros.
The Prize
Progressive jackpot slots come in all shapes and sizes. Some have their progressive jackpots of less than 1,000 euros.
Types of Progressive Jackpots
Progressive jackpots have evolved since they were invented decades ago. What started as a single-game jackpot game has now evolved into jackpots funded across an entire global network of casinos. The more the players participate, the bigger the jackpots and the more they’re won frequently.
The jackpot size can vary depending on how many players contribute to it and how many games are linked.
There usually are two types of progressive slot jackpots: local and Global. A local, also known as an in-house jackpot, is grouped between multiple machines in one casino. The global type is grouped between multiple casinos.
Progressive Jackpot Win Mechanic
We will look briefly at two ways you can win a progressive jackpot:
Paying the Maximum Stake
Some online casinos only let players win a jackpot if they bet the top takes possible. High-stakes progressive slots work by giving you a ticket when you spin the reels. The more you bet, the more “tickets” you earn. If one of the given tickets matches the algorithm, you win the jackpot.
Hitting Symbol Combinations
To hit the progressive jackpot, you must line up similar symbols on a designated pay line. For example, you may trigger the jackpot if you line up five symbols on the fifteenth pay line. Get the winning combination and collect the jackpot.
The odds of winning a progressive slot are so slim that most players will never get to win. On the other hand, if you have a couple of a hundred dollars you wish to spend on a night out, a progressive slot can be an excellent casino game to have all the fun.
