Casino games containing progressive jackpots are always extremely popular among players, regardless of whether they are land-based or online.
Over the past decade or two, these titles have paid out massive jackpots worth hundreds of thousands – and sometimes even millions – only increasing their notoriety.
However, although many players have tried progressive slots and casino games for themselves, some are still in the dark when it comes to exactly how these mechanics work.
Read on as we explain how online casino progressive jackpots really work, and how you can play them to maximise your chances of landing a massive win.
History and the Basic Mechanics
The first casino software developer to link progressive jackpots to a land-based casino was Las Vegas head-quartered company International Gaming Technology (IGT). As the years went by and gambling became even more popular in the 90s, online casinos began to take the wheel, and it wasn’t long before progressive slots and games made their way online as well.
Basically put, a progressive jackpot is linked to what you would call a ‘progressive network’. Every time a player on this network places a wager, a percentage of that bet is added to the progressive jackpot pool.
The pool continues to grow larger and larger indefinitely until the jackpot is hit by a very lucky player. Usually, when you play one of these titles, the total amount that you can win will be displayed at the top of your screen in big and noticeable numbers.
Different Kinds of Progressive Jackpots
You might be interested to know that there are also different kinds of progressive jackpots on the market. They include:
- In-house progressives: in-house progressive jackpots involve a number of slots in a casino linked to a network that is owned by the casino or its operating company. Progressives of this nature tend to pay out millions when they are struck!
- Wide area progressives: these networks are larger than in-house progressives as several machines from different casinos are linked within a specific area. The prizes they offer are truly huge, especially if the slots in question are particularly popular.
- And standalone progressives: this type of game is not linked to a network, so its specified percentage of coins set aside by its players form the only available jackpot prize. These games are in demand particularly in the pubs and online bingo halls of the UK and Australia.
More Essential Tips for Progressive Play
Here are a few more essential things to know about progressive casino games before you jump into playing them.
In most cases, 5% of all wagers made on a game are set aside and diverted into the progressive pool, and the more it is played, the larger the jackpot will become. Most modern slots have three progressive prizes to trigger: a major, minor, and mini jackpot, or something following a similar premise.
For those who prefer table games, there are also plenty of other progressive games available online that are not slots.
They include video poker, Caribbean Stud poker, keno and bingo, to name just a few. To improve your chances of winning them, remember to read the terms and conditions, to play at maximum bet where possible, and to never overplay your bankroll.