This article explains what are progressive jackpots, how progressive jackpot slots work and the history of progressive jackpot. The article also explains all the types of progressive jackpots and how to spot a progressive jackpot slot machine.
How a progressive jackpot slot works
Progressive jackpot slots elevate the excitement in slot games to new heights, offering a life-changing sum of money to the lucky player who hits the winning combination.
Unlike regular slot machines that pay out a fixed amount, progressive slot machines increase their jackpot with a fraction of every bet placed by players. So every time you play a game, you're contributing to the jackpot.
Central to this system is the Random Number Generator (RNG), ensuring every spin's outcome is entirely random. Whether it’s your first spin or your hundredth, each has an equal chance of landing that coveted jackpot.
The process starts with the seed, an initial amount provided by the casino, ensuring the jackpot is always attractive, even right after a player wins. From there, a portion of every real money bet fuels the jackpot, growing larger until a lucky player matches the specific winning combination, determined by the RNG. This moment is the climax of gameplay in progressive slot machines, delivering unparalleled excitement.
Player contribution
Every spin on the reels contributes directly to the jackpot size in progressive slot games. When you play slot machines of this type, a portion of your wager adds to the jackpot prize, incrementally increasing the total amount.
This progressive system ensures that the jackpot amount grows with each game played, allowing the prize pool to reach a maximum amount that can be significantly larger than in non-progressive slots.
Developers and slot creators design these games to encourage more players to chase the big jackpot, knowing that the larger the jackpot increases, the more players are attracted to the game.
This cycle not only increases the excitement and appeal of playing but also the potential for life-changing wins, making these slots incredibly popular.
The Seed
The Seed in a progressive jackpot slot sets the starting point of the jackpot, ensuring it never begins at zero.
This initial amount, or Seed, is crucial because a slot jackpot starting from nothing would hardly attract players. In the base game, whether you're aiming for the mini, minor, or larger jackpots, the Seed ensures there's always a tempting prize pool from the get-go.
The Seed is designed to help you feel that even the starting point offers a valuable opportunity to win. This Seed mechanism is particularly effective in keeping the game engaging right after a jackpot win, as it immediately resets to a predefined attractive amount, rather than dropping to zero, encouraging continuous play and interest in the payline achievements.
What are progressive jackpots?
Progressive jackpots, pivotal in both online casino and land-based casino realms, redefine winning potentials in casino games.
Unlike fixed jackpots, progressive jackpot games pool a portion of every bet across different games or machines, be it slots, roulette, or others, to create a collective top prize.
This prize pool grows without a cap until a lucky player wins, often resulting in life-changing sums. The appeal lies not just in the size of the bankroll boost but in the wide-area network linking these jackpots, amplifying the top prize across numerous venues or platforms.
History of progressive jackpot
Introduced in 1986 by large casinos, progressive jackpots revolutionized the casino world, with Megabucks, developed by International Game Technology (IGT), leading the charge as the first progressive slot machine.
This innovative system meant that every time a player spun the reels without hitting the jackpot, a portion of their wager contributed to a growing main jackpot, capable of reaching staggering sums.
This model turned the pursuit of the mega jackpot into an exciting chase for players. The anticipation culminated on February 1, 1987, when the first ever progressive jackpot was won, awarding a lucky player $4,988,842.17.
This landmark win not only cemented Megabucks' place in gambling history but also underscored the transformative impact of progressive jackpots on casino gaming dynamics.
Types of progressive jackpots
Progressive jackpots primarily fall into two categories: standard and "must-hit-by" variations, each offering a unique path to a jackpot win.
In standard progressive jackpots, a fraction of every bet made contributes to a growing prize pool until a lucky player lands the winning combination.
The "must-hit-by" jackpots, on the other hand, introduce a compelling twist. These jackpots are predetermined by a random number generator immediately after a jackpot is won and are set to be won before reaching a specific value.
This range, for instance, might set a smaller jackpot to be won between $1,500 and $3,500. The interesting part is that these jackpots can be triggered by any bet that pushes the total to or beyond this threshold, not necessarily by matching symbols on the payline.
Moreover, "must-hit-by" jackpots often span across multiple games, contributing a portion of bets to a collective prize pool. These are sometimes known as "mystery jackpots" because winning them doesn't depend on the main game's outcome.
Interestingly, placing a maximum bet isn't always required to win these jackpots, making them accessible to a wider range of players. Games featuring these jackpots can have several levels of "mystery jackpots," ensuring frequent wins and maintaining player excitement across the casino floor.
Progressive jackpot break-even point
The break-even point of a progressive jackpot is a crucial concept in gambling that can turn a jackpot wager into a "positive expectation bet," where the average return to player (RTP) potentially exceeds 100%.
This successful scenario comes when the jackpot surpasses the break-even point, offering players a mathematical edge over the house. In contrast, when the jackpot is below this critical threshold, the expectation becomes negative, presenting a house edge against the player.
For games like video poker, blackjack, or Caribbean Stud Poker, calculating an optimal strategy is feasible, aiming for moments when the jackpot offers a beneficial RTP.
While the appeal of playing when jackpots exceed the break-even point is strong, achieving profitability requires patience and a long-term strategy, sometimes involving tens of thousands of plays.
However, determining this break-even point in slot games presents challenges due to undisclosed payback percentages and weighted reels, complicating the calculation of odds. Online casinos introduce an additional layer of complexity, as the same game in different currencies may alter the break-even point and RTP based on currency conversion rates and the relative size of wagers to jackpot amounts.
How to spot a progressive jackpot slot?
Spotting a progressive jackpot slot, whether in a land-based casino or online, involves looking for specific indicators.
In physical casinos, these slots often have large, digital displays overhead that show the growing jackpot amount, distinguishing them from standalone progressive slots, which have smaller displays.
Online, progressive slots are usually grouped together or marked with a special symbol indicating their status. Key to identifying them is the continuously increasing jackpot figure prominently displayed on the slot's thumbnail or within its description. This figure updates in real time, reflecting contributions from players' bets across the network.
How do progressive jackpots slot machines accumulate and payout?
Progressive jackpot slot machines accumulate payouts by taking a small percentage of each bet and adding it to the jackpot pool until a player wins it all.
What is the biggest progressive jackpot slot payout?
The biggest progressive jackpot slot payout was nearly €18,915,721, won on Mega Moolah on September 28, 2018.
What are the chances of winning in a progressive jackpot slot?
The chances of winning a progressive jackpot slot vary widely, often exceeding 1 in 50 million, depending on the specific game and its rules.
What are the best progressive jackpot slots?
Here are the best progressive jackpot slots based on players’ preferences:
- Mega Moolah: Known for its large payouts, Mega Moolah is one of the most popular progressive slots with an average jackpot around $7,544,432.
- Age of the Gods: Features a progressive jackpot and is renowned for its exciting gameplay and good payouts.
- WOW Pot: Offers a substantial progressive jackpot, making it another popular choice among players.
- Major Millions: A military-themed slot game that provides players with the chance to win a progressive jackpot.
- Treasure Nile: An Egyptian-themed slot game with a progressive jackpot, appealing to fans of ancient history and large wins.