I myself made some big hits. It's not a big one. The biggest jackpot I won was $130 from a Wizard of Oz slot machine at a Leo Vegas casino. I've also won a few jackpots of $10, $20, and $50.
Size doesn't matter. Don't let anyone say something different. All jackpots are fun to win at LiveCasino. Because it's a surprise and a sense that you win whatever makes the jackpot so enjoyable.
I think the progressive jackpot is the same… It's only much bigger. Of course I don't know. I didn't win a one.
That's because progressive jackpots tend to pay tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. millions. Often, a life-changing amount of cash is much harder than a commonplace $20 jackpot.
These are the types of jackpots we're talking about today. We're going to talk more about what it is, what kind of progressive games (not all slot machines) you can play, how much you can win, how likely you are to win, and more.
We'll also introduce you to the best online casinos for progressive casino games. One of the things that make these games so great is that they are on the network. We'll talk more about this later. What you need to know right now is that there are no restrictions on where you can play.
The rest of this page focuses on what progressive jackpots are, how they work, odds, and more. Then close everything in the simple FAQ section.
Let's Start.
What is a Progressive Jackpot?
It's really simple.
Progressive jackpots are pools of money awarded every time a player makes a qualifying bet and hits a special combination or card to trigger a payment.
Jackpots are made from player bets. Part of each bet (about 1 percent) goes to the jackpot. The remaining amount (99%) on each bet is used as usual for a particular spin, spin, or hand.
The difference between progressive jackpots is that for all high-quality bets where no payment is made, the jackpot increases. It grows and grows until someone wins. The jackpot is not a flat amount.
Example:
Sit back and play Megamula. The current jackpot is $999. You can bet $1 spins per minute, but you'd have to play $5 to play the jackpot. That's what you put in.
For this example, let's take $1 from each bet going to the jackpot. Your bet results in jackpots totaling up to $1,000. The remaining $4 goes to the normal part of the game. Feel free to check out casinos such as wildz casino for a great gaming experience.
If you spin and hit 3 line, you will get a payment of $3.48, but there is no jackpot.
Then rinse and repeat.
That's the basic idea. Progressive jackpots are all of the same quality, but the payment method will vary depending on the game you are playing. This can be a special combination of rolls, or rare hands such as royal flushes.
When the jackpot is triggered, the person pays and the pool resumes.
Jackpots may start at 0. Certain amounts may also be seeded from the casino or from the percentage of the last jackpot given.
It depends on the type of casino and progressive game you are playing.
Types of Progressive Jackpots
There are different types of progressive machines.
One of them is a stand-alone machine. It's like the big machine you might see when you first step on the casino floor. Big, shiny, fancy slots usually cost quite a bit to play – like $5 or $10. They always have huge jackpots and are only built from the money wagered on it machines.
The following types are the most common – linked progressives. This is where there is a collection of machines connected to the same jackpot, each feeding the pool. These can be linked from the same game, different games, one casino, or multiple casinos.
I prefer linked progressive to independent progressive. Here's why:
- The jackpot grows at a faster rate (only one person at a time, like a standalone machine) as more people feed the pool at the same time.
- You don't have to wait to play it. The more machines on your network, the more likely you are to find an empty seat.
- Linked machines are often spread across multiple casinos. For example, you can find many of the same progressive (linked) slots when you're playing in Bellagio, New York, MGM, and Mirage. They don't always have the same game, but when they have, you and many others can send money to the same jackpot at the same time. The same goes for online progressive games.
- Once you see the bonus round, you can “compete” or “cooperate” with other players on the progressive network. This makes the game more fun, interesting and even very competitive to play.
- I've noticed that most of the linked progressives are much cheaper to play than stand-alone progressives.
One of my favorite linked progressive games is IGT's Dark Knight Slot Machine. This can be found in brick-and-mortar casinos. Microgaming creates an online version.
The offline version is connected to the Mega Jackpot Network. Here's how progressives work: Win or lose, you're in the option to choose Batman or the Joker in one random point. When selected, the wheel rotates and lands on mini, small, main, or mega rewards.
When I play, mega jackpots are always in the number range of 6 or 7. It's a lot of fun, especially if you're a fan of Christopher Nolan's movie The Dark Knight.
Progressive Jackpot are More Than Just Slots
One thing I want to make clear is that progressives are not just slot machines. They are the most common and usually have the biggest jackpots, but they are not the only ones that can be played.
There are others. Such as:
- Blackjack – This jackpot is often part of a side game where you have to make additional (side) bets to play in the jackpot. The winning hand or combination or result will vary depending on the play/side bet.
- Slots
- Caribbean Stud – The most common (and biggest) payment occurs when someone is given a Pat Royal Flush.
- Poker – This jackpot is usually triggered by a bad beat. A fairly standard threshold is that you need to hold 8 of 4 or more to win. In many cases, the “winner” of the card gets part of the pool. Sometimes, other players dealt are also on hand. And usually, the pot is thrown back by the jackpot.
- Video Poker – Progressives vary from game to game, but usually depending on whether they are dealt or make rare hands such as straight flushes or royal flushes.
There are other types as well. It depends on the rules, the time and amount of payment, along with how they work, the type of progressive you play and where you play.
Is there a Best Strategy For Progressive Jackpot Games?
Honestly, there's not much strategy for progressive games. Slots in particular – there is no winning strategy or betting system that can be used to beat them.
The best tip anyone can give you (if you want to play/win progressives) is to understand what you need to do to win the jackpot and what you need to bet – and bet. I heard a lot of sad stories about people doing magic combinations, so I found that when the jackpot required 5, they only paid one or four credits.
Well, there is one strategy you can use to find the best time to play progressive machines. But there's a fair amount of math involved and it depends on the game you're playing. Too much to include here. But here's the point.
All you want to do is find a breakeven point, an intersection where there is enough money for the jackpot compared to the chances of hitting a winning combination. At this point, you will benefit from all the bets you make. Every bet you make is beneficial (even if you lose a spin).
Please note:
Professional gamblers call this a positive expectation or + EV bet.
So you have to sit back and put your life savings into the machine, right? Yes and no – one thing you have to remember is that gambling is a long-term thing. Jackpots can be hit with multiple hands, or thousands or even tens of thousands of games to hit.
The question is, how much can we afford to lose chasing the jackpot?
But the good news is that if you stick to the right strategy for the game you're playing, you can not only make money in the long run and give yourself a chance to win the jackpot, but you can also win money. Break-even even for short sprints. It's hard to lose.
Currency also plays a role, especially online. Many casinos allow you to play in multiple currencies, so break-even and RTP can change depending on the currency you're playing in. This is because the jackpot is convertable, so you will be paid the same amount, regardless of your currency choice. But the stakes required to play are not.
According to Wikipedia:
For example$ consider a game where you pay a jackpot of $1000/€900/£700 but require a flat $1/€1/£1 bet to be eligible for the jackpot. In such cases, qualifying bets have a small percentage of the jackpot, so it is beneficial for players to choose to play in dollars. Therefore, when betting dollars, the breakeven point is always lower and the return to the player is always higher.
Finding break-even points is only possible in table games. That's because you can tell (or Google) certain results, such as the possibility to get a Royal Flash or four different types of flashes. For slots, it is nearly impossible to do this because you need to know how many reels the weights are set, the position of each symbol on each wheel, and so on. Then cross-reference it with the payment table. And only if it allows you to get information from the manufacturer. Good luck with that.
If you want to try these games and become +EV, you can follow this table to see a list of progressive games and break-even points.
Good luck trying to find this game offline. There is a team of people looking for progressive play with player advantage. They usually play this game, do shift work and call members when they need a break. So you will be competing for a seat with them.
But it is possible
This is a great example of a progressive advantage game. In 2011, poker pro Hackseed won $670,000 playing video poker in Aria.
He played $100 per credit, 5 credits per hand and a total of $500. But he bought a $40,000 ticket, which saved him the hassle of manually supplying $400 million to the machine.
Between jackpots, competitions and a high play rate per hour, considering everything he has won, his + EV is estimated to be around $1,500 an hour.
Who Pays the Jackpot Winner?
How are progressive jackpots paid? What happens if I hit a $40 mini or $1,000,000 mega jackpot?
Jackpots are (usually) paid by game developers (although they may be paid directly from the casino).
One of the reasons it happens this way is to ensure that small casinos don't have to deal with huge payment losses. Especially if you find that progressives are built from customers who play in many casinos.
Jackpot Casino Payments are usually made on the spot in one go. However, it also depends on where you play, especially if you play online.
Many online casinos have a limit on how much you can draw at once, weekly, monthly, or both. This can be about $2-$3,000 per week and/or $5,000-$20,000 per month.
The problem, as you can tell, is that if you win a jackpot of $100,000 or $1,000,000, you'll have to wait a long time before cashing in all the money. This can take months, if not years.
Most online casinos do not have a reasonable shelf life for payment. The risk is too great. But that's a pretty common rule.
Some online casinos make exceptions. If you hit the progressive jackpot, you will be paid the full amount. Lucky Red is one such example I know. Other casinos like Bet365 and 888 have considerable cash limits that can withdraw millions in the course of a few months.
Choose your online casino wisely.
Conclusion
Progressive jackpots are fun to play. They might win too. Although you should certainly ask for one of the few lucky enough to win.
But if you can receive the money you need to play it, there is a wide choice of games and variations that will let you pay a life-changing amount of money, no matter which casino you join offline or online.
There are not many casino games that can make the same claim.
