If you have ever seen an advertisement for a casino that had huge amounts (often in the millions) offered as top payouts you have probably seen games with a progressive jackpot. Keep reading to learn what a progressive jackpot is, how they work, different types of progressives, and where you can find them.

What Are Progressive Jackpots?

Progressive jackpots are amounts offered as the top payouts for particular casino games that continue climbing until a player wins. They are available on a wide range of games, but the most common ones are tied to slot machines.

Build a jackpot triggering poker hand and not only will you win a massive payout for the great hand but also the progressive jackpot. In each game, a specific poker hand is the key to winning the Jackpot – land 4 Jacks & the Supajax card to land the Supajax progressive jackpot, or the Diamond Royal Flush at Jackpot Deuces, and the huge. With progressive jackpot slots, you could win anywhere from $10,000 to a couple million. It’s just a matter of finding the right progressive jackpot slot and being lucky. Our real money online casino is proud to offer players a huge number of progressive jackpot. Progressive jackpot casino games are where the jackpot amount increases with every wager placed. They will continue to grow until one lucky player lands the winning combination. It will then reset to a predetermined amount and starts to increase again.

They tend to run from thousands of dollars all the way up to millions of dollars. Progressive jackpot games are available at online casinos as well as in land-based casinos.

Most progressive jackpot games require maximum wagers to be eligible for the jackpot amount. So if you hit whatever the required combination or hand is to win the progressive but haven’t wagered the correct amount you won’t win the progressive.

This would have to be one of the absolute worst feelings in the world so make sure you both understand the minimum wagering requirements to be eligible for the progressive and are always betting at that level or higher when you play on a progressive game.

The most common example of this is a video poker game with a progressive jackpot. On most machines, you have to wager five coins to unlock the top payouts. So if you are playing a quarter video poker machine the total bet at five coins would be $1.25 per hand.

If you bet less than this and hit the top paying hand you will only win the amount listed for your number of coins, not the progressive jackpot. If you aren’t comfortable betting as much, you should play for a lower amount per coin.

You may be able to play the same video poker game in a nickel machine, making your bet .25 for a five-coin wager. Many slot machines have the same ability to play for a lower amount per line.

How Progressive Jackpots Work

Progressive jackpots build over time until a player wins them, then they reset to a predetermined level and start building again. The way they build is by taking a percentage of every bet made on the game the progressive jackpot is associated with and adding it to the jackpot amount.

Here’s a fictitious example so you can see exactly how a progressive jackpot works. The example uses numbers that are easy to compute for the purpose of this page. These numbers are not necessarily representative of a real-life progressive game but are an accurate representation of the mechanics.

We’ll use a slot machine with an attached progressive jackpot as an example. The slot machine takes 10% of every wager and places it in the progressive jackpot amount. After the jackpot is won the amount is reset to $100,000. The reset amount is generally accumulated from the contributions to the overall progressive jackpot.

In this example, 1% is used to fund the next reset amount and 9% goes straight to the progressive amount until $100,000 is accumulated in the reset account. Once the $100,000 is accumulated the entire 10% is used for the climbing jackpot. Another way this can be handled is the casino or software provider, whoever is running the progressive, fronts the $100,000 and the 10% goes toward that until it is taken care of.

Then the progressive will continue growing. There are a few other ways the reset amount can be handled, but the important thing to know is the seed amount is taken from the wagers on the game just like the progressive amount.

Continuing with our example, you are playing for a total cost per spin of $2.50. In this case .25 of each spin is contributed to the progressive jackpot amount and $2.25 is handled just like it is on a non-progressive machine. The other pay outs and the profit from the machine are taken from this second amount.

A common misunderstanding is the belief that the casinos are taking a huge cut of the progressive jackpots. The casinos tend to make more money on large progressive jackpot machines, but not because they are getting a cut of the jackpot. Generally, they pay out 100% of the jackpot between the jackpot amount and the reset amount.

The reason they can make more profit on the largest progressive jackpot games is because of the extra players who are trying to hit the big win. The media coverage picks up when jackpots get high and it increases the number of players. The additional profit comes from the second amount ($2.25) in our example.

For example, if the machine in our example is set to pay out 90% over time, the casino will make 22.5 (twenty two and a half) cents per bet. So here is the complete breakdown of a $2.50 wager on the slot machine in question.

What are the Differences Between a Local and Wide Area Progressive Jackpot

From a player’s perspective, there really isn’t a big difference between a local progressive jackpot and a wide area progressive jackpot. A wide area progressive jackpot is also sometimes called a linked jackpot and some progressives are called a bank. The wide area jackpot tends to build faster because there are more players, but the mechanics of how the jackpots build are the same.

A wide area progressive jackpot is one shared across games, usually slot machines, across a range of properties. For example, you might find the same progressive slot machine games in numerous land-based casinos or in online casinos running the same software platform. If they are part of a wide area progressive they each feed into the same jackpot and payout from the same jackpot pool.

When there are hundreds or even thousands of players playing the same machines at the same time the progressive amount is bound to go up faster than local progressives.

A local progressive jackpot is one that is usually tied to a single game. An example that many players have seen of a local progressive is a progressive game of Caribbean Stud poker. The progressive is usually only tied to the individual game or group of the particular games at the particular casino.

In other words, if the casino has three tables offering Caribbean Stud, all three will more than likely share the same progressive, but no games outside of them will contribute. Note that the three games do not have to share the same jackpot. They can have three separate progressive jackpots.

You will also run into a bank of slot machines in land-based casinos that share a progressive jackpot. These machines don’t share a jackpot with any slots not included in the bank of machines.

If you are wondering where the line is drawn between local and wide area progressive games, in my mind if the game is linked to games offered at other casinos, either land-based or online, it is a wide area. If it is tied to a single game or a group of games in the same casino it is a local progressive.

Of course, it does go back to the first part of this section in the fact it doesn’t really matter for players. All that matters is how big the jackpot is and what you have to do to qualify for it.

What Types of Games Can Have Progressive Jackpots?

The most common types of games that have progressive jackpots are slot machines. While the slots that are most likely to have progressives are the newer video slots with multiple pay lines, often with bonus rounds and other features, progressives can be found on all types of machines.

I’ve seen progressives on just about any type of slot machines that you can think of, including three reel machines. I have also seen progressive jackpots tied to video poker machines and table games.

Though it really goes beyond the scope of this page, when you consider playing a video poker game with a progressive jackpot compare the paytable of the progressive machine and a non-progressive one. The progressive video poker game is almost always a worse paytable than the non-progressive one.

Progressive Jackpot Win Youtube

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play the progressive machine, because sometimes the progressive amount will get high enough that it is actually a profitable game to play.

An actual example of this that I have seen many times is Jacks or Better. The best Jacks or Better machines are called 9 / 6 machines, offering 9 coin payouts for a full house and 6 coin payouts for a flush. The progressive jacks or better games tend to only pay 8 coins for a full house and 5 coins for a flush.

Common table games with progressive jackpots include Caribbean Stud Poker, roulette and Let it Ride. Theoretically, just about any table game can be tied to a progressive jackpot. Most of the ones that have progressives have them tied to a side bet.

A common example is a $1 side bet. It’s up to each player whether he or she places the progressive jackpot side bet. I have even seen more than one table game tied to the same progressive jackpot.

For example, a casino could have their Caribbean Stud and Let it Ride progressives together. This can create higher jackpots faster as more people are contributing to the jackpots.

Are There Progressive Jackpots Online and Off?

You’ll find great progressive jackpot games both online and at land-based casinos. Anything the casinos can do to get more people to play they will usually do and huge progressive jackpots help get players in the door or in the virtual door.

So as long as progressive jackpots continue helping the casino make money you will continue to find them at all different kinds of casinos.

Popular Progressive Jackpot Games

Here is a table with some of the most popular progressive jackpot games both online and off. The amounts continue to climb and reset, so the popularity of these games goes up and down with the amount of the top payouts.

These are just a few of the hundreds of possible progressive jackpots so if you don’t see any you like, just take a quick look around at your favorite casino. You are sure to find plenty of other options.

Should I Play Progressive Jackpot Games?

This is a question that only you can answer. There are progressive jackpots that are life changing amounts, but the odds of ever winning one are so high that millions of players will never hit one in their life. But many players view all of their gambling as entertainment expense and don’t really count on winning anything in the long run.

If you have the money to play with and can view your gambling as an entertainment expense, then, by all means, try to hit a big progressive jackpot. As a side note, there is nothing wrong with either gambling as an entertainment expense or gambling while trying to find an advantage against the casino. I am not judging either way, just covering as much of the subject as I can.

Many casual casino players will play a few casino games instead of going out to eat or taking in a movie. If you were going to spend a couple hundred on a night out, why not use it instead to take your chances at your favorite slot machine or table game? Even if you play the games with the highest house edge you will occasionally leave a winner.

You can also find progressive jackpots that get so high that they can be played with a statistical edge over the casinos in the long run. I mentioned this when discussing video poker above and it is an in-depth topic that can’t be covered in full here, but it is possible and when you find these situations on a game you enjoy you should take advantage of them and play.

Bovada Progressive Jackpot Win

If you a fan of the ever growing gambling trend, the times are changing, thelingo is changing, and slot machine mastery is changing!

There are so many different terms to winning today in casinos, often itleaves players breathless with wonder. Have you ever walked into a casino andnot understood the difference between a casino jackpot win? Orhave you ever just wondered what the difference is between a jackpot and aprogressive jackpot?

Let us give you some insight on the progressivejackpots.

WHAT IS A PROGRESSIVE SLOT JACKPOT?

Winning slots in a casino sometimes seems like a piece ofcake, while other times it seems that you have to develop a mastery ofthe slot machine.

There is some really good insider information that you may find helpful onprogressive slots. Progressive jackpot slots are theonly slot game that regularly offers millions of dollars plus jackpots.

The whole idea to progressive slot machines is that apercentage of each bet placed would add to the jackpot prize. Thus, every betplayed would be added to the previous bets, making the jackpot grow. Everytime you spin the reel, or push the reel button, a percentage of your bet isadded to the jackpot, causing the jackpot to grow, and grow and grow. Theproblem with progressive jackpots is that they have a lowerpayout percentage than a standard slot machine jackpot.

PLAYING TIPS TO WIN PROGRESSIVE SLOT MACHINES

When playing progressive slot machines the best pay out isalways with the max bet allowed. This means, if the game says that the max betis 3 coins, you should play 3 coins. This is because when you win slots,you only win the maximum jackpot if you bet the max bet. If you do not play maxbet, your win could only be a third of what it should or could have been.

Most people like to play $1.00 or .25 slots. What could be worse thanbetting a half dollar on a one dollar slot and only winning $1000.00 when youcould have won the progressive jackpot of 100000.00!

If you like to play land based casinos, make sure that all the coins haveregistered and been accounted for before spinning your reel. Playing online isa little easier; just be sure to always hit the max bet option.

Some wonder if progressive slots are worth the money. The main thing to takeinto consideration is to know your budget. Progressivejackpots tend to have a lower payout record than other slotmachines. If you have a certain amount of money you are playing with,only play a portion towards progressive slots. This will helpyou keep some money to play other slot machines if your luckis not with you on the progressive slot machines with higherpay out odds.

Once a progressive jackpot is won, the meter usually resetsitself to the base jackpot amount. Most legitimate casinoswill give you information on when the last progressive jackpottook place, and for how much the win was for. CheckSlotland homepage for details.

WHERE TO FIND PROGRESSIVE SLOTS

Slot machines in casinos are making changes every day. Atone time, casinos were just pure walk in, walk out. Now you can take a spinfrom the privacy of your own home. Legitimate online casinosare becoming more and more popular. Not only can you find your favoriteslot machine in a regular casino, you can wander cyber spaceand find many of the same games online.

Whether you're looking for primary jackpots, secondary jackpots orprogressive slot jackpots, online casinos give you thepleasure of playing whenever you want. Linked progressive jackpots are nowcommon to both online and offline casinos.

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LAST THOUGHTS ON SLOT GAMING

How To Play Progressive Slots

Playing at the casino can be fun, relaxing and relatively pain free. Youjust need to keep a few things in mind when doing so. Always know your limit.Playing slot machines should always be for entertainment only,not intended to use as an income. If you want to play progressive slotmachines, remember that you can give them a spin, but don't chase arainbow that is not guaranteed to win.