PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT GAMES

GUIDE TO CASINO GAMES WITH PROGRESSIVE JACKPOTS

What are progressive jackpots? And why are they famous and popular? More importantly, how can someone get their hands on one?

What Is a Jackpot?

Jackpot is a prize that can be won in a casino game.

Although most other game categories can carry jackpots – it doesn’t have to be slots only.

Another thing that’s important to note is that jackpots are not the same as regular payouts. All games, including slot machines, have a top payout, which is the game’s maximum payout capacity. Although it’s not rare to see these terms used interchangeably, it’s not the same – a jackpot is a prize attached to the casino game, not the inherently possible payout.

There are many types of jackpots, but generally, we recognize two main types:

1. Fixed jackpots
2. Progressive jackpots

Fixed jackpots have fixed prize amounts, so they are always the same. Whenever you hit that kind of jackpots, you will get the same payout that is stated as the max prize.

On the other hand, progressive jackpots have no cap, and so they can grow over time.

Types of Progressive Jackpots

Online casino games offer three types of progressive jackpot games.

Standalone Progressive Jackpot

As the name suggests, the progressive jackpot is “standalone” and not linked to the progressive jackpots of other slots machines. Since it is standalone, it is smaller but still rewarding.

Standalones used to be very popular in casinos around the 2000s and 2010s. Today, however, network jackpots are slightly more famous and popular, probably because they offer bigger payouts and more different games.

With standalone jackpots, the casino game you choose is the only one you can play to get that specific jackpot.

Network Progressive Jackpot

Network progressive jackpot games are those that are linked together. Usually, these are jackpot games available at all online casinos that belong to a single operator. Bets placed on all these games contribute to a single, linked jackpot. As a result, the jackpot can become very large indeed, though not as large as the wide area progressive jackpot.

Wide Area Progressive Jackpot

A wide area progressive jackpot is obtained by linking together progressive jackpot games in online casinos that are not related to one another in any way. Usually, the jackpot network is run by an independent company and the casinos offering the games get a percentage of the winnings.

These jackpots can swell to six or seven figures. So, winning one of them is a life-transforming experience, but this is not common today nor is it as frequent as it used to be before.

How Progressive Jackpots Work

The mechanism of progressive jackpots depends on the type of game in question. If we are talking about slots, they are made up of two parts.

There’s a seed contributed by the house or the gaming company, and the sum of fractions of all bets placed on the game. When a lucky player wins a progressive jackpot, it is reset to its seed value. Then it begins growing again till another lucky player wins it.

Progressive jackpot games have different mechanics, so players can win them in different ways. Some progressive games require players to bet maximum to activate the progressive feature. Usually, players have to either land a winning symbol combination or unlock a bonus game to win the progressive jackpot.

How Progressive Jackpots are Paid Out

What happens if you win a progressive jackpot? Can you withdraw all those millions in one lump sum? This depends on your online casino’s withdrawal policies.

All online casinos have their own withdrawal limits, but the best of them pay out progressive jackpots in lump sum. We advise players to read the online casino’s withdrawal policy before signing up. You don’t want to sign up at an online casino that pays out progressive wins in small monthly installments.

What Games Can I Play with Progressive Prizes?

Games associated with jackpot prizes are, in most cases, slot machines. Indeed, progressive slots remain a top choice for players looking to get big profits, as these have the highest possible chance of making you a millionaire.

Still, it’s not the only type of game that can land a progressive prize.

Fans of table games, such as blackjack and roulette, can also enjoy a bit of progressive fun.

Progressive Blackjack

Progressive blackjack, like roulette, is a lesser known type of blackjack. Potent, though, as it offers punters a shot at a potentially huge reward if they manage to hit the progressive jackpot.

What we should clarify right away is that progressive blackjack refers to a side bet in online and live blackjack. This side bet allows punters to wager on the chance of hitting a progressive prize, so it’s optional and those who don’t want to participate, do not have to.

Those who want to try their luck with this type of reward can place a separate side bet, a piece of which will go towards the prize pool. Depending on the table, the triggering mechanism will differ. All this, and everything else connected to progressive blackjack is available in our comprehensive blackjack guide.

Progressive Roulette

And just like blackjack, progressive roulette exists for fans of this table game that want the thrill of triggering a constantly-growing prize. Roulette with this type of offer gives players a chance to access the prize using a side bet, just like blackjack.

It’s a hybrid game, quite liked by players but not that widespread as you’d imagine. Still, it exists – and some of the biggest names in the industry such as Playtech, Games Global, and Ezugi have created their own variants of progressive roulette.

What is important with progressive roulette is that it’s a side bet, and a fraction of every single wager goes toward the pool. Ultimately, when it’s triggered, it will pay out the entire sum and reset to the seed value automatically. In case you are interested in how exactly progressive roulette works, you can learn everything about it in this guide right here.

Progressive Video Poker

Compared to other casino games, video poker jackpots are the most similar to slots in terms of how they work. Namely, progressive video poker jackpots are prize pools – not side bets – that have starting seeds and grow using small percentages of every wager placed in the games over time.

Although progressive video poker seems like a counterintuitive thing – video poker is a casual, low-risk type of game – it’s a very popular variant that players like to play. Though, it comes with a couple of stipulations. Number one: players are often restricted to the use of maximum coin bets, and RTP values tend to be on the lower side of the scale. Still, it’s a great option if you want to try another casino game with a progressive jackpot besides slots.

Top 3 Biggest Jackpot Wins of All Time

For some players, a big jackpot can be $20,000 or $50,000. Others put the label ‘big’ on jackpots sized $100,000 or bigger. However, the biggest jackpot prizes paid out are much, much larger – over $42,000,000 larger even.

Here are the current top 3 biggest jackpot pay outs so far.

For years, Mega Moolah held the record as one of the best and biggest payout jackpots in the world. The only casino game that could challenge that at least a bit was NetEnt’s Mega Fortune.

But Games Global decided to change that – and they introduced not one but two progressive networks. WowPot and King Millions are fantastic networks that could generate prizes worth millions. In fact, WowPot already did – and it’s the current record holder for the biggest payout of all time with a prize win of over $42m thanks to a 2023 hit on a Wheel of Wishes slot.

For more jackpot wins and info about other life-changing payouts, check out this guide right HERE.