Unlike traditional slot machines, which have a fixed prize, progressive jackpots are constantly growing and increasing until one lucky punter scoops them. It’s this enormous jackpot potential that makes progressive slots a big hit with players at land-based and online casinos. But what exactly is a progressive slot machine and how does it work?
When you play a progressive machine, a small percentage of your bet is siphoned off into a separate pot that’s used to fund the jackpot. This is what makes progressives stand out from the crowd, and it’s a model that many slot developers use when they create games.
The way that this works is quite simple. For every spin that you make, a small percentage of your bet goes into the progressive jackpot pool. The jackpot keeps rising until someone wins it, and the money can be life-changing.
There are three main types of progressive slots. There are standalone progressives, which don’t connect to any other jackpots, linked progressives, where a small portion of bets on multiple machines are added to a single jackpot, and wide-area progressives, where the jackpot is shared between different casinos. You can also find progressives on video slots, though they’re not as common as their classic counterparts.
Standalone progressives only increase with each bet made on the machine they’re in, and the prize is usually smaller than those found in a linked machine. You can also find progressive jackpots in slots that aren’t connected to a network at all, and these will tend to have higher odds of winning than those in a linked game.
What’s more, some progressives have a tiered structure, which adds even more potential for huge winnings. For example, the popular Cash Express by Aristocrat has four different jackpot levels, each of which can be won by lining up the appropriate symbols across the reels. There are also mystery jackpots, which don’t have to be triggered by line-ups of specific symbols and can happen randomly, such as when you trigger a bonus round.
It’s worth mentioning that you should try to avoid playing progressives with low jackpots, as they will have lower odds of winning than those with bigger prizes. This is because a low jackpot means that more punters will buy in, and so the odds will be further diluted.
It’s important to remember that gambling can be addictive, so it’s best to limit how much time you spend on these machines. If you find yourself struggling, it may be time to seek help. This is especially true if you’re playing progressives with high jackpots, which can be tempting to play. However, if you must play them, it’s a good idea to stick with reputable gaming sites and stay within your bankroll. Otherwise, you could be setting yourself up for a huge loss that will have lasting negative effects on your finances.