What Are Progressive Jackpots?

Progressive jackpots are the biggest prizes you’ll find in the online casino world, some of them growing to huge numbers, even in the many millions of dollars or euros. Rather than paying a fixed jackpot amount like their regular counterparts, progressives continue to grow with each new spin until one lucky player strikes gold to win everything that has been amassed. 

Whether you’ve seen headlines about massive online slot payouts or are simply curious about how games with these potentially life-changing features work, understanding the system behind these prizes can help you play with both excitement and confidence. Today, we break down all of that in our in-depth guide to progressive jackpots. 

What Are Progressive Slots?

They are slot machines that either have a standalone progressively increasing jackpot or can win a shared alternative on a jackpot network. Every bet from all players who spin on these games has a small percentage taken out and added to the growing jackpot. Once they’re won, they’re reset back to their seed amount, which depends on the slot or network. 

This makes them different from fixed jackpot slots, where the prize always stays the same. They offer consistency and predictability, while progressive slots are all about the opposite and the possibility of winning a much bigger reward.

Progressive slots can appear in both land-based casinos and online platforms. Some are standalone, while others are connected in small local networks or even vast cross-casino and cross jurisdiction  networks where tens of thousands of players are contributing to the same massive prize.

Understanding Progressive Slots Meaning

When we talk about the term ‘progressive’, we mean the progression of the jackpot, which increases as players play the slot. They essentially keep growing until they are won, which, in some cases, is incredibly rare, so the jackpots can grow to insane amounts. For instance, the largest ever won was on the WowPot when it made one lucky player extremely rich after scooping €38.5 million. 

It is the possibility of winning such life-changing amounts that adds an extra layer of anticipation when playing progressives. 

Why do people love them?

• The draw of huge unexpected payouts
• The simple thrill of watching the jackpot grow
• The idea that any spin could change your life

What Is a Progressive Jackpot System?

A progressive jackpot system is a network that collects a small portion of every wager and channels it into a shared jackpot prize.

How it works:

1. You place a bet on a qualifying slot
   
2. A percentage of your bet is allocated to the progressive jackpot pool
   
3. The jackpot grows until someone wins it
   
4. Once won, it resets to a seed amount
   
5. The cycle begins again

Winning a jackpot can happen differently depending on the game you play. Some wins can just occur randomly, while others may involve playing a jackpot game or hitting a specific symbol combination. There are several win triggers:

To ensure fairness, all progressives use Random Number Generators, meaning:

• No one can predict when the jackpot will land
  
• Casinos cannot influence the outcome
  
• Every spin has an equal chance

Jackpot systems are tightly monitored and tested by licensing authorities to guarantee integrity, transparency and player protection.

Different Types of Progressive Slots

Progressive slots come in several formats based on how the jackpot is funded and shared across machines.

Standalone Progressive Slots

A standalone progressive is just a single slot with its own jackpot. Only bets on that one machine will contribute to the size of the jackpot. These can still create huge payouts, with titles like NetEnt’s Hall of Gods and Microgaming’s Treasure Nile being two examples of titles that can create instant multi-millionaires. 

However, for the most part, standalone jackpot slots do not create wins as big as those in local or wide area progressives. 

Local Progressive Slots

Conversely, local progressives share a jackpot that’s being hosted at a single online casino. They might not even be tied to a single slot and instead are selected slots that all contribute, meaning the jackpot can grow much quicker. 

These generally fall in the middle of standalone jackpots and the huge, wide-area types that can create monster wins. 

Wide-Area Progressive Slots

These are the big boy jackpots that always make the news when they’re won. Think the WowPot, Mega Moolah, Age of Gods or Dream Drop. Each has dozens of different slots that all contribute to a shared jackpot pool, no matter which of the games a player is spinning and the casino they’re on. 

These can grow to tens of millions in size and usually seed with at least a million, meaning every winner will become a millionaire. 

A Comparison of Fixed and Progressive Jackpots 

While both types of jackpots can yield substantial payouts for players, there are distinct differences between the two. 

Feature	Fixed Jackpot	Progressive Jackpot
Prize Amount	Always the same	Continually increases
Volatility	Typically lower but not always	Higher
Prize Size	Small to medium-sized	Potentially massive
Win Frequency	More frequent	Harder to land (at least the biggest jackpots)
Gameplay Style	Predictable	Risk-reward excitement

How Progressive Jackpots Work

Progressive jackpots depend on constant player engagement to increase prizes and create winners. Here’s a closer look at what happens behind the scenes:

Bet Contribution Model

All progressive jackpots, whether standalone or shared pools on networks, start with a seed amount provided by the software provider that created it. That amount obviously differs from network to network and the sort of jackpots they’re designed to potentially create. For instance, some could start with a small seed of just a few thousand, while others are known to begin with up to $2 million.

Then, each spin on the machine or network contributes anywhere between 1% and 5% of the wager towards the jackpot pool. 

Jackpot Eligibility Rules

While many jackpots do not have any specific rules, others do, so it’s important to understand these before you start spinning. For example:

• Some slots or networks may require wagers of a particular size to qualify for winning a jackpot. 
• Others may even require you to bet the maximum bet possible.
• You may have to be located in specific jurisdictions to win a jackpot. 
• As some have multiple jackpots of different sizes, you may have to play a jackpot game to determine which one you win. 

Jackpot Reset + Seed Funding

Once the jackpot drops, it restarts from a guaranteed minimum value funded by one of the following, depending on the jackpot:

• The operator (casino)
  
• The game provider

Tips for Playing Progressive Slots Responsibly

Just like regular slots, every spin is random, so you always have a chance of getting the luck to win a progressive jackpot. However, it’s always important to keep your expectations in check, as big wins only come around every now and again. For that reason, we recommend you heed some of our following tips when playing progressive jackpot slots.

• Set a budget and stick to it
  
• Treat jackpot hunting as entertainment
  
• Know whether the max bet is required to qualify
  
• Choose slots with clear return-to-player information
  
• Try demo mode to learn mechanics without spending

Take Your Chance at Changing Your Life

Progressive jackpot slots offer the biggest winning potential you’ll find in the iGaming industry. There are regular stories of players landing tens of millions from single spins of just $0.50 – $2. No other casino game gives you such a chance, unless they’re connected to a local progressive or something similar. 

No matter which type you’re drawn to, remember to keep your expectations in check. Jackpot wins are rare, so keep that in mind and play responsibly. If you’re ready to see what this type of slot can offer, check out some jackpot titles and try a few spins, as maybe the next huge win has your name on it.