How Do Online Progressive Slots Work?

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The huge jackpots found in slot games have always managed to be a real draw for gamblers; and this is especially true of progressive jackpots. Regular slot machines have a fixed jackpot amount that is paid to the lucky winner who has managed to hit a certain combination; while the progressive slots feature huge prizes without any size limitations. This type of jackpot accumulates a certain part from every bet placed in a game, constantly increasing until someone hit it. As for the rest, progressive payouts work similarly to regular wins: players can get them as a random award, for a specific symbol combination, or in a bonus round.

There are several types of progressive jackpots you can come across in casino venues or on gambling websites:

• Standalone: this one is tied to a single slot or a set of games.
• Local (in-house): its amount is collected from several games provided by the same operator.
• Wide area (network): this one is linked together from several casinos.

There’s also an opportunity to hit multiple progressive jackpots: slot machines may offer up to four of them. Some other casino games (such as poker and blackjack) have also adopted the progressive feature, but these jackpots are still used mainly in slots.

What Are the Chances to Win?

Winning a jackpot in the non-progressive slots may feature odds like 1 in 50,00 or 1 in 100,00; but with progressive jackpots, it’s always one chance out of millions. You can count the odds for a particular game you’re interested in. For instance, in a slot with 5 reels and 20 symbols, where the jackpot is hit by lining up specific symbols, the odds would equal 20 raised to the power of 5, which is 1 in 3,200,000. On that basis, we can assume that playing a 3-reel slot is much safer, even though the reward will be way lower!

If you’re up to chasing a progressive jackpot, it would be reasonable to check how often a chosen slot pays out. This type of reward can be won once in a couple of years (for example, it takes four years on average in Shopping Spree), as well as several times during a month. You can define the jackpot value by dividing its size by the average wait in weeks: the higher is the value, the more chances of winning you have.

Only a small part of wagers contributes to a progressive jackpot: let’s say, $0.25 from each bet of $2.50 go to the prize pool. However, a rather more important number is a house edge of the game. In a slot with an RTP of 91%, a casino would have an advantage worth $0.225 from each $2.50 bet. It’s usually recommended choosing games with RTP more than 95%, whether they feature progressive jackpots or not.

Now there is an opinion that prizes with smaller average size are more profitable than those with enormous, record-breaking payouts (of $1 million and more). However, there are no real indicators of how the size of progressive jackpot influences people’s chances of winning. There are no sure strategies either: all calculations and examination can help you better understand the process but not win big without losses.

Are Progressive Slots More Profitable?

Large prizes always hold higher risks. It has been estimated that an average player loses 250-350 credits per hour, with the more significant losses falling to the progressive slots. Getting this reward might happen to anyone, but games with gigantic jackpots can’t be considered profitable in the long run. Furthermore, a continuous play might be pricey. But since it’s based purely on luck, it’s true that even the smallest bet could make you a millionaire!

Are There Any Helpful Strategies?

So how to beat the slots at the casino? As we’ve already mentioned, there are no techniques that guarantee you a win, but there are still some features you can take into account. You can check the RTP and search for previous winners to get the idea of payouts.

Gamblers do spread some theories anyway. There’s the one called the hot-and-cold theory which determines a high-paying game by tracking whether it offers any prizes within the first ten spins. It’s also believed that sometimes it’s possible to define the break-even point, which indicates that the jackpot has already grown enough, and so any wager could actually end up being the game-changing one! Land-based casinos place bright meters above the slot machines for you to check the number of progressive jackpots, while gambling websites do the same online.

It all can help you get the picture of what to expect; however, any predictions about this would be quite vague. There are even people who sell some systems promising to deliver guaranteed profits; what they do in fact is just misguiding inexperienced players. Be aware of other myths about progressive slots: the time when a jackpot was last paid doesn’t have any impact on future wins, and a maximum bet doesn’t necessarily increase your chances. Remember, though, that you’re more likely to hit a prize while playing all paylines! Also, please bear in mind that you have to be eligible for such jackpots: sometimes it’s necessary for you to bet no less than a certain minimum sum.

Withdrawing Your Winnings

If you were lucky enough to hit a progressive jackpot, you’ll need to think carefully about how to withdraw it! Casinos usually have some limitations that affect the amount of the reward given out. There might be limits set on the maximum sum to cash out, which is why big wins might be paid by parts in monthly instalments! Always check out the terms and conditions on the gambling website, and find out what payment methods are available beforehand.

Taking Risks for Winning a Progressive Jackpot

Playing progressive slots is fun, and those that offer you a progressive jackpot cannot fail to deliver you a particularly thrilling experience. Every user funds a prize pool with their wagers until it grows to enormous sums; indeed, even up to several million! Progressive jackpots may be a feature of one specific game or a set of different ones. They can be hit in multiple ways, but every one of them is totally random. You can get information about the volatility and payback percentage of the game in order to get better prepared, but don’t expect to beat a slot and receive a reward purely by using some nifty tricks!