Many of the online casino’s slots real money machines are jackpot slots. That means that, when you participate in a jackpot slot game, you’re joining a network of thousands of players from around the world who are all competing for the same jackpot prize.
Everyone adds an extra amount to their bets. The additional sum is collected in a jackpot pool. The person who spins the spin that triggers the jackpot wins the entire, life-changing payout!
The win itself is random. There’s no way to know who or when the jackpot will be triggered – it’s determined by the machine’s Random Number Generator which ensures that all results of every spin are random and fair. HOWEVER, there are different tactics that can give you a leg up on the machine as you approach the jackpot slot machine with a winning mindset.
Progressive Jackpot Slots
Progressive jackpots are generally associated with slot machines, though the casino does offer progressive poker games like Caribbean Poker, Caribbean Stud Poker, Let ‘Em Ride and Caribbean Hold ‘Em Poker. In a progressive slot, every wager includes a special side bet which becomes part of the jackpot pool. The prize increases with every spin since the jackpot games are linked across a network, meaning that every bet, made anywhere in the world on that game, adds to the jackpot pool.
As the jackpot amount grows, the anticipation grows as players from around the world wait to see which player will spin the spin that triggers the jackpot award. When a jackpot has been collected the prize will be reset by the game developer to a base value from which is starts to build again as new players place new bets.
Progressive jackpots are popular because they are exciting. Winners receive payouts totaling thousands -- even millions of dollars. Winning a jackpot prize means that, in one swoop, you can collect a payout that would otherwise take you months or years to achieve.
There are several different types of jackpots including:
- Local Area Network Progressive Jackpots – LANs link together multiple gaming machines within a local network (such as several identical games linked within an online platform or across a casino floor).
Machines connected to a network share information and data which means that every time you place a wager on a LAN, a small portion of that wager will be directed toward a jackpot pool. That pool increases over time as more and more people play that specific game.
When one person spins the spin that hits the winning combination, that person wins the entire jackpot amount. After the jackpot is won, all of the linked machines reset to a base value and the jackpot starts to build again.
Only LAN players who are playing on a specific local network (within that specific casino or within a group of partner casinos) can contribute to the jackpot and compete for the jackpot reward. - Wide Area Network Progressive Jackpot – a WAN connects the same slot machine which is played in different locations. Like with a LAN progressive slot, WAN slots set aside a small portion of every bet which is placed in a jackpot pool that increases until someone hits the winning combination.
The jackpot prize can then be collected and the pool resets to a base amount. You might prefer a WAN machine over a LAN because, with a WAN, the jackpot grows more quickly as players contribute to it from multiple locations – not just a single platform or casino. - Stand-alone Progressive Jackpot –stand-alone progressive jackpots are jackpots within a single machine or game. SAPs aren’t linked to other machines. Rather, the jackpot for a SAP increases as more bets are wagered on that particular game, and that particular machine.
The jackpot is self-contained, exclusive to the specific machine so only those playing that specific machine can contribute to the jackpot. SAJs accumulate from bets on a single machine so the jackpot won't grow as large as in linked progressive jackpots. This type of machine is recommended for players who prefer smaller localized jackpots that offer a higher chance of winning, rather than larger, linked progressives.
Jackpot Techniques
Reminder – the actual spin that results in a progressive jackpot win is random and there’s nothing that you can do to control that. However, there are techniques can increase your chances of winning!
Volatility
Make sure that you choose the right machine. Like other slots, jackpot games vary volatility. If you choose the right game, you’ll have an advantage. When you open a jackpot game, look and see whether it’s a high-volatility or a low-volatility game.
Low-volatility games have smaller, more frequent wins while high-volatility games feature less-frequent but larger payouts. If you choose a low-volatility slot there will be more jackpots so that’s the one to play!
Return to Player
Look at the Return to Player (RTP) percentage. Slots with higher Return to Player (RTP) rates provide better long-term returns, so those are the ones on which you should focus your attention.
Betting
Place bets that are high enough to ensure that you’ll be eligible to win the progressive jackpot if you hit the right combination. There’s nothing as frustrating as the feeling of hitting a progressive jackpot combination and then finding out that you didn’t wager enough to ensure that you’ll be eligible to collect on your win.
Some machines allow you to be eligible with a lower bet so if you are playing with a limited bankroll, find a jackpot machine with a lower bet threshold.
Bonuses
Optimize the bonuses that the casino offers. The casino offers a wide range of bonus give-aways that allow you to play more games for more time for free which gives you extra gaming time that you can use to try to hit the jackpot prize. Check the casino’s “promotions” section to see which casino gifts are waiting for you!
If you decide to play a progressive jackpot machine and compete for the jackpot prize you’ll need to focus on combining an understanding of how the various jackpot options work with a balanced approach to the game. By using responsible gambling practices and smart betting strategies you can play wisely while you enjoy the thrills of playing for a big jackpot prize.