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What is a Progressive Jackpot?

Online casinos are gaining popularity worldwide and changing the way people gamble. With online gaming casinos’ ease of access, massive quantities of available sites, and incredible variety of games, they’re opening the exotic world of gambling to more people and appealing to a new kind of player.

With the increased popularity, many people are gambling in a virtual world for the first time. If you are just starting, following 10 top tips and tricks for online casino players will help you make the most of your virtual gambling experience.

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Getting to Know Progressive Jackpotsjackpot-300x300

Progressive jackpots are the main prize in online slots. The money bet on each play is added to the jackpot every time a spin does not result in a win. As more players bet but don’t win, their money seamlessly joins this progressively more enormous pile. This “progressive jackpot” – the total amount of money that could be won – continues growing until someone finally wins.

Progressive jackpots add excitement and make gambling even more enticing. Momentum builds as participants place their bets and envision being the ones to rake in the big win.

Progressive jackpots were around long before the advent of computer technology.

How Progressive Jackpots Got Started

Before the digital age, there were stories of New York City gambling houses in the 1800s where the card game solitaire was popular. Naturally, popular games brought in a lot of revenue, so someone had the idea of adding every player’s bets to create a jackpot.

The amount was increasing, making it more difficult for gamblers to walk off.

Computers made progressive jackpots easier to operate. In the late 1980s, a software developer linked slot machines in a brick-and-mortar casino. Small percentages of the spins were placed into an enormous jackpot, with all the devices feeding the total. The excitement of that growing pile attracted new players and kept current gamblers playing more.

Online casinos later came with software that linked hundreds and thousands of games. Million-dollar jackpots came onto the scene. Progressive jackpots have become a regular gaming option for beginners and experienced players, with slot machines being some of the most popular progressive games.

How Progressive Jackpots Work

Slot machines are among the best examples of how progressive jackpots work.

  1. When a bet is placed and a spin is made, a small percentage goes into an enormous jackpot.
  2. The house sets the amount that goes into the jackpot.
  3. After a player wins, the bank starts again at a minimum level.

Knowing the rules for withdrawing winnings at an online casino is essential. Some sites have laws that make starting a large jackpot a long, slow process. Check to see if progressive jackpots are exempt from those rules.

Slot machines are among the best examples of how progressive jackpots work.

  1. When a bet is placed and a spin is made, a small percentage goes into an enormous jackpot.
  2. The house sets the amount that goes into the jackpot.
  3. After a player wins, the jackpot starts again at a minimum level.

Knowing the rules for withdrawing winnings at an online casino is essential. Some sites have laws that make starting a large jackpot a long, slow process. Check to see if progressive jackpots are exempt from those rules.

Chances of Winning Progressive Jackpots

Odds of 1 in 3 million or 1 in 10 million are common in progressive jackpots. Those are not attractive odds.

The value that starts a specific game is one variable that impacts the chances of winning. When the beginning amount is large, it attracts more plays, so the odds of winning the jackpot are tough. Time, though, can be on a gambler's side since a jackpot can't keep growing forever. The longer the game goes, the chance of a winner emerging grows.

How to Estimate the Odds of Winning

Knowing the odds of winning means understanding how the game works. In slots, look at:

  • how many reels are there
  • how many stops
  • how many of those stops are the jackpot symbol
  • how many paylines it takes to win the game

This is how a game with a 1 in 3 million chance of winning might look:

  • five reels
  • twenty stops each
  • the jackpot symbol is a one-stop
  • it's won by one payline

An example of an online slot machine's structure is the Mega Moolah progressive slot, manufactured by Microgaming, which was brought to market in 2009. It has five reels and 25 paylines. Reports state that this game has paid over five million dollars every two-and-a-half months.

Popular Games with Progressive Jackpots

  1. Blackjack

Progressive blackjack games will have side bets, like a one-dollar bet, that's placed in a pot and doesn't affect the hand being played. It's a separate bet. The winner has to hit a particular sequence, like four cards in a row.

  1. Video poker

A progressive jackpot is paid out when a player wins a royal flush.

  1. Roulette

The progressive jackpots are typically provided as side bets for online casinos offering roulette. The requirement to win is hitting a number from two to five times in a row.

  1. Baccarat

Players keep on putting in side bets until someone takes the jackpot. Playing the banker's hand gives a slight advantage over the player's hand.

Tips to Boost Chances of Winning a Progressive Jackpot

Winning any casino game is challenging with regular bets. Raking in the winner from a progressive jackpot is even more difficult. The odds of a 1-in-3 million win or 1 in 10 million don't sound exciting, but there are some ways to improve the gaming chances, even if it's incredibly slight.

  • Find an aging jackpot. Scout online for large jackpots that have been growing for a while. You never know. You might be the winning bet that resets the significant number to something smaller.
  • Research facts and figures on favorite progressive jackpot games. Look for payouts on specific slots and try to graph the dates of the winnings.
  • Leverage account-boosting bonuses to stretch the money you're putting in.

Progressive jackpots will remain popular. Putting in a little bit of money to win a large amount is appealing. Very little is in your control, especially in slots. Do some research, keep your expectations realistic, and enjoy the journey to a potentially eye-popping windfall.

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