Casino slots, both within brick-and-mortar casinos and online, usually fall into one of two categories: those with progressive jackpots and those without. Progressive jackpots are slots that accumulate their prize money each time someone uses the slots and the jackpot isn’t won, meaning that when the jackpot is eventually struck, the lucky winner will take whatever has accumulated in the pot since the previous win. On the other hand, non-progressive slots, or fixed jackpot slots are set to give a certain amount if they are won, and this number does not change no matter how many people use the game. In this guide we’ll cover different kinds of progressive jackpots, how they work, and what affects the gamblers' chances of hitting them.
Progressive jackpot slots can be found across a variety of different settings from within brick-and-mortar casinos and lining seaside arcades, to online casinos and casino apps. To understand how progressive jackpots work and how likely they are to offer big prizes for a win, it is important to understand the different kinds of progressive jackpots and in which settings these can be found.
Network Jackpots– As the name would suggest these are progressive jackpot slots that can be found on various casino apps and websites. These consist of multiple games across different sites that all share the same software platform. Casino expert Daniel Smyth, who has tried and tested CA mobile casinos, states that the best mobile casino apps come with fast payouts and big welcome bonuses.
Wide Area Jackpots– Similar to network jackpots, these slots consist of one jackpot applicable to multiple games. Not accessed online, however, these machines are instead scattered across different buildings.
Standalone Progressive– Unlike the first two, these slot machines offer jackpots of funds accumulated only through individuals playing that exact game. Without sharing a jackpot across different sites or locations, these jackpots are often considerably smaller than others but have a higher chance of being hit.
Proprietary Progressive– These are ‘in house’ slot machines, meaning they can be linked to other games owned by the same company, that all contribute to the jackpot, but are unavailable outside of the company that owns them.
Hot Drop Jackpots– Exclusive to online casinos and casino apps, these are progressive jackpots that, on top of random number generators to determine if the jackpot is won, may add additional affecting factors, such as a time limit, that improve the chances of winning the game.
There are multiple things to bear in mind when choosing which progressive jackpot slot to use as it’s important for an individual to understand how the game works in order to improve their chances of winning.
Some people believe that if the jackpot for a progressive jackpot slot is five or six figures, then it is due a payout. Although this may be the case with certain compensated slot machines that know when they need to pay out in order to hit their RTP, this is not the case for progressive jackpot slots. These slots are completely random and each spin has the same chance of winning the jackpot, irrespective of how much money they hold.
Like with all casino games, understanding the RTP score is important. RTP, or return to player, is the percentage of wagered funds a player can expect to make back from a particular casino game over a period of long-term use. This score, which often hovers at around 97%, is averaged by observing the results of thousands of users over long periods of time.
When it comes to progressive jackpot slots it is important to understand how particular RTP scores can reflect different budgets. Players with a small budget may wish to stick to machines with a higher RTP percentage, whereas those with a larger budget can afford playing more volatile games with a lower RTP and try their hand at winning big with the jackpots.
When it comes to winning the jackpot, there is the same chance with every spin, however higher RTP games are more likely to offer smaller wins more regularly than their higher RTP equivalents.
The chances of winning the jackpot in a game is lower than its overall RTP score. This is because of the contribution percentage on the jackpot. The contribution percentage is the percentage of money that is taken from how much the player has wagered, and placed into the jackpot.
This number usually ranges from 1% to 10%, with most being around 5%. This percentage is then automatically deducted from the RTP. So, if the contribution percentage is 5% on a progressive slot with an RTP of 97%, the score automatically drops to 92%. It is important to understand that the RTP for jackpot slots will always be lower than everything else.
With some progressive slots holding cashpots in their millions, progressive jackpot slots are an enticing game for anyone wishing to try their hand at winning big. However, many different factors affect how big the jackpots are and how likely a player is to hit those lucky numbers. Although there are multiple forces at work on progressive jackpot slots, punters must also keep in mind that their chances of winning these games are based on random number generators. In other words, hitting the jackpot is down to fate and chance. There are many different progressive jackpot slots, offering a variety of different monetary prizes, suitable for every budget.
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