Progressive jackpot slots are currently among the most popular casino games. They are appealing not only because you can win big without spending much but also because many of our best online casinos feature a range of progressive slots. In this guide, we explain how progressive slots function, where you can find them online, and highlight various types of progressive slots. We also share helpful tips and strategies to improve your chances of winning.
What Are Progressive Slots?
A progressive slot is a slot machine game that gives you access to the jackpot prize that constantly grows in value. Progressive slots take a small cut of every bet placed by players as they spin the game’s reels and they add this cut to the jackpot prize, which anyone can win at any time. This rapidly increasing total keeps rising until a lucky player hits the jackpot and takes the big win home.
How Do Progressive Slots Work?
A progressive slot is a special type of slot that includes both a fixed and a variable jackpot. Here, a small percentage of a player’s wager goes to the progressive pool. As soon as someone wins the jackpot, it resets to its base value and starts accumulating all over again. While jackpots will be random in most online games, some depend on specific events happening, such as landing a certain combination of symbols on the reels. Progressives usually have a jackpot meter somewhere on their interface, which shows exactly how fast the prize is increasing.
To compensate for the monster prizes they offer, progressive slots tend to have a higher house edge, so it’s not uncommon to see a progressive slot machine with an RTP of around 93%. In most games, you must make a max bet to be eligible for the grand prize. Some progressive slots are available at any bet but are more likely to appear during the higher ones.
How To Tell If A Slot Machine Is Progressive
The fastest and most simple way to check if a slot machine is progressive is by looking straight at the jackpot amount. If you can see that the jackpot amount keeps gradually increasing, then you should automatically know that the slot is a progressive slot. You can find a great selection of progressive slots at our new online casinos as they have recently added these thrilling games to their game lobbies.
Progressive Slots VS Regular Slots
Many players want to know the difference between a progressive slot and a non-progressive slot. If an online slot has a progressive jackpot attached to the game, then it will tend to award fewer small payouts, but this is compensated by the massive jackpot payouts up for grabs. On average, the online slots played for real money without a progressive jackpot are known as the regular online slots which give the best odds, as you can expect to get a lot more medium and big payouts during regular game play.
When it comes time to deciding on which online slots to play, you will need to decide if you want to play games with less attractive odds but offer the chance to win a big progressive jackpot prize, or if you are just looking to play a game with better expected odds which offer more attractive wins on a regular basis. These different slot games will give you better odds than others. Take a look at the table we have displayed below that shows a quick comparison between the two online slots.
| Progressive Slots: | Regular Slots: |
| Bigger Jackpot Payouts | Smaller Payouts |
| Less Odds Of Winning Regularly | Better Odds Of Winning Regularly |
| Not A Fixed Amount | Has A Fixed Amount |
| Resets After The Jackpot Is Won | Never Resets The Amount |
| New Fancy And Modern Designs | Traditional Designs |
Tips On How To Win On Progressive Slots
The outcome of a progressive jackpot slot is determined by a Random Number Generator (RNG) so unfortunately, there is no secret strategy that will increase the odds of winning. However, players can use the following tips listed below to ensure they are at the top of their game. These few tips can help you increase your chances of winning a few progressive slots. Players must remember that these tips do not guarantee a win, they are just friendly guidelines set out to share.
Stick To A Budget
Gambling is very addictive so when you play any online casino game, the best tip is to decide on a budget before you begin. Then it is also important to stick to it. You do not want to risk betting money you do not have.Bet Enough To Be Eligible For The Jackpot
Some progressive jackpots have a minimum bet to be able to qualify for the jackpot. Make sure you bet enough but make sure it is in your budget, in order to be eligible.Choose A Slot You Enjoy
Apart from choosing an online slot that has a good jackpot, always try to choose a slot that you genuinely enjoy playing. Consider the themes, reels, and symbols, so that the process of reaching the jackpot is more fun for you personally, even if you do or do not win the jackpot in that sitting. This will help you have a more positive and enjoyable experience with the slots overall.Decide What You Are Going For
The specific way you bet will change all depending on if you are playing for one massive win or if you are playing for several smaller wins. A great tip is to decide what type of win you want before you start placing bets.Do Your Research
You must know which game you want to play and know exactly how to play it. Also find out which jackpot is about to drop and make sure you know the rules of the online slot game.Make Use Of The Bonuses And Promotions
Many online casinos offer several great bonuses, deals, casino points, loyalty bonuses as well as many other promotions. If the terms and conditions indicate that the promotion can be used towards a progressive jackpot, players should take full advantage of this as it is a great way to get closer to the jackpot while spending less.Determine The Volatility Of Slots
It is important to understand the risk involved in playing these progressive slots, so understanding the volatility will also help as you will know when you’re expected to win and how often you are going to.
Different Types Of Progressive Jackpot Slots
Online slot machines with progressive jackpots fall into three main types, depending on whether the jackpot is connected to a single machine or multiple. We have explained the three different types of online progressive slots below.
Standalone Progressive Slots
As the name suggests, this is the type of jackpot that is for a single slot. Only the bets placed on that particular machine will contribute towards the jackpot. The equivalent online slot standalone progressive jackpot is sometimes referred to as an “in-game progressive jackpot” and they are known to pay out more frequently.
A Local Progressive Jackpot
A local progressive jackpot is made up of a network of slot machines within the same casino. These online slots offer higher value jackpots because more players are contributing towards the single pot, however, the chances of winning are slightly lower. The contributions to the jackpots can be made up of different slot titles across the casino, as they are all connected to the same progressive jackpot.
Networked Progressive Slots
These are also known as the Wide Area Network Progressive Jackpots. These are progressive slots that are linked across multiple casinos with one shared progressive jackpot. These are commonly found online and usually offer massive jackpots in the millions, because the same game is being played online, across hundreds of casinos, with a vast player-base contributing towards one potentially life-changing jackpot. Generally, these network jackpots are managed by the same game developer whose games are popular and are used by the various casinos.
The Biggest Progressive Slot Jackpot Wins Out There
When you play a progressive jackpot slot online, the main aim is to hit the biggest jackpot win. There have been a few of these amazing wins over the past few years which we have displayed below. This table shows you the biggest jackpot wins of all time, where and when they were won and also shows you the features they have.
| Game: | Biggest Win: | Casino: | When: | Features: |
| 1. Mega Moolah | € 18,915,721 | Grand Mondial Casino | 28 September 2018 | 4 different progressive jackpots, wild & scatter features, free spins / bonus rounds |
| 2. Mega Moolah | $ 20,057,734 | Zodiac Casino | 30 January 2019 | 4 different progressive jackpots, wild & scatter features, free spins / bonus rounds |
| 3. Mega Fortune | € 17,860,868 | Paf Casino | 20 January 2013 | Wild & scatter features, wheel of fortune bonus round, up to X 5 multiplier |
| 4. Mega Moolah | $ 16,496,060 | Jackpot City Casino | 5 April 2020 | 4 different progressive jackpots, wild & scatter features, free spins / bonus rounds |
| 5. Mega Moolah | $ 13,615,861 | Luxury Casino | 8 May 2020 | 4 different progressive jackpots, wild & scatter features, free spins / bonus rounds |
| 6. Mega Moolah | £ 13,212,882 | Betway Casino | 6 October 2015 | 4 different progressive jackpots, wild & scatter features, free spins / bonus rounds |
| 7. Mega Moolah | $ 12,945,603 | Luxury Casino | 5 March 2019 | 4 different progressive jackpots, wild & scatter features, free spins / bonus rounds |
Casinos That Offer The Best Progressive Slot Machine Jackpots
This online progressive jackpot slot category has become very popular over the past few years and continues to grow. It has a great number of machines available for anyone to play at the best online casinos and is not yet the most crowded of all. Some of these online gambling sites even feature a dedicated filter to help you find these progressive slot machines more easily. Our experts have listed a few top online casinos below, showing you where to head on over and play some exciting progressive jackpot slots.