Understanding How Progressive Slots Work

If you’re completely new to slot games or online slots, or just dipping your toes into progressive slots for the first time, you might not be sure how progressive slots work. Don’t worry: regardless of whether you’re someone who prefers the mobile slots, desktop, or real-world slot-machine experience, we’re going to reveal exactly what progressive slots are, and what makes them different from regular slot games.

What are regular slot prizes and how do they work?

To get a handle on what progressive slot games are, we must first take a look at regular slots. A regular slot has big prizes up for grabs, including jackpots. However, these jackpot prizes are fixed at a certain maximum amount and can be won by any number of players, any number of times. Not only that, but players can win lower jackpot amounts, depending on how much they wagered in the first place.

Say, for example, a game allowed you to place bets between £1and £10 on each spin, and you decided to try your luck with £1. If that game had a maximum jackpot of 250x, your jackpot would be £250. If however, you’d wagered £10, you would take home the maximum cash prize of £2,500.

What are progressive slot prizes and how do they work?

Progressive slots are, of course, a little different since they are slot games that feature progressive jackpots. Very simply, these are jackpots that increase in value every time someone places a bet, by taking a small cut of what they wagered. These prizes can grow and don’t have a limit, like regular slots.

That’s right: the jackpot for these slots will just keep on growing and growing until someone wins the prize (except when it’s a “must-drop jackpot”, which has a deadline). When someone is lucky enough to hit the progressive jackpot, the value resets to a specific minimum and will start to grow again as more people place their bets.

Types of progressive jackpots

But surely it would take a long time for a jackpot to grow if it’s only connected to a single slot that many people play? Yes, that would be the case, but progressive slots aren’t always connected to just one game – they can be linked to multiple slots! Here are the three types of progressive jackpots you’re likely to come across at most brick-and-mortar casinos:

  • Standalone – This type of progressive jackpot only counts for the one slot machine that it is connected to. This type of progressive jackpot will grow the slowest, but on the other hand, you aren’t competing with multiple players at other machines or games for a chance to win.
  • Local/in-house/proprietary – These are multiple slot machines that are connected together in the same casino, even though they might be spread out across the entire physical venue itself. These progressive jackpots can also be spread across different game titles. They will grow quicker than standalone jackpots, but you are competing against multiple people in the same casino, all hoping to take home the mother load.
  • Network/wide area/global – This takes the concept of progressive jackpots to the max by connecting the jackpot not just across multiple slot games or multiple slot titles, but by extending the progressive jackpot network across multiple casinos! That’s right, folks! While these jackpots can reach incredibly large values, you’re not just up against the players in the same casino, you’re up against people who might not even be in the same time zone, let alone playing in the same casino!

Of course, online casinos also offer slots with these different types of progressive jackpots, but they may function slightly differently depending on the site.

How can I make sure I qualify for a progressive jackpot?

Each game has its own requirements when you play, but generally speaking, there are certain things you need to do to make sure you stand a chance of winning a progressive jackpot.

The most common way is by placing the maximum bet – if you don’t, you may not win the jackpot, even if you get the right combination of symbols. The good news is that certain games allow players who place the maximum wager a chance to take home the jackpot just by placing a bet and spinning the reels. That’s right: no lucky combination of symbols is needed for some progressive slots – just play and you might win!

Speaking of the right combination of symbols, though, in some games, players can win the progressive jackpot by hitting the right payline, even if they made the lowest wager! So if lady luck has you in her sights, you could win for as little as 5p (depending on the slot).

Some games keep their progressive jackpots “locked” behind bonus games, meaning the player first has to trigger the bonus game, and then get the right winning symbols to take home the progressive jackpot.

So when you do decide to give a progressive slot a go, be sure to check how you can stand to win the jackpot so you know your chances of celebrating a lucky day.

Try your luck with Spin and Win

Now you’ve got the gist of how to play progressive slots online, why not explore some of the many games we have on offer at Spin and Win! At our online casino, you can play some of the best online slots, including these exciting progressive slots:

  • Bounty Raid – As a Sheriff in the old West, you better be on your toes and ready as you search for some of the most dangerous bounties and other nefarious gunslingers! This is also from Red Tiger Gaming.
  • Fluffy Favourites Mega Jackpot – Do you like cute and adorable stuffed animals? Eyecon have made sure there are plenty waiting for you in this charming slot.
  • Piggy Riches Megaways – Does being rich and famous sound great to you? Get a taste of the high life when you play Piggy Riches Megaways from Red Tiger and NetEnt.
  • The Goonies Jackpot King – This slot is based on the massive 1980s hit film of the same name! Join the gang as you search for incredible pirate treasure in this nostalgic progressive slot.

And if you want to switch it up a bit and try something else, you can always give any of our other online slots, table games, or live casino games a go. No matter what you enjoy playing, whether it’s classic games such as 3 Hand Casino Hold’em or Classic Blackjack, or new live-gaming experiences like Live Crazy Time, we have so much for you to enjoy.

24-07-2024