Hitting the Jackpot on Progressive Slots

There are very few casino games that hold the appeal that Progressive Slots do – after all, they’re the only games on the casino floor that offer you the opportunity to win truly life changing sums of money and even if you don’t, dreaming about it is almost as much fun!

Here we’ll look at the various aspects of these enthralling machines and answer some frequently asked player questions regarding them.

As you probably already know, progressive jackpot slots offer jackpots which are considerably larger than standard flat top and online slots. While jackpots vary in size, some reach truly life changing sums rather quickly but have you ever wondered why they are so large? Find the answer below…

Why Jackpots Are So Large

Progressive slots are usually part of a larger network that are linked across several machines and even across online casino groups within the same provider network. A percentage of the money played on each slot is added to the prize pool, which contributes to its continuous growth. When playing a progressive slot, any lucky player who hits the winning symbols on any of the slots within the network will win the jackpot prize.

The fact that the prize pool is fed by so many slots across the network is what makes it so large, but this also decreases the odds of winning as so many players are playing.

So what are the odds of hitting the Jackpot?

The odds of hitting the jackpot on a progressive slot machine will depend on its design and programming but these can be as low as 20, 30 or even 40,000,000 to one, making the odds of winning the jackpot very slim. That said though, players do get lucky and if you check out the winners list at any of the leading online casinos you’ll see that lady luck does shine on a lucky few and changes their lives forever.

While it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of the sheer size of the jackpot and prospect of winning such a life changing, it is important to decide how much of your bankroll to risk on these games which have low odds of success. If you’re looking to maximise your returns, it’s best to limit your play on the progressives and play higher paying video slots instead.

Playing Progressive Slot Machines

If however you decide to have some fun and play the progressives, allocate a portion of your bankroll to them and be prepared to lose it. Of course you may get lucky and win, but the odds are that you’ll lose more than you win on these games.

As a general rule of thumb, bet the maximum coins when playing progressive slots so that if you hit the jackpot symbols you are eligible for the top level jackpot prize. Bear in mind that if you play machines with larger numbers of paylines, this can add up and get expensive quickly.

Also, always play machines offering the largest progressive jackpot – you’ll be able to identify these easily as the machines generally advertise a running total of the amount you stand to win. If you’re playing for fun, you might as well go for the top jackpots – after all, you never know when you get lucky!