The progressive jackpot is actually the dream of many slot enthusiasts who have fun and relax with these fantastic games. The slots that provide these bonuses have always been the most enjoyed and played, precisely because they give the odds of a possible multi-million win. So let’s see what is Progressive Jackpot and how it works.
What are Progressive Jackpots?
Progressive jackpots are bonus payouts generated by certain games within casinos (whether ground or online), which rise thanks to a certain progressive mechanism until a player wins them. Progressive jackpots are available for many games, but more commonly they are paired with slot machines.
How Does the Progressive Jackpot Grow With Bet Size?
Progressive jackpots generate huge payouts as the prize that unites them increases as you play the slots. Suppose, for example, that a group of slot machines is united by a potential progressive jackpot of 10 thousand euros. After a few hours, that same prize pool, if it has not been won and if slots have continued to be played, will undoubtedly be increased by a few euros. This is because each credit entered sees a small fraction of it go to form the progressive jackpot prize pool.
This mechanism sometimes causes certain jackpots to grow almost out of proportion and it takes a long time before they are won. Once won, then, it is important to note that the progressive jackpot never starts from scratch: there is a “basic” figure, rather considerable, from which the prize count starts again.
What Bet Size Do You Need to Win a Progressive Jackpot?
One of the main features of progressive jackpots is that they require, in order to be achieved, that the maximum possible bet be placed.
Should the jackpot winning combination be right but with a bet not corresponding to the maximum possible, the entire progressive jackpot will most likely not be won. That is: if that combination actually carries the jackpot, but we are betting – hypothetically – 3 cents per line, when the slot would support up to 50 cents per line, the winning combination will not bring any jackpot. Or it will bring one of a smaller size.
Having said that, we note that in most cases – speaking of online slots – you compete for the jackpot once you enter the so-called “special modes” typical of each slot; these special modes are playable when the player, in one of his lines of play, collects three special symbols (generally called “scatter symbols” or “scatters”). This activates a special round in which a certain combination could precisely give the mentioned progressive jackpot. It is very, very rare for a progressive jackpot to be won simply thanks to a normal combination on the reels (therefore no “special scenario”).
The Highest Progressive Jackpots Ever
Over time, millions and millions of dollars have been won at slots in Las Vegas casinos. These winnings, of course, came thanks to the conquest of particularly substantial progressive jackpots. In those cases, jackpots turn out to be several million for simple reasons:
- the minimum credit to play is often several dollars, and this means that the fractions of dollars that contribute to the progressive prize pool are relatively large;
- progressive slots are matched not only in the same Casino, or in the Las Vegas – in many cases all slot machines in Nevada contribute to the formation of the same progressive jackpot;
- once won, the jackpot starts from a really high figure (the Megabucks, the quintessential Vegasian slot, sees its prize pool start from the good sum of 10 million dollars).
Obviously these interesting and rich bonuses have also landed in online casinos, with games of all kinds that can guarantee substantial jackpots. And the story of these slots tells us how every now and then the blindfolded Lady Luck puts her paw on us, kissing some lucky players.
This is the case of a 40-year-old Finnish player, who in 2013, with only 25 cents of bet, won the beauty of 17 million euros, remaining to this day in the record book as the most conspicuous win.
The title of second luckiest player ever belongs to a 26-year-old Englishman (such as Jon Heywood) who in October 2015 hit a PC slot hitting a resounding progressive jackpot of over £13 million (about €14.6 million to be precise).
In third place, on this record podium, a Norwegian kissed by fortune in September 2011, for about 11 million euros.
So, why not try your luck and try to be the first player from your beautiful country to enter this very rich ranking? To do this, just choose one of the many jackpot slot machines available. Look for the one with the highest jackpot, and try to achieve every slot machine enthusiast’s dream!