Last updated on July 19th, 2024
Types Of Progressive Jackpots:
Needless to state the obvious, hitting a big jackpot is the number one priority for each and every online casino player out there. In fact, many online slot enthusiasts dedicate their entire gaming career to the pursuit of some of the most rewarding jackpots on the market, and given the ever-increasing popularity of this form of entertainment, and especially its rewarding potential, it seems like the jackpot slots are here to stay for quite a long time.
Due to the insatiable high demand for more and bigger jackpot prizes, the iGaming industry is constantly coming up with new and creative ways to engage players with online jackpot slots, and eventually, provide them with a healthy dose of options. However, when we talk about online jackpot slots, nothing comes close to the progressive jackpots, the most rewarding type of them all, and the inspiration for our casino guide article.
Considering that you can win some of the biggest life-changing prizes when playing progressive jackpots, it can definitely pay off to learn all of the types of progressive jackpots. This way, not only you will be able to easily make the distinction between each progressive jackpot, but you can also use this newly gained knowledge to plan, and eventually execute the perfect jackpot strategy.
Classic/ Stand-Alone Progressive Jackpots
Just as the name suggests, stand-alone progressive jackpots are all jackpots that are reserved solely for one particular device/machine, regardless of the physical location of the slot. Exclusive to land-based gambling providers, you can find the stand-alone slot in basically any brick-and-mortar casino, bar, betting parlour, etc. Reserved for the casual jackpot hunters, the stand-alone progressive jackpots are one of the least rewarding when it comes to life-changing wins, considering that only the players of that particular slot machine contribute towards the main prize. While it may happen for stand-alone slots to reach surprisingly big jackpot prize pools, in the long run, it is nothing compared to some of our upcoming contenders from this progressive jackpot casino guide.
In-House/Local Progressive Jackpots
This type of jackpot is far more rewarding than the stand-alone ones simply because it is a product of an entire network of either online or land-based slots. While the physical attributes might differ between these two, the common ground for both types is the fact that both are linked with other slot machines of their kind. Regardless of whether the location of the linked devices is at an online casino, or at a land-based gambling provider, the concept of increasing the amount of the progressive jackpot is always the same. Similar to the stand-alone, every time a player makes a wager, part of his amount goes directly to the total amount of the progressive jackpot.
Only unlike our previous contender, in-house jackpots take into account the wagers from all machines that are part of the network at that particular place, which consequently makes for one of the biggest jackpot wins you can hit. Simply put, until someone claims the jackpot, it will only go up until it resets and everything starts from scratch again.
Global/Wide Area Progressive Jackpots
Not only this is the most frequent out of all progressive jackpots in the world, but it is also the most rewarding type out of all progressive jackpots in our casino guide, period. As you probably already guessed just by looking at the name, global progressive jackpots refer to a global network of slots that jointly contribute toward some of the most jaw-dropping jackpot wins in the history of casino gaming. Moreover, just as with its previous counterparts, the more players participate in this global progressive jackpot slot network, the bigger the prize pool, and consequently, the reward.
You should be aware that this type is one of the hardest to hit, considering that there are thousands of players battling for the main prize. However, should you hit a win at any of the global jackpots, you best believe that your working days are forever over. One perfect example of this is the online slot “Mega Moolah” by Microgaming, which holds several Guinness records for releasing the biggest wins ever seen in the iGaming industry, which is somewhere in the vicinity of $15 million.
Random Progressive Jackpots
Due to the sad truth that most of the time hitting progressive jackpots requires setting your wagers at maximum, not all players are in the position to hunt for this type of jackpot. Yet, thanks to the popularity and hence the demand for various jackpot prizes, there is a rather ingenious solution to this problem, albeit it is certainly less rewarding than the global jackpots. We are talking about the random progressive jackpots. Simply choose a slot game that works with a random progressive jackpot and a denomination of between $1 and $5, and you are set.
The beauty of the random progressive jackpots is that it doesn’t really matter how big is your bet, even the lowest wagering amount of just $1 can trigger a big win, which is perfect for players that play on a budget or simply wish to entertain themselves with smaller amounts. To sum it all up, random jackpots are proof that not all progressive jackpots require big spending in order to release the win, which is why they are always one of the fan-favourites worldwide.
Payline Progressive Jackpots
Progressive jackpot hunters, you are in luck. This is yet another fool-proof way to win big at the progressive jackpots, without being required to spend big at the said jackpot slots. Considering that when it comes to payline progressive jackpots, the size of your bet doesn’t matter whatsoever, being that everyone who chooses to play retains equal rights to hit the big win. Mostly reserved for single machine slots, the random paylines jackpot will grant you the win depending on the number of winning lines that you connect. For instance, certain slots/games will require playing with a minimum of 25 winning lines, which consequently entails that each spin that includes more than 25 paylines has the potential to grant you the big win.
Compared to the random progressive jackpots, the drawback to this type emerges when you decide to play on a slot that works with quarters. If that is the case, be prepared for a not-so-low $5 minimum wagering requirement, which while it may be lower than the global progressive jackpots, for example, is still higher than the random jackpots. Either way, should you opt for this type of jackpot, the only task for you is minding those paylines.
Side Bet Progressive Jackpots
You simply cannot expect to win the multi-million jackpots without placing side bets. Truth is, you may find yourself spending a whole lotta time hitting the same slot machine over and over and chasing for that jackpot, but until you actually put up some extra money, i.e. place side bets, in most instances chances are that you’ll end up disappointed. That is why high-roller online slot players always make sure to take full advantage of the side bet, which is something that you should strive to do yourself, being that without placing side bets, you will have to satisfy with the classic win from the slot only. So, if you want to be successful at the art of hunting progressive jackpots, in addition to consulting with this casino guide, make sure that you always spend a little bit extra for the side bet, and the chances of winning the big prize increase substantially.
Conclusion
Just as with any form of gambling entertainment, when it comes to progressive jackpots, there is no 100% foolproof guarantee of a big win. The best course of action is to gather as much information as possible and start slow, such as the demo versions, for example. We hope that this casino guide for progressive jackpots will serve you to better distinguish all of the jackpot types, and hopefully, help you end up on the “Mega Moolah” list of Guinness world records.
