Progressive slots are more popular than in online casinos in years past as they made up about 30% of all casino slots as recently as five years ago. Nowadays, almost all online casino video slot machines have some type of progressive jackpot. A slot is progressive when a percentage of the bets placed contributes to the jackpot, which is constantly increasing or “progressing.” The initial jackpot increases by a percentage of whatever is wagered.
Many players prefer these games as they have the potential to change people’s lives instantly. They are also very convenient to play as many progressive slots are available using your mobile phone. Online casinos also have promotions to give players more cash to play with, increasing your bankroll and giving you more chances to win.
What are Progressive Slots?
Progressive slots work on a different principle than traditional slots. A portion of each player’s wager is added to the collective winnings. The more people who play a specific machine, the faster the prize will increase. Playing these games involves more risk but can pay rewards that most players see only in their dreams.
People commonly think that progressive slots are part of a group of machines with the jackpot shared among them. This is not always true, as most progressive jackpots are available only for a single machine, as the whole network is one machine. If a group of slots is linked together, the number of machines included in the progressive jackpot can vary.
How to Approach Progressive Slots
While winning at traditional slots doesn’t take any skill, the way to approaching progressive slots can be done in two ways. First, players can treat the game like it’s not a progressive slot and concentrate on winning the smaller fixed jackpots or do everything they can to focus on winning the big progressive jackpot.
If using the first approach, remember that most progressive slots have much lower odds of winning. For example, statistics show that some multi-million-dollar progressive slots in Las Vegas had lower payouts than some penny slots. The fact is that most people lose at slots just as they do at poker, but one person always wins in a poker tournament, and the same thing can be done playing slots.
Winning a progressive slot jackpot is not difficult when it comes to skill. However, it’s also not easy to do and takes a lot of time and patience. To win a progressive jackpot, people should play it as it gets close to the maximum jackpot permitted before it must payout. This sounds simple but takes a lot of patience as the player needs to figure out what that maximum limit is.
Using this approach could take months to do, but in land-based casinos, some progressive machines have a shortcut. The machines will display an amount that the slot “must-pay-by” in small letters below the jackpot amount.
Watch the Return to Player
Finally, try to stick to the games with a high Return To Player (RTP), and remember that your chances of winning are higher when playing a short session. When playing for long periods, the casino’s edge will start to catch up with you, and the chances of winning decrease, which means you risk losing everything.
Progressive slots have high volatility and are better for players with a bigger bankroll. If you’re on a budget, you risk losing everything very quickly if you’re not careful.
It is possible to win if playing progressive slots, but chasing that huge jackpot can cost a lot. Most progressive slots require that the maximum amount is bet on each spin to be eligible for the jackpot. Since they are very volatile, it won’t take long to burn through your bankroll.
Always choose your casino wisely and take advantage of the extra cash that many give you for depositing. These additional bonuses could make the difference in the amount you win or lose.
