Progressive Slots Meaning
If you want to play progressive slots, this post will explain how. In fact, it probably won’t be the longest post in the world, because playing progressive slots is no harder than playing any other kind of slot machine. You put your money in, you press the spin button, and you hope for the best.
But what I’ve tried to do with this post is give you enough information about how progressive slot machines work that you can be an educated player.
And you can check our complete progressive jackpots guide to find out even more.
Not all these tips will apply to you, but I suspect most of them will, no matter your level of expertise.
Let’s go ahead!
What Is a Progressive Slot Machine and How Does It Work?
New slots often offer something completely different, allowing you to use innovative features, meaning you’ll never get bored. New online slots can have some stunningly large jackpots. This is especially true if the new slot machine is a progressive slot from one of the larger software providers. I agree with you that the casino should not cap progressives, but the times I've seen a capped progressive it was very unlikely that the progressive would not be hit before hitting the cap. An invitation to slot directors: Tell us why you have caps on progressives. As for a casino's claim that it has the best anything — that's just puffery. Definition of Progressive slots. Slots that allow you to increase the potential jackpot each time a new coin is inserted for play.
Most people know what a slot machine is, but if you’re completely new to the subject, here’s a quick description of slots games in general.
A slot machine game is a gambling machine with spinning reels. Each reel has symbols on it, and the point at which each reel stops is determined randomly. Specific combinations of symbols across a payline result in payouts.
The simplest version of a slot machine has three reels and a single payline horizontally across the middle of the machine.
Modern slot machines are often more complicated than this. They might have five reels, and the paylines come in a bewildering array of patterns. You have to place a separate bet on each payline, too.
The easiest way to describe paylines is to compare them with variations of bingo. They always run from left to right, but they sometimes come in a zig-zag pattern. You also have symbols that land on the rows above and below the center payline.
Originally, slot machines were powered by metal reels, springs, and gears. Now, the reels are just for show. A computer program called a random number generator (RNG) determines the results, and the probabilities are programmed into the RNG.
This enables the slot machine manufacturers to make bigger machines with more possible symbols and different probabilities for each symbol. This process is called “weighting.”
On an old-school, mechanical slot machine with 10 symbols on each reel, you had a 1/10 probability for any given symbol to show up.
But with weighting in place, some symbols might be programmed to come up more often and others programmed to come up less often. You might have some symbols which come up as often as 1/5 of the time and others which only come up as seldom as 1/20 or 1/50 of the time.
And, of course, the probability of getting multiple winning symbols to line up is calculated by multiplying the probability of getting that symbol on each reel.
Understanding this part is important because it makes it clear how the casino is able to offer such large jackpots without losing money. For the casino to make money from slot machines, they need a statistical advantage. They get that advantage by paying out at odds lower than the odds of winning. The difference is their long-term profit.
To offer a 6-figure or 7-figure jackpot, they need to be able to get odds that are 6 figures or 7 figures to 1. You can only do that if you weight the symbols so that they come up less often than they would on a mechanical reel.
I’ll have more to say about probability and odds in a bit.
A progressive slot machine, though, is a game where the jackpot gets bigger over time — as it gets played. A small percentage of each bet goes into the jackpot.
You’ll find three different kinds of progressive slot machines.
- The first is a standalone progressive. This is a game where the jackpot is exclusive to that game. Every bet fuels the jackpot just for that machine. The ticker doesn’t move unless someone is playing on that machine.
- The second is a local area network progressive. This is a game where multiple slot machines in the same casino share the same jackpot. If anyone is playing any of the machines in that network of games, the jackpot is growing for all those machines.
- The third is the wide area progressive jackpot. This is a game that’s networked with multiple slot machines in multiple locations. These jackpots grow huge because so many people are playing them.
Once someone wins one of these progressive jackpots, it resets to whatever its starting value was, and it starts growing again.
Where Do You Find Progressive Slot Machines?
You can find progressive slot machines at almost every casino in the world, although slot machines are more popular in the United States than in Europe. You can also find progressive slot machines at online casinos. The games available online vary based on what kind of software the casino is using.
You can find these games by looking for the games with a progressive jackpot ticker at the top of the machine. This is a digital display of the size of the jackpot. With wide area progressives, this number changes (grows) almost constantly, which adds to the excitement for prospective players.
If you’re having trouble finding a progressive slot machine in a particular land-based casino, just ask one of the employees there for help finding them. They’ll know where they are. Don’t forget to give the staff member who helped you at least a $1 tip for helping you.
You’ll get better service in general if you become known as a generous tipper. And casino employees talk.
Odds, Probability, the House Edge, and Payback Percentages
The method most gamblers and casinos use to measure the odds in a slot machine game is the payback percentage. This is the statistical average of payouts on that machine expressed as a percentage of each bet that should be paid back to the player in the long run.
Since the payback percentage is almost always less than 100%, it’s clear to see how the casino makes its profit.
The lower the payback percentage is, the faster you’ll lose your money when playing the machine. The payback percentage is just a function of how much you’ll win for each combination multiplied by the probability of hitting that combination.
The machines aren’t programmed to run in cycles or to start losing after a certain point to guarantee a certain payback percentage. The payback percentage is strictly a function of the probabilities and payouts.
You might have a slot machine that pays out some kind of prize 45% of the time. The size of those prizes multiplied by the size of those prizes is what determines the payback percentage.
One way to think about it is as if you were playing a simple gambling game where you’re flipping a coin and guessing which side it will land on.
If you win, you get 50 cents. If you lose, you lose 55 cents.
Half the time, you’ll win, but the other half of the time, you’ll lose a larger amount. Over time, you’ll lose all your money.
That’s how the math and probability behind all casino games works.
Most slot machines have a payback percentage of between 75% and 95%. Lots of factors determine the payback percentage for a specific machine. At more competitive casinos, you’ll generally see a higher payback percentage. At airports and bars, you’ll see payback percentages on the lower end of that scale. At casinos on the Strip in Las Vegas, you’ll see payback percentages at the higher end of that spectrum.
At casinos in less competitive locales, like Oklahoma, the payback percentages are generally lower.
Also, the denomination of the slot machine is a factor. Casinos make more money from a player betting $3 per spin than they do from someone betting 75 cents per spin, even if the payback percentage is better on the $3 per spin player.
Look at the math.
- 600 spins per hour at $3 per spin is $1,800. With a payback percentage of 95%, the game pays back an average of $1,710. The player loses $90 in an hour, on average.
- 600 spins per hour at 75 cents per spin is $450 per hour. With a payback percentage of 90%, the game pays back an average of $405. The player loses $45 per hour.
Even though the house edge is twice as high on the lower-stakes game, the casino makes less money per hour on average.
You’ll also want to keep two things in mind about the odds and probability as they relate to progressive slot machines.
The first is that the tiny percentage of each bet that fuels the jackpot comes directly off your payback percentage. It has to.
So a game that would otherwise have a 95% payback percentage would only have a 94% payback percentage once you account for the contribution toward the jackpot.
The second is that the payback percentage assumes that you’ll sometimes win the progressive jackpot. But in reality, you probably won’t ever hit that jackpot. The bigger the progressive jackpot, the less likely you are to win it.
This means that a 94% payback percentage might only be 90% after you account for never hitting the progressive jackpot.
For this reason, the odds and the payback percentage for a progressive slot machine are always worse than it is for just a regular old slot machine game.
You should also take advantage of any kinds of comps and freebies the casino is willing to offer. Those only amount to between 0.1% and 0.5% of your action, but you should get as much action as you can for your money. This includes taking advantage of the free drinks at the casino.
Of course, none of that applies at online casinos. Keep in mind, too, with online casinos, that many of them limit their payouts to their players to a specific maximum dollar amount per week. Winning $100,000 is a lot less fun if it takes you 100 weeks to collect.
Playing Tips and Tricks
I don’t have many tips and tricks to offer a progressive slots player other than this.
Make sure you’re betting enough to be eligible for the progressive jackpot. Some games don’t require you to bet the max to qualify, but some do. It’s up to you to read the pay table to tell the difference.
If you’re not going to bet enough to win the progressive jackpot, find another machine to play.
Other than that, try to spin the reels more slowly. The more spins you pay for, the more money you’ll lose over time, on average. If you make 300 spins per hour instead of 600 spins per hour, you’ll probably lose half as much money on the slot machines over time.
Also, you should never play with money you need for something else. If you think you’re going to get lucky and solve all your problems with a progressive slot machine jackpot, you’re delusional.
An Easier Way to Win a Life-Changing Jackpot
Michael Bluejay wrote a great page about how you’re far more likely to win a million dollars by parlaying your winners on a table game.
In other words, you might bet $10 on a single number at roulette, and you’d win $350. Then bet the entire $360 on a single number again. This time, you’ll win $12,600.
Bet the entire $12,960 on a single number again, and you’ve won $453,000+.
The odds of winning these three bets in a row?
Those sound like terrible odds, and they are.
But they’re still far better than the odds of winning that progressive slot machine’s jackpot.
Conclusion
That’s it, really. Playing progressive slots, like I mentioned at the beginning, just isn’t hard to do. You put your money in and hope to win enough money to retire for the rest of your life.
I don’t generally play progressive slot machines, myself. I don’t like the odds.
But I’ll play some of the time just for grins, and I think that’s the best approach. People win progressive slot machine jackpots every day, and you have just as good a chance of winning as anyone else.
The only strategy you really need to remember is to make sure you’re betting enough to win the progressive jackpot. Some games don’t allow you to win the big jackpot unless you’ve bet the max number of coins.
Other than that, these are games of luck. Treat them as such.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.A progressive jackpot is a jackpot (a gambling grand prize or payout) which increases each time the game is played but the jackpot is not won. When the progressive jackpot is won, the jackpot for the next play is reset to a predetermined value, and resumes increasing under the same rule.
Many slot machines and video poker machines feature a progressive jackpot. The jackpot increases by a small predetermined amount each time the game is played. Often multiple machines are pooled or linked together to form a larger progressive jackpot which grows more quickly because more non-winning plays can be counted toward it.
Many lotteries feature progressive jackpots. After each drawing in which the jackpot is not won, a large amount of money is 'carried forward' to the jackpot for next drawing.
Progressive jackpot meter[edit]
The amount of the jackpot increases by a small amount for every play on any connected machine. The amount by which the jackpot advances is set by the casino ('the house'). A machine offering a progressive jackpot usually displays the amount of the jackpot, rather boldly, to attract players. After a player wins the jackpot, the jackpot resets to a preset minimum level.
For example, on a machine whose house edge is 5%, a generous jackpot contribution might be 1% (one fifth of the expected profit). The house is prepared to contribute some of the profit of a jackpot linked machine because players are attracted by the:
- relative novelty of progressive jackpots (generally, only a small fraction of the house's gaming machines will be connected to a progressive jackpot)
- constantly changing meter, often displayed on large LCD or LED displays
- large amount of the jackpot, which eventually motivates more players to play the game.
Qualifying[edit]
Usually the progressive jackpot is only offered to players who wager the maximum number of credits per play. All wagers, whether or not they are maximum-credit bets, contribute to the jackpot. As a result, a game which requires a 10-credit wager to qualify for the progressive jackpot tends to have its progressive jackpot rise to higher levels (relative to its break-even level) than a game that requires only a 5-credit wager to qualify.
Usually the jackpot can only be won by winning the combination with the highest payoff, e.g. a royal flush at a video poker game, or five of the most valuable symbols (lemons, cherries, alligators, etc.) on a slot machine.
Often, the displayed amount of such jackpots includes a base payout which is often simply the regular payout for the winning combination multiplied by the minimum qualifying bet. If the jackpot is 'reset' to this amount each time it is won then in essence the house is not providing any 'seed money' for the jackpot since the minimum that can be won in such a case would simply be the amount the player would normally be awarded for the jackpot-winning combination.
'Mystery' or 'must-hit-by' jackpots[edit]
A variation of the standard progressive jackpot is the 'must-hit-by' jackpot, which has substantial differences compared to traditional jackpots.
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The value of every 'must-hit-by' jackpot is determined immediately after the preceding jackpot is won by a random number generator and stored within an encrypted computer connected to a gaming machine (or, more commonly, a network of machines) and is publicly disclosed to be within a certain range (for example, a small jackpot might be programmed to pay out at between $1,000 and $3,000). The jackpot pays on the wager that causes the jackpot to reach or exceed the threshold, with the maximum value within this range being the 'must-hit-by' amount.
Often such jackpots encompass a variety of games, with each game contributing a small percentage of wagers to the jackpot. Thus, these jackpots are often billed as 'mystery jackpots' since the conditions that cause them to be paid do not depend on achieving any specific result in the main game. Furthermore, it is not usually necessary to bet the maximum amount possible (or, often, to even bet any minimal amount above the minimum wager allowed by the software) in order to win a 'mystery jackpot' - although since it is a percentage of each wager that goes into the jackpot the odds of winning on a particular spin are usually in proportion to the amount of the bet. Or, to put it another way, one spin for twenty dollars would have the same odds of winning the mystery jackpot as twenty spins for one dollar each would, and also the same odds of winning the jackpot as would four hundred spins for five cents each.
Often, such games have several 'mystery jackpots' that usually differ by at least an order of magnitude both in terms of magnitude and frequency of payout, which can ensure that jackpots are seen to be won frequently (often, many times per day in the case of relatively small jackpots). One variation of this scheme (most often used by gaming corporations serving brick-and-mortar establishments over a large geographic footprint) is to have one main jackpot, several intermediate jackpots paid at the regional level, smaller jackpots paid at the site level and/or the smallest jackpots tied to each individual machine.
From the house perspective, a key financial consideration of such jackpots is that the portion of players' wagers directed to the jackpot are, in essence, only funding the portion of the jackpot within its specified 'range.' The gaming operator needs to fund each jackpot's minimum amount from the house edge of the main game, which is usually at least a third of the 'must-hit-by' amount especially in games with multiple jackpots as this creates an assurance that each jackpot will always be several times the value of the jackpot 'below' it. If the random number generator gives each value within the jackpot 'range' an equal chance of being the 'winning' value then under these conditions 'seed money' from the house would likely account for over half of the jackpot's total funding, for which the house would presumably need to compensate by increasing the house edge of the main game.
To counteract this issue and increase the average amount wagered before each jackpot is won, the mathematical formula used to calculate each jackpot is often skewed in such a way that makes it likely the actual average and median jackpots will be well above the average of the published minimum and maximum values. A simple example formula that would achieve this (expanding on the aforementioned example) would be simply to calculate the jackpot as being $1,000 plus the square root of a random number between zero and four million, which would result in a 75% probability of each jackpot being between $2,000 and $3,000 and a 25% probability of a jackpot being between $1,000 and $2,000.
Break-even point[edit]
In some games such as video poker, blackjack, or Caribbean stud poker, it is possible to compute an optimal playing strategy based on the average payoff (the amount of payoff times the chance of payoff). Because the jackpot of a progressive game constantly grows, it sometimes exceeds the break-even point for players, such that the jackpot wager becomes a 'positive expectation bet' for the player, with an average return to player (RTP) of greater than 100%. When the progressive jackpot is less than the break-even point, there is a negative expected value (house edge) for all players.
In the long run, with optimal strategy, a player can profit by only playing progressive games when their jackpots are above the break-even point, although the 'long run' can be quite long, tens of thousands of plays.
The break-even point cannot be easily calculated on a slot machine game, because the payback percentage for the game is normally unknown to the player. The break-even point in poker-based games can be calculated because the payback percentage for the game is a function of the paybacks and odds of the poker hands, which is based on a standard 52-card deck. The return of a slot machine is based on the published paytable, but also on the normally unpublished reels. For a five-reel slot machine, the player would need to know each symbol on each of the slot machine's five reels in order to calculate the odds. For a three-reel slot, the reels are normally weighted, and this would not be possible. However, in some circumstances the manufacturer may publish the payout of their machines.
Many online casinos allow the same game to be played in multiple currencies, in which case the break-even point and average return to player can change depending on the player's currency choice. This is because the jackpot amount may be converted between currencies so that the same amount is paid out to the winner no matter their currency choice, but the wager required to qualify for the jackpot is not. For example, consider a game that pays a $1000 / €900 / £700 jackpot, but requires a fixed $1 / €1 / £1 wager to qualify for the jackpot. In such cases, it is beneficial for the player to play in dollars, as the qualifying wager is a smaller proportion of the jackpot. Thus the break-even point will always be lower and the return to player will always be higher while betting dollars.[1]
Advantage play[edit]
Advantage players, who only play when the progressive jackpot provides them with a positive expectation situation, still generate revenue for the casino. Even though the player has an advantage over the house, the casino still profits from each play, because the bulk of the progressive jackpot has been pre-paid by the prior non-winning players.
Advantage gamblers sometimes organize teams of players to play machines where the progressive jackpots generate a positive expectation situation. Such teams often displace ordinary players, making the machines unavailable just when they are the most attractive to gamblers generally. Team members often have cell phones and work in shifts, calling a teammate to replace them when they're ready for a break. Some casinos have a policy of 'no team play', and will eject players suspected of playing on such teams. Such tactics do not work at online casinos because there are effectively an unlimited number of duplicate machines for players to play at, so the game cannot be monopolised by one player or small group.
Player's clubs[edit]
Most casinos offer slot clubs, which pay back a percentage of a gambler's wagers on their games in the form of cash rebates or other perks with a monetary value. Participating in a slot club can reduce the break-even point of a progressive jackpot game because of the value of the rebate on each wager.
Other jackpot games[edit]
Progressive jackpots are not limited to slot machines and video poker. Poker games sometimes include a progressive bad beat jackpot. Caribbean stud poker is another casino game which often has a progressive jackpot available, and some online casinos offer progressive versions of blackjack, roulette, and other casino games. Many lotteries feature progressive jackpots.
Progressive blackjack[edit]
A progressive blackjack game usually does not differ from conventional blackjack, apart from the addition of an optional side bet which gives the player a chance to win a progressive jackpot. The side bet wins if the player is dealt one of several specific card combinations such as four suited aces. The awards can range from several dollars up to 100% of the jackpot depending on the different card combinations, and the winning hand paytable can differ between casinos.[2]
Best Progressive Slot Machines
Progressive jackpot records[edit]
Developers of progressive jackpot machines have been competing for the highest prizes since their inception. Microgaming, an online casino services providers, host a jackpot system which is cross-product, where multiple games contribute to the pool.[3] On the 28th of September 2018, a record jackpot was won on their game Mega Moolah totalling €18,915,872, which exceeded the previous record by approximately 10%.[4]
The previous record win had been held for over five and a half years by another progressive jackpot game called Mega Fortune, which is developed by casino software provider NetEnt. The total win on that occasion was €17,861,800. Interestingly, this is the third time that the world record has changed hands between these two games since 2011.[5]
In-House Jackpots[edit]
The In-House or Proprietary Progressive slot machines are the group of devices or programs that are linked together. These machines and applications are owned as well as operated by the land-based casino or its online variant. The progressive jackpots on these slot machines are not multi-million-dollar, but the winning prize is considered a substantial win. The In-House or Proprietary Progressive machines are most often hit compared to wide-area progressive jackpots.[6]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Jackpots with known break-even values'. CasinoListings.com. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
- ^'Blackjack Side Bets'. WizardOfOdds.com. Retrieved 2015-03-18.
- ^'Progressive Jackpot Slots'. Holy Moly Casinos. 2017-10-29.
- ^'Mega Moolah Record Win » New Casino Sites'. New Casino Sites. 2018-10-09. Retrieved 2018-10-09.
- ^'Progressive Jackpot Slots - Win Millions! CasinoGuide'. www.casinoguide.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
- ^'Slots 43: Types of Progressive Jackpots and Definitions'. In-House Jackpots. 2020-04-19. Retrieved 2020-08-09.