The jackpot – that grand, sparkling prize gamblers dream of hitting when we enter the casino; the promise of a life-changing bank boost; the reason why some of us keep going back… Thanks to the plethora of slot games available in online casinos, there are many ways players can hit the jackpot. There are also different kinds of jackpots you can win, and these usually depend on the type of game you’re playing.
In general, you’ll see two main types of jackpot: regular and progressive. These jackpots can also be locally pooled, or network pooled. In this guide, we’ll go into more detail about these, and how you can bet to win.
You can win a regular jackpot on a regular, standalone slot game. In this case, every spin is effectively a new game. You place a bet and, if your symbols land in a winning combination, you win a predetermined amount. This type of jackpot isn’t influenced by how many players have played the game, or how big the jackpot pool is – though one spin could generate more than a single win with cascading tiles replacing winning symbols or multipliers in play.
These types of jackpot also frequently occur in video poker games, which have clearly defined hands and therefore clearly defined prize amounts.
Progressive jackpots – the glitzy version – are what most newcomers are familiar with, thanks to their depiction in TV and movies. A progressive slot in an online casino works similarly to a progressive slot in a land-based casino. Multiple players can play the same game, contributing to the same jackpot prize pool. Eventually, one player will strike it lucky and win the whole jackpot. With online gambling, though, you can have many more players contributing to the pot.
Here, payouts also depend on the type of payline, but prize amounts can vary due to the progressive nature of the game.
Local vs network jackpot pools
In most cases, the progressive jackpot pool is casino based, in other words, it is held and managed by the casino that you are currently playing through. This is known as a local jackpot pool.
Some games, however, are linked to their own network, and jackpot pools are fed from multiple online casinos and players all playing that same game. This is a network jackpot pool, and is always linked to a specific game.
Betting to win
There are no universal rules for how slot games should pay out, whether they are progressive or regular. That said, regular slots usually have very clearly laid-out game guides that show you the payouts for winning paylines. The best way to maximise winnings on a regular slot is to read the paytable and game specifications. For example, some games may increase odds for bigger bets, while others have fixed odds.
Progressive slots in a bricks and mortar casino usually function on a break-even jackpot. In other words, the jackpot will not pay out until the predetermined break-even point has been exceeded. This is to ensure that the casino remains profitable in the face of the outlay for slot games.
In an online casino, however, the initial outlay is comparably minimal, and the costs to run an online slot are significantly lower. Therefore, these games usually have a jackpot reset. This means that, when the jackpot is won, the game doesn’t go back to zero; instead, it resets to the game’s or casino’s minimum jackpot amount.
Winning a jackpot can be life changing. Often, these amounts can stretch into the millions, turning winners’ lives around overnight. However, most online casinos have withdrawal limits in place, which mean that you can only withdraw a certain amount of money during any one transaction. There may also be a longer wait for unusually large payouts.
Before playing any game at an online casino, read their payout terms first. Make sure you are clear on the rules and happy to comply with them. By signing up and making your first deposit, you are usually confirming that you have read and understand these terms, and it may be difficult to challenge them later.
Choosing whether to play a regular or progressive slot or a video poker game often comes down to the type of risk-reward benefit you want. Regular slots pay out much more often, due to their preset payouts for certain configurations, but their jackpot amounts are considerably lower. Progressive slots can, and do, pay out huge jackpots, but they pay out much less frequently.
Reputable online casinos will give you easy, clear access to all relevant information on their jackpot structure and payouts. If you are weighing up which casino to sign up with, visit our casino reviews here.
