What is the progressive jackpot system? The progressive jackpot system is a fairly straightforward system very similar in nature to a ‘tip jar’ for a bartender. Casinos will set up a network of ‘linked’ machines, typically either slots or video poker, in which a small percentage of all the wagers placed on the machine go towards the house jackpot. This basically means that if you had 100 linked machines and each of them contributed a dollar from each of the wagers placed, you have a $100 jackpot instantly. Now…that example makes it seem small but it’s really not. Imagine playing in an online casino where 10,000 people are playing within the same system. This creates a situation where literally thousands of people contribute 5 dollars (the number varies) each time they pull on a virtual slot machine for hours at a time. It’s not unheard of to see jackpots in excess of millions of dollars.
Nice jackpot, eh?
How The Progressive Jackpot System Makes You Filthy Rich
Typically, only a winning combination in a given game will net you the jackpot, although this is not always true. Some online games can have you land the jackpot as part of their bonus rounds. Pretty sweet deal, that. Usually, only players who wager the maximum amount per play are eligible for the jackpot (as they are contributing the most to it) but, again, this is not always the case.
Real-world casinos generally link a small number of machines so they can attract players to those machines and make more revenue. This creates a novelty to the players as they can watch a large number constantly rise as they play and know that they could win it all at the drop of a hat.
When someone wins the jackpot, it automatically resets to a predetermined level and begins climbing all over again thus attracting more players to keep playing, keep building the pot, and keep paying the house more money.
There are various factors that, like the Break-Even Point, that come into play with various games and their types of jackpot system. Some players spend time calculating their odds to best take advantage of the system as well as putting together teams of players to dominate an entire set of linked machines. This practice, while both effective and lucrative, can displace regular players and some casinos have made rules against such practices. Some casinos also offer Player’s Clubs that offer cash rebates for wagers and other monetary perks. These can reduce the Break-Even Point because of the cash value of the rebates.
At The End of The Day…
Progressive jackpots systems are a fun way to make a lot of money in addition to whatever other winnings a player make attain while doing the gambling players normally do anyway. I mean…why play on a slot machine that will only pay you for the wagers you make right there when you could be playing on a machine that might net you 2.5 million on a lucky roll? Really only makes sense when you look at it that way. Get out there, do some calculations (or not…random can be fun), and see if you can nail that giant jackpot that you and all your fellow gamers are contributing to. The casinos will certainly love you for it.
