Gamblers often add an extra bet to their gaming sessions so that they can participate in a progressive jackpot which offers the possibility of a life-changing win. If you like to play jackpot games you can integrate some jackpot strategies to maximize your chances of hitting that jackpot prize.
Check out the Grande Vegas online casino jackpot guide provides an in-depth look at the tactics and insights needed to approach progressive jackpot slots with a winning mindset.
About Progressive Jackpot Slots
Progressive jackpots, which are connected to a slot machine, involve a special side bet that is added to your game wager. Those wagers become part of the jackpot prize which increases with every spin.
There are different kinds of jackpot games, some of which link machines across networks and some of which are specific to the game being played. The jackpot amount grows until a specific combination is hit. Once the player collects the jackpot reward, the prize resets to a base value so that it can begin accumulating again with new bets.
Progressive jackpots are popular because they can end up paying the winner tens – even hundreds – of thousands of dollars...or millions!
If you’re getting ready to play a jackpot game you should start by familiarizing yourself with various types of jackpots. These include:
- Stand-alone Progressive Jackpot – a stand-alone progressive jackpot is specific to a single machine or game. It isn’t linked across multiple machines or casinos – rather, the jackpot for a stand-alone machine increases with the bets placed on that particular game.
Because the jackpot is self-contained, it is exclusive to the specific game or machine and only the players on that specific machine can contribute to the jackpot's growth. Since the stand-along jackpot accumulates only from bets on a single machine, the jackpot doesn't grow as large as in linked or networked progressive jackpots, but the winnings can still be significant.
It’s a good jackpot option for gamers who prefer smaller, localized jackpots with a higher chance of winning as compared to large, linked progressives. - Local Area Network Progressive Jackpot – LANs (Local Area Network Progressive Jackpots) involve multiple gaming machines that are linked together within a local network (like a casino floor). The machines are connected to a network and share information and data within a limited geographic range.
Every time a gamer playing a LAN places a wager on one of the connected machines, a small portion of that bet goes toward a jackpot pool which increases over time until someone hits the combination that signals a win. Once the jackpot is won, the machine resets to a base value and starts building up again.
When you’re playing on a LAN, only players on the local network can contribute to the jackpot and only those players have a chance to win the jackpot. - Wide Area Network Progressive Jackpot – a WAN (Wide-Area Network Progressive Jackpot) connects the same slot machine in various locations – online, or in one area (like all of one progressive jackpot slot machines in Vegas).
With a WAN slot, a small portion of every bet is set aside to a jackpot pool. This pool increases until someone hits the winning combination. Then, that person collects the jackpot prize and the pool resets to a base amount.
Many people prefer WAN machines because the jackpot grows quickly, and bigger, as players from multiple locations – not just a single casino or platform – contribute to it.
Techniques for Winning Progressive Jackpots
The spin that results in a progressive jackpot win is random but there are a number of techniques that you can use to increase your chances of winning!
- Choose the right machine. Jackpot games vary in size, Return to Player and volatility so choosing the right game can give you a boost. When you open a jackpot game, check out the current jackpot size.
Some machines have smaller, more frequent jackpots and others feature larger but less frequent payouts.
A lower volatility slot will have smaller jackpots with more frequent payouts while a higher volatility slot will have less frequent wins but larger jackpots. If you want to increase your chances to win, choose a machine that offers more frequent jackpot wins.
Also, a machine with a higher Return to Player (RTP) rate provides better long-term returns. - Bet high. Low bets don’t allow you to be eligible to win the progressive jackpot so you need to bet the maximum on each spin to stay eligible for a jackpot win.
Some slots allow you to be eligible with a lower bet so if you can’t bet max on a high-betting machine, look for a progressive jackpot machine with a lower bet threshold.
- Do your research. Look at the pattern of the slot machine that you want to play. Some machines’ jackpots tend to hit when the jackpot reaches a certain amount or at certain intervals. If you can identify such patterns, you may increase your chances of hitting the jackpots at the right moment.
- Optimize your casino bonuses which can give you free gaming time for extra opportunities to hit the jackpot bonus prize. The bonus give-aways allow you to increase your gametime without adding any extra deposits. Look in the casino’s “promotions” section to see which casino bonus gifts are waiting for you!
When you play a progressive jackpot slot machine you need to combine a balanced approach with an understanding of how the various jackpot options work. If you use smart betting strategies and responsible gambling practices you can experience the thrill of playing for a big jackpot prize while you play wisely.
