Progressive jackpots are among the most exciting features found at online casinos today. Rather than just focusing on individual games, this type of jackpot centers on a prize pool that grows continuously, depending on players’ wagers across the network.

However, those who are new to online casino games and how they work may not understand what jackpot games are, not to talk of progressive jackpots. That’s why we have crafted this guide to provide you with a detailed explanation of what progressive jackpots are. This guide will also cover how they work on online casinos.

First Things First – What Are Progressive Jackpot Games and How Do They Work?

Progressive jackpot games are a type of online casino machine that offers players the chance to win large prizes, usually much bigger than standard payouts. Unlike regular games with fixed winning figures, progressive jackpot titles include a prize pool that grows, sometimes offering life-changing amounts.

How do these prize pools grow? It’s simple: every time a player places a bet and doesn’t win, a small percentage of that wager is added to the progressive jackpot total prize pool.

This means the more people play the game and don’t win, the larger the prize pool becomes over time. However, if someone eventually wins the prize by triggering the game’s jackpot feature, the pool will start building up again from a certain figure.

There’s a wide range of progressive jackpot online slots that you can play. Some of these variants include network progressive jackpot slots, standalone progressive jackpot slots, and much more.

Some Types of Progressive Jackpots

Just as we stated above, progressive jackpots also come in different types, even though they operate on the simple principle of growing jackpot pools. But for the purpose of this review, we’ll be taking a close look at some of them below:

Types of progressive jackpots What they mean
Standalone progressive jackpots Standalone progressive jackpots are linked to a single slot machine or game. This means only the bets placed on that specific game can contribute to the overall jackpot prize. Games with standalone jackpot usually offer better chances of winning than other types of progressive jackpot games. However, their only disadvantage is that they usually feature smaller prize pools.
Local progressive jackpots Local progressive jackpots connect several games within the same online casino. This means the prize pool doesn’t grow based on the wagers of a specific game. Instead, multiple games are connected to the overall prize pools. This makes it possible for games with local progressive jackpots to provide much bigger prizes when compared with standalone jackpots.
Network progressive jackpots Networked progressive jackpot links a variety of games across multiple online casinos and sometimes worldwide. These jackpots grow very quickly and can reach life-changing amounts. But then, the odds of winning this type of jackpot are generally slim due to the vast number of participants.

How Progressive Jackpot Grows

The growth of progressive jackpot is determined by a simple and effective formula. Each bet contributes a small percentage to the jackpot. Usually, online casinos allocate around 1% of each wager toward the jackpot pool. For instance, if a player bets $2 on a slot machine with a 1% contribution rate, $0.02 is added to the jackpot. Over time, these contributions accumulate rapidly, particularly in networked jackpots.

Online Vs Land-based Progressive Jackpots

Progressive jackpots exist in both land-based casinos and online operators, though there are differences in how they operate in each environment. At traditional casinos, machines are physically linked to share a jackpot, which limits the network to the casino or regional level. Online casinos and mobile casino apps, on the other hand, can link thousands of games across the globe, thereby resulting in much faster-growing jackpots with potentially higher payouts.

Pros and Cons of Playing Games with Progressive Jackpots

Even though games with progressive jackpots tend to provide potentially high payout, they also come with some disadvantages that you should know. Here are some of these pros and cons:

Pros and Cons

Pros and Cons
  • They provide the chance for massive payouts
  • Wide variety of options available
  • Available for players of all budget classes
  • Low chances of winning

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Conclusion – Progressives Jackpots Are Quite Entertaining to Play

At the end of the day, you can’t take away the fact that games with progressive jackpots are very entertaining to play. Aside from the chances of winning substantial rewards, the games themselves tend to be fun. And for jackpots tied into various titles, you have the option to try different games until you find your favorite one. All while still having a chance — a very small chance — of triggering the jackpot with each spin or round.

Of course, when trying these games, it’s still very important that you play at a reputable online casino in Canada. Fortunately, the banners on this page contain links to some of the best options that you’ll find.

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