If you are a fan of big life changing jackpots
then you are sure to have had a spin or two on at least one
progressive slots game. They are the only type of slot games
to regularly offer million dollar plus jackpots but are they
really a good bet? Read on to get the insider info on progressive
slot machines.
The History of Progressive Slots
In the early 80's when slot makers started adding advanced
microprocessors to their games they also introduced the idea
of progressive jackpots. That is the idea that a percentage
of each bet placed would add to the top jackpot prize.
The biggest advance of progressive slots came in 1986 when
slot manufacturer IGT introduced the first multi-site linked
progressive slot called Megabucks ™. The advent of linked
jackpots meant that really huge prizes would accumulate as
players from around the country were "donating"
to the jackpot fund.
Linked progressive jackpots are now common place at casinos
online and offline. The first big linked progressive online
was Cash Splash which now routinely pays out over $1,000,000
of jackpots on a monthly basis.
How Progressive Slots Work
Every time you press the spin button on a progressive game
a percentage of your bet is instantly added to the jackpot.
This tends to give these games a lower payout percentage to
that of standard slots.
For example if a progressive automatically takes 5% of you
bet to add towards the jackpot then the payout has to be less
than 95%. Take off a few extra percentage points for the casinos
and you end up with less than a 90% payout. These numbers
are just an example and will vary widely.
Playing Tips for Progressive Slot Machines
The most important thing to keep in mid when playing progressives
is that you should always play max coins. Virtually all progressives
only pay the top jackpot if you play max bet - if you don't
you could be in for some real disappointment.
I can think of nothing worse than winning $1000 when you could
have won millions for just an extra dollar or quarter bet.
If playing at a land based casino always make sure that all
coins have registered before playing, online always hit the
bet max button and you should not have a problem.
Are They Worth Playing?
Statistically they have lower payout than non progressives
so we recommend only playing a portion of your bankroll on
progressive slots. If luck strikes you may have a life changing
jackpot, if not then at least you have some cash left to play
on slots with higher payout percentages.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that playing slots
should be for purely entertainment purposes. We liken progressive
slots to playing the lottery, give them a go but don't spend
too much time chasing those giant jackpots.
Read reviews of the best games online in our
Progressive
Slots section.
Good luck and Happy jackpots ....
