We all want to win a progressive jackpot. Progressive slots tease and tantalise us with the prospect of landing truly epic wins and life-changing sums of cash. If only there were a way, some sort of guide on how to maximise your chances of winning a mega jackpot. As it happens, that’s the topic Go Spin Casino will cover today as we explore how to win a progressive jackpot.
Understanding Progressive Jackpots
The first step in learning how to win a progressive jackpot is to understand how they work. Progressive jackpot slot machines are casino games where the prize increases as players place bets, with a portion of each wager added to the total until one lucky player wins. Progressive prizes form from all bets wagered on games between the time the game last paid out its jackpot and the next time it will. In short, these games form their prizes by pooling all the bets wagered to create an uncapped prize fund.
You’ll typically find three types of progressive jackpot windfalls online:
- Standalone: These are jackpots tied to just a single game. Players at rival sites can’t sneak in and steal your jackpot. However, because the prize funds only feature bets from one casino, they seldom hit crazy heights.
- Local: Local jackpots span several progressive jackpot games (all of which share the same prize), but only players at one casino can win them. They may include several slots, all of which share the same prizes.
- Wide Area: Also known as networked jackpots, you can win these prizes by playing a game (or series of games) at any casino. Every casino offering the game or games will share the same prize. Because they incorporate wagers from every eligible site, the prizes are astronomical, but the number of players involved increases, meaning someone may win the prize even if they aren’t a member of your casino.
How you’ll win progressive jackpots can differ based on the game in question. It isn’t uncommon to snap up jackpots at random, while some titles require designated symbols on paylines, many others opt to deliver prizes via bonus rounds. Progressive games may feature several progressive prizes (scaled in value), while others have just a single prize.
Choosing the Right Progressive Jackpot Game
Your best shot at winning is to choose the best jackpot slot games. This is trickier than it sounds. Go Spin has three pieces of advice for you to follow to help you do that:
- Consider the RTP rate vs the jackpot size. The best games offer a decent balance between a high RTP and a sizable jackpot.
- Don’t be shy about choosing the most common jackpot slots. Popular games like Mega Moolah and Divine Fortune are hits for a reason. You’ll want to consider table games with progressive side bets, including Caribbean Stud Poker, while even video poker games with progressive jackpots offer value.
- Consider the volatility of any game and its impact on your odds of success. Games with high volatility aren’t likely to yield wins frequently, while low-variance games may lack truly sizable prizes.
Effective Betting Strategies for Progressive Jackpot Slots
While none can guarantee that you’ll win a progressive jackpot, certain strategies and strategic elements will put you in a better position to do so. For instance, when playing the best progressive jackpot slot machines, it’s worth noting whether you’re required to wager the maximum amount to win jackpots. In older slots, this is often the case. In games with multiple progressives, this likely won’t be an issue.
Keeping a tight grasp of your bankroll management is essential to sustaining gameplay over a longer timeframe. The longer a session is, the more likely you’ll encounter a jackpot win. Regularly increasing or decreasing your stakes is a critical part of managing your balance in any game, especially big money jackpot options.
Leveraging Casino Bonuses and Promotions
Not all casino bonuses are eligible for bets on progressive games. Naturally, if you’re thinking of claiming a bonus and using it to wager, you’ll want deals that support progressive jackpot gameplay. Check the T&Cs for any reload bonuses, free spin deals, and other offers to ensure that this is the case. You should check the wagering requirements.
Go Spin’s Smart Strategies for Progressive Jackpot Wins
It’s possible to win a progressive prize, but there are some tips our Go Spin pros will share to increase your chance of success, even if we can’t guarantee wins. For instance:
- Become used to checking jackpot histories. There are games that haven’t hit in a long time. These often carry the highest jackpots.
- Try playing during off-peak hours. There are fewer players attempting to steal your networked jackpots.
- Another way to go is to focus on games with higher hit frequencies and lower jackpot amounts. With considerably less interest in them, you may have the games largely to yourself.
- Always understand the jackpot game rules and how to trigger prizes before playing. Games shouldn’t just offer you a jackpot. The best ones will keep you entertaining (and winning) via other features, such as bonus rounds, so even if you don’t come away with a jackpot, you won’t waste your bets.
Avoiding Common Mistakes
While we’ve covered some of the top tips for betting on jackpot slots, we’ll also cover the key pitfalls and common mistakes you should avoid when betting online. Clearly, chasing losses is not ideal for success. However, you’ll want to avoid over-betting in general. Remember, you need to stay in the game as long as possible, and over-betting is not the way to go.
Not understanding paytables and the requirements to win jackpots is a big error. So, too, is playing slot machines with terrible RTP rates. We expect a small drop in RTP on jackpot games, but nothing lower than 94%. Finally, avoid falling into the classic gambler’s fallacy traps instead of using statistical probability to determine which games are ideal and when, and how to play them.
Managing Expectations and Playing Responsibly
The final piece of advice we have for you is this: it is rare for anyone to win a progressive jackpot. Even if you understand jackpot odds, wins are rare but possible. Knowing when to bow out and walk away is critical. Remember that you should be engaging in responsible gambling all the time, no matter which games you play, so setting win and loss limits at reputable sites is a must.
Playing and winning on jackpot slots is the definition of a marathon, not a sprint. Aim for long-term gameplay rather than quick wins, and you’ll improve your chances of success on slots, table games, and anything with a jackpot, really.
Final Thoughts
There is more to discovering which game to play and how they work than simply Googling “which progressive slots pay out most frequently.” Give our strategies and advice a once over and learn the finer intricacies of smart betting and how to choose games. Remember, you’re not guaranteed a win, and progressive wins are few and far between at best. Gamble and play responsibly, and remember to have fun while you’re hunting down those epic wins.
