wageringterms.

Definition

Progressive Jackpot

Also known as Progressive, Pooled Jackpot, Network Jackpot

By Reviewed Editorial policy

In short

A progressive jackpot grows by taking a small percentage of every qualifying bet until someone wins it. The contribution comes out of the game's RTP, so the base game is worse than an equivalent non-progressive slot.

A progressive jackpot accumulates. Every qualifying bet contributes a slice, typically 1% to 3%, and the pool grows until it is won, then resets to a seed value.

Types

  • Standalone: one machine, small jackpot, faster to hit
  • Local: linked within one casino or operator
  • Wide area / network: pooled across many operators. These reach the largest sums and are hit rarest

The record online slot payouts have come from wide-area progressives, with several exceeding €17 million.

The base game is worse

This is the part that is rarely stated plainly. The jackpot contribution comes out of the advertised RTP, not in addition to it.

A progressive slot quoting 96% RTP might break down as:

  • 93% returned through normal play
  • 3% accumulated into the jackpot

So the game you are actually playing, spin to spin, returns 93%. The other 3% is money you will almost certainly never see, because the jackpot probability is typically somewhere between 1 in 10 million and 1 in 100 million.

For nearly every player, a progressive slot is a 93% game with a lottery ticket attached.

Qualifying

Two conditions catch people out:

Maximum bet requirements. Many progressives only pay the top tier on a maximum-stake spin. Hitting the jackpot combination on a smaller bet may pay a fraction, or nothing at all.

All lines active. Some games require every payline to be in play to qualify.

Both are disclosed in the game rules. Both have cost people very large amounts.

When the value actually turns

There is a genuine point at which a progressive becomes positive expectation: when the jackpot has grown so large that its contribution to expected return exceeds the game’s deficit.

This is calculable in principle and is the basis of professional play on certain video poker and jackpot games. In practice, for slots, the probability is unpublished, the required jackpot size is enormous, and the volatility makes it unrealistic to exploit with any normal bankroll.

Must-drop jackpots are a more tractable version of the same idea.

Common questions

Do progressive jackpot slots have worse odds?

For normal play, yes. The jackpot contribution of 1% to 3% comes out of the advertised RTP rather than being added to it, so a 96% progressive is effectively a 93% game with a lottery ticket attached.

Do I need to bet maximum for a progressive jackpot?

On many games yes, and it has cost people very large amounts. Hitting the combination on a smaller stake may pay a fraction or nothing. Some games also require all paylines active.

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