About Progressive Jackpots

One of the unique things to come out of the emergence of online casinos is the elusive progressive jackpot. While most players are already familiar with regular jackpots, the ultimate goal of any casino game, the progressive jackpot expands on the idea of the jackpot, increasing the winnings exponentially.

Qualifying for a Progressive Jackpot

Progressive jackpots are usually structured as side bets placed in addition to the regular play of the game. The buy-in may be as little as a dollar, but it must be played on each turn in order for the player to qualify for the progressive jackpot. That means, even if the player manages the almost impossible feat of winning the progressive jackpot, he or she will not get the payout unless he or she also managed to buy into the side pot on that particular turn. This means, most players will buy in on almost every turn.

Winning the Payout

While winning a regular jackpot is a fairly rare occurrence, winning a progressive jackpot is even rarer. For instance, in a slots game that offers wild symbols, a player may win the regular jackpot if he or she matches all of the symbols without a wild symbol. To win the progressive jackpot, he or she must match all wild symbols. Because wild symbols are already rare, the chance of matching all at once is almost impossible. Yet, because the money is so good, most players can't resist attempting the win.

Every bet that players place into the side bet for the progressive jackpot increases the potential winnings. That pot will continue to grow until one lucky player manages to win the whole thing.