Key takeaways
- A progressive jackpot grows by a small amount with each play until it is won, then resets to a predetermined value.
- Linked machines feed one shared jackpot, which grows faster because more plays count towards it.
- Wikipedia dates progressive jackpots in large casinos to 1986 and names IGT's Megabucks as the first progressive slot; the first jackpot, won on 1 February 1987, was $4,988,842.17.
- Must-hit-by jackpots pay out at a value fixed in advance by a random number generator, no later than a published maximum.
- In a virtual-coin game, a progressive meter works the same way on screen, but nothing it pays has real-world value.
A progressive jackpot grows with every play that does not win it, then resets when someone does. Some slot apps, including ours, use the same idea with virtual meters. This guide explains how they work, where they came from, and what is different when the coins have no value, drawing mainly on Wikipedia's article on progressive jackpots.
The basic mechanism
Wikipedia defines a progressive jackpot as a jackpot that increases each time the game is played but is not won. When it is won, it resets to a predetermined value and starts increasing again under the same rule. The parts:
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| Contribution | A small, predetermined amount from each play, set by the operator |
| Meter | The displayed jackpot, usually shown prominently |
| Reset, or seed | The preset minimum the jackpot returns to after a win |
| Link | Several machines pooled into one jackpot |
| Trigger | Usually the game's highest-paying combination |
Linking is what makes jackpots large. Wikipedia explains that multiple machines are often pooled into one progressive jackpot, which grows more quickly because more non-winning plays count towards it.
Where progressives came from
Wikipedia records that progressive jackpots were introduced in large casinos in 1986, with Megabucks, developed by International Game Technology (IGT), as the first progressive slot machine. Each play that did not hit the jackpot added to it, without limit. A player won the first progressive jackpot on 1 February 1987: $4,988,842.17.
A worked example: how fast a meter grows
Wikipedia gives an illustration of the economics: on a machine with a 5% house edge, a generous jackpot contribution might be 1%, a fifth of the expected profit. Using that rate with hypothetical play volumes:
- A single machine taking 500 plays an hour at $1 a play adds 500 × $1 × 1% = $5 an hour.
- Link 200 such machines and the shared meter grows by $1,000 an hour.
- Over a week of continuous play, that is 168 × $1,000 = $168,000.
That is why linked jackpots climb so much faster than single-machine ones: the growth is the combined contribution of every connected machine.
The maximum-bet rule
Wikipedia notes that the progressive jackpot is usually offered only to players betting the maximum number of credits, while all wagers, maximum or not, contribute to it. As a result, a game needing a 10-credit wager to qualify tends to see its jackpot rise higher, relative to its break-even level, than one needing 5 credits. Players betting less than the maximum are helping to fund a prize they cannot win.
Must-hit-by and mystery jackpots
A common variant works differently. In a must-hit-by jackpot, Wikipedia explains, the winning value is set by a random number generator right after the previous jackpot is won, within a publicly disclosed range, such as $1,000 to $3,000. The jackpot pays on the wager that takes it to that value, so it always pays by the published maximum. Because the payout does not depend on a particular result in the main game, these are often called mystery jackpots, and the chance of triggering one on a given spin is usually in proportion to the bet.
Break-even, and why it rarely helps
Because the jackpot keeps growing, Wikipedia notes, it can in principle rise past the point where the bet has a positive expected value. In practice that is hard to use. A slot machine's payback percentage is usually unknown to the player, because the reel layout is not published, so the break-even point is difficult to calculate. Even where it can be calculated, as in some video poker games, Wikipedia cautions that the long run can mean tens of thousands of plays, and that most of any jackpot has been funded by earlier players who did not win.
What changes when the coins are virtual
In a social casino game, a meter on screen can grow as you play in the same way. What changes is everything behind it. BIG JACKPOT Casino Slots Games, for example, has three progressive jackpot meters that build as you play, but its listing states that all coins, jackpots and rewards are virtual, with no real-world monetary value, and that it offers no real-money gambling. There is no break-even point, because there is nothing of value to gain or lose. The BIG JACKPOT guide explains the game, and social casino versus real-money gambling explains the legal distinction. Both of our slots games sit among our anime and creative apps.
If gambling or casino-style games are causing problems for you or someone you know, in the US the National Council on Problem Gambling's National Problem Gambling Helpline is available on 1-800-MY-RESET.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How do progressive jackpots work?
What is a must-hit-by jackpot?
Why do some progressive jackpots require the maximum bet?
What was the first progressive slot machine?
Sources
- Progressive jackpot (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
- Slot machine (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
- Help and treatment (opens in a new tab)National Council on Problem Gambling — accessed
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