Many players around the world would agree that one of the most exciting things about playing online casino games and lotteries is the possibility of winning big. It is not surprising then that games with progressive jackpots are so popular.
Those Roulette, Blackjack, Poker, and other options are different to games that offer fixed payouts. In fact, they deliver the biggest winning opportunities you are likely to find at most online casinos.
What Is A Progressive Jackpot?
One form of progressive jackpot are lotteries with prize money that ‘rolls over’ from one draw to the next if it is not won. The form usually found at casinos online is slightly different.
It starts as a seed amount, which is increased by a small portion of every bet placed on the game by players. In some cases, it is fed by portions of side bets, rather than by players’ main bets. Either way, the amount keeps increasing until it is won. It then resets to the seed amount, and the process starts all over again.
A Brief History
The first casino game to feature a progressive jackpot was created in 1986 by International Game Technology. Called MegaBucks, the slot machine launched with a US$1 million seed jackpot.
The seed amount had grown to $4.9 million between the launch and the first win, which happened in February 1987. The progressive mechanism was used by other game manufacturers, and eventually became a feature of some online casino games during the 1990s.
Two Progressive Jackpot Systems
There are two basic systems used for progressive jackpots. The first type is a network, and the second type is standalone.
A network may be limited to a specific online casino, or it may be available at many different sites powered by the software provider responsible for the network. Several different games are connected to the network, and a portion of the bets placed on all of them contribute toward the prize money at https://onlineblackjack.co.nz/.
The standalone type is limited to a specific game. Generally speaking, standalone progressive jackpots tend to be smaller than those on a network.
Examples Of Games
Various providers of RNG-based and live dealer online casino games have created various offerings with progressive jackpots. Blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker, and Roulette are among those gaming options.
In some editions of New Zealand online blackjack, you will need to place a side bet that you will win if you are dealt three 7s of diamonds. Other editions of the card game also known as 21 see the side bet won by suited aces or by another combination of cards.
Most versions of online Roulette that feature a jackpot that grows progressively also require you to place a side bet. How they are won varies from game to game. In some popular editions, the same number needs to win several times in succession.
You also will need to place side bets when playing editions of Caribbean Stud Poker with progressive jackpots. In those, and often in other Poker variants, you win the coveted prize if you are dealt a royal flush.