Modern online casinos offer a plethora of different game types these days. In fact, the variety of games and game genres far exceeds what you would find in a bricks and mortar casino. Still, many of the themes and sub-categories are universal. For instance, everybody instantly knows what a jackpot means, right?
Or do they? The thing is, jackpots at online casinos come in a variety of forms. Technically speaking, the jackpot means the biggest prize in a game, but by different forms, we mean the mechanics are different. Slot games will rely on random number generator software, so knowing the difference between the types of jackpots won’t enable you to predict specifically when it will pay. However, there is an importance in terms of probabilities.
To explain, let’s look at some of the different types of jackpot games and their differences :
Non-progressive jackpot
This is the standard top prize in a slot game, which will pay a fixed amount, usually in the form of a multiple of your bet. For instance, win 10,000X the bet for landing 5 Jackpot Symbols on a line. Winning the jackpot has no impact on other players. You might even consider this as the Max Win on games without an advertised jackpot. For example, Retro Tapes from Push Gaming has a Max Win of 10,000X.
Single-game progressive jackpot
A progressive jackpot is one that is constantly growing. It is funded by taking a small percentage of each player’s bet on the game. This is added to a seed amount (the base amount used to start the jackpot). Eventually, someone will win the jackpot, and it will reset to the seed amount before starting over again. Playtech’s Jackpot Giant is an example of this.
Progressive jackpot network
Now more and more common, a progressive jackpot network is a bunch of games that share the same progressive jackpot, even though the games are separate. For example, the popular Age of the Gods slots Ruler of the Sky and Prince of Olympus share the same jackpot network alongside the dozens of other AOTG games. Once the jackpot is won, it resets to the seed amount for all games in the network. Importantly, progressive jackpot networks are shared across different casino platforms. So, not only might someone win when they are playing a different game to you; they could be playing at another casino or in another country.
Multi-level progressive jackpots
This could refer to any type of progressive jackpot on this list, but the point is that a single game will have several different progressive jackpots. For example, the previously mentioned Age of the Gods: Ruler of the Sky slot has four progressive jackpots (in ascending order of value) – Power, Extra Power, Super Power, and Ultimate Power.
In-house progressive jackpots
These are progressive jackpots that are hosted by an individual casino and that are not available on other brands. It might be a single game or an in-house network, but the jackpot can only be won on that online casino platform.
Must-go jackpots
One of the more modern additions to the jackpot landscape, there are two types of must-go jackpots, which are a type of progressive jackpot with a ceiling. The rules might dictate that they should be won before they reach a specific amount, or that they must be won before a certain time. This allows players to narrow down the window of when it can be won.
Why this is important for players
As mentioned, knowing the different types of jackpot games does not determine whether you win or lose. But you can understand something about the probabilities. For example, the top jackpots in progressive jackpot networks are usually bigger than the must-go ones. As a general rule, the former can reach millions, whereas the latter tends to be measured in thousands (there are always exceptions). In short, it is easier to win an in-house jackpot or must-go jackpot, but they tend to be smaller than the huge prizes on networks. It is a case of weighing up risk versus reward then, but it’s useful information for anyone who plays jackpot games at casinos.
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