Tips for Winning Progressive Jackpots
Most of the time, when you hear about really big casino wins, an online progressive jackpot is involved. These jackpots grow with each coin played, paying out randomly, or as a reward for landing the game’s top line/hand. Naturally, people are attracted to this type of online slots for real money because they typically award life-changing sums of money. If the jackpot is big enough, the game can even reach a break-even point, which, when combined with optimal strategy, creates a positive expected return. That’s why you often see people opt to play progressive jackpot slots over non-progressive ones when they have the choice.
To help you learn about the best progressive jackpot casino games, we’ve created a progressive jackpot Q&A that includes all of the most commonly-asked questions involving progressive jackpots at Bodog Casino. Incorporating jackpots into your casino game strategy could result in the biggest return of all, so combine this information with all of the strategy tips provided in our online slots guide for the ultimate casino edge.
Progressive Jackpot Q&A
If your progressive jackpot question isn’t in the list of questions below, feel free to contact our customer service team. They’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by phone, email and live chat.
What are progressive jackpots?
A progressive jackpot is a monetary award that is funded by a percentage of a casino game’s incoming bets. With no limits on the potential payout amount, the jackpot continues to grow until a player triggers it, at which point the jackpot resets. To get the jackpot started again, we reseed the starting amount and then let a percentage of all future bets do the rest.
What games have progressive jackpots?
Progressive jackpots are most commonly advertised with slots, but you can also find them in the table games section of a casino; our table games section includes Let ‘Em Ride, Caribbean Stud Poker and Caribbean Hold’Em as our jackpot games. Certain bingo games also include progressive jackpots, like three of our South American-themed games, which include Amazonia Bingo, Bingo Goal and Bingo Ribeirinhos.
Most progressive jackpots included in slot games are Random Progressive Jackpots, so they’re triggered at random with the use of a random number generator. The other types are triggered by landing the top winning line available in a game and often require a max bet to be eligible.
Bingo games with progressive jackpots can be found in the Specialty Games section of the casino; these also have banners advertising the dollar value of the jackpot. All three of our bingo progressive jackpots are subject to betting minimums (four cards at $1 a card), and you need to get bingo within the first 30 balls.
Table games, specifically poker-based table games, hold many opportunities to win progressive jackpots as well. Check out the Table Games section of Bodog Casino, and look for the “$XK Jackpot” banners advertised on the game cards. They’re on Caribbean Hold’em, Caribbean Stud Poker, Let ‘Em Ride Classic, and (the newer) Let ‘Em Ride. The progressive jackpots in table games are bonus rewards for landing top-tier hands. In Let ‘Em Ride, for example, you get $75 from the progressive jackpot for landing a Flush, $100 for landing a Full House, $500 for landing a Four of a Kind, 10% of the pot for a Straight Flush, and the whole thing for landing the Royal Flush.
What games have the best online progressive jackpots?
Since there is no limit on how big a jackpot can grow, any of our progressive jackpot games can have the biggest pot at any one time. Compare them by using the “Progressive Jackpots” filter in our casino section. As we go to press, Shopping Spree has the biggest jackpot of all at $3.882 million. This jackpot pays out when someone lands five Diamond Rings on max bet on any of the game’s nine paylines.
What are the best progressive table games?
Caribbean Hold’Em Caribbean Stud Poker and Let ‘Em Ride all offer progressive jackpots through a side bet, and they each have the same basic requirements for winning: put $1 on the progressive side bet at the start of the round and then land a Flush or better. The jackpot in Caribbean Hold ‘Em, however, has one additional rule: it is based exclusively on your two-card hand and the flop (does not include the turn or river cards).
In Caribbean Stud Poker, Caribbean Hold’Em and Let ‘Em Ride, the progressive jackpot pays out the following way:
Royal Flush: 100%
Do you need to bet a certain amount in order to trigger the jackpot?
Games that require a minimum bet to trigger the jackpot state this information in the game rules. For instance, with our bingo games, the jackpot rules state that in order to win the progressive jackpot, you must play with all four cards open at a total bet of $4 or higher.
Other games require players to bet a certain number of coins without specifying the denomination, such as Five Times Wins, which states that you must bet three coins to be eligible for the jackpot. The denomination of the coin, however, is up to you.
If nothing is stated regarding a minimum bet in the game rules, then any denomination can trigger the jackpot.
How are progressive jackpots linked?
Progressive jackpots can be linked in one of three ways:
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linked to different games
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linked to the same game in different casinos
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unlinked
When checking out the jackpots in our table games, you’ll notice that multiple games have matching jackpots. These games share the same pot, which allows the jackpot to increase faster than they would as individual pots. For example, Caribbean Hold’em and Caribbean Stud Poker both share a jackpot, and it’s at $123K as we go to press.
The second type of jackpot network happens when a game developer connects a game’s jackpot between every registered casino that offers the game. This is the fastest way jackpots grow, as hundreds of players could be playing the game across several different casinos. Bodog Casino doesn’t currently have progressive jackpots linked with other casinos.
Do the odds of winning a progressive jackpot increase the longer the jackpot goes unclaimed?
The odds of winning a progressive jackpot are identical with every spin, and they don’t increase the longer the jackpot goes unclaimed. The theoretical return, however, increases as the size of the jackpot goes up. For example, your theoretical return on a slot with a $200,000 jackpot would be greater than that on a slot with a $29,000 jackpot.
How do you increase your odds of winning a progressive jackpot?
While there’s no formula for how to win progressive jackpots, you can increase your odds of winning by making sure you’re meeting all eligibility requirements by consulting with the rules before playing. Increasing your bankroll by taking advantage of casino bonuses will also give you more time behind the reels, which increases your odds of winning.
How are progressive jackpots paid out?
If a jackpot is large enough, it gets paid out in several lump sums instead of all at once. The payment methods are the same ones we use for standard withdrawals.
Are there different kinds of progressive jackpots?
Progressive jackpots found in slots are one of two types: earned or random. An “earned” progressive jackpot is awarded when a player lands the top winning line on the paytable. For example, the jackpot in Five Times Wins is awarded for landing three 5X symbols on one of the three paylines when betting three coins. Alternatively, a random jackpot is awarded at the conclusion of any given spin regardless of the outcome of the spin. Cash Money Mermaids has a random jackpot that’s at $8,000 as we go to press.
Incorporating progressive jackpots into your casino strategy gives you an edge. Make a habit of scanning the game banners to see what the biggest jackpots are and familiarize yourself with any eligibility requirements the jackpot may have. Soon enough, you’ll be on your way to better odds of reeling in the big one.