What is progressive jackpot?
Definition and example from our casino glossary.
Definition
A progressive jackpot is a prize that grows as a small share of each qualifying bet is added to it, until someone wins it.
In a progressive game, a fixed fraction of each stake feeds a jackpot pool. The pool may belong to one game at one casino, to a game across a casino group, or to a network spanning many operators, which is why network jackpots can reach very large sums. When the jackpot is won, it resets to a seed value and starts growing again. Because part of the RTP is reserved for the jackpot, the base game usually returns less than a comparable non-progressive slot, and that reserved portion is realised only by the rare winner. Some jackpots require a maximum stake or an opt-in side bet for eligibility. Regulated markets set technical rules for how contributions are calculated and displayed. The chance of winning a large network jackpot on any single spin is tiny, so treat it as a remote possibility, never as a goal.