Once
upon a time, in the history of progressive
slots, there
were lottery tickets to build dreams on and then IGT, the slot
manufacturer,
with the loud approval of their casino clients, introduced the first
progressive slot in March of 1986.
This network was
connected locally, then expanded to participating gaming states,
nationwide and
now there is an international link that reaches into Canada,
Europe and Asia.
IGT, always the vanguard
in slotsland, was followed by
Bally’s Thrillion series and Aristocrat’s Hyperlink progressive slot
systems.
The
many progressive slot versions from these three manufacturers
include familiar
names like
MegaBucks, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Quarter Million$ and Cash
Express.
There are many more to choose today as slot
manufacturers pair theprogressive
slots
version with a bonus slot release; e.g., Addams
Family, Jeopardy, etc.
These versions are leased by the participating casinos that
receive a small percentage, while the manufacturers maintain the
equipment and
pay out the ‘millionaire producing’ jackpots.
Some casinos place exclusive or proprietary progressive
slots.
The big name at land-based casinos is MegaBucks, linked to
casinos nationwide.You
must play $3 to be eligible to win the millions.
The largest progressive slot jackpot to date at a
land-based
casino of $39,713,982. was won on Friday 3/21/03
on an IGT Megabucks machine at the Excalibur in Las
Vegas.
The winner, who requested anonymity, was a 25-year-old
software engineer from Los Angeles.
He said he had played about $100 on the machine when he turned his head
away
from it for an instant.
He looked at the machine again,
the winning
symbols had lined up.
Since the beginning, more than 250 millionaires have emerged
thanks to IGT slots.
How do these
ever-increasing jackpots grow? Well,
approximately 10% of every dollar fed into the slot goes
directly
to the primary jackpots awaiting the ‘magic winning touch’.
Because
of this
feature, overall payback percentages will not be as high as
basic
slots with a constant jackpot amount.
Eighty percent is not uncommon and the jackpot may be paid
out over 20 years, insteadof
all at once.
Most players are not aware that there are two levels
of jackpots -- primary and secondary.
A ‘primary’ jackpot is the top prize award with the specific
combination ‘hit’. In the case of Megabucks, these are the ‘Megabuck’
symbols
that lined up correctly produce a bountiful payday.
This top jackpot is usually displayed with the biggest sign
and numbers above the carousel or bank of machines.
Secondary jackpots are displayed on smaller screens mounted
below the big screen of the primary jackpot. These are hit more
frequently and
therefore will not payout as large a sum of money.
Before playing any single group of these slots, check out
the primary and secondary jackpots, and then compare other surrounding
machines to see how high those jackpots are relative to their starting
amounts.
Play
your Favorite Slots--
Monopoly, Wheel of Fortune, 5X Pay, Double Diamond, Price is Right,
Jeopardy, Deal or No Deal, Unicorn and Texas Tea.
As for the progressives online, all major gambling software
manufacturers include a bountiful variety of themed versions whether it
be
single or multi payline.
Playtech, Microgaming, CryptoLogic and Boss Media have all
stepped up with ever-growing progressives while bringing on new
versions at
regular intervals.
Thus, Progressives online offer an attractive option to play
for massive jackpots and bonus—you are paid ‘on the spot’—no waiting 20
years.
Several sites track totals as they grow, so you
can best determine the ideal bet. A simple search of the keywords,
‘largest
progressive jackpot online’ gives players a variety of sites to search
for the
‘big hit’.
After a jackpot is hit, the meter automatically
resets to the base jackpot amount.
Now to the future of
progressives, most of which is
happening already. I believe you will find that million dollar jackpots
will
become the norm and paid as an ‘instant win’ instead of a 20-year wait.
Penny
slots now offer up to $1million jackpots with max coin in play.
As noted, online high-dollar versions and jackpots are
multiplying to the delight of all slot players and now offering
jackpots as
high as land-based casinos.
Now, everyone can make that ‘golden spin’ for huge bucks.
Have fun with this ‘special line of slots’, be sure to bet
maximum coin every time and in the end may all your wins be
progressively profitable.
