How Much Can You Win?
The amount of the progressive jackpot is normally displayed at the machines that offer it. In most cases a progressive jackpot can only be won when the highest combination comes out and the game is played at the maximum bet limit. Once won, the jackpot resets to the minimum value and the accumulation process starts from the beginning.
Although, a progressive jackpot is paid out only when the game is played at the maximum bet limit, it is accumulated during all games regardless of the bet places in the machine. The sum that goes to the progressive jackpot usually is a certain percentage of the supposed casino income, so if a house edge for a specific game is 5 percent, a generous casino may sacrifice 1 percent to the jackpot.
Huge sums displayed at fancy progressive jackpot displays look very tempting and attract many players, so by sacrificing a part of the income,
casinos earn more in the end.
What About the Edge?
Because all players contribute to the progressive jackpot, but only maximum limit bettors can win it,
progressive jackpot decreases the house edge of the maximum bet play. If the progressive jackpot has not been won for a while and has accumulated a certain sum, the game may become favorable for the player. The point where the progressive jackpot eliminates the house advantage is called the break-even point.
Because the progressive jackpot can only be won with the highest combination and the maximum bet, it requires a serious investment of money and time to take advantage of the favorable odds. There are groups of players who look for linked machines with shared progressive jackpot, which is high enough to exceed the break-even point, occupy as many machines as possible and play hundreds or thousands of games in a row to try and win the progressive jackpot and profit from the game. Although progressive jackpots do not reduce the casino income in general, and casinos do not really care who will win it, they do not like these groups because they occupy machines for a long time and do not let others play. Therefore, some casinos have anti-groups policy and make the work of these groups even harder than it already is.
