The progressive jackpot is there to tempt you into playing max-bet. When in doubt read the instructions - all slot machines have their payouts more or less clearly stated either on the glass (for traditional reel type machines) or in the help screen(s) (on video slots). INCREDIBLE RETRIGGER COMEBACK on the Spartacus slot machine by WMS! If you're new, Subscribe! → Spartacus is one of the original. Going for 8th Major Jackpot part 2! Outback Jack slot.Max bet with big wins. Card featur. 11:14 HEARTS FOR LOVE, ALL WE NEED IS LOVE & A JACKPOT. This slot game gives you control over your level of bet: increase or decrease the number of coins/bet line. Set the coin denomination between $0.01 and $0.50 and the bet level at 1-10. Minimum bet is $0.20, maximum bet is $100 per single spin. You can use the MAX BET feature to stake the top bet on a single coin.

• Slot Jackpots Max Bet
• Max Bet Jackpot Slot Wins

When you are playing video poker games or slot games the general rule of thumb is that you should always bet the maximum amount that the machine will allow you to make. There are a few exceptions to this rule but we will explore those later in this article. For video poker games, the maximum bet is usually anywhere between 5 and 20 coins. For slot machines, the maximum bet can sometimes reach over 100 coins.

The main reason why wagering the maximum amount is smart is that most slot games and video poker games tend to offer bonus payouts or jackpots to those who do so. If you do not bet the maximum amount and you hit one of the jackpot hands or spins, you will not be rewarded with the jackpot prize. This is one of the worst feelings in the world and it is totally avoidable.

This bonus money adds a little bit of value to each spin and you will be missing out on this value if you fail to bet the maximum amount. Your goal as a gambler should be to scoop up as much value as you can so that you can gamble for longer and ultimately have more fun.

Common Excuses

There are a lot of common excuses that people have for why they are not betting the maximum bet each spin or hand. Most of these excuses are based on a misunderstanding or a superstition that can easily be debunked.

We will now take a look at some of these excuses and explain why they are flawed so that you can consciously avoid having these types of thoughts. The best way to maximize the amount of fun that you have per every dollar that you spend is to make the maximum bet and get the highest returns possible.

Excuse #1: “I Can’t Afford It!”

The most important thing that you need to do is make sure that you have a big enough bankroll to cover the maximum bet for a large number of spins or hands. If you do not have enough money to play the maximum bets then you should not be playing on that machine.

One of the best ways around this dilemma is to simply play at lower stakes so that you can comfortably make the maximum bet. If you are already playing on the lowest stakes that your machine has to offer and you still cannot afford the maximum bet, then you should try looking on different machines.

If the casino that you are playing in does not have any lower stakes machines then you are likely to find some at a different casino. There are many casinos that let you play stakes as low as 1 cent per coin, and if this is too much money for you then you probably shouldn’t be gambling at all until you get some more money.

Excuse #2: “I Just Hit a Big Score!”

Some people think that just because they recently hit a huge score that they should avoid making the max bets in anticipation of a cold streak. This way of thinking is based on the “gambler’s fallacy” which incorrectly assumes that if an outcome occurs more frequently than expected over a certain period of time that it will occur less frequently in the near future.

The truth is that the random number generator which controls the outcome of each hand or spin has no idea whether you have won recently or not. Even if you are on the exact same machine where you hit a jackpot, the odds that you will hit it again on the very next spin remain the same as they were before you hit it the first time. Therefore, you should continue betting the maximum amount on every spin no matter what has happened to you in recent hands so that you can scoop up that sweet value.

Excuse #3: “I Want My Money to Last Longer!”

Some players have more than enough money in their bankroll to comfortably bet the maximum amount of coins every hand or spin but they avoid it because they want their money to last longer. In their eyes, this is the safe way to play but in reality, it is the wrong thing to do.

The funny part about this misunderstanding is that betting the maximum WILL make your money last longer in the long run. However, if we are talking about a timeframe of just one day then anything can happen so you should keep in mind that we are talking about a very large sample size of hands or spins.

The reason why your money will last longer if you bet the maximum amount per spin is that you will be losing less money per spin. The extra bonus money which you receive on your jackpot wins will give you more money per spin over the course of millions of spins which means that you will be losing slower.

Excuse #4: “I’m Not Lucky Enough!”

Out of all of the excuses on our list, this one is by far the silliest. Every player has an equal chance at winning in slot machines, and every player who knows the correct strategies for video poker has an equal chance of winning as well.

The only way to actually prove that you are somehow less lucky than everyone else would be to complete millions of spins and compile the data so that you can analyze it. Most people have not come close to playing millions of spins and are basing their luck off of a very small and meaningless sample size.

Whether you consider yourself a lucky person or not you should still make the max bet on every spin or hand. Even if you were less lucky than everyone else is, it makes sense to bet a little bit extra so that your average return per coin will increase.

Exceptions to the Rule

1. The Max Bet Is Higher Than the Bet Amount Where the Bonus Payout Becomes Available

Anyone who is a frequent video poker player will know exactly what we are talking about here. Most slot machines do not normally have any options that are higher than the bet amount where the jackpot becomes available to the player.

For example, if you are playing in a Deuces Wild game you might notice that the Royal Flush payout increases dramatically from 1000 coins to 4000 coins when you up your bet from 4 coins to 5 coins. However, some machines will allow up to 20 coins per spin and there are no more dramatic increases to be found between 5 and 20 coins.

If you happen to be playing on a machine like this, then you do not have to bet the full 20 coins every time. In fact, you don’t need to bet more than 5 coins per hand. There is no extra incentive to do so unless you simply feel like betting more money per spin.

2. Games With No Extra Bonuses

Another exception to the rule occurs when you are playing in a game where there are no extra bonus payouts for betting the maximum amount. These games are actually pretty scarce these days compared to games that offer extra bonus payouts for a max bet.

Due to the lack of a payout bonus for max bets, you can bet whatever amount you want to since the whole point of betting the max amount is to take advantage of the bonus payouts. There is no mathematical difference between betting one coin or betting the maximum amount of coins in these games.

We recommend avoiding these types of games if you are the type of player who likes to bet the maximum amount every hand. Your willingness to make these large bets will serve you better in games where there are bonus payouts rewarded to any max bets.

3. You Don’t Care About Winning

This might seem like a joke, but there are definitely some people who are so rich they don’t care if they win or lose. Some of them even enjoy the act of losing because it barely makes a dent in their bankroll and it makes them feel invincible. There are a plethora of alternative reasons why people don’t care about winning or losing slower, but we don’t want to turn this into a psychology paper.

If you are one of these particular human beings then be our guest and do not make the maximum bet on every spin or hand. This will ensure that you lose more money per spin in the long run, which is exactly what you were hoping for!

What to Remember

You should always make the maximum bet in a video poker game or a slot game as long as you have enough money in your bankroll. The only logical exceptions to this rule are when the specific game that you are playing does not offer bonus payouts on a max bet or if the bonus payout is achievable by paying less than the maximum bet.

Ignoring this rule is going to ensure that you do not get the maximum value out of every coin that you bet. Anyone who hates money will be happy to hear this, but everyone else should be excited about taking advantage of some extra value by making the maximum bet.

Even though the jackpots are rare, claiming this extra money from time to time will allow you to lose less money per spin over the long run. This contributes to the ultimate goal of having as much fun as possible while gambling by allowing you to play for more time per deposit, on average.

It does not matter if you think that you are an unlucky person, or if you think you already used up your luck by hitting a jackpot on a previous spin. The random number generator that decides the outcomes of each spin or hand in slot games and video poker games does not care about who you are or the results of your previous rounds.

The only control that you have over your fate, other than learning a proper strategy for the games that require one, is to make sure that you make the maximum bet for each round. By doing this you will give yourself a chance at hitting a jackpot while simultaneously knowing that it is the logical and mathematically correct play in the long run.

Stand-alone and linked progressives

There are basically two types of progressive slots at land-based casinos across the US:

• Stand-alone progressives
• Linked progressives

Stand-alone progressives are single slot machines with a progressive jackpot.

A piece of every dollar put in the machine goes into a progressive jackpot that is contained on that machine. That means only money put in that specific machine goes into that jackpot and only someone playing on that machine can win that jackpot.

Linked progressives are different in that they have a jackpot linked from among multiple machines.

There are area linked progressives that feature multiple slot machines over a defined area feeding into the same single progressive jackpot. The area might include the same slots or group of slots in a single casino or group of casinos.

A piece of every dollar put into these slots goes into a single progressive jackpot that all these slots link to. That means only money put in these slots goes into that jackpot, and only someone playing one of these slots can win it.

Then, there are network-wide linked progressives that feature multiple slot machines over a wide network feeding into the same single progressive jackpot. Network-wide progressives offer the biggest progressive jackpots around.

The network will include the same slots or group of slots at a group of casinos in the same state, group of states or all across the country.

Once again, a piece of every dollar put into these slots goes into a single progressive jackpot. However, more slots over a wider network means more players, more dollars and bigger jackpots. Of course, the same basic jackpot principles apply, meaning only someone playing one of the slots in the network can win the jackpot.

Online stand alone and linked progressives

You’ll also find the stand-alone and linked progressive jackpot slots at online casinos across the US.

Stand-alone online progressives are single online slot games with a progressive jackpot. As with land-based slots, only money that goes into the online slot goes toward the jackpot, and only someone playing that slot can win it.

Linked online progressives feature multiple slots at a single online casino or group of online casinos feeding into the same progressive jackpot. Where the law allows and interstate agreements are in place, these online casinos may even be in different states all feeding into the same progressive jackpot. Once again, the same basic jackpot principles apply.

Popular online progressive jackpot slots in the US

Here’s a look at the five most popular online progressive jackpot slots and linked-progressive slot series in the country:

Divine Fortune

Divine Fortune is at more real money US casinos than any other progressive jackpot slot.

It’s a three-row and five-reel Greek mythology-themed NetEnt-designed slot. Players can win the jackpot via the Jackpot Bonus Game, triggered when you land three or more bonus symbols. Fill the screen with bonus symbols in the Jackpot Bonus Game, and the progressive jackpot is yours.

Divine Fortune is known to have paid out some of the biggest jackpots in US online casino history. In fact, Divine Fortune has awarded more than $3 million in progressive jackpot wins in New Jersey casinos in 2020 alone.

That includes the following five $200,000-plus wins at NJ online casinos:

• $278,802.58 on March 15, 2020, at SugarHouse Online Casino.
• $271,476.08 on June 9, 2020, at Golden Nugget Online Casino.
• $268,223.23 on June 20, 2020, at Hard Rock Online Casino.
• $257,594.00 on Jan. 18, 2020, at Resorts Online Casino.
• $230,552.72 on March 31, 2020, at Hard Rock Online Casino.

The Divine Fortune progressive jackpot was worth over $250,000 on the Borgata/BetMGM/PartyCasino NJ online casino network in mid-2020. Plus, it was once again over $140,000 at Golden Nugget Online Casino and over $120,000 at SugarHouse Online Casino and Betfair Online Casino in New Jersey in mid-2020.

A 40-year-old Lititz, Pennsylvania, man also hit the Divine Fortune progressive jackpot at PlaySugarHouse.com in PA in March 2020, winning $278,430.23. That marked the thirteenth Divine Fortune jackpot at PlaySugarHouse.com in Pennsylvania since its launch in the summer of 2019.

The Divine Fortune progressive jackpot at the BetRivers network in PA was up close to $75,000 in mid-2020.

Mercy of the Gods

Mercy of the Gods is NetEnt’s progressive jackpot slot follow-up to Divine Fortune and is available at a variety of online casinos across the US.

It’s also a three-row and five-reel slot, but Mercy of the Gods features an ancient Egyptian theme.

The jackpot can be won in the Gift of Wealth Bonus Game, triggered when you land three golden heart bonus symbols. Fill the screen with golden heart bonus symbols in the bonus game, and the progressive jackpot is yours.

Players have hit three six-figure jackpots on Mercy of the Gods online in New Jersey:

Slot Jackpots Max Bet

• $293,839.47 on Feb. 27, 2020, at BetMGM Online Casino.
• $137,351.07 on June 16, 2020, at Borgata Online Casino.
• $131,285.60 on March 27, 2020, at Borgata Online Casino.

The Mercy of the Gods progressive jackpot was also over six figures on the Borgata/BetMGM/PartyCasino NJ online casino network in mid-2020. It was over $40,000 at Golden Nugget Online Casino.

The Mercy of the Gods progressive jackpot on the PlaySugarHouse/BetRivers network in PA was close to $45,000 in mid-2020.

Cleopatra mega jackpots

Cleopatra is an IGT-designed progressive jackpot slot featuring a familiar ancient Egyptian theme. It’s a standard three-row and five-reel slot that is available at a host of online casinos across the US.

You can win the jackpot in the Cleopatra Bonus game, triggered when you land three or more sphinx symbols. The Cleopatra Bonus game includes 15 free spins to start. Land the five Cleopatra symbols during your spins, and the progressive jackpot is yours.

Cleopatra is responsible for awarding one of the largest progressive jackpot win at an online casino in the US. It was a $373,500 jackpot at BetMGM in New Jersey on Feb. 13, 2020.

The Big One

The Borgata/BetMGM/PartyCasino NJ online casino network runs a linked progressive jackpot on a series of nine WIN Studios slots. The casinos call it The Big One. The Big One progressive jackpot can climb to over $330,000.

The Big One linked slots include:

• MGM Grand Millions
• Loot’EnKhamun
• Biker Pigs
• Going Nuts
• Melon Madness
• Book of Myths
• Spin Bandit
• The Win Genie
• Luck o’ the Jackpot

Chances at The Big One jackpot are awarded randomly on these slots. You are suddenly taken to a Big One jackpot screen where there’s a list of five progressive jackpots and a color wheel.

You spin the wheel, and it changes colors until randomly stopping on one. Every color corresponds to one of the five jackpots.

888 Jackpots

888 Online Casino in NJ has a series of linked progressive jackpot slots with a progressive jackpot that can climb to more than $1 million. The exclusive-to-888 slots include:

• Aztec Realm
• Mermaid’s Millions
• Oktoberfest Spins
• Rise of the Pharaohs
• Santa’s Super Slot
• Saved by the Bells

The games award the jackpot randomly. No matching symbols are required. However, bet size matters, and different bet sizes win different size jackpots. That means the big progressive jackpot is only in play with max bets.

Return-to-player rates and progressive jackpot slots

Normally, you look at a slot’s return-to-player rate to determine its volatility and playability. A slot’s RTP is the percentage of cash it takes in that it will theoretically pay back to players. A slot with a 99% RTP will eventually pay out 99 cents of every dollar it takes in.

That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to get back $99 out of every $100 you put in the game. However, it does mean someone eventually will. It could be you or some other player who catches the slot at the right time. In other words, a slot’s RTP is realized over the long haul, not session by session or spin by spin.

The slot’s house edge is the other side of RTP. That means a slot with a 99% RTP has a 1% house edge. That is, the casino ultimately makes a profit of one cent from every dollar put in the game. The higher the RTP and lower the house edge, the less volatile and therefore more playable a slot is.

Max Bet Jackpot Slot Wins

However, you can throw all that out the window when it comes to progressive jackpot slots.

For the most part, progressive jackpot slots have low RTPs because so much of the money that players put into the game is siphoned off for the progressive jackpot slot.

That means most progressive jackpot slots are considered highly volatile. However, they’re still playable, because playing progressive jackpot slots is not about chasing more frequent, though smaller, payouts.

Instead, playing progressive jackpot slots is about taking your shot at the progressive jackpot. That means, when it comes to playing progressive jackpot slots, you can pretty much ignore the RTP and simply go for it.

Max bet is usually required to qualify for a jackpot

Slots are a game of luck, not skill. Therefore, there is no strategy players can employ to help them win a progressive jackpot. There are no guarantees you’ll ever hit the progressive jackpot, no matter how much money you put into a slot.

The odds are stacked against you in a big way. In fact, you’re going to need an astronomical amount of luck to win a progressive jackpot. That said, you also have to put yourself in position to get lucky. When it comes to progressive jackpot slots, that means making the maximum bet.

You should probably be betting the max on all online slots. This is particularly true when it comes to playing online slots with a progressive jackpot. The thing is, if you bet anything less than the maximum bet, you’re likely not even eligible to win the progressive jackpot.

If your goal isn’t to try to win the progressive jackpot, there are plenty of other slots more suitable for you. If you’re playing a slot with a progressive jackpot, it just makes sense to try and go after it. You simply have to play the maximum credits allowed to get access to the most paylines, bonus games, and the progressive jackpot.

Progressive jackpot slot strategy

Let’s face it, slots aren’t exactly strategy games. Particularly when you’re playing progressive jackpot slots, you’re trying to get lucky, and there is no strategy on earth that can help you do that.

That said, you must put yourself in a position to get lucky or you never will.

With progressive jackpot slots, that usually means making the maximum bet on every spin. In fact, to be eligible to win the jackpot on most progressive jackpot slots you must bet the maximum.

Check with the rules of each game to make sure that’s the case. If it is, and you understand playing progressive jackpot slots should be about taking your shot at the jackpot, anything else would be a waste of your time and money.

If you’re trying to book small wins instead, you should play low-volatility slots with high RTPs.

The thing is, chasing sizable progressive jackpots with life-changing money isn’t cheap. Maximum bets add up fast. Add in the fact there’s no guarantee you’ll ever win that jackpot, and you’re going to need to be careful. That means following the principles of a responsible gambling strategy.

Responsible gambling involves setting limits and sticking to them. Only play with money you can afford to lose, and when that’s gone, you have to quit. Show some discipline, don’t chase losses and you’ll survive to take a shot at that progressive jackpot again when you can play with another chunk of cash you can afford to lose.

Ultimately, this will help keep playing progressive jackpot slots a fun pursuit you do with disposable income. You’ll limit your losses and be able to take another shot at that progressive jackpot some other day.

Know your limits, stay within it

The reality is you’re more than likely going to rack up heavy losses chasing progressive jackpots online. That money in the jackpot has to come from somewhere. In fact, it’s being funded with every losing spin you and others make.

Mindlessly spinning away making maximum bets on a progressive jackpot slot can prove costly over time. Since there’s no guarantee you’re ever going to win, following responsible gambling principles and some proper bankroll management strategies can prevent you from getting in over your head.

Online gamblers should always set a limit of how much they can afford to lose in a particular session and stick to it. The key is making it a number that won’t have an effect on your life.

Applying this kind of common sense to managing your gambling bankroll can definitely help you limit your losses. Plus, that will make sure you can stay in the game long enough for you to get lucky.

If you lose the money you’ve limited yourself to, accept that today is not your day and simply walk away. Show some discipline. Do not chase your losses, and perhaps things will turn around when you return to play another day.