As the world of online gaming grows, progressive slot machines are slowly making an appearance on the scene. The odds of striking it rich are slim to none on these machines. That is the case with any gaming slot or card machine in any casino setting whether online or brick and mortar.

With that in mind, players do not need to fear progressive slot machines. When the basic understanding is in place and a strategy developed, any player can have a winning turn at the progressive slot machines.

For starters it is important to understand that a progressive slot simply refers to a group of slot machines that are connected to a network system. This system can be internal or external. In many cases, the progressive slot machine network can span across the globe linking thousands of players to one another during any given gaming experience.

Progressive slot machines feature a jackpot amount that is based on the number of current players at any given time. Once the winning combination is reached and the jackpot disbursed, the amount is reset and play starts over again. Each spin of the reel places a percentage of the bet for that spin into the progressive jackpot amount. As such the payback percentage for a progressive slot machine tends to be less than other regular slot machines in the same casino.

There are three basic varieties of progressive slot machines: stand alone, in-house and wide area. A stand alone progressive slot machine is just as the name implies; a slot machine that is not grouped with a bank of other progressive slot machines. With this version, the payback percentages are a little higher than normal.

A percentage of each bet amount is added to the jackpot amount to create a winning combination. A gauge on the front of the machine shows players the current jackpot amount and where it stands in achieving that amount. Jackpot amounts are lower than progressive slots linked via a network setting. The distribution is different and gives way towards a player seeing more prize amounts than other progressive machines.

Next is the in-house progressive slot version. Here there are a group of slot machines that are linked via an internal network. Ownership and operation are at the hands of individual casinos. This could entail one casino or several casinos that have the same overall owner. Jackpot amounts will not change players’ lives but will make a significant impact on wallet size.

The final version of progressive slot machines is wide area slots. These are considered to be the big boy machines that have the power to change a player’s life with the touch of a button. Each wide area progressive slot machine is connected to a network that links to unrelated casino machines across the globe.

Ownership and operation duties fall to an independent housing authority as opposed to a single casino. Each casino that houses a wide area progressive slot machine receives a percentage of the profits. Ownership stays in the hands of the independent operator. Jackpot amounts are high then again so is the price of operating one of these machines. Therefore, payback percentages tend to be on the low side.

Even though the odds are stacked against a player when it comes to progressive slot machines, players should still give one a shot at least once in a gaming lifetime. One way to pull the odds over to a player’s side is to place a percentage of overall gaming funds aside. These funds should be earmarked for one of the casino progressive slot machines. That way a player can experience the thrill of progressive slot machines without breaking the bank.