There are millions of roulette fans worldwide, yet each person approaches the roulette table with a different purpose in mind. To some, roulette may be merely an enjoyable way to pass their spare time in the evening during a business trip to Las Vegas. Others see it as a form of recreation and prefer to make a few quick bets once in a while to entertain themselves. Then, there are people like Gonzalo Garcia-Pelayo, one of the most successful roulette players of all time, who found a way to consistently win and make a living at the roulette tables by exploiting biased wheels.
One thing is for certain – few players start their roulette betting sessions with the idea of winning a progressive jackpot in mind. Progressive prizes are usually reserved for those who bet on the slots but thanks to the emergence of online casinos in recent years, gambling fans are given the chance to pocket an appetizing prize on table games like roulette, blackjack, or poker.
Originally, the biggest payout one could expect to win in a game of roulette was 35 to 1 for a successful straight bet on an individual number. This is not the case when one puts some money on the line on the progressive variations of the game where the prizes may shoot up past the one-million mark. Progressive jackpots give this already dynamic game an additional level of excitement. If you are not yet familiar with how progressive roulette works, it would be best to continue reading for more information on how the jackpots accumulate and what you need to do to become eligible for winning one such prize.
What is Progressive Jackpot Roulette?
Many roulette players prefer to make bets from the comfort of their surroundings for the simple reason some of the available variants of the game are progressive and give them a chance to bag a life-changing prize. After all, progressive jackpots are a rarity in landbased casinos where the payouts on winning bets across different tables always remain the same. In some brick-and-mortar gambling venues, there may be roulette tables which feature special bets that offer greatly enhanced odds. Such is the case with the Back to Back roulette variations available in some casinos across Reno where the player has the option to place a side bet on their lucky numbers and if one of them gets spun twice in a row, it returns a payout of 1,200 to 1.
Progressive roulette, however, is different in that the top prize is not static but grows in tiny increments because the online variations are attached to a progressive network that involves all online casinos using a particular software platform. Therefore, the jackpots would continually climb up until somebody wins. The progressive jackpots tend to fluctuate in terms of size and may range from several thousand to millions of dollars. All players who participate with real-money bets contribute to the growth of the jackpot.
Progressive Pools and Jackpot Accumulation
Let’s explain in more detail how the jackpot pools accumulate in the progressive variations of the popular casino game. Each progressive jackpot starts growing from a predetermined amount that is called a seed. More often than not, this seed amount is provided by the software developer running the progressive jackpot network. The pot climbs upwards every time somebody makes a bet on this roulette variation in any of the online casinos connected to the progressive network.
These progressive games are pre-programmed in such a way so that a percentage of each bet goes towards the jackpot pool. The contribution rate depends on the roulette variation but usually the amount subtracted from the players’ wagers is minuscule and rarely exceeds 1%. Some developers have released multi-level jackpot roulette variations where players can possibly win one out of four progressive prizes. In such cases, the contribution rate is divided between the four progressive jackpots.
If the developer supplying the game does not contribute the seed amount when the jackpot is reset after a win, then a smaller portion of all bets would be used to fund the seed while the remainder is used to fuel the constantly rising jackpot. Once the seed amount is secured, the entire percentage is used for the increasing jackpot.
This will give players a good enough motivation to continue betting on the roulette variant after the pot is reset to its starting amount. If there was no seed, the pools would start at ground zero and no one would be willing to play, which logically would hinder the growth of the jackpot even more.
There is a common misconception that the gambling operators are collecting a cut from the progressive jackpots. While it is true operators make more money on their progressive games, the reasons for this are quite different. This tendency results from the fact progressives attract a much higher interest on behalf of players, which translates into more action on jackpot games. Since there is a greater number of players betting on one and the same roulette variation, the prize naturally climbs at a breakneck pace but so do the profits the casino earns from losing bets.
Another question of interest is what happens after the jackpot actually drops. In the majority of cases when this happens, the jackpot is paid out to the lucky winner in smaller increments that are spread over the course of several months or years. Sometimes the winnings are paid out in annual increments while in other instances the winner needs to request a withdrawal every week or month. Most online casinos would prefer to pay out jackpot winnings directly to the winner’s bank account instead of transferring the money to an e-wallet, for example, as this helps them circumvent the massive fees they would otherwise incur.
Rarely are such huge prizes paid out in a single lump but it all depends on the amount and the online casino you have won the progressive prize at. To our knowledge, only web-based casinos running on the Microgaming software would pay out progressive jackpots in their entirety. The software developer has laid down strict rules that require the operators using its software to pay out the entire jackpot amount when the player sends out a withdrawal request.
Qualifying for the Jackpot in Progressive Roulette Games
At this point, you are probably asking yourself if there are any special criteria you need to meet to become eligible for winning the jackpot on progressive roulette. This depends entirely on which roulette variations you have selected to play. In some variations, the jackpot is triggered at random and can be locked on any coup, no matter what the size of the triggering spin is.
On occasion, the stake size might influence your odds of collecting the enormous prize. The chances of winning would be increased or reduced proportionately to the amount you bet, so the more you bet, the better your odds of bagging the pot. This is usually the case with multi-level jackpot roulette varieties where a bonus game is unlocked and once this happens, the player can be absolutely sure they will be awarded one of the pots.
However, in some progressive varieties of roulette, particularly the one developed by supplier Microgaming, you need to meet certain conditions if you want to qualify for the gigantic prize. There is a special grid on the table layout where you need to place a side bet to become eligible. Without the side bet, the game plays like other roulette variations out there.
The probability of winning the jackpot in such games is further reduced because players need to meet specific conditions to get there. For instance, the jackpot may be awarded after the same number is spun several times in a row. Basic knowledge of how probability works tells us that the likelihood of the same outcome occurring several times in succession is calculated by multiplying the probabilities of the same event happening individually.
We shall provide an example for the sake of clarity where we assume the jackpot is awarded when the same number is spun four consecutive times. As you know, probability shows us the ratio between the winning outcomes and the overall number of outcomes. In our instance, it can be expressed like 1/37 (assuming you are playing a single-zero wheel) because there is only one successful outcome of a straight bet out of a total of 37 numbers.
In order to calculate the likelihood of spinning the same number four times in a row, you need to raise 1/37 to the fourth power like this (1/37) x (1/37) x (1/37) x (1/37) or (1/37)4. This gives us true odds of 1,874,161 to 1. As you can see, the chances of pocketing a progressive jackpot under these conditions are not exactly astronomical but this is what makes playing progressive roulette so invigorating.
How to Increase Your Chances of Winning the Jackpot?
No strategy can help you win a progressive jackpot with any certainty but there are ways to slightly increase your chances of walking away with the life-changing prize. One of the most important things when it comes to progressive games is timing. You can do a little research on the progressive roulette variations you plan to play and see what jackpot amount they return on average. There are plenty of websites on the internet where you can also see the dates where the jackpots have hit. Check the jackpot meters of the roulette games you are interested in and start betting when the games are worth investing money into, i.e. when the jackpot figure has surpassed the amount it usually drops.
It is always a good idea to exercise some caution when one is playing games of sheer chance, regardless of whether they are progressive or not. Some gamblers make the mistake of playing for hours on end, placing bet after bet in hopes of pocketing the huge pot. Unfortunately, this approach is more likely to lead to bankruptcy rather than earn them the coveted progressive prize.
All roulette players are recommended to choose a loss limit that best corresponds to their overall budget and comply with it. If you reach the loss limit you have set for yourself without winning the pot, it would be best to call it quits for the time being and try again some other day. Remember you can pour thousands into the casino’s coffers before the jackpot actually drops so exercising control and sticking to your limits is extremely important.
Do not bet the maximum amount on every coup if this is not listed as a condition that qualifies you for the progressive prize. Adjust your bet sizing so that it fits your overall bankroll for the session. If the odds of hitting the pot grow proportionately to the wagered sum, you can choose an in-between amount that is neither too high for your budget nor too low to reduce your chances altogether.
Last but not least, players are recommended to experiment with different progressive games. If you are continually playing the same progressive version of roulette time and again without hitting the pot, you can easily bring more diversity into your gaming session by trying out other casino games. Usually the slots are pooled into a network but online, you will be able to find other table games like casino poker or blackjack that are also linked to massive progressive prizes.
At the end of the day, becoming the next big jackpot winner is a matter of sheer chance, so do not let yourself become too engulfed in whether you win or not.
Online Roulette Games with the Largest Progressive Jackpots
Unlike slots, where there are dozens of different progressive titles you can pick from, progressive roulette is not all that common and not all online gambling operators would offer such variations of the game. However, such games are usually offered by reputable casinos that utilize the platforms of big software providers like Playtech and Microgaming. We offer you brief reviews of the four progressive roulette varieties that have rendered the largest payouts so far.
Roulette Royale
Roulette Royale was created by software developer Microgaming and offers fans of the Devil’s Wheel a nice twist in the form of a sizeable progressive jackpot along with several bonus payouts. The game uses the single-zero wheel so that the player is combating only half the house edge of 2.70%. The game is not all that impressive in terms of visuals because it was released some time ago but despite that remains pretty playable.
When you take a look at the layout, you will immediately see there is an extra grid there that reads “Jackpot Side Bet”, which goes to show there is an extra wager that qualifies you for potentially winning the pot. The side bet is automatically subtracted from your balance each time you click on the spin button and amounts to one credit in your chosen currency. The game is equipped with several handy functionalities like a close-up of the winning numbers, history on previous numbers that were spun, autoplay, and a quick-spin feature.
Being forced to contribute a side bet on each coup is not necessarily something to frown at. Provided that the ball settles on the same number twice in a row, players are rewarded with 15 credits for their one-credit side bet. Should three successive hits occur, the side bet pays out at a ratio of 200 to 1. Four consecutive hits of the same number result in a payout of 3,000 to 1. The jackpot drops when the ball lands on the same number five times in succession.
Age of Gods Roulette
Software developer Playtech launched the Age of God series of games as a substitution for its Marvel-branded titles and the new collection of progressives became an overnight success among casino enthusiasts from around the world. The progressive jackpot network includes all the mythology-themed slots from the series along with a variation of virtual roulette.
Age of Gods Roulette plays in accordance with the European rules of the game and features a single-zero wheel along with a racetrack where more advanced bets can be made. The settings allow players to toggle the rotation direction of the wheel. There is also one extra position on the wheel itself that is reserved for the Age of Gods bonus pocket. Players can also make use of handy functionalities like the table coverage indicator, statistics, and a history panel.
There is no obligatory side wager here since the four-tier progressive jackpot drops randomly, no matter what the size of the triggering stake is. Here, we should note that the odds of winning the pot increase proportionately to the amount you bet, so if you are wagering more than the minimum supported amount, you will have greater chances of becoming a winner. This is not to say that the maximum guarantees you win the progressive prize, though.
The game features four different jackpots and ranked in descending order, these are as follows – Ultimate Power, Super Power, Extra Power, and Power. Each one seeds at a different amount. The triggering of the jackpot game guarantees you walk away with one of the four prizes. The principle is the following – you see a screen with 20 face-down coins that contain one of four different symbols, associated with each of the four progressive jackpots. You click on the coins to flip them over and once you match three identical symbols, you receive the respective jackpot amount. There is a timer and once your time elapses, the software will award you with one of the four prizes automatically.
Dragon Jackpot Roulette
Dragon Jackpot Roulette is another bespoke creation straight from the gaming library of supplier Playtech. The game will impress you with a sleeker design and stylishly rendered graphics since it is one of the newer releases of the software development giant. It follows the rules of European Roulette where the house extracts its advantage from a single-zero pocket only. A racetrack is also featured in Dragon Jackpot Roulette, allowing you to experiment with exotic bets like Orphelins, Voisins du Zero, and Tiers du Cylindre.
There are two special features of this original roulette variation and the first one is the Dragon Bonus. The player can select up to twelve numbers they consider lucky and if one of them is spun, a bonus game is activated where you scoop up extra prizes with huge multipliers of up to 20x. The second feature of interest is the Dragon Jackpot itself.
Similarly to the games from the Age of Gods series, this roulette variant offers four progressive jackpots, the highest of which usually exceeds one million. To qualify, you need to make an optional side bet of one credit. If you have activated the jackpot feature, you can win one of the four prizes on any spin, including a losing one.
Playtech Live Progressive Roulette
Playtech has introduced to the world the first ever progressive roulette game that is broadcast via live stream in real time. The live version of the game is linked to the same jackpot pools as the Age of Gods games and is the best option for those who are tired of playing the standard virtual roulette variations. Upon its release in 2017, it went down very well with customers.
Age of Gods Live Roulette is hosted by beautiful female dealers who are standing against a backdrop inspired by Greek mythology. The dealers even wear armlets and gold-leaf tiaras to fit into the Greek theme of the game. The stream is of very good quality, allowing you to see all the action at the table clearly. Of course, you can converse with the friendly personnel at the live tables by making use of the chat facility.
Just like in the RNG-powered version of the game, it does not matter whether your bet is a winning or a losing one. All you have to do to qualify for one of the four progressives prizes is participate with real-money bets of any size you feel comfortable with. Each wager that fits into the table limits puts you in line for winning a pot. A percentage of all money staked on the game is deducted and then added to the Playtech Mystery Jackpot network.
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