Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
mountainwestwire

The Evolution of Jackpot Games from Standalone Machines to Global Progressive Systems

Winning big is the reward most players seek when visiting online casinos. Most games have more than satisfactory fun factor and can grant decent prize money, but since the inception of online gambling, a unique type of game attracted big crowds.

Jackpot games started as standalone machines with a slow-growing prize pool. As technology progressed, with high-bandwidth network capabilities and more diverse software products, players saw the emergence of network progressive jackpots, where the ultimate reward is in millions, and the pool fills up quickly.

Players are engaging in the digital casino scene with confidence, knowing there are dozens of high-quality online slots with some kind of jackpot awards to choose from.

What Was Lacking in Early Jackpot Models?

The iGaming industry was one of the early adopters of the Internet and took full advantage of the new technology in the early 1990s. Once developers implemented the big prizes in their software, it contributed to the popularity.

However, these first titles were standalone products, and a small percentage of wagers slowly built the prize pool. Unlike the modern software available in best-in-class PA casinos, there were no interconnected platforms to boost the build-up.

Another drawback was the unreliable random number generator. Due to the lack of formal regulatory frameworks, there were some issues with trust and fairness. However, for players, slow accumulation was the main issue. 

Technology was developing, but early JP wins also meant delayed payouts, as digital banking and online transactions were not as common and fast.

The Technological Advancement That Made JP Games More Fun

As the networking technology and infrastructure became faster and more robust, it opened up possibilities for developers. The software has major improvements in graphics and features, allowing for more interactive experiences.

Simultaneously, the emergence of mobile technology made iGaming products widely available and easier to play. Now, instead of a single standalone game, players could build up the pool on that title throughout the network and various online casinos.

The limitations were off, and the variety and maximum wins increased. Also, the regulators chimed in and increased regulation with improved security, making the gaming environment more friendly to visitors.

Various Types of Jackpots

The most straightforward type of big win is a fixed reward, where the title comes with a predetermined prize amount. Regardless of the number of bets, the JP stays the same. Users know how much they can win, and usually, those games offer more frequent payouts.

Progressive is the magical word in the jackpot world, as these dynamic types of prize buildup grow and can reach enormous payouts. Subcategories include standalone progressive, where only a single game feeds the prize pool. If more titles on a single platform contribute to the reward, the prize will be more substantial.

The most popular is the progressive JP collected across multiple platforms, where players contribute to form life-changing sums of cash. Players must satisfy several requirements to play such titles and be eligible for high payouts, but the goal is worth the trouble.

As the variety of games increased, so did the types of jackpots available. Some platforms offer daily prizes, and aside from the regular payouts, they tend to have lower entry requirements. Must-drop JP is a popular variation, as it has to be paid out before it reaches the set threshold.

Global Jackpot Networks

With smartphones in literally every hand globally and high bandwidth networks available to most users, online gaming has exploded. Progressive jackpot titles took advantage of these conditions, and now some games build up their award pools on a large scale.

Games are available on hundreds, or even thousand online casinos, and each wager on progressive title sets aside a percentage for the big win. Such quickly filling massive prize pools attract huge audience and present unique possibilities for incredible winning amounts.

Conclusion

Over the years, the iGaming industry has shown that it is at the forefront of technology. The first JP titles were where the pool would slowly fill in the early days, and the payouts were smaller. 

Modern platforms and jackpot networks have state-of-the-art features, with thousands of players contributing to the pool, allowing huge wins. This is a testament to the industry’s dynamic nature, which adopted new technologies and developed products that took advantage of devices’ processing power and high-bandwidth network capabilities.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.