Progressive slots are brilliant fun and they are hugely popular for one main reason: in a matter of seconds you could turn $1 into $1m! There are very few, if any, other casino games that give you the chance to win such a huge amount from such a small amount in such a short space of time and it’s the life changing potential of progressive slots that is unquestionably a large part of their appeal.

Progressive slots are more or less identical to standard slots but as well as the main jackpot that is available solely on that individual machine, there is also a shared jackpot that is available to all players on other linked machines. Progressive slots are sometimes linked to other slots made by the same software company (for example RTG have a range of brilliant progressive slots) or sometimes to other games in the same casino or at a sister casino.

Each time you spin, or anyone on a linked game does, a small proportion of your stake goes towards the progressive jackpot. With hundreds or even thousands of slots contributing to the shared jackpot, this soon adds up and so whilst the main jackpot might be worth, say, $5,000, the progressive could be worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars!

At the end of 2015 a UK player won a progressive jackpot online worth more than $20m, whilst RTG favorites such as Shopping Spree II or Aztec’s Millions regularly have top prizes of almost $2m!

Playing progressive slots couldn’t be easier and is basically just like playing a normal slot. The main thing to note is that it’s quite normal for a progressive slot to have a fixed spin value. So, whilst a non-progressive game might allow you to play just one line with a coin value of just 1c, the progressive version of that same slight might be fixed at all 25 lines and, for example, 4c per line, for a total cost of $1.

Some progressives even have a fixed spin as high as $5, so they aren’t great for smaller-stakes players, but with $2m up for grabs they are still excellent value. Where the spin isn’t fixed it may be worth checking that you are still eligible for the progressive, even if you don’t play all lines and maximum coins. The only other thing to note is that some casino bonuses and promotions exclude progressive slots from their bonus wagering. This varies from site to site but is worth checking, not that you’ll care about your bonus rollover if you win a seven figure sum!