Play Progressive Slot Machines in Indiana
Online progressive slots produce huge jackpots, creating some of the largest prizes you can win at an online casino.
Here’s an overview of how online progressives work, what sites have them and what Indiana players can expect with regard to online progressive slots once online casinos launch in the Hoosier State.
What are progressive jackpots at online casinos?
Slots offer many different ways to win, with progressive jackpots being one of the most popular. First introduced in the mid-1980s, progressive jackpot slots come in various forms but have the distinguishing characteristic of offering the chance at huge payouts, sometimes as high as six, seven and even eight figures.
With progressive slot machines, every time a player spins, a small percentage of the wager goes into the jackpot. Each time someone spins without winning the jackpot, the prize goes up. Much like a lottery, the more people play without winning, the bigger the prize becomes.
Expected IN online casinos with progressive jackpot slots
We expect several online casinos currently operating in other states to launch in Indiana once the state authorizes them. Most of these sites feature progressive jackpots prominently among their available slots. Here’s a selection of online casinos with progressive slots, including some of their more popular titles.
Online Casino | Popular Progressive Jackpot Slots |
---|---|
Bally Casino | Deal or No Deal Megaways, Diamond Bonanza, Wonderland |
Bet365 Casino | Divine Fortune, Purple Hot, and of Gold |
BetMGM Casino | MGM Grand Millions, Bison Fury, Mega Jackpots* |
BetRivers Casino | Triple Jackpot Gems, Double Jackpot Gems, Mega Jackpots* |
Caesars Casino | Mercy of the Gods, Jumpin' Jalapenos, China Shores |
DraftKings Casino | Endless Treasure, Monopoly Megaways, Imperial Riches |
FanDuel Casino | Divine Fortune, Mercy of the Gods, Imperial Riches |
Golden Nugget Casino | Divine Fortune, Golden Money Frog, Imperial Riches |
Hard Rock Casino | Monopoly Big Spin, Raging Rhino Ultra - Mega Drop, Fortune Coin |
PlayStar Casino | Dancing Drums Explosion, Divine Fortune, Mega Jackpots* |
Unibet Casino | Lock It Link Diamonds, Wheel of Fortune Ruby Riches, Mega Jackpots* |
WynnBET Casino | Divine Fortune, Mercy of the Gods, Imperial Riches |
Some favorite progressive slots are shared across a network of games. For example, the Mega Jackpots network (marked with an asterisk above) is one you’ll find at most IN online casinos. Games in the Mega Jackpots network include Cleopatra, Golden Goddess, Ocean Belles, Siberian Storm, Wheel of Fortune, Wolf Run, and Elephant King.
You’ll also sometimes see sites inviting you to shoot for a shared progressive jackpot. DraftKings Casino is an example of a site that does this, inviting you to add an extra $0.10 per spin to have a chance at a big shared jackpot.
Best progressive slots online in Indiana
When Indiana does introduce real money online casinos, expect the following favorite progressive jackpot slots to become available to IN online slot players:
- Divine Fortune: One of the most popular slots is Divine Fortune from developer NetEnt. Featuring a Greek mythology theme, the game has five reels, three rows, 20 paylines and a nice 96.59% RTP (return to player percentage). The game features three different jackpot prizes with multiple ways to trigger them.
- Mercy of the Gods: Also from NetEnt comes Mercy of the Gods, a follow-up to Divine Fortune that offers minor, major and mega jackpots. The game also has five reels, three rows, 20 paylines and similarly features a high 96.64% RTP.
- China Shores: Another favorite progressive jackpot slot is China Shores from Konami featuring five reels, three rows, 30 paylines, a nice 96.1% RTP and a lovable Giant Panda among its many retro East Asian symbols and imagery. Free games, free spins, action-stacked symbols and other goodies have made this slot a favorite of many.
- MegaJackpots Cleopatra: There are several Cleopatra slots, each of which draws on an ancient Egyptian theme. The MegaJackpots Cleopatra game from IGT is an especially popular progressive slot with five reels, three rows, 20 paylines and wild multipliers to keep things interesting. The initial 88.98% RTP is on the low side but improves to the 92-93% range with the jackpots.
- Imperial Riches: Also from IGT, Imperial Riches is a Chinese-themed game with spectacular animation and visuals, 12 paylines, a 96.88% RTP and lots of bonus features like the Lucky Pond Bonus, Jackpot Game and a Free Fall Round.
How do progressive jackpot slots work at online casinos?
How exactly do progressive jackpot slots function? Here are some terms and concepts associated with progressive slots that help explain how the games create such large prizes.
Contribution
As noted above, when you play a progressive slot, you contribute a small amount to the jackpot every time you spin. That small percentage of your overall wager is called the player contribution. This typically makes up the vast majority of the jackpot prize.
In many cases, these games require you to bet the maximum in order to qualify for the jackpot. That requirement helps the slots progressive jackpot grow even faster.
Seed
There is typically an initial cash prize from which the progressive jackpot begins, and whenever the jackpot is won, the prize amount reverts back to this starting point. That initial amount is called the seed.
You may see in certain games different levels of jackpots (e.g., minor or “mini,” major, mega, etc.). For these, the smallest jackpot will start with a small seed (e.g., $10), while the large ones can start at $100,000 or even higher.
Progressive slots odds
Different factors affect your odds of winning the jackpot when playing a progressive slot. The chances of hitting the needed combination to win the prize are unique to each game. Also, the prize amount is impacted in various ways, most particularly by the size of the initial seed and the frequency of contributions from players.
Also worth noting is that the jackpots in progressive slots affect the overall return to player percentage. This means the game may have a lower RTP % generally speaking, but factoring in the small chance of winning the top prize increases the overall return.
Online progressive jackpot payouts
For smaller online progressive slots payout wins, the money lands in your online casino account just like any other win, available immediately to play or withdraw. For larger wins, including the top prizes (which can sometimes exceed $1 million), you may find the site has certain policies affecting how your prize is awarded. These terms can include:
- Lump sum payouts — awarded as a single one-time cash payment
- Monthly, quarterly or annual payments — arranged not unlike the awarding of large lottery wins
- Payment by check — reserved for the payment of particularly large jackpot wins (e.g., $25,000 or more)
Note that gambling wins are subject to federal taxes and (where applicable) state taxes. Be aware of your tax obligations on gambling winnings.
Progressive slot fairness and RNGs
Sometimes after a sequence of losing spins, players begin to wonder about the fairness of the online slot they are playing. When you play online slots on a licensed and regulated site, you can be assured the games undergo regular audits to ensure their fairness and integrity. The games employ random number generators (RNGs) that randomize spins according to the predetermined return to player (RTP) percentages assigned to the games.
Note that the RTP is an indication of how much a player can expect to win over the long term and not necessarily during a single session or set of spins. A slot with a 94% RTP should pay out an average of $94 for every $100 wagered. That doesn’t mean you will necessarily win exactly $94 over your next $100 worth of spins.
Types of progressive jackpots online
Progressive jackpots can be won in a variety of ways. Online slots especially offer a lot of versatility since they can feature types of jackpots not necessarily possible on traditional mechanical reel slots such as you find in a retail casino.
Here are a few common types of progressive jackpots you might find when playing slots online.
- Scatters: Scatters are one of the best-known ways of winning progressive jackpots. These slots use special symbols or logos. If you hit the required minimum number, you win the jackpot, no matter where the symbols or logos are “scattered” on the screen.
- Picks bonus: A picks bonus works a little differently. If you hit the right result on a spin, you’ll trigger the picks bonus and then have to pick certain items out of a group to try to win the jackpot. For example, 88 Fortunes has a picks bonus that involves the player having to pick from 12 coins with the hope that three will match.
- Bonus games: With bonus games, you again hit a certain combination with a spin to trigger a kind of game inside the game. Once you win a chance to play the bonus game, then if you prevail there, you win the jackpot.
- Wheel spin jackpots: Wheel spin jackpots are a throwback of sorts to traditional reel slots. Essentially you hit a “spin” symbol or some equivalent, thereby earning a chance to spin a wheel containing a range of possible prizes including the big jackpot.
- Random jackpots: You will also encounter progressive slots with random jackpots that can be awarded at any moment as you play. One nice aspect of random jackpots is you often can win them no matter what you are wagering. In other words, unlike with the other types of progressive jackpots, you don’t necessarily have to bet the maximum to win a random jackpot.
Types of online progressive slots
There are not only multiple ways to win jackpots in progressive slots but also different ways for the games themselves to be organized. These types of online progressive slots are distinguished by how they collect players’ contributions to the jackpot prize money.
Here is a rundown of the most common types of online progressive slots featured at online casinos.
- Shared progressive slots: The descriptor shared progressive slots refers to any network of individual slots that all contribute to the same jackpot. Whenever anyone plays any of the games on the shared network, part of the bet goes into the jackpot. Thus, each time someone spins and does not win, that jackpot increases.
- Wide area progressive slots: One example of shared progressive slots is wide area progressive slots. This term denotes a slot network that extends beyond a single online casino to include games from many different sites. There are some examples of US online casinos that feature wide area progressives that link the same slot from different states’ sites. In other words, no matter which state you play the game from, you contribute to and have a chance at the same jackpot.
- Local progressive slots: With local progressive slots (another type of shared progressive slots), several slots from the same casino are connected in a network. Several US online casinos feature examples of local progressive slots that share different slots titles from the same game developer.
- Individual progressive slots: Meanwhile, individual progressive slots don’t involve a network of multiple games. Since contribution to the jackpot for these only comes from one game, the jackpots generally aren’t as large as the other types. Still, don’t forget that with an online casino, many people can play the same game at once (unlike in a retail casino). Individual progressive slots are also sometimes called standalone or exclusive progressive slots.
Progressive slot and jackpot tips
Slots are obviously games of chance with no guaranteed strategy to increase your likelihood of winning. That said, there are certain best practices you can follow to make sure your experience with jackpot games online is positive.
- Be aware of lower payouts and RTP percentages. It’s easy to focus on the huge jackpot up top, but make note of other potential ways to win, too. Don’t forget also that generally speaking, progressive slots feature lower return to player (RTP) percentages than non-progressives.
- Understand bonuses and other features. Progressive slots can feature free spins, bonuses, multipliers and other added surprises just like non-progressives.
- Don’t fall victim to the “gambler’s fallacy.” This refers to the mistaken idea that a recent pattern of spins dictates the probability of the next result. Know that like other slots, progressives are randomized. Each spin is an independent event, and you are never “due” for a win or clocking a pattern.
- Bet the maximum! If you are playing a progressive slot and want a shot at the top prize, make sure you bet the maximum to be eligible for the jackpot (if required).
- Watch your bankroll. Since progressive slots are both volatile and often require you to bet the maximum, you can go through your money quickly. Always monitor your funds.
Above all, practice responsible gambling and never gamble with money you cannot afford to lose.
Progressive jackpots pros and cons
Some online slots players love progressive slots, playing them exclusively. Others have reasons to prefer non-progressives. Or maybe they like to mix things up and play a little of both.
Here are some advantages and disadvantages of online progressive slots:
Pros of online progressive slots
- Opportunities to win huge jackpots, often the largest prize available at an online casino.
- Progressive slots often include fun bonus features not always found on non-progressives.
- Many games feature multiple jackpots of different levels (e.g., mini, minor, major).
- Bonus games and wheel spin jackpots add the extra entertainment of “side” games within progressive slots games.
- Most online casinos feature many different progressive slots, offering lots of variety among the games and types.
Cons of online progressive slots
- Slots with progressive jackpots tend to feature overall lower RTP percentages than non-jackpot slots.
- Progressive slots tend to pay out fewer smaller prizes than non-jackpot slots.
- You usually have to place the maximum bet to be eligible for a progressive jackpot.
- Games with large progressive jackpots tend to be more volatile than those that do not (good if that’s what you prefer, bad if not).
- Your chance of actually winning the big progressive jackpot is often very small.
Get ready to play online progressive slots in Indiana
When online casinos come to the Hoosier State, get ready for a wide selection of online progressive slots to become available. As noted above, many of the top online casinos will likely launch in Indiana, so keep an eye out.
Progressive jackpot slots FAQ
It depends on how you like to gamble and what types of slots you prefer. There are pros and cons for progressive slots that will determine your preference. You can certainly win bigger jackpots playing progressive slots, but you’re likely to win smaller prizes more often by playing non-jackpot slots.
It is difficult to highlight one online casino over all others as having the best progressive jackpots. Many of the online casinos listed above actually share several of the same most popular progressives. DraftKings has the most overall slots and an especially wide selection of progressives. But other sites like WynnBET Casino and BetMGM Casino stand out as well.
Often you can use bonuses you receive at an online casino to play progressive jackpot slots. Sometimes though, the terms and conditions of, say, a welcome offer’s no deposit bonus may restrict you from playing progressive slots. Be sure to check the details of any bonus you receive.
Many real money online casinos allow players from Indiana to try out free-to-play demo versions of their games, including progressive slots. Players in Indiana can also play progressive slots for free at social and sweepstakes casinos like Chumba Casino, Pulsz, LuckyLand Slots and Funzpoints. These sites use virtual currencies although, in some cases, offer chances to redeem winnings for cash prizes.
It depends entirely on the slot and/or network of slots and how the progressive slots work. When it comes to the largest progressive jackpots in online slots, the chances of winning are extremely small. Some have speculated the odds start at one in 50 million and go up from there. That said, your chances of winning smaller progressive jackpots are much greater.