7 Different Jackpot Categories You Will Find in Canadian Casinos
Jackpot games consistently score well in online casinos, for good reason. What many players don't seem to realize, however, is that jackpots come in all shapes and sizes. Different jackpot systems work in very different ways and not all of them are equally attractive. Let's have a closer look below.
Progressive Jackpots vs. Fixed Jackpots
A progressive jackpot is a jackpot that grows a little whenever someone places bets on the game. The jackpot triggers when it reaches a certain amount, after which it goes back to its base amount. On the other hand, fixed jackpots always pay out a certain amount (e.g., 2000 times your stake). Some of these fixed jackpots work similarly to progressive jackpots in that they trigger after a certain amount has been bet, but others trigger completely randomly.
Progressive jackpots tend to be preferred over fixed jackpots as they are more dynamic and exciting. New slot jackpots often implement a fixed jackpot in the hopes of boosting the game's popularity, but it's just not the same as a progressive jackpot. Fixed jackpots also lack any strategic element: as the payouts are always the same, it is hard to study previous trigger amounts and determine how likely the jackpot is to trigger soon.
Global Jackpots vs. Site-specific Jackpots
As you probably know, most Canadian online casinos don't make their own games. Instead, they have contracts with software providers such as Play'n GO, Microgaming and Pragmatic Play, who regularly supply them with new slots. These providers are not tied to a single online casino and sometimes jackpots on their games are offered on all online casinos that offer them (global jackpots), but often they are site-specific.
It never hurts to check if the jackpot of a particular game is the same size on two different online casinos to figure out which type of jackpot a game is offering. Global jackpots tend not only to be some of the biggest jackpots out there but also grow more rapidly and trigger more often as they have a lot more activity. As such, most players prefer them over site-specific jackpots.
Jackpot Series vs. Game-specific Jackpots
Similar to the above point, most jackpot games offer a jackpot that is only available on that specific game, but this is not always the case. Some game series share one jackpot, which means bets on any of these games contribute to the same jackpot. Examples include the Mega Moolah series of Microgaming, the Mega Jackpots series of IGT and the Diamond Link series of Novomatic (Greentube).
Jackpots Dependant or Independent of Bet Size
In some games, betting higher amounts gives you a chance of winning a higher jackpot amount. This is most often the case for fixed jackpots, but progressive jackpots quite often utilize this system as well. It's quite easy to spot the difference: all you need to do is change the amount of your bet and see if the advertised jackpot size changes or not.
It should be noted that even when the jackpot size is the same for all bet levels, there is no actual advantage to betting small. In games where this is the case, your odds of winning the jackpot increase along with your bet size. The choice between stake-dependant and stake-independent jackpots should only come down to your own preference.
Games With a High or Low Jackpot Focus
As we discussed before, jackpots need player activity to grow and eventually trigger. Games with a high jackpot focus take a significant amount of each player bet, while games with a lower jackpot focus take only a small part of each bet. This has an effect on the volatility of your game experience. On games with a high jackpot focus, you will see jackpots grow faster and trigger more often, but the odds of having a winning session without a jackpot win are quite low. The choice between both will often depend on if you deposit with the main goal of winning the jackpot or mainly play for fun.
Although there is no direct connection between jackpot focus and RTP (Return to Player), games with the biggest jackpots do tend to offer a somewhat lower average return. Mega Moolah, for example, offers an RTP of slightly over 88% compared to an average RTP of 95% for other Canadian slot machine jackpots. Mega Moolah does pay out jackpots of over a million dollars several times a year, however, which does make it worth it for many casino players.
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