This article will introduce a classic feature in Slots—Jackpot.
The essence of Jackpot is a large reward that breaks away from the icon payout, designed to give players a bigger, longer-term goal during the Slots game.
Classification and Evolution of Jackpot
Jackpot was relatively simple at its inception, being a rare and substantial reward in Slots gameplay.
The initial Jackpot did not require an increase in betting amount to unlock, had no distribution ratio, and did not change with the switch in betting amount, it was a fixed large amount reward.
This type of Jackpot is almost unseen in today's market, especially in the online Slots market, only visible in some old-fashioned gameplay.
Afterward, Jackpot introduced variable values on top of the fixed values, namely the Progressive Jackpot.
This type of Jackpot adds a variable part on top of the fixed value.
This part accumulates with each bet in some products, while in others, it only accumulates when the player makes a profit.
Overall, the Jackpot grows as the player continues to play, further enhancing its role in guiding long-term gameplay and setting an invisible exit cost for players.
Of course, there are still some differences between the fixed and variable parts.
Whenever a player wins the Jackpot, the variable part resets to zero.
To prevent players from quitting the game after the variable part resets, some products have added multiple types of Jackpots (partly also because increasing the trigger probability of Jackpot required control over distribution, thus Jackpots were split).
When a player wins one type of Jackpot, the variable parts of other types are preserved.
After Slots gameplay was transferred online, developers adjusted the Progressive Jackpot again based on its foundation.
Before this adjustment, the Progressive Jackpot was limited by physical machine constraints, and its participants were only limited to the area around the store, making it difficult to accumulate a stunning amount of Jackpot.
When Slots moved online, the geographical limitation was resolved.
Whether on a mobile phone or a computer, as long as it is the same online Slots, each draw can accumulate additional jackpot amounts.
This type of Jackpot, accumulated by all participants, is known as the Wide Area Progressive Jackpot.
Control of Distribution
Jackpot, as a major prize, is essentially designed to attract more players to the game, diluting the distribution of major prizes by enlarging the pool.
In the early days of Jackpot, regardless of the betting amount chosen by the player, there was a chance to hit an equivalent Jackpot.
To reduce this unsustainable situation, Jackpot underwent its first distribution control reform.
The first reform essentially linked the distribution of Jackpot to the player's betting amount, but there were some differences in implementation.
The first method is to unlock Jackpot only at certain betting amounts
When players choose a lower betting amount, the Jackpot appears locked, and they cannot win the Jackpot through drawing.
This method has been further refined after the classification of prize pools, the higher the betting amount, the higher the prize pool that can be unlocked.
When players choose the maximum betting amount, they have the chance to win all types of Jackpots.
This method is currently the most common control mode for distribution.
Another method is by binding the betting amount to the Jackpot value
Players can win all types of Jackpots at any betting amount, but the fixed part of the Jackpot changes from a fixed value to a fixed multiple.
When players switch betting amounts, the variable part of the Jackpot remains unchanged, but the fixed part changes with the betting amount.
The last method is relatively less common, and the player's experience is not so intuitive, which is the division ratio
When players trigger the Jackpot reward, they do not directly receive the Jackpot amount, but need to multiply by a fixed division ratio.
Some manufacturers also add a betting amount ratio to the division ratio, which is another betting amount ratio obtained by dividing the player's betting amount by the maximum betting amount.
The advantage of this method is that it can continuously display the unlocked large Jackpot pool, but the downside is that players, as Slots players who often do not read the rules, might only realize the division ratio when they win the Jackpot and find the numbers do not match when they check, which is undoubtedly a negative impact on the experience of winning a major prize.
Of course, which specific control method to choose still depends on the product's own needs.
Triggering Methods of Jackpot
There are quite a few ways to trigger Jackpot, and basically, every new type of Feature can integrate Jackpot into it.
This article will mainly explain a few common triggering methods for reference.
The first is the spinning wheel draw
When players trigger the spinning wheel, they can randomly draw a specified reward from the wheel, and Jackpot will be one of the options.
This mechanism is used in a large number of Slots products, inevitably causing some aesthetic fatigue.
If it is a manufacturer with a certain amount of machines, it is recommended to try other types of triggering methods.
The second is flipping cards or collecting icons
This triggering method also frequently appears in many Slots products, where players choose from 12 coins (4 pools * 3), and the selected coins will be flipped over.
If three identical coins are flipped, the corresponding Jackpot pool reward is won.
The third is reel drawing, which is currently relatively rare
In Slots using this method, when the icons on the reels meet the requirements, the Jackpot can be triggered.
This straightforward method is basically bound with a fixed amount of Jackpot reward, and some products are still using this mechanism, but not many.
The fourth is accumulating icons
This type of Slots not only accumulates the Jackpot value with each draw but also accumulates the number of icons.
When the number of icons meets the conditions, the Jackpot can be triggered.
This method is basically bound with classified Jackpots, as its relatively fixed number of triggers tends to trigger more frequently.
At this time, small prize pools are needed to share the distribution.
The last is a combination type
As mentioned above, Jackpot itself is highly compatible with most other Features, and as long as it is reasonable, it can be integrated into any other Feature.
The aforementioned four methods can also be combined, for example, the second and fourth types of Slots with the character "fortune" often first accumulate icons, then flip cards to determine the Jackpot type.
Also, some products add Jackpot icons in the Hold & Spin mechanism to trigger the Jackpot.
