The progressive slots is one of the more popular slot games around. Because of the ever increasing payouts these machines give attracts many players to the game.

Before you head of to play the progressive slots though, you might want to get yourself acquainted on how the system works. This information can be very useful later on when you come up with strategies to get more winnings in the game.

Essentially, the progressive slot machine is usually not a single machine but rather a collection of interconnect machines controlled by a central system. All the money bet into all the machines are collected into a central pot until a player hits the jackpot combination. Players can play on any machine to get a chance to win the jackpot. The system sets no limit to the pot, this means that as more and more players try the machines, the pot also grows. There can even be instances that it would take weeks before the jackpot can be won for these machines, which translates to a hefty sum for the lucky winner. Note that hitting a jackpot (not the progressive one) on any of the machines is less than that of straight slots, since the systems takes a percentage of the pots on the machines to build the progressive jackpot.

There are several kinds of progressive machines that are being offered in the casinos nowadays. Each one essentially differs on how the jackpot is calculated, but all work on the same principles of increasing prize money. A casino establishment might offer all types in one setting, however, most casinos usually maintain only one type for easier regulation.

Stand alone machines are single machines. The stand alone works by collecting a percentage of the coins that are being dropped into it and adding it to top prize for the winning combination. Thus while the top prize is itself fixed, the total winnings increase as players come in to play. The stand alone usually pays out less that similarly prized networked machines.

The in house machines are on the other hand, the network operated by a single casino. In some cases, many systems are interconnected within the casino company's franchises, making it possible to win a very big pot from anywhere.

For the really big ones, however, there is the wide area progressives. These huge slots networks are made possible through collaboration between casino machines and may involve hundreds, if not thousands, of devices. The payouts from these slots can even run into the millions of dollars, making it a really lucrative win.