Linked Machines

Slot machines which are networked together so they feed the same progressive jackpot.

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Linked slot machines are similar to networked computers; in fact, that's what they essentially are. A slot machine network, also known as a wide-area slots network, electronically links the machines' components which keep track of their progressive jackpot. Each of the slot machines has the same jackpot.

Perhaps I should explain a progressive jackpot first. A progressive jackpot is a jackpot prize which increases every time the game is played and the jackpot is not hit. If the jackpot is hit, the jackpot reverts to a minimum level (for instance, $10,000). If the jackpot is not hit, then the jackpot prize increases (beyond $10,000) until someone wins the jackpot. There is no upward limit to a progressive jackpot, generally speaking.

A wide-area progressive jackpot means that many machines, perhaps many dozens of them, are linked together. Any time one of the machines is played and the progressive jackpot is not won, then the jackpot increases on every machine in the network. Essentially, players are playing on the same slot machine, with the same chances at the jackpot, except the jackpot increases at a faster rate.

Linked machines offer the largest progressive jackpots in the slots business. For this reason, many slots players seek out progressive jackpot networks when they enter a casino. Because the technical aspects of an online slot machine network and a brick-and-mortar slot machine network are the same, there are also linked machines online. Online linked machines tend to be networked through many different interfaces at the same online casino.