Progressive Slots Link Casinos

CALIFORNIA – As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle: "In most parts of California, mention the word progressive and people start thinking politics. In the world of gambling, however, a progressive means something much different: a slot machine with the potential to win you millions.

"Progressive machines are a group of identical slots linked together by a network. Because the machines are connected, their jackpots are, too. While ordinary slot machines usually don't pay more than $50,000 at a time, progressives can make you a millionaire instantly. As more people play progressive machines, the jackpot grows accordingly.

"The downside of this setup is the odds. The more machines included in a progressive network, the smaller the chances of winning will be.

"…Wide-area progressives, on the other hand, are linked together across completely unrelated casinos.

"…Almost 50 of the wide-area progressive slots in the Bay Area are operated by International Game Technology, a slot machine manufacturer based in Las Vegas. Ed Rogish, vice president of marketing for the company, says the games are called MegaJackpots, and notes they're like the lottery, only a considerably better investment…"