Jackpot Mechanics: Progressive vs. Fixed & Shared Global Market Regulations

Navigating jackpot regulations is crucial for maintaining compliance and ensuring a smooth gaming experience. While jackpot systems may vary from one jurisdiction to another, certain regulations tend to be consistent across multiple markets. Understanding these common regulatory frameworks can help game suppliers streamline their processes and align their systems with industry standards.

In this newsletter, we'll explore the common jackpot regulations that frequently appear across different markets, such as caps on progressive jackpots, the sharing of winnings among multiple players, and the technical requirements for updating jackpot amounts.

We’ll also touch on some of the less common, more specific regulations that can impact how progressive jackpots are managed and interacted with. By familiarising yourself with these regulations, you can better navigate the complexities of jackpot compliance.

Our jackpot game submissions fall into two distinct categories: progressive jackpots and fixed jackpots, each with its own unique mechanics.

Progressive jackpots feature a dynamic prize pool that grows incrementally as players contribute to it with their bets. A portion of each bet is added to a base prize pool, which increases over time until the jackpot is won. When specific conditions are met, the jackpot is awarded to the lucky player(s) who triggered the payout. Essentially, progressive jackpots build up over time, offering potentially massive rewards.

In contrast, fixed jackpots offer a predetermined prize amount that remains constant, regardless of the number of players or the amount of bets placed. These jackpots are tied to specific games or variants and are clearly defined from the start, either on the game screen, in the paytable, or within the game rules. Unlike progressive jackpots, fixed jackpots do not change and offer a stable payout amount.

Common jackpot regulations:

These are some jackpot regulations that we have come across that are common/similar across various markets:

• If a cap is established on any progressive jackpot, all additional contributions once that cap is reached are to be credited to the next jackpot.
• All customers contributing to the prize should be eligible to win the jackpot whilst they are playing that game.
• If the jackpot win is triggered simultaneously by multiple players, it is shared equally between these players.
• The gambling system shall update the jackpot amount on all participating customers' equipment with a maximum interval of 30 seconds
• Once the jackpot has been constituted and opened, its conditions will not change until the jackpot has been won by one or several players, and its amount value has been paid.
• The gambling system shall clearly show if a jackpot is not available to the customer.
• The system can identify jackpot funds.
• The technical gambling system shall record information about significant events. Information about significant events shall include the discontinuation of jackpot.

Less common jackpot regulations:

These are some of the less common prescriptive regulations that we have encountered:

• The approval of the regulator is required for funds of a progressive jackpot to be converted into funds of another progressive Jackpot.
• Progressive jackpots linked to two or more machines shall not interfere, influence or affect the outcome of the game on these machines.

As we've outlined, understanding both common and less common regulatory requirements helps game suppliers align their systems with industry standards and avoid potential pitfalls.

At eCOGRA, we specialise in providing expert product certification for online casino games, including both progressive and fixed jackpots. By using our comprehensive certification methodologies, we ensure that your games meet all regulatory standards across various jurisdictions. With our deep industry knowledge and technical expertise, we help you navigate the complexities of jackpot compliance, from dynamic prize pools to fixed payouts, and everything in between.

By partnering with us, you gain access to a team dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of your gaming products and enhancing their market readiness. Let us handle the intricate details of certification so you can focus on delivering exceptional gaming experiences to your players.

The information is current as of the publication date and may change according to regulatory changes. This article is for information purposes only and should not be relied upon as consultative advice.