Just as there are different types of slot machines, there are different types of slots jackpots. Jackpots are the raison d'etre of slot machines - the reason people play them and the reason people love them. And since jackpots are the light at the end of the slots tunnel, it's a good idea to know what sizes and shapes they come in; all slots jackpots are not created equal.

The most elementary type of slot machine in the online casino is called a flat-top (or basic) slot and with it goes the basic, stand-alone jackpot. These slots have a steady top jackpot that is not cumulative and that stays the same, no matter how much money is put into the machine and how many players play. Flat-top machines use lower coin values and are good for players on a modest budget. Flat-top slot machine jackpots are smaller but also more frequent. That's something to think about when you play slot machines online.

Progressive slots jackpots are the giants that dwarf flat-top jackpots, but even giants come in more than one size. At the low end of the online progressive slot machine jackpot scale are the stand-alone progressives. These are solitary machines (like the flat-tops) but their jackpots are progressive. Stand-alone progressive jackpots are smaller than linked progressive jackpots because they are limited to the amounts accumulated in that one slot machine. Every time a player plays this type of slot machine, a part of his bet goes toward the progressive jackpot for that single machine. The maximum payout will be smaller than for the linked slot machines but the odds of winning the jackpot (which is still nice and hefty) are better.

Next up on the progressive slots jackpot hit parade is the proprietary jackpot (which sits in between the stand-alone and the wide-area jackpots). Proprietary slots, which are also sometimes called in-house slots, are linked but only within one site or casino. The jackpot accumulates from many similar slot machines played by many players at the same site, which accounts for its impressive size. The chances of hitting these slot machine jackpots are better than those that are linked over dozens of sites, yet these jackpots are big enough to be considered perhaps the best bet in progressive online slots.

The biggest jackpots are offered by wide-area progressive slots, the slot machines that are linked across many sites and online casinos. These are multi-million dollar online slots jackpots that can reach huge proportions because they are played by thousands of people (simultaneously!) around the globe. The gigantic wide-area progressive slots jackpots aren't won that frequently but, when they are, watch out! You could become instantly wealthy!