Some progressives carry a must drop figure, a ceiling by which the jackpot is guaranteed to be won, which makes a pot close to its limit more likely to pay soon. Very large wins are often paid in instalments or after extra identity checks, and the terms say how. A jackpot that has not dropped for a long time is no more due than any other, unless a must drop ceiling is written into its rules.
Progressive jackpots differ by how widely they are shared. A standalone progressive grows from the stakes on a single game, a local one is shared by several games in one casino, and a network jackpot collects from the same games across many casinos at once. The wider the pool, the larger and rarer the top prize. The jackpot display usually names its type, and the game rules say which casinos or titles feed it.
Many jackpot games run several tiers at once, often labelled mini, minor, major and grand, with the smaller ones won far more often. Some tiers can only be won at a minimum stake or with an optional side bet switched on. Playing below the qualifying level still feeds the pot while leaving the top prize out of reach. The qualifying stake for each tier is listed in the game rules beside its current value.