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 pay into it.
Every progressive is funded by a small slice of each qualifying stake, set in the game rules. When the jackpot is won, it drops back to a seed amount paid by the operator or the game maker, and the climb starts again. The slice set aside for the pot comes out of what the game would otherwise pay in regular wins, so the everyday prizes on a jackpot slot tend to be smaller than on a comparable game without one.
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 the amount it stands at.