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 own rules.
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 its current value.