AP Glossary
WhatIsStandaloneProgressive?
A progressive jackpot fed only by the individual machine, as opposed to a linked progressive shared across multiple machines. Standalone progressives grow more slowly but the counter value is entirely attributable to play on that specific machine.
Why It Matters
Why this matters for advantage play
Standalones are the cleanest accounting in progressive AP — what you see on the counter is what one machine alone has accumulated. This makes the math simpler but the cycles slower, which usually means longer waits between player-favorable windows.
Cross-Reference
Related terms
Linked Progressive
A progressive jackpot fed by multiple machines, causing faster jackpot growth than standalone progressives. Linked progressives across a bank of machines or an entire casino floor reach player-favorable thresholds more quickly.
Progressive Jackpot
A jackpot that increases with each bet placed, funded by a small percentage of each wager. Progressives can be standalone (single machine) or linked (multiple machines). When a progressive grows high enough above its reset value, the added value can push the total RTP above 100%.
WAP (Wide Area Progressive)
A progressive jackpot linked across multiple casinos, such as Megabucks. WAPs grow extremely fast due to high volume but are rarely viable for AP because the base game return is very low and the trigger probability per spin is tiny.
Meter Rate
How fast a progressive jackpot climbs per dollar wagered — players call it the counter rate — expressed as cents per dollar of coin-in. A counter rate of $0.50 per $100 coin-in means the progressive grows by half a cent per dollar bet. Lower rates mean slower growth and higher cost to reach breakeven.
Live Examples
Machines that use this
Proven Progressive machines on Run the Slots. Tap any title for the full advantage play guide.
Frequently Asked
Common questions about standalone progressive
Sometimes. The slower counter rate means lower competition, so when a counter does climb, fewer other APs are competing for the play.
Often yes. Lower counter rates are usually offset by higher floors so the jackpot still feels meaningful at reset.
Look at adjacent cabinets — if their progressive counters move when this one's doesn't (and vice versa), they're standalones. Linked progressives all move together.
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