Progressive jackpot mechanisms work by accumulating a portion of the bets placed by players into a growing jackpot that increases over time until it is won. Each time a player makes a wager on a participating game, a small percentage is contributed to the jackpot pool. This can occur across multiple machines or games linked together, creating larger potential payouts. When a player meets specific winning criteria typically involving a particular combination of symbols or a designated game feature they claim the jackpot. Once won, the jackpot resets to a predetermined minimum amount, and the cycle begins again, allowing for potentially life-changing prizes as players continue to contribute to the prize pool.