Blackjack is tremendously popular with people who play casino games and for very good reason. It has the best potential return to player (RTP) rate of all casino table games when played well and it has some of the simplest casino card game rules. For beginners, this also makes blackjack one of the easiest games to learn. There’s also no need to read other players like you would in poker, which makes blackjack the perfect choice out of all live dealer casino games.
But there’s more to blackjack than easy gameplay, with exciting side bets such as Lucky Lucky, Perfect Pairs, Royal Match, 21+3, and Lucky Ladies. A wager toward potentially winning a progressive jackpot is one of the more interesting blackjack side bets because it boasts the potential for big wins.
A Brief Look At The Basic Rules of Blackjack

To play progressive blackjack, you first need to know the basic rules of blackjack. Your goal is to build a hand that’s a higher value than the dealer’s that is also as close to 21 as possible without surpassing the total of 21.
In standard games, you’ll buy in, receive your cards, then make your bet and see if you’ve won. In many game variants, you can place blackjack side bets before the hand resolves to give yourself a chance at additional payouts.
Some of these side bets give you access to the game’s progressive jackpot. This is a jackpot that builds in value with each wager placed on it until someone claims it.
While you can only win these jackpots if you place the appropriate side bets, you still need to respect responsible gambling rules. You should never exceed your limits to chase a jackpot.
Progressive Jackpots Explained
Progressive jackpots are a fun and potentially lucrative way to add even more anticipation to your blackjack experience. But progressive blackjack mustn’t be confused with progressive betting for blackjack, which is a blackjack betting strategy where gamblers wager more after a win and less after a loss.
The potential value of these blackjack progressive jackpots, as well as how much you need to wager to have a chance to win them, vary from one blackjack game to the next. Some games feature caps on these jackpots’ values, while others have no upper limits.
Once someone claims these pots, they return to their pre-set starting values and begin to build again. Getting the most out of these jackpots is a matter of discipline and timing.
How To Play Progressive Blackjack
Playing blackjack with confidence requires knowledge of the game and an understanding of the probabilities. This applies to progressive blackjack as well. Thankfully, playing progressive blackjack is similar to playing online blackjack games that don’t offer access to a progressive jackpot.
Where progressive blackjack does change is the addition of the progressive jackpot side bet, making managing your gambling bankroll more important. The additional stake can burn through your budget faster if you run into some bad luck.
As you try for these jackpots, you’ll naturally play several hands of blackjack, as these side bets typically come with long odds. A few tips will help you sustain your sessions.
Additional Blackjack Rules and Tips

While you only need basic blackjack knowledge to play progressive blackjack, there could be some extra guidelines that you need to keep in mind. For example, splitting in blackjack is a concept you’ll need to understand to improve your base game. Be sure to check the rules of the progressive blackjack version that you’re interested to ensure that you don’t make any mistakes.
As far as blackjack bankroll management goes, setting an overall budget along with loss, time, and win limits for your session is important. If you want to try for a progressive jackpot as you play blackjack, you should build those wagers into your slot budget.
Other Blackjack Side Bets
If you try your luck at blackjack games with blackjack progressive side bets and find you enjoy the experience, there are other blackjack side bet options. These wagers offer some of the most valuable payouts in blackjack variants but also have the longest odds.
One of the best online casino side bets for blackjack players comes with Blazing 7s Blackjack. It pays out if either of your first two cards is a seven, and the payout increases with additional sevens.
More common side bets include the Perfect Pairs and Over/Under 13. These bets pay out if your first two cards form a pair in the case of Perfect Pairs and if you guess right on whether the total of your first two cards is over or under 13.
With all these options, there’s a lot for novice players to learn. As with many other things, experience is the best teacher in blackjack.
Practice Makes Progress: Playing Online Blackjack
Many players initially question whether playing blackjack games with progressive jackpots is worth the extra stake. That’s mostly subjective and for each player to consider for themselves.
If you hit a run of good luck and have some extra room in your budget, that could be a great time to try for one of these jackpots. As you play hands, you’ll learn where your comfort level with risk is and which wagers fit best.
Experience will also teach you the different ways that blackjack variant rules interact with your preferred strategy and the chance to hit a progressive jackpot. Playing blackjack at BetMGM Casino allows players to gain this experience.
Play Casino Blackjack Online for Real at BetMGM
BetMGM is proud to offer the best online casino blackjack variations, from Blazing 7s Blackjack to games with chances at progressive blackjack rewards. You can access all of the games in this huge library when you register with BetMGM.
When you sign up and make a qualifying deposit, you’ll enjoy an amazing casino welcome bonus and the BetMGM Rewards program with all of your real-money blackjack play. When you’re ready to play blackjack with a chance at huge payouts, BetMGM is your ultimate destination.