Progressive jackpot slot machines have been a big attraction at land-based casinos for quite some time, and they're picking up steam online too - sites like the 24kt Gold offer jackpots of over $200,000.00 that can be won with a single spin.

But regular, no-jackpot slots continue to exist, and remain quite popular. Why are people playing these games, when huge amounts of cash can be won on top of regular payouts on progressive machines?

It's all because of something called the payout percentage. That's the amount that the machine will pay to winners based on how much is deposited. This can vary between the very high 80s and 98 percent or so, and although it can be difficult to find out exactly what percentages are in use at any given casino, it's a general rule that a progressive jackpot machine will have a lower payout percentage than a non-progressive.

So it's up to you to decide: are you looking to play a steady game, be satisfied with small wins and take a few more bucks away than you came with? Or are you looking to take a chance and hit the big jackpot? Most slots players will choose the latter, but as always it's up to you to decide which slots game is your better bet.