XTREME FLEX
Bonus Spin Xtreme FlexBet doubles progressive triggers and offers multi-denomination choice
By Frank Legato
For the past few years, table game players at hundreds of casinos across the U.S. have had the option to make a progressive side bet to potentially trigger a wheel bonus that can land a slot-style progressive jackpot.
Called Bonus Spin Xtreme (BSX), the progressive system from Las Vegas- based gaming supplier AGS links any number of tables offering any of several games—up to all the table games in a casino—to a single progressive jackpot that is typically huge and grows quickly on progressive wagers from dozens of tables.
Developed by AGS Senior Director of Table Game Content Jamie Abrahamson, the system accomplishes the cross-game jackpot through a unique triggering event in each hand, spin or roll, which activates a multi-level jackpot wheel. Abrahamson and his team identified an outcome in each individual table game that happens at approximately the same frequency—targeting the wheel to spin roughly once every 30 minutes.
With BSX, the trigger depends on the table game being played, but the idea is simple: when a specific hand or outcome appears, the community bonus wheel spins for eligible players. For example, the trigger is three of a kind or better among the community cards for poker derivatives. For blackjack derivatives, it’s the dealer getting an “Xtreme 16” on the deal—six with a 10 or face card; in baccarat, it’s a four-card tie on the deal; in roulette it’s zero or double zero—or any two single numbers (as determined by the casino); in pai gow, the wheel triggers if the dealer has a king-high pai gow; in craps, it’s 11 on the come- out roll; and with Texas Hold’em in the live poker room, the wheel is triggered through a three-card straight or three of a kind on the flop.
When a player hits the triggering event, the wheel display lights up to indicate a bonus spin will be awarded after the current hand plays out. Then, the inner wheel spins to award a community prize to all players who made the bonus wager.
Casinos customize the award levels on the inner wheel, which typically range anywhere from $25 to $1,500.
A middle wheel selects a “hot seat,” and if that player made the wager they spin the outer wheel. The outer wheel displays higher values, and includes two progressive wedges, the double-diamond and triple-diamond, indicating the secondary progressive and the top linked progressive jackpot, respectively.
The progressive resets are determined by the casino, with smaller casinos typically setting the top jackpot reset level at $10,000. However, the more tables in the progressive link, the higher the jackpot levels and the faster the top progressive hits. In large properties like the Borgata in Atlantic City and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, the top BSX jackpot has grown to over $1 million multiple times.
BSX made its Las Vegas debut in 2020, linking 52 blackjack tables, 12 baccarat tables and three roulette tables at the Golden Nugget to a single progressive. The system just passed 900 installations at casinos across the country.
Along the way, AGS has made continuous improvements to BSX, including adapting the system for live poker tables, and adding one of two optional third jackpot meters to the wheel. The “High Hand” option adds a third jackpot meter for achieving rare individual hands. Operators can also offer a “Must Hit By” jackpot on the third meter, injecting more excitement into the game. The system automatically awards this progressive jackpot to a random player at the table who has made the qualifying progressive bet.
The FlexBet
Now, AGS is launching a groundbreaking enhancement to the product in the form of Bonus Spin Xtreme FlexBet. The new platform makes two key additions to BSX. First, it offers a second triggering event to each table game, doubling the player’s opportunity to spin the bonus wheel.
Abrahamson and his team identified additional triggers for each game.
For example, on blackjack, a player blackjack is added to the dealer’s Xtreme 16 as a second wheel trigger. On poker derivatives, a pair in the player’s hole cards is added to the community card trigger.
With FlexBet, the player can also choose from multiple denominations for their wager, with higher bets winning higher prizes and larger jackpots.
The dealer can set the wager amount when the player sits down, or alternatively, the player can double-tap their sensor to toggle through colors representing different wager amounts.
“FlexBet is the first progressive platform that allows players to choose two different triggering events, and with each trigger, the ability to select from different denominations,” says Abrahamson. “For instance, if I’m at a poker derivative game, I’ll be able to make one progressive wager that my hole cards are a pair, and a second wager on whether the five community cards on the board form three of a kind or better.”
Abrahamson says the casinos select both how many denominations are available, and the amount of each.
“One of the challenges for operators when installing a progressive jackpot is how to optimally price it,” says Abrahamson. “Some players might prefer $10 or $25, while for others, that’s too expensive. FlexBet will accommodate all players in the pit. If an operator wants to offer a $5 and a $25 progressive, we’ll have a $5 triple-diamond jackpot and a $25 triple-diamond jackpot, and each jackpot will link together for all game types.”
A jackpot meter displays the progressive levels for each denomination. “Typically, you would have two different signs on the table, one for a $5 player, one for a $25 player, but we’ve combined it into one platform,” Abrahamson explains. “So, you’ll see them rotating the $5 jackpot and the $25 jackpot. Obviously, the $25 jackpot is going to be at a higher value because you’re betting more to play it. You might have an $800,000 jackpot for the $25 player and a $160,000 jackpot for the $5 player.
“From the player’s perspective, they’re going to have more opportunities to win a jackpot, and they’re going to be able to do it at a price they’re comfortable with.”
Abrahamson says the system is capable of offering jackpots for up to five denominations, but he estimates most operators will choose two or three.
He adds that each jackpot is the same regardless of whether you’re playing blackjack, baccarat, pai gow or any other linked table game. “The jackpot prize is concurrent to the value of what you’re betting,” he says, “and for the non-jackpot prizes, we use a multiplier in the wheel. Instead of having a fixed value, the slices on the wheel might say 5X, 10X and 20X. If you bet $1 and it lands on 10X, you’re going to win $10. If you bet $25, you’re going to win $250.”
The Rollout
At press time, Abrahamson’s team was finalizing the wheel trigger setups for each game and preparing for test installations over the summer at a few California casinos. FlexBet will be featured at the 2026 Global Gaming Expo, the industry’s major trade event, and will appear in casinos during the last quarter of the year.
Meanwhile, AGS continues to improve the overall Bonus Spin Xtreme setup. Some of the latest improvements include TV monitors in the poker room that broadcast bonus spins on individual tables and links to the casino cage for speedier payouts. And the BSX system is now available online. It went live recently in Michigan via a partnership with Rush Street Interactive, which operates the BetRivers online casinos.
More improvements and additions to BSX are likely in the near future. RFID technology will eventually recognize chip denominations, eliminating the need for the double-tap toggle sensors. Other new technologies and additional games will be added.
And BSX will continue its march across the U.S. with more new installations. Casino operators love the system because it maximizes revenue for each table, thanks to all those extra wagers.
And players love the jackpots. Who doesn’t love a jackpot?
