You may have noticed that most casinos make a distinction between classic slot machines and jackpot slot machines. But since all slot machines have a “jackpot prize”, what exactly is the difference?
The answer lies in the progressive jackpot. A progressive jackpot is a prize that continuously increases from the moment a player plays a slot machine. It will continue to rise until a lucky player wins it.
In progressive slot machines, a small percentage of every valid bet goes towards the jackpot. It can be won at any random moment or by unlocking a special bonus game. And the prizes that can be won often easily approach those of the big lotteries.
Most Popular Progressive Jackpot Slot Machines
Mega Moolah Slot
Microgaming’s iconic safari-themed slot with 25 paylines. Offers four pooled jackpots, wilds, scatters, and a rewarding wheel bonus. Boasts an RTP of 88.12%.
Jackpot Giant
Playtech’s 50-line giant beanstalk adventure features stacked wilds on all reels. Chance to win three mystery progressive prizes along with a picking bonus round.
Gladiator
This Betsoft slot brings ancient Rome to life across 30 paylines. Offers an expanding wild gladiator helmet, a defense bonus, and chance at five epic progressive jackpots fit for an emperor.
Hall of Gods
NetEnt Norse mythology slot with 20 paylines. Hammer wilds trigger free spins and access to three jackpots. Graphics really immerse you in the legendary Viking world.
Mega Fortune
Luxury lifestyle-themed video slot by NetEnt provides 20 lines. Spin in champagne symbols to play for a progressive prize in the bonus wheel bonus.
Age of the Gods
Playtech series bringing ancient Greek/Roman mythology to slots. Features gods-themed symbols, wild substitutions, multipliers, and four progressive jackpots.
The Goonies Jackpot King
Blueprint Gaming’s branded slot is based on the iconic film. Offers 20 paylines, three unique jackpot prizes, and chances to uncover hidden treasure features.
9 Blazing Diamonds WOWPOT!
Retro fruit machine slot by Nolimit City with frequent mystery WOWPOT! jackpot drops during the main game and free spins mode’s unlimited multiplier potential.
How Do Slot Machines With A Progressive Jackpot Work?
What is a progressive jackpot? It is a special payout from a slot machine that can be won at any random moment and with every spin. And the longer the jackpot goes on, the bigger it gets.
Progressive jackpot slot machines usually take a small percentage of every bet played and add it to the jackpot. Sometimes the total sum is called the “meter”, and most often several slot machines contribute to it at the same time.
For example, if different people are playing NetEnt’s Divine Fortune slot machine at the same time, they will all contribute to and have a chance to win the same jackpot. Many progressive jackpots are spread across different casinos. If different casinos offer the same game, jackpots can get very big.
Best of all, when a jackpot is won, it will be reset to a fixed amount. The biggest progressive jackpots can be reset to an amount of up to £/€/$ 1 million.
Progressive Jackpot Winning Mechanisms
So what is a slot machine with a progressive jackpot and how does it work? After each spin, a combination of random numbers is chosen. If the right algorithm is chosen, the jackpot will be triggered.
But there are several different ways you can win a progressive jackpot:
Play at the Highest Limit
On some of the best online slot machines with a progressive jackpot, players can only win a jackpot if they play at the highest possible limits. However, many slot machines also offer smaller jackpots for those playing at lower limits.
Progressive slot machines with high limits work with a system where they give away tickets with each spin. The more you bet, the more tickets you will receive. And if after a spin one of the tickets lands on the jackpot, you will win the jackpot.
Totally Random Jackpot Wins
You have a chance to win this type of jackpot with every spin. You don’t have to play a special bonus round or land on certain symbols. However, it may be that you have to play with the maximum bet to qualify for the jackpot.
Spin Combinations of Symbols
-To win this progressive jackpot you need to land a winning combination of certain symbols on a certain payline. For example, the jackpot can be triggered if you get 5 special symbols on the 15th payline. Spin the winning combination and win the biggest jackpot.
Play a Bonus Game
Many online slot machines with a progressive jackpot feature a special bonus round that can be unlocked during base play. You may have to spin a prize wheel to determine the size of the jackpot or choose a number of cards that appear on screen. If you choose three or four of the same cards, you win the relevant jackpot prize.
Random Number Generators
It’s important to understand random number generators (RNGs) when playing a slot machine with a progressive jackpot. All video slots use RNGs to ensure you always play fairly.
Slot machines with a progressive jackpot also use RNGs. These determine when a jackpot drops or when a bonus round is unlocked. So even if a jackpot hasn’t fallen for weeks, there’s no reason to think it will suddenly fall now.
Guaranteed Jackpots
Many progressive jackpot slot machines use guaranteed jackpots. These are programmed to be guaranteed to hit before a certain end date. This is why they normally attract more money as the end date approaches.
How Big Can Progressive Jackpots Get?
Progressive jackpots can reach drool-worthy levels if they don’t hit for a long time. And the more accessible a slot machine is the greater the potential for a high jackpot.
Often, progressive jackpots that haven’t fallen for a long time grab the attention of many players. It is not uncommon for jackpots to grow faster and faster as they get bigger.
The largest progressive jackpot ever was won by an anonymous player playing on an Android device. He bet 75 cents on the Mega Moolah slot machine and no more than 50 spins later he won the €22.3 million jackpot in September 2018.
Mega Moolah was also responsible for the previous record, which was achieved by UK-based soldier Jon Heywood. In October 2015, he turned 33 cents into €21.1 million, earning this progressive jackpot slot machine the Guinness World Record title of “Largest jackpot payout ever on an online slot machine”.
Prior to that, the record for the biggest payout was held by an anonymous Finn, who took home the astronomical amount of €20.5 million on the Mega Fortune slot machine.
But payouts from online progressive jackpots are still negligible compared to those from brick and mortar casinos. In 2003, a young software engineer won the ridiculous amount of €39.7 million by playing IGT’s Megabucks slot machine at the Excalibur casino in Las Vegas.
Incredibly, this slot machine’s jackpot is reset at €10 million. Even more astonishing is that the lucky slot machine player only bet €3 per spin.
One tip is to check if you want to be paid out via Interac or if the online casino in question also pays out large numbers.
Looking for Progressive Jackpots
Most online casinos sort their slot machines by type. For example, a casino may have a separate tab for “Jackpot Slots”. Here you will find all progressive jackpots gathered in one place.
Virtually all casinos will display the current jackpot amount for the relevant games in their lobby. It’s easy to find out which games have the highest jackpots at any given moment. You can also view a list of players who won big prizes in the casino on the same day.
Different Types of Progressive Jackpots
In a $1 deposit casino you will normally encounter three types of progressive jackpots. The jackpot can vary depending on how many players contribute to it, and how many different machines contribute to it.
Individual Jackpots
An individual jackpot applies to only one machine in the casino. It is not connected to other slot machines and is not part of a larger network.
Local Jackpots
Local jackpots, or ‘in-house’ jackpots, are formed by multiple machines in a physical casino setting. The machines may stand side by side as one block in the casino or be spread throughout the entire space. In an online casino, a local jackpot may be fed by four or five different games.
Some local jackpots are linked to machines in different casinos operated by the same owner.
Network Progressive Slots
Progressive jackpots that are part of a network offer the biggest jackpots. They are also known as “wide area” progressive jackpots and are linked to multiple casinos. In fact, the same wide area jackpot can be offered by different brands of slot machines. However, valid bets all feed the same big jackpot. The chance to win a network jackpot is very small, but the prizes can be huge.
The Chance of Winning a Progressive Jackpot
Let’s start with the good news: With a progressive jackpot slot machine you have the chance to turn a small bet into hundreds of thousands or even millions of euros.
But here’s the bad news: The chance of winning the highest jackpot can be one in several million small. To give an example, the chance of winning the jackpot on Microgaming’s Mega Moolah slot machine is nearly 1 in 50 million. That is much more than the slot’s largest jackpot payout ever of €22.3 million.
However, there are several progressive jackpot slot machines in Las Vegas with even worse odds. Some games offer odds of 1 in 150 million to 1 in 300 million.
Just like the lottery, players will always try to defy the odds and haul in a gigantic progressive jackpot. Is your name on the next multi-million prize?