If you're in search of a thrilling casino experience with the potential to win millions of dollars, progressive jackpots are the way to go. Unlike regular slots, these games offer jackpots that continue to grow until someone hits the big win. Curious about how they work? We've got you covered with all the details you need to know.
What are Progressive Jackpots?
A progressive jackpot is a prize that accumulates as players place bets on a slot game. With each bet made, a small portion is set aside and added to the jackpot total. This allows the jackpot to increase until one lucky player hits the jackpot and resets it to its starting amount. There is always a certain amount that the casino has set. This can be anywhere from thousands to millions of euros. It depends on the slot machine. For example, WowPot and Mega Moolah's largest jackpots start ticking from €2,000,000.
To qualify for a progressive jackpot, the player usually has to bet at the maximum allowable bet. Although smaller bets still contribute to the progressive jackpot, most slot machines do not allow a player to win the progressive jackpot if they do not play at the maximum bet.
Progressive jackpots are also known to pay out staggering sums of money, often reaching millions of dollars. The largest progressive jackpot ever recorded was won by a Mega Moolah player at Grand Mondial Casino, who walked away with €18,915,721.00, a truly life-changing amount.
While the odds of winning a progressive jackpot may seem slim at around 50 million to 1, they are still better than those of winning the national lottery. So, it's definitely possible to land that massive jackpot.
Don't miss out on the opportunity to win huge prizes by exploring progressive jackpots at the best online casinos.
Types of Progressive Jackpots
There are several types of progressive jackpots that players should be familiar with:
- Standalone progressives: These jackpots are offered by individual slot machines in brick-and-mortar casinos. Only bets placed on that particular machine contribute to the jackpot, resulting in smaller maximum prizes.
- Local progressive jackpots: Local progressive jackpots pool bets from multiple machines in land-based and online casinos. This leads to bigger payouts compared to standalone progressives.
- Global progressive jackpots: These jackpots are not limited to a single casino and can be won by players worldwide. The popular game Mega Moolah is a prime example of a global progressive jackpot slot.
In terms of gameplay, progressive jackpot slots also come with exciting features and bonus games. Some even offer special mechanics like Megaways and drop wins. You'll find a variety of themes to choose from, including candy, animals, Latino, Irish, Egyptian, Oriental, and more.
Pooled Progressive Jackpots
Many of the most popular progressive slots have pooled jackpots that are shared across different casinos. This means that there is an enormous number of players playing on the slots at the same time, and that there is an incredible number of bets that go into the jackpots over time. This is why these community jackpots are always the biggest ones.
The more players who play on a progressive slot machine, the faster the jackpot grows. This creates sheep's rush where several players flock to a slot machine where the jackpot has grown large, which in turn leads to the jackpot growing faster.
In theory, a casino jackpot on a progressive slot machine can grow infinitely large, but in reality, the jackpots are triggered periodically. The times it takes a long time between each time a casino jackpot is triggered, the winnings can be huge. In fact, the world's biggest online casino win is recorded on a progressive slot machine, as mentioned earlier.
Local Progressive Jackpots
Recently, there have also been several other popular progressive slot machines on the market that have local jackpots: that is, jackpots that are only fed by the stakes from the casino you play at. These machines can also have winnings of several million euros but are typically somewhat lower than the community jackpots. As for popular progressive slots with local jackpots, we can mention Joker Millions, Mega Joker, Cosmic Fortune, and Divine Fortune.
Progressive vs. Non-Progressive Jackpots
Both progressive and regular jackpot slots offer impressive jackpots, wild symbols, bonus rounds, and other exciting features. The main difference lies in the fact that progressive jackpots continue to rise until they are won, while regular jackpot slots have fixed top prizes. Each has its own appeal, and it's worth exploring both to see which suits your preferences.
Popular Progressive Jackpots
The most popular online casino games are progressive slots, and there are many to choose from. Below we look at some of the most popular. Also, remember that the most popular slot machines are usually also the ones with the biggest jackpot – because they have the most players.
Mega Fortune
Game developer NetEnt has developed some of the most famous progressive slot machines. The king of the mound is called Mega Fortune. The slot machine was launched in 2012 and has three different progressive jackpots: Rapid, Major, and Mega. These jackpots are won in a bonus game consisting of a wheel of fortune. The further you get on the wheel of fortune, the greater the gain. Mega Fortune is behind many of the biggest jackpot wins in history. In 2014 came the sequel Mega Fortune Dreams, which has also become one of the most popular online jackpot machines.
Hall of Gods
Another popular progressive slot machine from NetEnt is called Hall of Gods and was launched back in 2002. This slot machine also has three different progressive jackpots and is known for winning tens of millions of euros, dollars and pounds.
Arabian Nights
NetEnt is also behind the popular progressive slot machine Arabian Nights. This is also an old classic that has remained very popular among casino players. With a suitable “Aladdin theme”, the winnings on this slot machine can be tens of millions of kroner.
Mega Moolah
The Mega Moolah slot machine comes from Microgaming's studio and it is the most popular progressive jackpot in the world. This slot machine has four progressive jackpots that are fed by the players' bets across several casinos, and the winnings can therefore make you a multimillionaire overnight. At the time of writing, there were 5 different Microgaming slots under Mega Moolah pooled jackpot. These include Mega Moolah, Atlantean Treasures, Mega Vault Millionaire, Absolootly Mad, and Fortunium Gold.
Progressive Jackpots Winners
Our players, especially those from Canada and New Zealand, love playing jackpots, and it is also shown in the statistics on who wins big wins on progressive slot machines. These are the pure facts that people from these very countries appear in the winners' lists when progressive jackpots are triggered.
At the time of writing, the biggest progressive jackpot won by a Canadian was $20,059,287.27. It was on January 30, 2019, when a lucky player hit the Mega Moolah Jackpot at Zodiac Casino. This winning story followed an €18,910,668.01 jackpot win on Mega Moolah at Grand Mondial Casino that was triggered on 28 September 2018 by an anonymous player from Europe.
The latest jackpot win exceeds the €17,879,645.12 that set the current world record in 2015, which earned Microgaming a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title for the ‘Largest jackpot payout in an online slot machine game’.
That's not all! Only in the last few years, we have been able to record a dozen or so great wins, including:
- 17th August 2020 – €14,239,532.84 (Mega Moolah Absolootely Mad)
- 8th May 2020 – $13,615,861.49 (Mega Moolah Atlantean Treasures)
- 5th April 2020 – $16,296,347.95 (Mega Moolah)
- 5th March 2019 – $12,945,668.34 (Mega Moolah)
- 24th June 2018 – $8,332,554.01 (Mega Moolah)
The list of casino winners who have won big on progressive slot machines is much longer, but we stop there. To date, only Microgaming Casino’s progressive jackpot network, which is the largest in the gambling industry, has paid out €1,25+ billion!
You will find all the most popular progressive slot machines at most of the most famous casinos that we love to play at. If you are lucky, there is also a good welcome bonus waiting for you that allows you to try your luck at one of the vending machines for free.
Progressive Jackpots Strategies
It's always worth your time to look around at different slot machines to compare the size of progressive jackpots. If you go for a jackpot, you should bet high since the chances of winning are low, but if you do, it will pay off in the end. Following the development of different jackpots and playing as a team with friends or colleagues, gives you an advantage. With so many players, the chance of hitting the jackpot is much higher if you play together, even if you have to share your profits later. Another good idea is to use slot machine VIP and loyalty programs. These often refund a certain percentage back to the player by giving out bonus money, cashback, or free spins.
To further enhance your chances of winning big on progressive jackpot slots, consider these helpful tips:
- Before playing, consider the betting amount required for each game. Some slots have high stakes, while others offer lower betting options, allowing you to choose the best game for your budget.
- Read our comprehensive how-to guides to gain valuable insights into playing slots and other casino games online.
- Familiarize yourself with the mechanics of slot games and how they pay out. This will give you a better idea of what to expect when playing a progressive jackpot slot.
- Keep things interesting by trying progressive jackpot slots from different providers.
- Last but not least, be patient and play the same jackpot game regularly.
With this information, you're ready to place your bets and spin the reels of progressive jackpot slot games. Get ready to chase that life-changing sum at our top online casinos. Good luck with your bets, we will keep our fingers crossed for you!
