Progressive Jackpot Slots - the Biggest Payouts and How do They Work?

Have you ever read about some lucky player bagging a life-changing win on online slots?

The online gaming industry has spewed out plenty of winners’ stories over the years, and these stories have something in common – they’re almost always about progressive jackpot games.

If you haven’t heard about progressive jackpot slots, it’s high time you familiarise yourself with this exciting game category. These slots are the most high-paying casino games that exist, and when it comes to payouts, they’re miles away from ordinary slots.

We can talk about high variance slots all day, but the truth is, the payouts don’t come close to those in progressive jackpot slots. Here’s a look at how progressive jackpot slots work and much you can actually win. Read on to learn more about progressive jackpots.

How does progressive jackpot slots work?

In progressive jackpot slots, a small percentage of every single penny staked goes towards a networked jackpot.

In other words, players from every casino hosting the game contribute to the jackpot with every game round they play. And this means that the jackpots get seriously big.

Because progressive jackpots grow so rapidly, they often end up being worth millions of pounds. Over the years, player favourites like Mega Fortune and Mega Moolah have paid out eight-digit-figures on several occasions.

Typically, the progressive jackpot games have three jackpots – Mini, Major and Mega. And it’s obviously the Mega jackpot that’s the most coveted.

The biggest jackpot so far

The biggest jackpot so far dropped in Microgaming’s Mega Moolah back in 2018. The record was set at Grand Mondial Casino, where some lucky player walked away with more than 18 million euros.

That’s almost €1 million more than the previous record which gave Microgaming a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title for the “Largest jackpot payout in an online slot machine game”. NetEnt previously held this record, and with a record-payout of more than €17 million, Mega Fortune is a close second to Mega Moolah.

To date, Microgaming has the world’s largest progressive jackpot network. So far, Microgaming’s jackpot games have paid out €948 million.

The “science” and hype behind progressive jackpot slots

Since online slots are based on RNG engines, it’s impossible to predict when a jackpot will fall. However, we’ve seen some patterns over the years, and it’s not uncommon for a massive jackpot to fall every three months or so.

There are even websites out there trying to dive deeper into the mechanics of these games to predict when the next jackpot will fall. While speculations and “game strategies” might add to the mystique surrounding progressive jackpot games, these kinds of calculations shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

However, one thing’s for sure – the longer a jackpot’s been lingering, the more people play the game. This, of course, makes the jackpot grow even quicker and intensifies the excitement.

As soon as a jackpot has passed that £5 million-mark, word spreads quickly. Suddenly, online casinos see a spike in game activity on that particular slot, and it’s not hard to understand why – you’d almost feel guilty for spending your money on a regular slot and potentially miss out on that multi-million jackpot.

The oldies are the goldies

When it comes to regular slots, players tend to get excited about the newest releases. However, when it comes to progressive slots, oldies are goldies.

Some of the best progressive jackpot games have been around for years and are still as popular as when they were launched. Furthermore, game providers don’t produce new progressive jackpot slots very often.

So far, Mega Fortune and Mega Moolah are the most played progressive jackpot slots on the market. Perhaps it’s no wonder – after all the proof is in the pudding. Both these slots have created headlines on several occasions and become known for turning casual players into multi-millionaires. Both of them have also made it into Guinness Book of World Records.

While NetEnt and Microgaming continue to dominate the jackpot scene, there are some newcomers on the rise. Yggdrasil offers Joker Millions and Holmes and the Secret Stones, while game developers like Play'n GO and Quickspin have contributed with Fruit Bonanza and Dragon Chase.

These are all well-made jackpot slots with some considerable payouts. That said, their jackpots come nowhere near the staggering amounts that are up for grabs in Microgaming’s and NetEnt’s most popular jackpot games.

Mega Fortune and Mega Moolah are undoubtedly the flagships of this entire game category, and we’re yet to see another provider step up and produce a game that can play in the same league.

Play progressive jackpot slots with a bonus

If you want to try your luck on one of these lucrative games, you might as well get a bonus while you’re at it. That way, you’ll get more chances to bring home that life-changing win.

If you’re looking for solid bonus offers, you’ll find plenty of useful recommendations at www.betpal.com/3-deposit-casinos. This website scouts the best casino offers the UK market has to offer and compiles them neatly for you to make an easy pick.

At the top of the list, we find Zodiac Casino who just happens to be offering 80 free spins in Mega Moolah right now.

As we write this, the Mega Moolah jackpot is set at €2,5 million. And here’s Zodiac Casino, giving you 80 chances to win this staggering jackpot at the cost of £1.

Whether you’re new to progressive jackpot slots, or an experienced player, this is a golden opportunity you wouldn’t want to miss.

Progressive jackpots slots you should try

For the most part, we’ve talked about Mega Fortune and Mega Moolah. But there are, of course, other great jackpot games you should try. Here’s a list of some excellent progressive jackpot slots:

1. Hall of Gods from NetEnt.
2. Divine Fortune from NetEnt.
3. Joker Millions from Yggdrasil.
4. Jackpot Giant from Playtech.
5. Arabian Nights from NetEnt.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.