Jackpot slots, also known as progressive jackpot slots, are a category of online slot games that offer the potential for massive, life-changing payouts. These slots are characterized by their progressive jackpot, which means that a portion of each wager placed by players contributes to a growing jackpot prize.
Jackpot slots are games that offer large prizes alongside regular payouts, and there are two different types of jackpots: fixed and progressive.
A fixed jackpot slot game has a maximum payout of a specific amount of money or a certain number of times your stake. For example, depending on the game, it might be something like £5,000 or 5,000x your stake.
Meanwhile, a progressive slot game has a top payout that increases every time someone spins on the game anywhere in the world. A certain percentage of the spin value is added to the prize pot, so these jackpots can reach seven or eight figures before they hit.
How do jackpot slots work?
Here’s how jackpot slots work:
- Progressive Jackpot: The most defining feature of a jackpot slot is the progressive jackpot itself. This jackpot starts at a base amount and increases with every bet made on the game across all players and casinos that offer it. The jackpot can continue to grow until it is won.
- Types of Jackpots: There are different types of progressive jackpots:
- Standalone Progressive: The jackpot is specific to a single game at one casino.
- Local Progressive: The jackpot is linked to multiple machines within the same casino or gaming network.
- Wide-Area Progressive: The jackpot is linked across multiple casinos or gaming networks, resulting in much larger jackpots.
- Triggering the Jackpot: To win the progressive jackpot in a jackpot slot, players typically need to achieve a specific combination of symbols or trigger a special bonus game. The exact requirements vary from one game to another.
- Contribution to the Jackpot: A portion of each wager made on the slot is added to the progressive jackpot pool. This contribution can be a small percentage of each bet, and it accumulates over time.
- Random or Skill-Based: Some jackpot slots feature random jackpot triggers, meaning that any spin can potentially lead to a jackpot win. Others may require players to participate in a bonus game or achieve specific in-game objectives to have a chance at winning the jackpot.
- Resetting the Jackpot: After a jackpot is won, it is reset to its starting amount, and the process of accumulating the jackpot begins again.
Jackpot slots are known for their excitement and the allure of potentially winning a life-changing sum of money. Some well-known progressive jackpot slots include “Mega Moolah,” “Mega Fortune,” and “Age of the Gods,” among others. These games have awarded multi-million-dollar jackpots to lucky players in the past.
It’s important to note that the odds of winning a progressive jackpot are typically quite low, as the prizes are substantial. Players should approach jackpot slots with the understanding that these games are primarily for entertainment, and winning the jackpot is a rare event. Gamble responsibly and within your budget when playing any casino games.
How to play jackpot slots
Like all other slot games, jackpots work using Random Number Generator technology, meaning each spin’s outcome is random. To start playing, select the game, set your stake, and use the “spin” button to spin the reels.
While the gameplay mechanism may vary a little between the different games, the aim of most games is to match the same symbols on adjacent reels from left to right on one of the active paylines.
You can trigger a win in this way, similar to how non-jackpot slots work. You might need to match special symbols to win the full jackpot amount, or the jackpot might drop randomly, depending on the game.
Can you win real money on jackpot slots?
When you’re playing for real money, there’s a chance that you’ll have a real money win on a jackpot slot. Jackpot games tend to have a lower Return to Player percentage, so the chances of a win might be lower than that of other games, but the high potential jackpot amounts compensate for this.
Games like Mega Moolah have been known to pay out up to eight figures, and the jackpot prize pots don’t keep increasing forever – they must drop at some point. Mega Moolah’s RTP is 94%, much lower than the 96% average for slots.
Both progressive and fixed jackpot slots will have either one big prize or a selection of jackpots, called Mini, Major and Grand, offering different jackpot sizes depending on how the reels spin in your favour. Divine Fortune is one such example.
Best jackpot slot game themes and symbols
Jackpot slots can come with many different themes. Like all other slots, some of the most common themes include adventures, animals, and ancient myths and legends. The symbols to look out for in these games are usually all aligned to the theme. For example, an animal-themed game might have value symbols of different characters and lower value symbols in the form of playing card numbers, like 10, J, Q, K, and A.
While the big jackpot prize is what you’re aiming for, jackpots can also come with special symbols like scatters, multipliers, and wilds, which can trigger special features, increase your winnings, and substitute for other symbols.
Which are the best jackpot slots?
Mega Moolah by Microgaming is probably the best-known jackpot slot and has paid out the biggest amounts. There’s a series of Mega Moolah games, including the original, safari-themed game and spin-offs like Mega Moolah Atlantean Treasures and Mega Moolah Absolootly Mad. They all hold the same top prizes but have their own gameplay and features.
Playtech’s Age of the Gods is another popular progressive jackpot series. These games are themed around ancient Greek gods and goddesses, and each game holds several different levels of jackpots, with the top one reaching up to six figures.
Here’s our top list:
- Mega Moolah by Microgaming
- Divine Fortunes Megaways by NetEnt
- Mega Jackpots by IGT
- Mercy of the Gods by NetEnt
- Mega Fortune by NetEnt
- Age of the Gods by Playtech
- Joker Millions by Yggdrasil
- Major Millions by Microgaming
- Cat in Vegas by Playtech
- Great Blue Jackpot Shark by Playtech