The odds of you winning a huge progressive jackpot are never high, which is to be expected. The very nature of progressive slots is that they promise huge payouts, but they are won extremely rarely. In a way, progressives are one of the most volatile type of casino games due to the very small chance to win a very big reward.
Unlike standard slots, prizes in progressive jackpot slots accumulate over time, increasing with each bet placed until one lucky player hits the jackpot. Nothing’s fixed here: it’s all pure randomness and luck.
In this guide, we will take a look at progressive jackpot slots, the mechanics and technicalities of jackpots and progressive networks. We will show you how they work, and answer a bunch of questions you probably have about progressive slot games.
How Progressive Jackpot Slots Work
It’s simple really: progressive slots are online slots with progressive jackpots. That’s all there is to it.
Progressive jackpots are jackpots that progressively grow over time as players wager on the game; and when one player is lucky enough, they win the entire prize, and the jackpot then resets and starts growing again. Rinse and repeat, easy.
However, the frequency of progressive jackpot hits varies from game to game depending on its math model and the mechanics of the jackpot. Unfortunately, though, the companies that make online slots rarely share such details with the public.
While we know a game’s RTP, the pot’s seed amount, and the actual payout someone eventually wins, we can’t really know how often the jackpot was designed to hit. Which is the other part of the reason why they are so appealing to the players.
Before we move onto big popular progressive games, let’s go over the mechanics and elements of progressive jackpots. Firstly, the main part of the jackpot is the seed. The seed is the starting point (the minimal amount) from which the prize starts growing as players wager on the game.
What Are Progressive Jackpot Seed Values?
In progressive online slots, the “seed” is actually a jackpot’s initial reward. All progressive pots grow as players contribute to them, but they all have a starting point. That starting point is known as a “seed”.
Typically, jackpot seeds are a pre-determined amount of cash. They’re essentially the lowest sum you could potentially win. Every time someone wins a jackpot, the pot reverts back to this seed amount.
Think for example, some jackpots have a $1m seed, or $10,000. It can be anything from $1000 to millions, literally. Game developers tend to set this base amount to ensure the jackpot always begins at an enticing level, encouraging continued play.
Players should know that the seed money – and the prize money that is subsequently added to the pot as the jackpot grows – is not simply invented out of thin air. It’s actually part of the money that went into the game as wagers of players.
In fact, a fraction of every bet ever staked on the game goes into the jackpot pot. That’s how it keeps growing – as players keep playing the game.
Progressive Slots With the Highest Seed Values
Slots like Mega Moolah and Hall of Gods are renowned for their high seed values, often starting at substantial amounts. These high starting points make them particularly attractive to players aiming for significant wins.
Age of the Gods
- Jackpot seed: $100,000
- Total wins recorded: 116
- Biggest win: $984,763
- Average payout: $553,608
- Average time between wins: 6 weeks
The Age of the Gods is a progressive jackpot that can be randomly won while playing any one of the ancient Greek-inspired slots in the Age of the Gods series available at Playtech casinos.
This pot is divided into four tiers – Power Jackpot, Extra Power Jackpot, Super Power Jackpot, and the Ultimate Power Jackpot. The last one is by far the biggest, and its the one we’ll be talking about here because it’s the one most players are hoping to hit.
You can play any game in the massive series to get the universal bonus round through which you can win the Ultimate Power Jackpot.
The bonus game has you choose between the 20 tiles displayed on the screen. After picking out three matching tiles, you win the credits tied to the jackpot you have drawn. You are guaranteed to win at least one of the four jackpot tiers when you reach the bonus round, so you cannot go home empty-handed.
here is no combination of wins or spins in any of the above games that gives you access to the game. However, you do increase your chances of getting to the bonus game by wagering higher amounts.
Mega Fortune
- Jackpot seed: $250,000
- Total wins recorded: 61
- Biggest win: €7,831,370
- Average payout: €17,860,868
- Average time between wins: 13 weeks
NetEnt’s Mega Fortune is a highly acclaimed progressive slot game that combines the best of both worlds – a huge progressive pot and a strong RTP rate of 96.4%. It almost sounds too good to be true, but we need to note a few things.
The high RTP is a direct result of a very small jackpot contribution from every bet. Theoretically, that means that it’s slow to grow. However, thanks to the massive popularity of NetEnt slots, this is not as big of an issue as one might think, which you’ll see with the stats.
To win this jackpot you must first make it to the bonus game and then hope that a series of wheel spins land on the Mega Fortune Mega jackpot symbol. To reach the bonus game, you must have three or more bonus wheel symbols come up on a pay line that has been activated.
The Mega level jackpot is pooled amongst all the casinos that offer the game, so it is the same amount no matter where you play. However, the lower-level Major and Rapid jackpots are specific to the casino you are playing at.
Mega Moolah
- Jackpot seed: $1,000,000
- Total wins recorded: 92
- Biggest win: $20,057,734
- Average payout: $6,092,537
- Average time between wins: 8 weeks, 5 days
Mega Moolah is Microgaming's flagship progressive jackpot, which was now inherited by Games Global. It features the network's largest jackpot pool, free spins, wild and scatter symbols. The jackpot is actually four progressive jackpots in one – Mega Moolah Mega, Major, Minor, and Mini in descending order of size.
Initially released on a single cartoon Safari-themed slot, Mega Moolah can now be played on several different slots including Mega Moolah Isis, Mega Moolah Summertime, and Mega Moolah 5 Reel Drive. While the graphics and reel symbols may change, your chances of winning the jackpot does not vary – no matter which Mega Moolah slot you play.
In order to win the jackpot, you must gain entry to the progressive bonus round where you spin a jackpot wheel reminiscent of the Wheel of Fortune game show. If the wheel stops on the one white-colored segment, you're a millionaire.
Mega Moolah has provided a couple of the world's biggest online casino jackpot winners, which is why it’s often called the “millionaire-maker slot.” On the other hand, snagging the pot is quite difficult, and Mega Moolah games tend to suffer from a very low house edge.
WowPot Mega
- Jackpot seed: $2,000,000
- Total wins recorded: 10
- Biggest win: $42,149,180
- Average payout: $8,569,394
- Average time between wins: 25 weeks
The WowPot is another four-tier progressive jackpot initially created by Microgaming but now handled by Games Global.
The new WowPot jackpot consists of four tiers, starting from the bottom with the Mini, then the Minor, and the Major. The Mega WowPot is the biggest one, which is why we’ll look at its stats here.
Despite Mega Moolah’s fame and acclaim, the WowPot is actually the biggest progressive jackpot in the industry. It seeds at an incredible $2 million and is also responsible for several record-breaking payouts.
Unlike many other games in this list, slots on the WoWPot network aren’t necessarily branded as such. The mechanics of activating the progressive bonus vary from game to game. Some of those on the network include:
- Wheel of Wishes
- Sherlock and Moriarty
- Queen of Alexandria
- African Legends
- 9 Blazing Diamonds
There are others, of course, but these are by far the most popular.
What Proportion of My Stakes Feed a Slot’s Progressive Jackpot?
Typically, a small percentage of each wager contributes to the progressive jackpot. While the exact percentage varies by game, it's this mechanism that allows the jackpot to grow continuously until it's won.
The total sum of what you contributed with your stakes is often not disclosed, but it’s never a big part of the stake. The exact amount varies from game supplier to supplier, or even from game to game.
Realtime Gaming, one of the famous game studios in the North American market, typically takes around 1% to 1.50% of the total bet for the jackpot. Games Global jackpots – such as the Mega Moolah and others – have a higher percentage which is somewhere between 4% and 5%. The amount is not known, but we were able to infer that based on the RTP drop between regular slots and jackpot slots.
Industry-wise, it’s between 1-5%. In some cases, it can be a lot higher, but that is mostly with local games with higher denominations, etc.
So, to conclude: most general progressive jackpots take a commission up to 5% of every stake as a contribution for the prize pool.
Types of Jackpots
There are two types of progressive jackpots: standalone and network.
Standalone jackpots are unique and on their own, which means that you can win the jackpot only on that specific game.
On the other hand, progressive jackpots that are part of a network are linked to other games. That means that you can play any game – or all – within the network to potentially trigger the jackpot. That also means that the prize is often higher as there are more games, and more players who can increase the prize as they play the selected games.
In our guide for progressive jackpots, you can learn more about different types of jackpots.
Strategies and Tips for Winning
Progressive games are random and unpredictable, but there are ways to ensure you have the best possible results when playing a session of spins.
Here are some quick tips that can help you increase your odds of winning a progressive jackpot in online slots.
- Bet The Maximum Wager When Required. Some jackpots are only available when betting the maximum amount, like in video poker. Ensure you understand the game's requirements.
- Choose High RTP Games: Select slots with a higher RTP, hit frequency, and slot volatility to increase long-term winning potential of the game you’re playing.
- Set a Budget: Determine how much you're willing to spend and stick to it to avoid chasing losses later on.
- Understand the Mechanics: Learn the basics and the game's rules, paytable, and bonus features.
- Play for Free: While winning is the goal, ensure you're enjoying the gameplay experience by playing a free demo version of the game.
- Use Casino Bonuses: Take advantage of promotions and bonuses to extend your playtime and enhance the overall experience.
- Track jackpots. Jackpot tracking has often proved to be a smart decision by the players, but it’s not a guaranteed method.
While nothing and no one can guarantee a jackpot win, it’s important to be cautious. The best thing you can do is use bankroll management tactics to protect your assets until a win rolls in. You never know when a top 10 jackpot win is going to hit, but you should be smart and protect yourself until you hit it.
Why Progressive Jackpot Tracking Can Pay Dividends
Monitoring jackpot sizes and understanding their typical payout thresholds can be very informative for your gameplay decisions.
If a jackpot hasn't been won in a while and is nearing its historical maximum, it might be a strategic step to play the game.
In other words, by monitoring when jackpots typically pay out and how large they are at the time of the win, you can make smarter decisions about when to play.
Understanding Jackpot Averages
Most established progressive slots have historical data on when and how much they tend to pay out. Take Cash Splash by Games Global, for example. This game pays out its jackpot approximately every 13 hours, with an average payout of around $38,738. If you’re considering playing this slot, the smart move is to wait until the jackpot exceeds that average—only then are your odds of value maximized.
Similarly, Mega Fortune by NetEnt, one of the most famous progressive slots in the world, has an average top-tier jackpot payout of €3.65 million, typically hit every 65 days. Again, it makes sense to only start spinning once the current jackpot rises above that threshold.
Jackpot tracking isn’t just for data geeks—it’s a practical tool for players who want to stretch their bankroll while still chasing life-changing wins.
Is There a ‘Best Time’ to Play Progressive Slots?
Players routinely try to come up with inventive strategies to drive wins in progressive jackpot slots.
So far, not many tactics have yielded results, which means players have had to resort to some unique and odd strategies over time.
One such thing is choosing the best time to play the games. No, it’s not the same as jackpot tracking completely, as tracking jackpots refers to keeping an eye on winning patterns and trying to play when the game approaches the time or amount that produce a hit – on average. That is smart and calculating.
However, some players also believe that a random time of the day or week can be better for winning than say, another random time. There’s not enough data to support this claim, so it might be better not to use this tactic.
What Happens When You Win a Progressive Jackpot Online?
Many players consider the act of winning the jackpot the pinnacle of the adventure. In many ways, it is just that.
However, the real fun starts after you win the jackpot; it’s not the end credits scene, but rather the beginning of the movie.
Here’s a short overview of what happens in the moments after the win.
➡️ The pop-up announcement
The first thing you will get to see is the eye-catching announcement of the jackpot being hit that pops up on your screen. In most cases, it displays the amount of money you also won in the jackpot.
You can do a range of things at this point: wait for the money to appear in your account, contact management to confirm the win, or simply take a moment to hyperventilate.
➡️ Money appears in the balance
The next thing that you have to wait to happen is for the money to appear in your account balance. When you have your money, you can approach the question of withdrawals.
Before you initiate a cash out, please get in contact with management or someone from the casino to inquire about the best way to withdraw money to avoid long processing times and honor the withdrawal limits (if any), etc.
➡️ Money is paid out – all at once, or in lumps
Once the casino has verified the jackpot win and credited it to your account, it’s time to cash out. There are many ways to do that, but if there are steep withdrawal limits, then you might have to cash out the money in lumps or installments. Also, KYC verification is a major part of speeding up the process of jackpot win withdrawals.
Whatever option you choose, please make sure you are choosing a safe banking option and are aware of all the costs that come with the payment service.
➡️ Enjoy the hard-earned winnings
Once you get your money, you can enjoy it any way you want. Please make sure to limit yourself from overspending right away as you might squander the money and not get a way to enjoy it in truth.
Multiple Jackpots – Can I Win More Than One Progressive Jackpot?
The short answer is – yes, it's possible to win multiple jackpots.
However, the odds of that happening are very low. In fact, the odds of that happening are never in your favor. As you know how rare the jackpots are, hitting two are even rarer.
But each spin is independent, so previous wins don't influence future outcomes. That is how it is possible to hit a progressive jackpot more than once.
Can I Win Two Jackpots in Quick Succession?
This is by far the rarest situation that you could have when playing progressive jackpot slots. Players rarely hit anything or win the actual prize, but hitting it twice in a very short period of time is almost too good to be true. But while this is very rare, there have been instances where players have won jackpots in quick succession.
Still, it’s never the norm, but rather the exception.
But with progressive jackpots, there’s little to no sense in trying to win a jackpot again quickly after winning one. It’s not practical or profitable, as jackpots increase over time. So, if one is won, it resets to the seed amount. If it is hit too quickly after that, it would not have time to grow to a substantial amount. So, searching for another jackpot so soon after hitting one might not be as smart as it looks like from the get-go.
Conclusion
Progressive jackpot slots offer thrilling gameplay with the potential for substantial rewards. There's no doubt that it's very exciting to play such games, but there are also many dangers that you can come across if you are not cautious. By understanding how they work, using strategies, and practicing responsible gambling, you can enhance the gaming experience and really have the time of your life. If you want to learn more about progressive jackpots in general, we recommend giving our general guide a go. If you want to learn more about progressive games in other categories, we recommend trying roulette and blackjack. But whatever you choose, be sure to be very careful.
Have fun and always play responsibly.
