Offering mind-blowing jackpots of millions of dollars, progressive slots are among the most popular casino games on the market today. Although experienced players know there are plenty of games with a much lower house edge, such as blackjack and poker, they still flock to popular networked progressives. Their motivation is obvious: no other game can provide such high payouts.
Progressive jackpots started appearing in some slot machines across Las Vegas several decades ago, but their jackpots were fed only by bets on specific machines, and the payouts rarely went beyond $10,000. This type of slot machine is still widely spread in brick-and-mortar casinos all over the world, but its popularity has slightly declined since the rise of web-based casinos. Today, progressive video slots attract thousands of online players each day and often accumulate jackpots of more than $10 million. Meanwhile, players know that with a little bit of luck, they can collect life-changing winnings with a single bet worth only a few dollars.
How Progressive Jackpots Work
Unlike most slot games where the jackpot is fixed, progressive slots have incrementally increasing jackpots that grow with every bet placed on them. The idea is quite simple: a small percentage of every wager feeds the pool of money until one lucky player hits the winning combination that triggers a jackpot payout. Logically, the highest jackpots can be won on games with the highest bets and the most players. Several interesting things should be taken into consideration before investing your time and money into a progressive game.
Qualifying
One of the essential things players need to learn is how to qualify for the jackpot, because not every bet on a progressive slot can lead to winning this attractive payout.
Jackpot Meter
There is another important component in these games. Once the jackpot is won, the amount of the highest payout resets to the level at which it started.
Odds and Expected Return
The odds of hitting a progressive jackpot on a slot game are extremely small, often smaller than winning the lottery, and if we remove the jackpot from the calculation, the house edge becomes much higher.
Qualifying Additional TipsMany of these games require players to place the maximum bet for a chance to hit the big win. For some games, this means betting more than $10 per spin, or even more if you bet on all lines. For this reason, players should decide for themselves whether chasing the jackpot is really worth it. It is, if you are playing a relatively loose game and you have a sufficiently large bankroll.
Some of the most popular progressives right now pay out the jackpot when you play with the maximum number of coins (usually 5 or 10), but you can avoid bankruptcy with the help of a simple strategy. You should play with 10 coins and, at the same time, choose a small coin denomination to keep the size of every bet more suited to your budget. Unlike progressive poker, where players need to make a side bet to be eligible for the jackpot, the “entry fee” in progressive slots is not immediately noticed by the player, as it is part of the regular bet.
Jackpot Meter Additional TipsHowever, progressive jackpots do not start from zero but from a preset minimum level known as a seed. While in some games the sum is $100 or $10,000, in others the starting level is $1 million. For example, the progressive game you play regularly with the hope of winning pays out your dream prize to another player. Still, if you continue to play over the next week or two and manage to land a winning combination, you may collect $2 million.
Almost all progressives feature a jackpot meter, which is the digital representation of the constantly rising pool. Games display how much the jackpot advances to attract more players, but it is a useful tool for casino customers as well, because they can see when the sum becomes attractive enough for them to start placing bets. The jackpot meter also shows whether a particular slot is popular or not. In popular games that attract more bettors, the jackpot size escalates much more quickly and the displayed amount rises accordingly.
Odds and Expected Return Additional TipsThe combination of symbols that triggers the massive payout is rare and, on average, appears once every several million spins. In fact, the odds of winning the jackpot in the popular progressives you can find online range greatly from 1 in 250,000 to 1 in 50 million. However, you do not have to play 50 million times to win. If you are lucky, you can collect the big prize with a single bet.
According to slot experts, the return percentage of progressives is much smaller than the return of flat-top slots. A return or payback percentage in a slot machine or another casino game is the average amount of money the player receives back as winnings. In theory, online slots have an RTP (Return to Player) of around 88%-97%, while blackjack and video poker return over 98% and sometimes even more than 100%. In progressive slots, however, a portion of the bet goes to feed the jackpot pool. Imagine a slot with an RTP of 95%: 5% is the house edge, or the casino’s profit, while the rest is returned as winnings. As the profit almost always remains the same or rises, a progressive slot would also have at least a 5% house edge. Additionally, around 10% of the bet will go to the jackpot, although such a high contribution to the pot is rare. As a result, the return to player will be a maximum of 85%.
The unfavorable odds, however, hardly stop punters from playing progressives. The odds and return percentages of these games are very rarely made public. Moreover, if you win the jackpot, the return becomes astronomically high and you can forget about any of the aforementioned calculations altogether. With a win of $15 million in your pocket, all previous bets become irrelevant, which is why progressive slots are the most popular games in land-based and online casinos alike.
Popular Progressive Jackpot Games
Most of the largest casino game developers have added slots with progressive jackpots attached to them. Yet, the majority of slots in any given online casino do not fall into this category, so to find a good progressive game, you may have to do proper research and check more sites than you would like to. Still, there are several progressive games that are just as lucrative as they are fun to play. Designed by some of the most respected companies in the gaming software development industry, they attract huge crowds with the promise of once-in-a-lifetime winnings.
| Top Progressive Slots | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slot Title | Software Provider | RTP | Reels | Paylines | Bonus Features |
| Mega Moolah | Microgaming | 88.12% | 5 | 25 | Free Spins |
| Mega Fortune | NetEnt | 96.00% | 5 | 25 | Free Spins, Bonus Game |
| Jackpot Giant | Playtech | 94.22% | 5 | 50 | Giant Bonus Game, Scatter Wins |
| Hall of Gods | NetEnt | 95.30% | 5 | 20 | Expanding Wilds, Free Spins, Bonus Game |
| African Legends | Microgaming (Slingshot Studios) | 94.92% | 5 | 243 ways to win | Rolling Reels, Wild Blast, Multiplier Trail, Free Spins |
| Book of Atem: WowPot | Microgaming (All41 Studios) | 96.45% | 5 | 10 | Free Spins, WowPot Bonus Wheel |
| Wheel of Wishes | Microgaming | 93.34% | 5 | 10 | Power Spins, Giant Symbols, Bonus Wheel |
| Divine Fortune | NetEnt | 96.60% | 5 | 20 | Free Spins, Re-Spins, Wild on Wild, Jackpot Bonus Game |
| Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah | Microgaming (Triple Edge Studios) | 92.02% | 5 | 243 ways to win | Rolling Reels, Free Spins, Wilds Collection |
| Leprechaun’s Luck | Playtech (Ash Gaming) | 88.01% | 5 | 20 | Wishing Well Feature, Free Spins, Rainbow of Wealth |
| Funky Fruits | Playtech | 92.07% | 5 | Cluster Pays | N/A |
| Joker Millions | Yggdrasil | 94.30% | 5 | 25 | Freeze & Re-Spin, Column Multiplier, Mystery Wins |
| Age of the Gods | Playtech | 95.02% | 5 | 20 | Free Spins, Special Winning Combination |
| Aztec’s Millions | RTG | 95.00% | 5 | 25 | Free Spins, Scatter Wins |
| A Night With Cleo | Rival Gaming | 92.50% | 5 | 20 | Free Spins, Gamble Feature |
Mega Moolah
With a jackpot starting at $1 million, Mega Moolah is among the most generous and popular slot games around. It is developed by Microgaming, one of the giants in this industry, widely known for the many progressive jackpot games it has in its impressive portfolio. Interestingly, Mega Moolah is considered a penny slot, because the minimum bet starts from $0.01 per line and reaches $0.05, while the max bet is only $6.25. Mega Moolah is linked with other games and is part of Microgaming’s large Progressive Jackpot Network. This is the reason why the payouts are often above $5 million.
| Mega Moolah | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Microgaming |
| Release Date | 2006 |
| RTP | 88.12% |
| Bet Limits | $0.25 – $6.25 |
| Seed Amount | $1,000,000.00 |
| Jackpot Tiers | Mega, Major, Minor, Mini |
| Winning Criteria | Randomly triggered |
| Average Drop Time | 8 weeks |
| Average Win | $6.1 million |
Watch Mega Moolah Gameplay
Mega Moolah Additional TipsMicrogaming’s famous slot is a beautiful African safari-themed game with 5 reels and 25 lines, and a Wheel of Fortune that determines whether the player wins the jackpot. The slot has four separate jackpots, and the bonus jackpot game is triggered at random, giving you the chance to win one of the four big prizes. The highest jackpot is the Mega Jackpot, which starts at 1 million credits, a seed provided by Microgaming. Of course, the game also comes with plenty of other exciting features such as multipliers, Wilds (the Lions), Scatter symbols (the Monkeys), and free spins.
Mega Fortune
Another incredibly popular online slot with a progressive jackpot is the 5-reel, 25-line Mega Fortune game. It was created by Net Entertainment (NetEnt), one of the largest and most respected casino software providers today. The slot is inspired by the life of the rich and features a Yacht as a Wild symbol and a Champagne bottle as a Scatter symbol. Players can choose the number of active pay lines they wish to bet on, while the maximum bet size is $50.
| Mega Fortune | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | NetEnt |
| Release Date | 2012 |
| RTP | 96% |
| Bet Limits | $0.25 – $50 |
| Seed Amount | $150,000.00 |
| Jackpot Tiers | Mega, Major, Rapid |
| Winning Criteria | Wheel symbols unlock jackpot game |
| Average Drop Time | 10 weeks |
| Average Win | $3.9 million |
Watch Mega Fortune Gameplay
Mega Fortune Additional TipsTo unlock the jackpot game, players need to line up at least three Bonus symbols. The bonus game consists of three Wheels of Fortune where you can choose either to get a coin prize or play for the jackpot. There are also three different jackpots, the highest being the Mega Jackpot, which has already made several lucky players multi-millionaires. The developer reveals that the theoretical return of the game is 96.6%, and 5.39% of every bet contributes to the highest jackpots.
Jackpot Giant
Jackpot Giant is a 5-reel progressive slot that boasts 50 pay lines and some of the highest-quality graphics ever created. The attractive game features a friendly giant who apparently lives in the Stone Age and spends his free time tossing coins into volcanoes. The company behind this exciting game is Playtech, an innovative developer and supplier of casino software solutions that rely on cutting-edge technologies. The company offers modern games with superior graphics, beautiful animations, and tons of special symbols and bonus features.
| Jackpot Giant | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Playtech |
| Release Date | 2014 |
| RTP | 94.22% |
| Bet Limits | $0.50 – $4.00 |
| Seed Amount | N/A |
| Jackpot Tiers | Single-tier jackpot |
| Winning Criteria | 5 Wild symbols on line 1 |
| Average Drop Time | 2.5 years |
| Average Win | $5.8 million |
Watch Jackpot Giant Gameplay
Jackpot Giant Additional TipsThe progressive Jackpot Giant game comes packed with all these features, and its jackpot is triggered during regular play instead of being available only in a bonus game. There are Wilds (a gold plate), two types of Scatters (the giant’s hand filled with gold coins and a separate bonus symbol), bonus rounds, multipliers, and free spins. To win the jackpot, players need to get 5 Wilds on the first line at the maximum bet of $4 per spin. Interestingly, you can bet only 1 coin per line, and the max coin value is 0.08, making it a perfect slot even for budget jackpot hunters. The game also differs from most progressives today in the way its jackpot pool is accumulated. It is not in a larger network, and all bets that fuel the jackpot are made only on this specific game.
Hall of Gods
Hall of Gods is an adventurous 5-reel progressive slot that has 20 compulsory pay lines and offers some of the highest jackpots ever recorded. It was developed by NetEnt and, since this is a Swedish company, it apparently knows how to create a truly superior game based on Nordic gods and mythology. There are plenty of Scandinavian deities such as Odin, Idun, Freya, Loki, and Thor, while the expanding Wild here is represented by a dragon. The Scatter symbol is two ravens, and if you get at least three of them anywhere on the reels, you receive up to 20 free spins.
| Hall of Gods | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | NetEnt |
| Release Date | 2010 |
| RTP | 95.3% |
| Bet Limits | $0.20 – $50.00 |
| Seed Amount | $100,000.00 |
| Jackpot Tiers | Mini, Midi, Mega |
| Winning Criteria | 3 bonus symbols activate jackpot game |
| Average Drop Time | 27 weeks |
| Average Win | $5.5 million |
Watch Hall of Gods Gameplay
Hall of Gods Additional TipsPlayers who want to qualify for the jackpot will need to wait for the bonus game. It is activated when three Bonus symbols appear anywhere on the third, fourth, and fifth reels. They are represented by a hammer that hits a warrior’s shield. You can win one of three jackpots by opening shields during the bonus game and matching three jackpot symbols. Overall, the game is incredibly popular, especially among Scandinavian players, and has an average return percentage of 95.5%.
African Legends
Another progressive title that can be found at Microgaming online casinos is African Legends, which offers the highest-tier jackpot of the software’s progressive WowPot prize pool. The slot was developed for Microgaming by the development team of Slingshot Studios. With 243 ways to win, African Legends offers plenty of options for fruitful outcomes by landing identical symbols on three or more adjacent reels. The bet limits range between $0.25 and $25, but keep in mind that higher bets increase the chance of landing the progressive prize.
| African Legends | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Microgaming (Slingshot Studios) |
| Release Date | 2020 |
| RTP | 94.92% |
| Bet Limits | $0.25 – $25 |
| Seed Amount | $50,000.00 |
| Jackpot Tiers | Single-tier jackpot |
| Winning Criteria | Eight consecutive rolls trigger progressive jackpot |
| Average Drop Time | 3 weeks 2 days |
| Average Win | $271,941.00 |
Watch African Legends Gameplay
African Legends Additional TipsEven without landing the progressive jackpot, players can enjoy a fruitful experience while playing African Legends, because the game allows multiple wins thanks to its Rolling Reels feature. Whenever there is a win, the symbols comprising the lucky combination disappear from the screen, opening space for the symbols above them. This may lead to another roll of wins, which will also increase the Multiplier Trail of the slot. If players are lucky enough to experience four rolls in a row, they trigger 12 Free Spins, with the multiplier from the base game applied to the wins from the bonus round.
In the base game, the Wild Blast feature can be randomly triggered and transform up to five symbols into Wilds. The Win Multiplier trail is activated by consecutive winning rolls, with the highest possible multiplier of 10x awarded on seven consecutive rolls. If there are eight rolls in a row, players win the Wow Major Jackpot, the highest tier of Microgaming’s WowPot progressive jackpot pool.
Book of Atem: WowPot
While Book of Atem: WowPot is also linked to Microgaming’s WowPot progressive jackpot, unlike African Legends, this slot gives players the chance to win one of four jackpots comprising the WowPot prize pool. Developed by All41 Studios, this slot has an ancient Egyptian theme, which, at this point, is nothing unusual for video slots. That said, the game can be very intriguing, as it features several special symbols and bonus segments, offering players multiple chances for fruitful results.
The bet per spin can be adjusted to anywhere between $0.10 and $100, but players who make higher bets improve their chances of landing the progressive jackpot bonus game.
| Book of Atem: WowPot | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Microgaming (All41 Studios) |
| Release Date | 2020 |
| RTP | 96.45% |
| Bet Limits | $0.10 – $100 |
| Seed Amount | $50,000.00 |
| Jackpot Tiers | Four-tier jackpot |
| Winning Criteria | One of four jackpots can be triggered randomly |
| Average Drop Time | 3 weeks 2 days |
| Average Win | $271,941.00 |
Watch Book of Atem: WowPot Gameplay
Book of Atem: WowPot Additional TipsIn the base game, you will see symbols such as the playing cards from 10 to A, awarding between 7.5x and 15x the total bet respectively when they land five times on a payline. While the playing cards are the low-paying icons of Book of Atem: WowPot, the high-valued symbols include a lotus flower, snake, falcon, and charming pharaoh.
The Book symbol acts both as a Wild and as a Scatter, replacing other symbols and offering higher payouts when matched three or more times anywhere on the reels. The same Scatter combination also awards 10 Free Spins, with one special symbol chosen to appear expanded on the reels. The Book Scatter may also randomly trigger the jackpot wheel, which is guaranteed to award one of four progressive jackpots.
Wheel of Wishes
You can enjoy a very rewarding gaming experience with this progressive slot by Microgaming. As you may have noticed, this software provider offers some of the biggest progressive jackpots, and Wheel of Wishes is also linked to the WowPot jackpot prize pool. The slot spins across a grid of five reels and three rows, with 10 paylines awarding wins for combinations of three or more matching symbols.
The game has a base mode and a power mode. The first mode allows bets between $0.20 and $20, while the second boosts the range to between $2 and $200. You can land the progressive jackpot in both modes, but higher bets improve the chance of triggering the jackpot bonus game. Moreover, the Power Spin feature, which may trigger the jackpot prize, is automatically activated during the power mode.
| Wheel of Wishes | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Microgaming |
| Release Date | 2020 |
| RTP | 93.34% |
| Bet Limits | $0.20 – $20 in base mode; $2 – $200 in power mode |
| Seed Amount | $50,000.00 |
| Jackpot Tiers | Four-tier jackpot |
| Winning Criteria | One of four jackpots is won when Jackpot Wheel appears |
| Average Drop Time | 3 weeks 2 days |
| Average Win | $271,941.00 |
Watch Wheel of Wishes Gameplay
Wheel of Wishes Additional TipsThe symbols of Wheel of Wishes include playing card suits, medallions, treasure chests, mysterious books, and a magical genie lamp. Each symbol has its respective payouts whenever it is matched three, four, or five times on a payline. The Wheel symbol acts as a Scatter, which can offer generous wins and may trigger the bonus feature of Wheel of Wishes. In addition to a Scatter, Wheel of Wishes also features a Wild symbol, which can substitute for other icons, with the Scatter being the only exception.
The Power Spin feature can also be triggered in the base mode when two Scatter symbols land anywhere on the reels. This prompts 3×3 symbols to appear on the middle three reels, increasing the chance of landing more winning combinations or the Wheel symbol. When the Wheel appears fully in the middle three reels, the Wheel bonus game is launched, guaranteeing players one of four progressive jackpots.
Divine Fortune
The next progressive slot we believe many players might enjoy is Divine Fortune by NetEnt. Launched in 2017, this ancient Greek-style game gives players the chance to win decent payouts in the base game or snag a generous progressive jackpot if they trigger one of the bonus features of Divine Fortune.
The video slot has five reels, with 20 paylines awarding wins for combinations of three or more identical symbols. The bet size you can choose for your spins ranges between $0.20 and $100, but the chance of landing the progressive jackpot increases with the amount you wager per spin.
| Divine Fortune | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | NetEnt |
| Release Date | 2017 |
| RTP | 96.60% |
| Bet Limits | $0.20 – $100 |
| Seed Amount | N/A |
| Jackpot Tiers | Three-tier jackpot |
| Winning Criteria | One of three jackpots can be won during bonus feature |
| Average Drop Time | 5 days 19h |
| Average Win | $116,980.00 |
Watch Divine Fortune Gameplay
Divine Fortune Additional TipsThe symbols of Divine Fortune include low-value playing cards between J and A, paying between 60x and 80x the line bet when matched five times. The high-value icons are represented by Medusa, the Minotaur, the Nemean Lion, and the Griffin, with Medusa being the highest-paying symbol, bringing 600x your bet per line for a five-of-a-kind combination.
Wild Pegasus substitutes for regular paying symbols, while Free Spins Scatters can award up to 12 free spins. Wild on Wild is another special function of the slot, turning regular Wilds into Expanded Wilds, which move one position lower on consecutive spins and enable more chances for potential wins. Re-spins also appear after this bonus feature, making Divine Fortune extremely entertaining.
The progressive jackpot of Divine Fortune can be won through the Bonus Game. Depending on the number of rows covered in Bonus symbols at the end of the special segment, players can win either the Minor, Major, or Mega jackpot.
Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah
With Microgaming’s Mega Moolah becoming a favorite title for players chasing progressive wins, the company decided to expand the number of games linked to the Mega Moolah prize pool. That is why players have received the chance to play a cool game such as Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah and compete for the same generous progressive jackpot, which has turned numerous players into millionaires.
The slot was developed for Microgaming’s franchise by the team at Triple Edge Studios. It is inspired by the novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The colorful slot spreads across five reels, offering 243 different ways to land a win for three or more matching symbols. The least amount you can wager per spin is $0.20, while the maximum is capped at $50.
| Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Microgaming (Triple Edge Studios) |
| Release Date | 2020 |
| RTP | 92.02% |
| Bet Limits | $0.20 – $50 |
| Seed Amount | $1,000,000.00 |
| Jackpot Tiers | Mega, Major, Minor, Mini |
| Winning Criteria | Randomly triggered |
| Average Drop Time | 8 weeks |
| Average Win | $6.1 million |
Watch Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah Gameplay
Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah Additional TipsThe low-paying symbols of the slot include playing card suits, with the highest-valued suit paying 2.4x your total bet when matched five times. The next symbols can be found at the Mad Hatter’s tea party, with a pocket watch, tea cups, butterflies, the March hare, and the Cheshire Cat representing the icons that bring higher payouts. The icon with the highest value is the Mad Hatter himself, bringing players 10x their total bet when matched five times.
Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah features rolling reels, which means that every win forces the winning symbols to disappear from the screen. This allows the symbols above them to take up the empty positions and possibly bring consecutive wins. Rolling reels also increase the slot’s multiplier, with four or more consecutive rolls boosting the multiplier up to 5x. A Free Spin Scatter can trigger eight rounds of bonus spins, with the Rolling Reels feature active.
Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah features a Wild that can substitute for regular symbols and help complete winning combinations. Whenever a Wild lands, it is collected in a pot of gold above the reels, with every Wild increasing the chance of randomly triggering the progressive jackpot wheel, which is guaranteed to award the Mini, Minor, Major, or Mega jackpot of the Mega Moolah series.
Leprechaun’s Luck
Those who believe in lucky charms will most likely appreciate Playtech’s slot Leprechaun’s Luck, which offers players the chance to sweep a generous progressive jackpot prize. The slot, which was originally released by Ash Gaming, spreads across five reels, while winning formations can land on 20 fixed paylines. The design of the game is rather simple, inspired by the traditions of Irish luck.
While Leprechaun’s Luck gives its players the chance to win a generous progressive prize, the slot can also be very rewarding through its additional bonus features. When it comes to the size of your bets, you are able to wager between $0.20 and $20 per spin. That said, increasing your stake can positively affect your chances of winning the jackpot.
| Leprechaun’s Luck | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Ash Gaming (Playtech) |
| Release Date | 2012 |
| RTP | 88.10% |
| Bet Limits | $0.20 – $20 |
| Seed Amount | N/A |
| Jackpot Tiers | Single-tier jackpot |
| Winning Criteria | Progressive jackpot can be won during bonus feature |
| Average Drop Time | 33 weeks 18h |
| Average Win | ~$128,783 |
Watch Leprechaun’s Luck Gameplay
Leprechaun’s Luck Additional TipsLeprechaun’s Luck offers a local progressive jackpot, which means it may offer a different jackpot prize at particular online casinos. Even so, several casino brands give players the chance to become instant millionaires by landing the jackpot prize of the game.
While Leprechaun’s Luck has a rather low RTP, it is a high-volatility slot, which means players can potentially sweep higher payouts. Of course, big wins will not be common, but the special features, which include free spins, the Rainbow of Wealth game, or the Wishing Well bonus, can be very generous and may grant the jackpot prize. With both the Rainbow of Wealth and the Wishing Well features allowing players to collect cash prizes, it is possible to randomly win the progressive jackpot of Leprechaun’s Luck at the end of each feature.
Funky Fruits
The next progressive slot we recommend is Funky Fruits by Playtech. Despite being rather simple, this progressive title can be very entertaining and rewarding. As the name suggests, it has a fruity theme, with various delicious fruits appearing on the five reels of the slot. However, instead of paylines or multiple ways to win, Funky Fruits offers payouts for clusters of five or more identical symbols on adjacent reels.
Depending on the number of symbols forming a cluster, different fruits pay different amounts. While there are no special symbols or bonus features, Funky Fruits offers a generous progressive prize that can be won thanks to the cherry symbol. The game has a rather small bet range, but that is because the bet size determines the percentage of the jackpot prize you can receive if you get extra lucky. The lowest amount you can bet is $1, while the maximum is $10.
| Funky Fruits | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Playtech |
| Release Date | 2014 |
| RTP | 92.07% |
| Bet Limits | $1 – $10 |
| Seed Amount | N/A |
| Jackpot Tiers | Single-tier jackpot |
| Winning Criteria | Eight or more cherries forming a cluster award a progressive jackpot prize |
| Average Drop Time | 32 weeks 3 days |
| Average Win | ~$1,532,592 |
Watch Funky Fruits Gameplay
Funky Fruits Additional TipsThe fruity symbols include a watermelon, plum, pineapple, orange, and lemon, with the highest-paying fruit being the lemon. The biggest payout for each fruit is given on a cluster of 16 or more identical icons, with the lemon offering 5,000x your total bet. One more fruit deserves special attention, as it can grant the jackpot prize of Funky Fruits: the cherries. They pay 50x, 500x, or 2,000x the total bet when they are matched five, six, or seven times respectively. When the same symbol appears eight or more times in a winning cluster, it grants a progressive jackpot win.
Regardless of how many cherries above eight appear, the jackpot prize you receive is the same. The only factor that affects the size of the progressive payout is the bet you have made. A $1 bet guarantees 10% of the jackpot pot, while betting $2 or $5 qualifies you for 20% and 50% of the jackpot prize respectively. The full amount of the progressive jackpot can be won only if you wager $10 per spin.
Joker Millions
If you enjoy playing classic fruit slots, you can add an extra thrill to your gaming sessions by playing Joker Millions by Yggdrasil. While the design of the game is nothing unusual, with fruits spinning across five reels, the Joker icon gives players the chance to sweep a generous progressive prize.
Even without landing the jackpot win, players can enjoy a fruitful experience with the 25 paylines of Joker Millions. With several special features, those who play the slot have the potential to sweep extra payouts and even apply a multiplier to their profit. The least amount players can wager per spin is $0.25, while the maximum is $25.
| Joker Millions | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Yggdrasil |
| Release Date | 2015 |
| RTP | 94.30% |
| Bet Limits | $0.25 – $25 |
| Seed Amount | N/A |
| Jackpot Tiers | Single-tier jackpot |
| Winning Criteria | 15 Jokers during bonus game award the progressive jackpot |
| Average Drop Time | 22 weeks 6 days |
| Average Win | ~$2,985,974 |
Watch Joker Millions Gameplay
Joker Millions Additional TipsThe symbols of Joker Millions include lemons, oranges, plums, cherries, watermelons, gold bells, and red 7s. The lowest-paying symbol is the lemon, awarding 20x the bet per line for five of a kind. The highest-paying symbol is the red 7, which can bring you 300x your bet per line when matched five times across a payline. There are no Wilds, but the Joker icon acts as the Scatter, which can trigger the Jackpot Spin feature.
Whenever symbols appear in a winning combination, they freeze in their position, triggering a respin of the reels. If the same symbol appears on another reel, even if it is not adjacent to those that triggered the feature, the reels respin again. The respins continue until no more identical symbols land, with players receiving the corresponding payouts for the number of winning combinations. If the same symbol covers reels entirely, the Column Multiplier function is triggered. The multipliers that can be applied to wins carry values of 2x, 3x, 4x, and 5x.
Probably the most important special feature is the Jackpot Spin game, triggered whenever five Jokers appear on all reels. When this combination lands on the grid, the Jokers instantly reveal Mystery Wins and then trigger the Jackpot Spin game. The feature continues until no new Jackpot symbols appear on the screen, with each symbol carrying a random prize of up to 1,000 coins. If the entire grid is covered in 15 Jokers, players win the jackpot prize of Joker Millions.
Age of the Gods
When covering Playtech’s progressive jackpots, we cannot miss the slots from the Age of the Gods series. The software developer has already added quite a few slots and even a handful of table games to the series, with numerous players contributing to the constant increase of the jackpot. Age of the Gods is the original slot from the series, offering players the chance to land either the Power, Extra Power, Super Power, or Ultimate Power jackpot.
The slot features various Greek deities spinning across five reels and granting payouts for matching combinations on 20 paylines. In addition to the opportunity to land a progressive jackpot, the slot allows players to enjoy multiple wins by triggering any of the other bonus features of Age of the Gods. The minimum amount you can wager per spin is $0.20, and the maximum is capped at $40. It should be noted, however, that higher bets increase the chance of landing a progressive jackpot payout.
| Age of the Gods | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Playtech |
| Release Date | 2016 |
| RTP | 95.02% |
| Bet Limits | $0.20 – $40 |
| Seed Amount | $100,000.00 |
| Jackpot Tiers | Power, Extra Power, Super Power, Ultimate Power |
| Winning Criteria | 15 Jokers during bonus game award the progressive jackpot |
| Average Drop Time | 6 weeks 2 days |
| Average Win | ~$553,791 |
Watch Age of the Gods Gameplay
Age of the Gods Additional TipsThe low-paying icons of Age of the Gods include playing cards like Q, K, and A, as well as an ancient Greek helmet. The playing cards pay 150x your line bet when matched five times, while the helmet pays 250x the line bet for a five-of-a-kind combination. The mid-range symbols include Hades and Aphrodite, with both paying 300x your bet per line when matched five times.
The high-paying symbols include Hercules, Poseidon, Zeus, and Athena, with Athena being the most valuable, paying 1,000x your single-line bet when matched five times on a payline. There is also a special payout of 200x your line bet when all gods except Hades form a winning combination across the five reels. The four highest-paying deities also represent the four different Free Games modes. This bonus segment is triggered when the Age of the Gods logo appears three or more times anywhere on the reels.
The slot features a Wild, which can substitute for all symbols except the Scatter that triggers the bonus game. Speaking of special features, the progressive jackpot of Age of the Gods can be won through a randomly triggered jackpot game. It launches a feature with 20 golden coins hiding the names of the four progressive jackpots. Players pick coins until they reveal the same jackpot three times; the first jackpot revealed three times is the prize awarded.
Aztec’s Millions
This progressive slot by Realtime Gaming (RTG) is a rather interesting jackpot title, as it offers a generous progressive win, with the seed starting at $1,000,000 when the jackpot is won by a lucky player. For many years, players believed there was no point in playing the slot, as it would not release the big prize for several years. In 2021, however, the major prize, which was exceeding $4 million at that time, was finally won, proving there is indeed a chance to sweep the jackpot pot of Aztec’s Millions.
The slot spreads across five reels, with symbols including Aztec idols, amulets, the Aztec king, and the Aztec queen. The game has 25 fixed paylines, with most symbols awarding a payout when matched three or more times on a winning line. Several high-paying icons can grant a payout even when landing only twice on a payline, while the queen can offer a cash reward even for a single symbol at the beginning of a winning line. As for the bet size, players have no choice, as the game has an obligatory bet per line of $0.20, making the total bet on every spin $5.
| Aztec’s Millions | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | RTG |
| Release Date | 2009 |
| RTP | 95.00% |
| Bet Limits | $5 per spin |
| Seed Amount | $1 million |
| Jackpot Tiers | Single-tier jackpot |
| Winning Criteria | Jackpot is won when five Aztec’s Millions symbols land on a payline |
| Average Drop Time | 4 years 20 weeks |
| Average Win | $2,287,856.00 |
Watch Aztec’s Millions Gameplay
Aztec’s Millions Additional TipsThe base game features several playing-card symbols, representing the low-value icons. Symbols ranging from 9 to A pay between 100x and 200x your line bet when matched five times. The mid-range symbols, bringing 500x your bet per line when matched five times, include an amulet and a bracelet. The next symbols in the paytable include a bird mask, a leopard, and the Aztec queen, with all three paying even for a two-of-a-kind combination. The queen symbol is extra generous, paying 2x your bet per line when appearing once on a payline, while her top payout for five matches is 5,000x the line bet.
The Aztec King is the Wild symbol, which can substitute for regular paying symbols and help players complete winning lines. Meanwhile, the Aztec idol acts as a Scatter, awarding special wins when matched three or more times anywhere on the reels. Three or more idols also trigger the Free Spins feature of Aztec’s Millions.
The last special symbol to watch for is the Aztec’s Millions logo, which may appear on all five reels, on any of the 25 paylines. If that happens, congratulations – you have won the progressive jackpot of Aztec’s Millions.
A Night With Cleo
Another very interesting progressive slot solution comes from Rival Gaming’s portfolio. A Night With Cleo lets players explore this Egyptian-themed slot and stack up generous wins as they match symbols across 20 paylines. While the progressive prize of this slot is not as big as competitors’ offerings, A Night With Cleo typically awards the jackpot win every three days or so, which makes it popular with many players, especially since the game seeds at $2,500 – a very generous amount.
The five reels award wins for matching three or more identical symbols. Meanwhile, the Free Spins and Gamble features of A Night With Cleo may lead to bountiful wins even without the jackpot prize. The least amount you can bet per spin is $0.20, and the maximum is capped at $200. Increasing your bet might improve your chances of winning the jackpot.
| A Night With Cleo | |
|---|---|
| Supplier | Rival Gaming |
| Release Date | 2017 |
| RTP | 92.50% |
| Bet Limits | $0.20 – $200 |
| Seed Amount | $2,500.00 |
| Jackpot Tiers | Single-tier jackpot |
| Winning Criteria | Jackpot is triggered randomly |
| Average Drop Time | 3 days 4 hours |
| Average Win | $104,061.00 |
Watch A Night With Cleo Gameplay
A Night With Cleo Additional TipsThe low-paying symbols of A Night With Cleo include the playing cards between 9 and A, which pay between 100x and 150x the bet per line when landing five times on a payline. The high-paying symbols include golden jewels, with the Eye of Horus ornament being the most valuable icon, bringing players 500x their bet per line for five-of-a-kind. The Wild symbol helps players complete winning lines, as it can substitute for regular symbols.
Landing three or more Scatters in the base game awards 15 free spins, with a 3x multiplier applied to all wins during bonus spins. The feature can be retriggered any time three or more Scatters appear, with the maximum number of bonus spins per single trigger being 180.
Every time you land a win in the base game, you also have the chance to use the Gamble Feature and double your profit. Choose the correct flower to increase your win; a wrong guess at any point costs all of your wagered wins.
As for the jackpot prize of A Night With Cleo, there is not much to explain: all you need to win the major prize is luck. The progressive jackpot is triggered randomly and can be won on any spin.
Choosing a Casino to Play Progressives
Almost all online and land-based casinos offer their customers attractive progressive jackpots. At most sites, you will find at least five different progressive slots, while at some casinos, you can choose from over 30 titles by different providers. There is a great variety of progressives that cater to all types of players, and if you are looking for a good casino where you can play for the jackpot, stick to sites with larger and more diverse collections.
Of course, players who are new to online gambling, or who so far have played at a limited number of gambling sites, will want a place with an impeccable reputation. Safety and reliability are extremely important, especially when it comes to betting on progressive games, because players tend to make larger deposits and higher bets than usual. In addition, you will need a trustworthy casino that will pay out the jackpot as quickly as possible, no matter how huge it is. Speaking of jackpot payouts, players should also check whether the casino limits withdrawals or makes an exception to the max cash-out limit when a progressive jackpot is won.
Progressive Jackpot Withdrawal
Winning the jackpot is undoubtedly an incredible experience. For most players, this is an unforgettable moment even if the amount they win is only $100. But it is the huge jackpot of several million that will blow your mind and change your life forever. It is an overwhelming experience for casinos, too. Often, they cannot afford to pay out such huge amounts of money. That is why jackpots, especially in online casinos, are usually paid out by the game developers.
The more important aspect of jackpot withdrawals, however, is how your winnings are paid. Many large brick-and-mortar casinos give players a choice: they can collect the entire prize at once, or they can receive annuities over the course of 10 or 20 years. The majority of online casinos, if not all, have fixed cash-out limits based on a weekly or monthly basis. In other words, you cannot withdraw more than $5,000 or $10,000 per week, for instance. While this is not a problem with small wins, it certainly becomes an issue when talking about jackpot withdrawals.
Retrieving a huge win from an online casino may take months or even years if the gambling operator maintains a strict withdrawal policy. Fortunately for jackpot hunters, many casinos make an exception to this rule and will pay you in full if it is a progressive jackpot win.
Bet Sizes
There are not many strategies or systems you can use to improve your winning chances in progressive slots. One of the most important things, however, is to check the amount of money you need to bet to qualify for the jackpot. Many progressives allow you to play for the big prize only when placing max bets or at least the maximum number of coins. Different games have different rules, so before putting your money in a particular slot, you should check its pay table and rules.
For instance, some jackpots can be unlocked only when playing with max bets, but others can be won during a randomly activated bonus game. Of course, the bet size is essential, as it may decide whether you end your play session as a millionaire or lose every penny you have. The best chance of winning the jackpot is if you are betting on all pay lines and, in most cases, the maximum number of coins.
To continue playing for longer without wagering your entire budget in five minutes, play with low-value coins. Another good strategy is to change the currency you play with if the jackpot remains the same amount after conversion. For instance, you can bet $10 per spin, and in Euro the qualifying bet will still be €10. However, while the jackpot in U.S. dollars is $1,000, in Euro it will be €700. This means that a bet in U.S. dollars has a lower real value, yet by placing it, you can win the same jackpot offered to Euro players.
The Biggest Progressive Jackpots Won
The highest progressive jackpot payout ever recorded is $39.7 million. It was hit in the Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas on one of the most famous slot games, IGT’s Megabucks. Until recently, Megabucks was available only as a physical slot machine across numerous gambling facilities around the world, but IGT has also added it to its portfolio of online games. Online slots, on the other hand, still have not reached such high payouts, but they are quickly gaining popularity and making more and more players instantly rich.
Mega Moolah, for instance, is known for the big payouts given quite regularly to players from all over the world. In 2015, the game often called “The Millionaire Maker” gave a British army soldier £13,213,838.68. This happened at Betway, and the soldier, J. Heywood, managed to get the jackpot by placing £0.25 bets. Mega Moolah has made many people rich – in 2016, Canadian Marcus Goodwin took home CA$11,633,898, while just a few months before that, a Maori man in New Zealand pocketed NZ$10,144,395.82.
Another mind-blowing payout was the unexpected win of €17,861,813 in January 2013 at Paf Casino. The lucky winner was an anonymous Finnish man who got the right combination of symbols while playing NetEnt’s Mega Fortune. Previously, in 2011, that same game paid out €11,736,228 to a Norwegian student who was trying his luck with free spins. Other slots from NetEnt have also been generous – on 23 November 2012, another unnamed Finn became richer by exactly €8,636,041.54 while playing Arabian Nights. One of the slots by the same developer that is known to be won regularly is Hall of Gods. The biggest payout registered from it is €7,820,888, but players are hitting the jackpot approximately twice a year.
The highest mobile jackpot payouts have been at Microgaming’s Mega Moolah slot. On 28 August 2016, a woman playing the popular game from her mobile phone managed to hit the jackpot, taking €7,968,311.26. At the time, this was the biggest mobile win ever recorded, but this changed in less than a year when in April 2017, a mobile player at Tipico Casino became an instant millionaire by claiming the incredible sum of €8,012,153.35.
Progressive Slots FAQ
What Is the Difference between a Jackpot and a Progressive Jackpot?
The typical jackpot in many casino games is a fixed amount which can be won by hitting the rarest and highest paying combination, such is the case with slots and video poker games. Progressive jackpots, on the other hand, come with an easily recognizable jackpot meter. These jackpots are pools of money “fed” by a portion of all bets placed in certain networked games. Some progressives are not linked with the games in other casinos, but the accumulation of the jackpot in them works the same way. As a result of the constant betting on these games, the money pot rises until the jackpot is won. In some cases, it can reach millions of dollars, but usually, progressive jackpots are in the 6-figure range.
Is It Possible to Say When You Can Win a Jackpot?
No. Predicting when a progressive slot will pay out the huge jackpot is impossible because these games are random. They have no pattern or a system that determines when they are “due”. Slot machines in land-based casinos and online slots are governed by complex computer software called Random Number Generator. The symbols landing on the reels when you push the Spin button are nothing more than graphical representations of what has already been determined by the random numbers generated by this piece of technology.
How Much Will I Spend on Average Playing Progressives?
The amount of funds placed as bets on progressive slots would depend on the player. Most experts recommend that if you are playing for the jackpot, it is best to bet maximum coins, as this is usually a requirement in order to qualify for a jackpot win. However, this is not the case with many of the popular progressives right now. In some of them, you do not need to qualify and the bonus jackpot round is triggered randomly. In others, you can bet $5 per spin and still qualify for the jackpot game – these are known as penny slots and they are much more accessible than the average progressive game.
How Can I Withdraw When I Win the Jackpot?
Cashing out after winning a big jackpot is different for land-based and online casinos. Traditional establishments in Las Vegas, for example, pay out your winnings at once, on the spot, with one exception – really huge jackpots are paid out in annuities and you can receive you multi-million prize over the course of 25 years. Online, you will be limited to withdrawing $2,000-$5,000 per week or $15,000 per month, for instance. Most web-based gambling operators have specific jackpot rules in place and they can allow you to cash out the entire sum all at once or over the course of several months.
Progressive Slots Glossary
Bankroll
Bankroll is the amount of money a player has in his or her gambling balance. This is the money you play with and it is essential to manage it properly. Most experts recommend putting daily limits on betting in order to maintain your bankroll. This amount of play money will also determine what games you will play and how you will play them – a higher bankroll allows you to play more spins on progressive jackpot slots or to sit at a high stakes poker table.
Bonus Round
In progressive slots, bonus rounds or bonus games are usually played for winning the jackpot. Bonus rounds are activated during normal play in different ways. They can be triggered by hitting three or more Scatter symbols or special Bonus symbols, or they can be triggered randomly. Each slot has a different bonus round which is typically on the theme of the game and can include multi-level arcade games, Pick Me games, matching symbols games, and others.
Coin Size
This is the value of the basic bet on a single spin and refers to the denomination the player has chosen – for instance, $0.01, $0.10, $0.25, $0.50, etc. When placing bets on progressive slots, it is always best to play with maximum bets – or to choose the max coin size ($5 or $10), the max number of coins per line (usually up to 10), and the number of active pay lines.
Fixed Jackpot
Most slots have fixed or static jackpots, which means that the highest payout in these games will remain the same no matter how many players are betting on them.
Flat-Top Slots
Flat-top slots are the basic, regular slots which, instead of progressive jackpots, offer fixed top payouts.
Jackpot Meter
The jackpot meter in a progressive game displays how quickly a progressive jackpot is rising. In slot machines across land-based casinos, this meter is placed on top of the game and attracts players with large numbers and bright lights. In online slots, the jackpot meter can be anywhere.
Loose Slots
Loose slots are those slots that have a higher return percentages and respectively, lower house edge. They are not easily recognized, however, because very few casinos have made the RTP percentages public. Slots that tend to return less in the long term are often called “tight”.
Max Bet
The maximum bet, or max bet for short, is the largest amount of money a player can bet per spin. By choosing it, you have a chance to play for the highest payout and this is why most slot games have a Max Bet button.
Pay Line
In slots, pay lines are the positions on the reels where matching symbols should land in order to collect a payout. In the past, slot machines had a single pay line which ran horizontally across the middle of the reels. Modern video slots, including many progressives, have multiple lines (up to 100) which come in shapes such as zig zags, diagonals, Vs, and many others. In order to increase their chances of hitting the jackpot, players should try to bet on all pay lines available.
Pay Table
Every slot game has its specific pay table – a chart which contains information about all the pay lines in a game and the respective payouts for each combo. It also displays all special symbols and what they do, and most importantly, whether the game has a separate bonus round where the jackpot can be won.
Progressive Slots
Progressive slots are those games which come with progressive jackpots – combined pots where the money comes from all bets placed on the game. Usually, these slots are linked in large networks, which allows the jackpots to rise extremely quickly.
Return Percentage
The return or payback percentage (RTP) of a casino game shows what portion of your total bet you can win back in the long term. Some games such as blackjack offer high returns if they are played with a perfect strategy. Slots, on the other hand, are games of luck, so no strategy can increase their return percentages and they usually range between 88% and 97%. The expected return for progressives is even lower.
Seed
This is the preset amount of money progressive jackpots start from. This level varies significantly across different games and different software providers, as they are the ones that provide these initial funds for the combined pot of the progressive jackpot. Once a player hits the big prize, the jackpot resets to this basic level. The seed value can be $100, $1,000, or $1,000,000 and it is usually one of the contributing factors to the popularity of a particular game – if the jackpot started from $15, no one would want to place bets on it, knowing the tiny odds of winning.