What's The Secret To Winning A Progressive Jackpot Slot?

An introduction to progressive jackpot slots

Unlike regular online slots, progressive jackpot slots include a top prize which increases each time the game is played, but the jackpot isn’t won. There are different types of progressives – local and networked.

Local jackpots

Local jackpot games can be found at multiple online casinos, but they are not linked to other sites. So, the money that’s spent by every player on a local progressive slot only increases the value of the jackpot at the casino it’s played at.

Network jackpots

Networked games, on the other hand, usually offer bigger prizes as the jackpot’s value grows each time that the slot is played across all of the casinos in its network.

How to win

The popularity of jackpot slots can be attributed to the vast amounts of money that can potentially be won by the people that play them. In the case of some games, the prize amounts can be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, if not millions!

As some jackpots don’t require you to spin a particular symbol combination, and instead, can pay out at random, progressive jackpot slots have become some of the most popular games among online casino fans.

The most popular progressive jackpot slots

Although progressive jackpot slots can be found in land-based casinos (N.B., Wheel of Fortune is one of the most famous as it frequently awards multi-million-pound payouts to its winners), for the purposes of this guide, we’re concentrating on online slots.

Online slots

The best-known online jackpot slot games include Mega Moolah, Mega Fortune, MegaJackpots Cleopatra, Beach Life, Everybody’s Jackpot, Age of the Gods, and Justice League.

Mega Moolah has been around since 2006, and its cartoon-style safari-themed graphics are wonderfully amusing. The game boasts four progressive jackpots (Mini, Minor, Major, and Mega).

The amount that you bet is directly linked to the Jackpot Wheel Feature, so the more you wager, the better your chances of scooping the bigger jackpots become. But, as the Wheel Feature is awarded at random, it’s still possible to win with smaller bets.

Win money without winning

Everybody’s Jackpot is a particularly unusual jackpot slot as it not only offers a randomly-awarded big prize to the winner, but it also gives a portion of the PJP to other players. The person that triggers the jackpot receives 70%, and the remaining 30% is split between everyone who’s spent at least £50 on the game in the past twenty-four hours.

Think of it as a very nice consolation prize if you’re not fortunate enough to win the top award!

FAQs

1. What’s the biggest amount anyone has won while playing a progressive slot?

Because millions of spins are taken on progressive slots every day, new winners and new world-records are constantly being created. However, according to Guinness World Records, the largest jackpot payout from an online slot machine game is currently €17,879,645.12, which was awarded to Jon Heywood by Betway Casino after he scored the Mega Moolah PJP on 6th October 2015.  

2. If I win a jackpot, will I receive all of my money straight away?

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but jackpot winners don’t necessarily receive all of their winnings upfront. Each online casino and bingo site has different terms and conditions, and some have clauses that allow them to pay out jackpots in weekly instalments and not all in one go.

For example, if you’re owed £240,000 and the operator only pays you £5,000 per month until the total amount is settled, it will take four years before you receive all of the monies due. We, therefore, recommend that you always check the respective website’s terms and conditions prior to playing a jackpot slot.

3. Do I have to spend a lot to win a jackpot?

It’s true that in the case of slots like Mega Moolah, the bigger your stake, the better your chances of winning a PJP are; but, you can still be eligible (just not as likely to win) if you’re playing with a smaller bet. In fact, many of the most famous success stories involve players who’ve been wagering with modest bets.

For example, Jon Heywood celebrated a £13.2m win courtesy of Mega Moolah from a bet of just 25p while John Orchard landed £5.9m after winning The Dark Knight’s PJP with a bet of 30p per spin at Butlers Bingo in 2012.

4. Can I only win a progressive jackpot online?

PJPs can be found in many land-based casinos, particularly those in Las Vegas. For instance, games such as Megabucks have awarded $34.9m and $27.5m to American players in the past.

5. Is there a minimum and maximum I can win?

With some PJPs, the rules specify a particular amount that you must wager in order to qualify for their top prize, while other jackpots increase or decrease in size according to the amount that you’re betting with.

Most progressive slots “seed” (i.e. reset) at a minimum value after paying out. For example, Treasure Nile reseeds at £40,000 while Microgaming’s King Cashalot slot reseeds at £100,000.

6. Is there a right time and a wrong time to play a jackpot slot?

Although no-one knows exactly when a PJP will payout, some casino operators and seasoned players have performed trend analyses to see when jackpots have previously paid out, and use this data to predict when a game is “hot” (i.e. likely to be won soon) or “cold” (i.e. unlikely to pay out as the jackpot has recently been awarded or hasn’t yet risen high enough).

Finding the best progressive jackpot slots

Here at OnlineBingo.co.uk, we constantly have our fingers on the pulse of all things bingo and casino-related.

Drawing on our collective years of experience in the industry, we thoroughly research and review online bingo sites, casino sites, and slot games.

Therefore, we know that Bet365 Casino is renowned for its fine selection of Playtech jackpot games, while Nektan-powered online casinos such as Pocket Vegas offer an excellent range of IGT’s MegaJackpots titles, as well as Blueprint Gaming progressives such as Top Cat, Worms Reloaded, and The Pig Wizard.

So, why not check out our casino reviews to find out more? And, if you’re considering signing up with a casino or bingo operator to play its jackpot slots, we could help you find some incredible welcome bonuses, free spins offers, and even cashback if you join via our website!