Progressive Jackpot Slots

Our Top 5 Progressive Jackpot Slots

Making this list of progressive slot machines online required weeks of testing RTP, volatility, and maximum payout. We also looked at design because aesthetics matter just as much as payout potential.

Mega Moolah

In 2006, Microgaming released Mega Moolah, and it is arguably the world’s most famous progressive jackpot slot. The title has paid out some of the biggest wins ever recorded, reaching approximately €600 million since its release.

The original version comes with 4 progressive jackpots and won a Guinness World Record in 2015 after one player hit a record win of €17,880,900. You can play this slot for real money on Bet365 Casino, but check it out first for free with our demo option here.

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Divine Fortune

NetEnt’s Divine Fortune is an ancient Greek-themed slot released in 2017 with a progressive jackpot feature. It comes with a high RTP of 96.59% and medium variance, which is interesting because most progressive jackpot slots are highly volatile with RTPs slightly lower than the industry average.

Aside from the three progressive jackpots in the game, you’ll find free spins and re-spins, all of which you can test in the free version here. If this title catches your eye, then you can play for real money on HitMe Casino.

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Mega Fortune

NetEnt’s Mega Fortune makes it to the top list for its 96.6% RTP, multipliers, and free spins round. The game comes with 3 progressive jackpots and a classic 5-reel and 25-payline structure. The slot’s luxury theme draws you in immediately, especially with the animation during a winning round. You can try it for real money on 888 Casino or check out the features at no cost with our demo version.

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Good Girl Bad Girl

Good Girl Bad Girl is a 15-payline player’s favorite and one of the few 2-in-1 slots with a progressive jackpot. Betsoft set the RTP at 97.79%, which is one of the highest on the list, but pegs the max win at 20,000. As you’re caught between good and evil, the features that’ll help you along the way include a “Click Me” round, free spins, wilds, and scatters. BetFair Casino supports the real money play version, but if you’re looking to try a few rounds for free, play the demo game here.

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Genie Jackpots

Genie Jackpots is a progressive slot by Ash Gaming with an Arabian mythology theme. Its most engaging round is the “Three Wishes Power Spin,” which becomes randomly active as you play. The title also has level-based gameplay during Magic Carpet mode, so it feels more like an interactive video game.

You can experience these features for free with the demo version on our site. Alternatively, you can play straight up for real money at Mr Green Casino.

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How Progressive Jackpot Slots Work

Progressive slot games have a constantly growing prize pot that just one player can win. Here are the mechanics that make a progressive jackpot slot function the way it does:

• Seed amount: Each progressive jackpot begins with a seed or base amount that then grows.

• Contributing mechanism: Everybody who places a bet on the game contributes between 1% and 5% towards the jackpot.

• Linked networks or machines: Progressive jackpots can either be shared across machines or casinos. A game like Mega Moolah, for example, has a jackpot that’s spread across casinos. A network progressive jackpot, on the other hand, is linked across multiple games, which is how Blueprint’s Jackpot King works.

• Fairness and randomness: It is backed by the RNG engine, which ensures that every spin is random.

• Jackpot reset: Once a jackpot is won, it automatically resets, and a win begins to build up from the seed number again.

Bear in mind that network jackpots are a rarer version of progressive jackpots.

RTP in progressive slots: how does It work

Because a portion of every bet in a progressive jackpot slot goes towards the prize pool, the RTP is usually lower than that of standard slots in the base game. However, it is a two-way street because when the jackpot hits, the theoretical RTP for that player is higher than what any other standard slot could possibly offer.

When you play any of the above titles with an above-average RTP, remember that the real RTP of the base game is lower than what’s on display.

Types of Progressive Jackpots in Slot Machines

The part of bets contributing towards a grand prize stays constant across progressive slot machines, but the size and growth rate can vary. These are the different types:

Standalone progressive jackpot

A standalone progressive jackpot is tied to one slot machine. So even if someone else plays the same title elsewhere, the jackpot doesn't apply to them. With these kinds of jackpots, the pot grows more slowly because it is one player at a time on the same machine. That also means it could take longer for it to hit, and the hit may not be too massive since the contribution isn't coming from multiple sources at once. These kinds of jackpots are best if you have a smaller bankroll.

Pro tip: If you come across a standalone progressive jackpot that hasn’t yet hit after a long time, chances are that it may offer better value. That’s because the starting amount for your session will be quite high.

Wide area progressive slot machines

Most of the online slots on our list above are part of a wide-area progressive jackpot. If you play a game like Mega Moolah, you are contributing toward the same jackpot as someone playing from a different country. These variants have the fastest-growing prize pool and, consequently, the largest ones. It’ll be best suited for you if you like the “1 in a million” possibility tied to games like the lottery.

Local (in-house) progressive jackpots

For local progressive jackpots, they are linked to games within a single casino. These can be any kind of slot in their lobby, and the best part is that they tend to hit faster. A local progressive jackpot is best if you are a regular player at a particular casino and don’t have the patience to wait for a wide-range jackpot to hit.

Fun fact: Some casinos offer local jackpots during special seasons, and they often “seed” them with extra money so that they are more attractive.

Fixed progressive jackpots

This type is often called a mystery progressive because you never know what the cap is. An example would be a game set to randomly hit between the $5,000 and $8,000 mark. Games like this feel more predictable over time because players are able to guess the range. This kind of game is best suited for strategic players.

Fun fact: Fixed progressive jackpots are more popular as a casino marketing tool because they also tend to hit faster, which makes them appealing. Still, the pool is often smaller than you’d expect.

Most Notable Progressive Jackpot Slot Providers

These are the top 5 software providers with some of the most played releases. All slots created by these studios go through QA testing by third-party organizations like CredibleSoft. The QA process ensures they meet standards set by regulators like the UKGC and MGA.

Microgaming

Microgaming grew its Mega Moolah title from a single game to an entire progressive jackpot franchise. While the first installment was animal-themed, we’ve seen others like Mega Moolah Goddess themed around ancient Egypt. There’s even Absolootly Mad Mega Moolah, inspired by the Mad Hatter’s tea party.

Microgaming progressive jackpot slots integrate features like multipliers, too. These take the titles from just jackpot-focused to potentially rewarding if there were no prize pool in the first place. You’ll find games from Microgaming at Ybets Casino.

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NetEnt

NetEnt has created notable progressive online slots, including titles like Hall of Gods and Arabian Night, all of which have paid out huge prizes so far. While they are yet to make a series of any of these releases, one thing they have in common is three prize pools each.

You’ll find titles from this software provider on sites like Allyspin Casino.

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Pragmatic Play

While Pragmatic Play didn’t join the list of providers creating progressive jackpots early, their Wolf Gold Power Jackpot made news when it launched in 2022. They have also launched a Big Bass Jackpot Bonanza network with four local progressive jackpots. For this, the jackpot varies by casino group or site, which is a different model from what NetEnt and Microgaming offer.

Games from this software provider are accessible on FatBet Casino.

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Playtech

Of all the brands we’ve listed, Playtech has the largest number of progressive jackpot slots. In fact, they’ve released at least 30 such games, including Beach Life, which paid out €6.2 million in 2012. They even have an Age of the Gods progressive jackpot series, with the Age of the Gods Ultimate Power title once paying out around €984,763.

You’ll find Playtech games on Bitstarz Casino, each with different interactive features like tumbling reels, multipliers, wilds, and scatters.

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Red Tiger Gaming

Red Tiger Gaming has a progressive jackpot network with assured hourly and daily winners across connected operators. The difference between Red Tiger and the other brands we’ve listed is that all their slots are part of the jackpot network.

So if you are playing at a casino like Casumo, which features the network, games like Diamond Blitz and 777 Strike opt you into the progressive jackpot race.

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Progressive Jackpot Slots Pros & Cons

Progressive jackpot slots have technical angles like when and how they pay, which might not be suitable for every player. Still, they are perfect for those who are daring, so here is what to know for a balanced pros and cons view:

Overall, the pros outweigh the cons from our perspective. Also, it is great that there are multiple progressive jackpot types that you can choose from based on your style of play and risk tolerance.

5 Largest Online Progressive Jackpot Wins So Far

If you’re wondering what other players have won from playing the best progressive jackpot slots online, here are some of the most notable hits yet:

Progressive Jackpot Tips and Tricks

There are no tricks set in stone that guarantee progressive jackpot wins. However, from experience, there are a few things you can do to enjoy the gameplay and possibly up your chances of making some wins.