Progressiv jackpots 

Everyone that enjoys playing slots and casino games such as roulette, baccarat and blackjack online, have one thing in common. We all dream of winning big! At any given time there are hundreds of jackpots just waiting for the next winner and there’s no reason that winner shouldn’t be you! 

The biggest prizes are always to be found on slots and games offering a progressive jackpot. Local jackpots can secure you some great wins, but if you dream of winning “Tell the boss to shove it” jackpots, you need to focus on the progressive ones. But what exactly are jackpots and what’s the difference between local and progressive? That and much more is what we’ll take a look at in this article. 

Local jackpot VS Progressive jackpot 

When you visit an online casino you will normally find a page dedicated to jackpot slots. Depending on the casino and what slot providers they have, the jackpot selection could have as little as 10 slots and as many as 100+ slots, all offering local or progressive jackpots. 

You can easily tell the two jackpots apart, as the local jackpot usual is quite small. Some local jackpots might be few hundred, whilst others may be as much as 50,000 or more. 

The progressive jackpots on the other hand, can reach millions and sometimes even more than 10 million. 

The main difference is that the local jackpot is a set figure that never changes, whilst the progressive jackpot is constantly growing until one lucky winner walks off with it. 

How does a progressive jackpot work?

The progressive jackpot is a bit like the lottery, as the prize depends on how much players put into it. The slot will always offer a minimum jackpot, as Mega Moolah from Microgaming does. Whenever somebody wins the jackpot, it automatically starts over at 1 million. 

When players play the slot, a tiny stake of each bet goes towards growing the jackpot. This tiny amount of cash doesn’t come directly from your bet, but rather from the overall profit of the casinos. This is why you can see the jackpot constantly growing even when you’re not playing the slot. 

A slot offering a progressive jackpot is usually part of a large network of casinos offering the same slot to players all over the world. The bigger the network and the more players that play the slot (and don’t win), the bigger the jackpot gets. 

Progressive jackpot slots can also be part of a much smaller network offering a lot smaller jackpot as there aren’t that many players. It might increase your chances of winning, but often you want to be able to win much more than you can win on a local jackpot or a Megaways slot offering winnings of 50,000 x wager. 

How to win the progressive jackpot

The way a progressive jackpot pay out, will vary from one slot to the other, but the three most common are:

• Random wins: The jackpot can be won an any winning or losing spin by any player, at any time
• Symbol combinations: Some jackpot slots will require that you land a certain combination of symbols to win the jackpot, such as Geisha Wonders from NetEnt, where the player will have to land five jackpot symbols on the same line to win the jackpot
• Bonus games: The bonus game jackpot can be famous on populer slots such as Mega Fortune and Mega Moolah, where the “Wheel Of Fortune” type of bonus game decides if and which jackpot you win. 

Basic criteria for winning a progressive jackpot 

Any player can win on a progressive slot and for most other slots there is only one criteria; you must play with a minimum amount. However, progressive jackpot slots will require that you play with the max bet.

Another thing to keep an eye on is the “Play Meters”. These are meters that increase either over time (amount of spins) or every time you land a certain symbol (in most cases a bonus symbol). When the meter is full, you gain access to the bonus game. If the slot machine you are playing uses a meter like this, you should always check how long the slot will store your meter between plays.

Are progressive jackpots random? 

All online slots are based on so-called RNG technology. RNG is an abbreviation for Random Number Generator. As long as you play at a reputable casino and a slot developed by a well-known studio, the RNG mechanics will have been tested by a third party to make sure that it is in fact random. 

How big can progressive jackpots get?

How big the jackpot on a progressive slot can get depends on several factors such as the starter (minimum jackpot), how big the network the slot is connected to is, and so on. The biggest ever progressive jackpot won online (as of June 2020), is $21.7 million won on Mega Moolah in september 2018. 

Best progressive jackpot slot online 

Players will forever be discussing which progressive slot is the best and it’s hard to say. It all depends on what you are looking for. Is it solely big wins you’re into, or do you care about the theme and overall player experience?  

All factors into account, you really need to get to know the following progressive slots: 

• Mega Moolah – Microgaming 
• Hall Of Gods – NetEnt
• Major Millions – Microgaming 
• Mega Fortune – NetEnt
• Arabian Nights – NetEnt 
• Aztec’s Millions – Real Time Gaming
• Jackpot Giant – PlayTech 
• Divine Fortune – NetEnt