Your Definitive Guide to Jackpot Slots

What is a jackpot slot?

You can think of a jackpot slot machine as a normal video slot with a little something extra.

That little – or not so little – something extra is an unfixed maximum payout which allows top prizes on jackpot video slots to reach seven-digits on a single spin. These amounts can either be local to the casino you’re playing with or pooled across a number of operators.

While the prospect of hitting such an eye-watering amount on a slot machine may seem like a dream come true, a better understanding of how these casino games work, what’s available to you and more will leave you better equipped to place your bets. 

Types of jackpot slots

There are four types of jackpot slots you’ll find online – local, progressive, pooled/network and fixed jackpots – and while most of these will overlap in practice, you’ll see them explained distinctly below.  

Local jackpots

Local jackpots offer a prize pool that’s accumulated by bets which are made at a particular casino. Due to this, local jackpots are generally lower than those of pooled jackpots (explained next) as fewer players contribute to the total prize pot. This is just one of the reasons to play with a reputable online casino like NordicBet – the more active players, the higher the grand prize will be!

Progressive jackpots

Progressive jackpot slots are the ones that make the headlines. Drawn from the collective bets made by a large pool of players, these jackpots grow each time a player places a new bet.

In other words, every time you place a €1 bet on progressive jackpot games including Mega Fortune and Hall of Gods, a small percentage of your bet is added to the top prize pool. This amount is accumulated based on all wagers made on these slot machines, and since these games have a large fanbase, the number of bets per day can reach thousands. Collect these bets together and you have the potential to reach a multi-million cash prize for one lucky winner. While you’re undoubtedly excited to try your hand on one of these games, remember that these jackpots don’t hit as often as other types.

Network or pooled jackpots

Network or pooled jackpots reach the most significant amounts of money. Why? Because the funds are essentially crowdsourced from the cumulative bets placed by all players on games such as Mega Moolah from various casinos that supply the given jackpot.

As with the progressive variant or even National or Grand Lotteries you may be familiar with, every player’s stake contributes towards the top cash prize which means it can reach staggering amounts, fast.

Fixed jackpots

Fixed jackpots give their identity away in the name. Occasionally referred to as cash pot jackpots, the top-prize amounts of these games are definitive in-game features and thus remain unchanged no matter how many players place a bet.

Despite their top prizes being significantly smaller than the ones you saw before; this type tends to hit more often with some casino software suppliers even offering daily jackpots and countdown timers indicating the timeframe within which the next drop should be.

Slots with multiple jackpots

Lastly, there are games that feature many jackpots with a variety of winning options. Most casino software suppliers use the terms mini, minor and major to denote the size of the jackpot.

In this type, you’re typically presented with a wheel of fortune where you can progress through three jackpot levels to the top prize if you prove to be successful. The amounts here can be pooled or local, depending on the game in question.

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Popular jackpot slots

Mega Moolah Game provider: Microgaming RTP: 88.12% – 96.98% Jackpot type: Multiple pooled-progressive Highest win to date: £20,058,437 Average win: £6,699,783 Average win frequency: 39 days Reels: 5 Paylines: 25 Game features: wild substitutions, free spins, bonus game	Hall of Gods Game provider: NetEnt RTP: 95.3% Jackpot type: Multiple pooled-progressive Highest win to date: €7,530,521 Average win: €5,332,409 Average win frequency: 164 days Reels: 5 Paylines: 20 Game features: expanding wilds, free spins, bonus game
Divine Fortune Game provider: NetEnt RTP: 96.6% Jackpot type: Local-progressive Highest win to date: €312,634 Average win: €165,661 Average win frequency: 29 days Reels: 5 Paylines: 20 Game features: wild substitutions, re-spins, free spins, bonus game	Mega Fortune Game provider: NetEnt RTP: 96.60% Jackpot type: Multiple pooled-progressive Highest win to date: €7,436,518 Average win: €3,778,466 Average win frequency: 61 days Reels: 5 Paylines: 25 Game features: wild substitutions, free spins, bonus game
Mega Fortune Dreams Game provider: NetEnt RTP: 94.40% Jackpot type: Multiple pooled-progressive Highest win to date: €4,333,667.97 Average win: €3,775,680 Average win frequency: 77 days Reels: 5 Paylines: 20 Game features: wild substitutions, re-spins, free spins, bonus game

How do jackpot slots work?

For the most part, knowing how to play a jackpot slot machine is identical to playing one with fixed top coin wins. The reel structure, wilds, free spins and bonus will be familiar and all you need to do is set the stake you’d like to wager on each bet and spin. But how exactly can you get in the chance of winning the top jackpot?

The most conventional way to win a jackpot is to trigger the game’s bonus round or feature. This can either be claimed by landing scatters for free spins, at random or by entering a wheel of bonus round. The latter is popular in multi-jackpot games, but the path to the top prize will vary between casino providers.

Why should you play jackpot slots?

The main appeal of playing jackpot slots is the top prize itself but there are a few other reasons these games have stood the test of time:

• Like standard slot machines, jackpot slots are simple to play.
• Most progressive jackpots are compatible with any device.
• They’re available any time of day so you can play whenever it suits you.
• Multiple jackpots give you the potential to maximise the wins you can walk away with.

How can you win the jackpot?

As you might expect, there’s no clear-cut answer to this question but there are a few things you can do to improve your knowledge of any game.

Begin by studying the slot’s paytable – usually found via the paytable or ‘i’ button – to familiarise yourself with how the game works. Here, you’ll also find out which symbols are wild, which ones pay the most and, of course, how to access the bonus features.

As far as knowing how to win jackpot slot machines, there’s no exact formula. Both regular and jackpot slot maintain their fairness through what is called a random number generator (RNG) and, thus, there is no real predictability in when the next big win will hit. That being said, there are a few pointers you can keep in mind, namely:

• Create a gambling budget.
• Study the game’s paytable and features.
• Consider the game’s RTP and volatility.
• Choose your jackpot based on your playing preferences. Smaller jackpots hit statistically more frequently than higher ones.
• Don’t get caught up in playing slot games that are considered ‘hot’. Keep tip no.1 at the forefront of your mind.

What happens when you win a jackpot?

If you’re fortunate enough to land an impressive jackpot win, you’ll want to go about claiming your winnings. To do this, you’ll need to take a few steps.

First, the casino will need to verify the win through their own detailed process. This will involve checking the game rounds that led to the big win to ensure that no fraudulent activity occurred and that no terms and conditions were violated. In the meantime, you’ll also be asked to verify your personal and bank details.

Once all these formalities are completed, the operator will then explain how you can expect to receive your money. This could be in one lump sum or a number of transactions, depending on the amount of money in question. Naturally, they will also congratulate you on your big win and might even ask you for a quote on how you’re feeling about your big win for their blog.

Jackpot slots winners

It’s big news when a jackpot drops – both for the player who’ll walk away a winner, the casino and other players too.

Here are some of the biggest jackpot wins over the past few years:

• €18,915,872 on Mega Moolah        
• €17,861,800 on Mega Fortune
• €11,736,375 on Mega Fortune        
• €8,500,000 on Mega Fortune        
• $9,200,000 on Mega Moolah 

Aim for a jackpot today

Now that you know all there is to know about jackpot slots, why not give one a spin? Register or login to your account with us to start playing!

Jackpot slots FAQ

When will you get your jackpot winnings?

There’s no universal answer to this as it comes down to the country you’re playing from as well as the casino where you choose to place your bets. At NordicBet, we do our best to get your winnings to you as soon as possible once your account is verified and your identity is confirmed.

What makes progressive slots different from other video slots?

The major difference between the two is the payout potential on jackpot slots. They’re similar in respect to look and feel and actual gameplay, however, the top prize on jackpot games can reach multi-millions.

Are jackpot slots fair?

Online casino games are kept fair through the RNG mechanism you read about earlier. Once these slots are created by game providers, they’re vetted and approved by third-party testing agencies such as eCOGRA before becoming available at any online casino. This third-party seal of approval will put your mind at ease about placing your bets.

How often do people win jackpot slots?

As all casino slots are based on a RNG there’s no definitive answer to this question. For example, the likes of Mega Moolah and Mega Fortune drop every month or two on average while Halls of Gods has a 5-month average of releasing the top prize. Take these timeframes with a pinch of salt – there are no guarantees.

Last updated: June 8th, 2023