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What can be more exciting than slots? Slots with jackpots! Progressive jackpot slots have been around for a while. They’re popular because every time you spin it, there’s a chance that you might hit the jackpot and take home a life-changing prize. In this guide, we will be looking at some of the popular jackpot slots, how they work, and the best casinos to play these games at.
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What are jackpot slots?
Much like the name suggests, progressive jackpot slots are slots that have a jackpot tied into them. Whenever players place a bet to spin the slot, a part of that bet contributes to the jackpot prize – which is why it’s called a ‘progressive’ jackpot.
Progressive jackpot slots are actually not a new concept. In fact, they have been around for a while in land-based casinos. These land-based slot machines had a network – so if you bet on any of the slot machines within this network, you contributed to the jackpot prize. Online casinos took this concept and ran with it.
Today, you have a wide variety of jackpot slots online. In the last few years, software providers have come up with innovations within the jackpot slots category. At the moment, you can play progressive jackpot slots, tiered jackpot slots, and some more types.
Jackpot slots vs non-jackpot slots
You might be wondering, what’s the difference between jackpot slots and the regular non-jackpot games? Let’s take a look at the table below to get some quick insights.
| Jackpot slots | Non-jackpot slots |
| Jackpot slots offer the chance to win a life-changing amount | Non-jackpot slots payout smaller amounts more frequently |
| Jackpot slots generally have lower RTPs | Non-jackpot slots usually have a high RTP |
| Jackpot slots are typically high volatility | Non-jackpot slots often have lower volatility |
| The huge jackpot prize is the focal point | Delivering entertainment is the goal here |
Best progressive jackpot slots 2025
Now that you’re familiar with what jackpot slots, we have a few recommendations for you to try out. These are just some of the top slot games that have gained popularity over the years, and they’d be great starting points.
| Jackpot slot | Provider | RTP |
| Mega Moolah | Microgaming / Games Global | 93.42% |
| Joker Millions | Yggdrasil | 94.30% |
| Mega Fortune | NetEnt | 96.60% |
| Temple Tumble 2 Dream Drop | Relax Gaming | 96% |
| Wheels of Wishes | Microgaming / Games Global | |
| Age of the Gods | Playtech | 95.02% |
| Divine Fortune | NetEnt | 96.59% |
| Bonanza Megapays | Big Time Gaming | 96.40% |
| Aztec’s Millions | Real Time Gaming | 95% |
| Arabian Nights | NetEnt | 95.62% |
Play jackpot slots for free
Just like other slot games, you can play the progressive jackpot slots for free in the demo version. All you have to do is head over to an online casino in the UK, look for the jackpot slot, and load the game. While loading the game, you have to click on the option that implies that you’re playing for free or playing the demo.
Play progressive jackpot slots with a bonus
As you already know, online casinos in the UK offer bonuses and free spins to play slot games. Now, some casino bonuses exclude jackpot slots. This means you won’t be able to use that bonus to spin any jackpot slots.
How do progressive jackpot slots work?
Now that you’re familiar with what jackpot slots are and where to access them let’s understand how these slots work.
- As mentioned, jackpot slots work by taking a small percentage of every bet that you place, which gets pooled into the jackpot prize. This pool can be linked across multiple games or casinos, so the jackpot prizes can be massive – even millions of pounds.
- As mentioned earlier, jackpot slots usually have a lower RTP because a part of your wager contributes to the jackpot.
- Most jackpot slots have random triggers, which means that any spin can potentially win the jackpot. However, some slots may have specific conditions, like a minimum or maximum bet amount for the jackpot to be triggered.
- Whenever a player wins this pooled jackpot prize, the jackpot amount is reset. Usually, jackpot slots have a minimum base amount – known as the seed amount – that they are reverted to and start accumulating the prize pool again.
The biggest jackpot wins
Since we’re talking about jackpots, it only makes sense to talk about some of the biggest wins to date. While we cannot possibly include all the big wins, we have picked a handful –
| Slot game | Provider | Big win |
| Wheels of Wishes (WowPot) | Microgaming/ Games Global | €38.4 million |
| Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah | Microgaming/ Games Global | €19.4 million |
| Mega Moolah | Microgaming/ Games Global | €18.9 million |
| Mega Fortune | NetEnt | €17.9 million |
| Jackpot Giant | Playtech | £13.2 million |
| Hall of Gods | NetEnt | €11.7 million |
| Arabian Nights | NetEnt | €8.7 million |
| Templar Tumble 2 Dream Drop | Relax Gaming | €2.8 million |
Types of jackpot slots
As we discussed earlier, jackpot slots come in various types – so you can explore the different types and
1. Progressive jackpot slots
As mentioned earlier, these slots feature a jackpot that grows with every bet placed. A portion of each wager is added to the prize pool, resulting in potentially massive payouts that can reach seven or even eight figures.
Progressive jackpots are classified into three main types:
- Standalone Jackpots: Linked to a single game, with the prize pool exclusive to that slot.
- Local or Network Jackpots: Specific to a casino or casino group. For instance, NetEnt’s Divine Fortune is a popular local jackpot slot.
- Wide-Area Network Jackpots: Link slot machines across multiple online casinos, creating enormous prize pools but with tougher odds.
As progressive jackpots are quite common, you’ll find a lot of these online.
2. Fixed Jackpots
As opposed to progressive jackpot slots, fixed jackpot slots feature a predetermined jackpot amount that does not change, regardless of the number of players or wagers.
3. Must-Drop or Win Jackpots
A must-drop jackpot operates on a progressive system, and these jackpots are capped at a specific amount and must be won within a set timeframe. While the payouts are smaller than progressive jackpots, the odds of winning are higher.
4. Instant Win Jackpots
Just like the name suggests, the Instant Win jackpots are designed for quick wins. These games include scratch cards or simple slots where players can win the jackpot immediately.
5. Live Jackpots
Combining the thrill of live dealer games with jackpot slots, these games are often featured in live casino game shows and can include both progressive and fixed jackpots.
What are jackpot networks?
You might have noticed that some of the popular slots we saw seem to be a part of a franchise. Well, yes, they are. Software providers often release multiple slots in the same series as they often have a common game mechanic, theme, or something else. To give you a better idea, some of the popular jackpot series include –
- Mega Moolah series: One of the most iconic jackpot networks, the Mega Moolah Series by Games Global, has more than a dozen jackpot slots to offer. It was launched way back in 2006, and since then, it has paid out hundreds of millions in rewards. Some of the most notable titles include Mega Moolah, Immortal Romance: Mega Moolah and Thunderstruck 2: Mega Moolah.
- Megapays Series: The Megapays series was launched by Big Time Gaming, which is best known for the Megaways game mechanic. The Megapays jackpot slots feature a 4-tiered jackpot, which increases your chances of hitting a jackpot. Some of the popular games from this franchise include Bonanza Megapays and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Megapays.
- WowPot series: The WowPot series by Games Global delivers what it promises – jaw-dropping jackpots that’d wow you. Starting at £2 million, the jackpots grow progressively until claimed, making it one of the most sought-after jackpot networks. Book of Atem WowPot and Wheel of Wishes are some of the popular games in the series.
- Dream Drop series: Compared to other options we have seen so far, the Dream Drop jackpot series is new. Dream Drop slots offer five progressive jackpots, ranging from Rapid to Mega tiers. So far, these slots by Relax Gaming have paid out multiple jackpots worth millions.
- Age of the Gods series: Playtech’s Age of the Gods slots are quite popular. Much like the name suggests, all slots in this series are based on Greek mythology and offer exciting bonus features. Plus, the Ultimate Power Jackpot seeds at £100,000, offering players thrilling opportunities to win big.
Conclusion
To sum up, players in the UK have a lot of options when it comes to jackpot slots. You can play the classic ones, the popular ones, the tiered ones, and also the ones with cinematic cut scenes. And while the possibility of hitting a jackpot is thrilling, the base game of a jackpot slot has lower RTP and may have a lower max win than regular slots.
So, if you’re looking for more frequent small wins, regular slots with higher RTPs may be a better option. However, if you’re willing to take a chance on hitting a life-changing jackpot, you need to try progressive jackpot slots.
In any case, you’d be pleased to know that the best casino sites in the UK offer every and all kinds of slots. So, all you have to do is find a trustworthy and licensed casino site in the UK and you’ll be good to go.
FAQs
Yes, jackpot slots, much like regular slots, are based on RNG – so their outcomes are fair and completely random.
It depends on what kind of games you like. For instance, if you like the thrill of possibly hitting a jackpot, then you might like jackpot slots. However, if you like to play casually, then regular slots might be a good
To date, the biggest-ever jackpot won from online slots was €38.4 million on the Wheels of Wishes slot by Microgaming/Games Global in December 2023.
Yes, although the chances of winning big on a progressive jackpot slot are lower than must-win jackpot slots, players have won jackpots on the progressive slots. For instance, Mega Moolah has paid out millions of dollars in rewards multiple times.
