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Jackpot Pokies
Top Progressive Pokies Casinos 2024
The selection of pooled jackpots offered by venues varies significantly. Operators aren’t bound to certain catalogs and have the freedom to hand-pick titles. Some gambling sites offer a better user experience for those interested in this slot category. They have a special jackpot collection, and some sites even show the current prize pool that is updated continuously, so you won’t have to launch games in cash mode just to find out how much money has been accumulated.
In terms of the number of titles, there’s no common standard. Usually, operators have a few titles connected to a network, while more jackpot-oriented casinos can offer dozens of choices. For punters, it’s best to know their preferred titles and specifically look for operators that have the content. Because each time there’s going to be a different set of titles. Overall, casinos should be licensed and reliable.
How Jackpot Slots Work
The idea is simple. Qualifying wagers contribute a small share toward the prize accumulation. There can be a min stake limit. Or there’s only the maximum stake that qualifies.
The pot is never empty as the sum resets to a seed value right after each drop. The seed value is generally anywhere between a few thousand and a couple of million Euros. In some titles, the current amount contributes to the future prizes. Other key differences are explained below.
- Majority of games don’t require punters to place any side bets to participate. Others require a separate bet to be placed.
- Guaranteed vs Regular. When guaranteed, prizes have to drop before reaching a set time or size limit. The closer to the max cap the more likely it’s to drop. The regular jackpot, which initially had no alternative, isn’t capped. Theoretically, it can grow infinitely and drop at random at any moment.
- Local vs Network. When players in New Zealand and anywhere in the world at all casinos feed the same pot, it’s called a network jackpot. But when the prize is growing within a single gaming site, it’s a local jackpot. The solution called Megapays, which is introduced by Big Time Gaming, connects different pokies produced by different developers across all casinos.
Jackpot Pokies Types
Many jackpot variations are available, but they fall into two key categories: fixed and growing. Below we’ll discuss the differences.
- If fixed, the amount remains the same at all times. Slots aren’t connected to a network. It’s basically the biggest payoff. Some jackpots depend on your wager size and others remain the same regardless of the wager size.
- Progressive pots grow over time, and they usually drop different size wins every time. One NZ player can get a little bit over the seed value, while another gambler collects much more. This uncertainty adds more excitement. The pot isn’t empty and the amount that is there right after the figure resets is called seed value. This money is required to encourage players to join the chase in the early stages so that the prize can grow.
Standalone Progressives
This category is characteristic of offline gaming as each pokie machine accumulates its own jackpot. This isn’t possible online as everyone plays the same title. Unless extremely popular, this type progressive pokies don’t accumulate colossal sums.
Local Progressives
That’s what you can find on many gambling sites, and it’s a popular solution. “Local” refers to one casino or a family of casinos. Only players in a particular venue or a series of related venues contribute toward the pot. The figures won’t blow your mind but can be quite impressive considering slot popularity and the jackpot seed value.
Progressive slots are created by a wide variety of studios. Play’n GO has them, NetEnt, Yggdrasil, Quickspin, and multiple smaller content creators. But you need to be selective because jackpot syndicates chase low liquidity jackpots and snatch the pots repeatedly, that makes it harder for regular gamblers to compete for the desired prize.
Progressive Pokies Networks
For millions of dreamers out there this is an ultimate goal – to hit a network (global) jackpot. Why is it so exciting? Because of the massive amount of cash they accumulate quite quickly. It is explained by the number of contributing players. Gamblers in New Zealand and from across the globe, who play the same title, all invest in the same jackpot.
Networks can have massive seed values. 1 million and even 2 million Euros is nothing extraordinary for the iGaming sector. Moreover, there’s typically not one, but multiple games connected. Drawing an even larger crowd. No wonder it draws so many punters.
Popular Software Providers
Certain providers are more jackpot-focused than others. They regularly roll out new titles connected to existing networks or introduce fresh progressive online pokies. Recently the popularity of growing prizes has significantly improved, and punters now can access a wide variety of content for free or for money. Check the top providers that are most prominent in this sector and whose trustworthiness was never compromised.
Microgaming
The developer has a reputation as an incredibly active supplier of online progressive slots. It has many content partners that produce multiple titles connected to famous Microgaming networks. The company has over two decades of experience producing jackpot titles and holds a few records. Its first pooled jackpot, Cash Splash, was rolled out back in 1998.
- Three record-breaking wins. In 2015 Mega Moolah dropped a €17.8 million jackpot to become the largest at that time. In 2018 the network broke its record by awarding a lucky winner €18.9 million. April 2021 was when it surprised the iGaming world once again by dropping the mouth-watering €19.4 win.
- In 2019 the total amount paid passed the €1 billion threshold. By mid 2021, that number increased to over €1.3 billion.
- WowPot! offers the biggest seed value. With every pot refreshing to €2 million, this number is hard to beat.
Mega Moolah is a true star in this sector. It connects many online progressive pokies and their number continuously grows. In 2020 Microgaming rolled out the WowPot! that can set a new win record as it is seeded at €2 million. Two years later the studio doubled the Mega Moolah seed value.
Playtech
This is another incredible company that has built an outstanding collection of jackpots. A range of titles offer small, medium, big, and massive pots. Its most famous networks is Age of the Gods, formerly known as Marvel.
Unlike Microgaming, Playtech games haven’t dropped any historic payoffs. But the top payouts are still impressive. Jackpot Giant tops the studio’s rating with the biggest win being over $12.3 million. It isn’t uncommon to see over $1 million winnings across the Playtech portfolio.
Playtech collection provides an incredible number of progressive jackpot pokies which suit all tastes. The content builder keeps producing new progressives and even offering some innovative solutions.
In 2018 the company launched Sporting Legends timed jackpots that drop within a specified time. Daily and Weekly pots are guaranteed to drop day and week, correspondingly. The Mega pot is there to grow as long as it takes for a lucky gambler to hit it.
NetEnt
Unlike the two above-mentioned studios, NetEnt doesn’t produce a large volume of progressive content. It has a few of them, but they appeal to large crowd. Divine Fortune local jackpot accumulates within a single gaming operator, and therefore the amount is relatively small. It will drop anywhere from a dozen thousand NZ dollars up to over half a million.
Another popular title is Mega Fortune which seeds at €250,000 and drops on average around €4 million. This amount is possible thanks to the slot appearing in many New Zealand casinos, with thousands of gamblers across the globe contributing to the pot.
Mega Fortune Dreams is a sequel to the above-mentioned title, but the two do not share the same prize pool. Dreams version’s average win is a bit smaller and is just under €4 million and the biggest win is much smaller – €5.5 million, which is over three times smaller than that of its predecessor.
Online Progressive Pokies
The popularity of growing jackpots boosted around 2020. Online content creators pushed the vertical by introducing some innovations and creating more engaging jackpot titles for a wide variety of Kiwi gamblers. That’s why today there’s an extensive and ever-growing selection.
Explore the catalog on this page as we’ve put together dozens of options you may enjoy. The collection is continuously updated and you’ll find all the latest jackpot releases. Big studios keep extending their massive networks connecting an increasing number of titles to the progressive networks. And as time progresses, more content creators join the race.
Microgaming has two fast-growing online networks. Relax Gaming continuously adds more video slots to its Dream Drop series. So, you’ll always have fresh content and the opportunity to land a well-known jackpot. Megapays by BTG is even more exciting as it connects progressive pokies from different developers.
Smaller studios also can’t resist this jackpot trend. Many of them introduce growing, mostly local, prize pools. Online progressive slots are usually much more exciting as an incredibly large number of Kiwi players can contribute to the pot within a short period.
Mobile Progressive Slots and Apps
Want to chase dream prizes on the go? You’ll have the same catalog as desktop users. Today game builders produce cross-platform HTML5 content which automatically adjust to smaller screens. Mobile users in NZ can switch between portrait and landscape modes, and shouldn’t have issues playing or navigating games.
History knows some lucky winners who grabbed major prize pots while playing on their smartphones. Apps aren’t necessary today to enjoy a smooth gambling experience. However, a few operators do launch apps that are supposed to improve mobile user experience.
Playing Free Progressive Pokies vs For Real Money
There’s no fun in playing demo progressive games when you are chasing a jackpot. You can test a slot to see if you like it and then switch to cash mode. Never do jackpots drop in test mode, and you can’t even wager bonus credits in progressive jackpot slots. So, it’s generally just a waste of time, unless you just want to enjoy risk-free gambling.
When you play for money, carefully read any jackpot rules. Sometimes there is a min stake requirement to join the chase. If a min bet isn’t met, you can spend as much money and time with zero chances of hitting a jackpot.
Top 5 Progressive Slots
The number of titles in this category grows rapidly. But a few iconic networks remain at the top. Here’s a brief review of the top 5 that includes both relatively new and all-time favorites.
- Mega Moolah has some serious competition but its position is still strong. This is a huge network that connects many titles. It’s a four-tier jackpot the biggest pot starts growing from €2 million, making it the number one choice for gamblers dreaming of becoming a millionaire. It’s widely recognized networks. Introduced in 2006, it still is massively popular.
- WowPot! is another Microgaming masterpiece that has captivated many minds. It seeds at €2 million. From January 2020 to July 2021 the network dropped €61.7 million with the largest payout being €17.5 million. WowPot! connects a few games, including but not limited to Wheel of Wishes, Book of Atem, Sherlock & Moriarty. But as time progresses the collection of titles will most probably grow.
- Playtech can compete with Microgaming in the volume of progressive jackpot pokies. Its most famous network is Age of the Gods which connects many popular titles such as Prince of Olympus, Furious 4, and many more. Seeded at €100,000, it often exceeds a €1 million threshold.
- Mega Fortune by NetEnt is also capable of dropping colossal wins with the guaranteed amount of €250,000. On average it takes three months to hit the pot and the average win is around €4 million. The biggest payout is €17.8 mln.
- Divine Fortune by NetEnt is the only local jackpot here. It doesn’t award such massive wins as other top 5 networks, but still attracts an enormous number of Kiwi players. Every NZ casino accumulates its own prize pool, but the average Divine Fortune Mega win is a bit over €100,000.
How to Pick Progressive Slots
Chasing jackpots is as fun as it’s frustrating, and the quality of experience largely depends on what games you choose. Smaller amounts are easier to hit. A range of slots offer big, medium, and small prizes. Multi-tier pots feature a few smaller and one mega pot. Consider some other things to keep in mind when choosing a perfect progressive pokie machine.
Look for Bonus Features
Because the main prize is usually unlikely to drop immediately, prepare for a long journey. Enjoy the gambling experience itself while chasing a big win. Bonus features add a lot to the entertainment value. That’s why you should look for exciting bonus rounds or modifiers.
Look into RTP and Dispersion
Two important slot characteristics are RTP and dispersion. The former indicates average slot return, and the latter explains how these payouts are spread. Other things being equal, higher RTP is always preferable. However, volatility level is a matter of each player’s personal preferences.
Massive progressive jackpots usually connect multiple pokies. Some players will want to switch between different titles connected to the same network rather than playing the same game over and over again. Slots in the network sometimes provide a completely different experience and it’s fun to chase the same prize playing various games.
How to Win the Progressive Pokies
Winning is simple as it’s only a matter of good luck. There is nothing that players can do to secure a win, however, but they can increase their bets and enjoy higher chances of hitting the win. Collecting the pot is a challenge. When you embark on this mission, accept the possibility of failure. Punters sometimes spin the reels thousands of times and spend a lot of money with no success.
Read game rules as there are multiple ways to land a dream payoff. Some of them drop randomly during any spin regardless of what paylines are active, while others can land only during a special bonus round that requires certain symbol combinations.
How to Claim My Winnings
Once a long-awaited win is secured, it takes some time to verify it with the content supplier. The operator will contact the developer providing win details. Once the supplier confirms legitimacy, the operator can approve withdrawals.
All NZ casinos set max cash-out limits. Some not so appealing ones apply these limits to jackpots. So, read the rules or ask customer support about it. Operators have to provide transparency for their users. It’s better if the venue promises to withdraw jackpots in a lump sum. Otherwise, a big win can get stuck on your casino balance for a very long time.
Pros & Cons of Playing Progressive Slots Online
These games aren’t for everyone even though so many play them. The chances of landing a desired pot are slim so it takes time and money, and even then success isn’t guaranteed. One of the downsides is that a share of wagers feeds jackpots, and there’s less money for non-jackpot payouts.
Many players have collected colossal jackpots and the perspective of becoming one of those lucky winners is tempting. But always keep in mind that this is just a form of entertainment and is meant to be fun. So, don’t let this chase turn into an obsession, and just enjoy the experience and play responsibly.
FAQs
As the selection of jackpot titles varies significantly, your best option is to know which jackpot you want to hit and look for legal NZ casinos that offer them.
No. Operators don’t usually allow the use of bonus rewards in these games.
These are prizes that grow over time as players contribute to the pot. Huge jackpot networks attract many gamblers and can offer multi-million payouts.
It’s a jackpot type which drops when reaching its time or amount limit. For instance, daily jackpots must drop within 24 hours.