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Once in a while, the lives of very few lucky players change forever after they win a massive progressive jackpot. These types of games collect money from thousands of punters for weeks and months just to one day award it to a single person.
By now you’ve already guessed what a progressive jackpot is. Unlike regular jackpots, progressive ones grow in size. Player bets contribute a small share to the pot. It’s typically between 3% and 5%. Suppose you place a €10 bet, then between €0.3 and €0.5 is added to the jackpot. Over time, these small contributions add up to a decent amount.
The more actively a jackpot game is played, the faster its prize pot grows. And if no one plays it, then an amount won’t change. Progressive doesn’t necessarily mean massive because the amount accumulated varies. But these types of payouts can indeed break the record. No regular win can compare to the top figures progressive networks drop.
Many games have multi-tier jackpots, and their smallest pots usually award just tiny amounts. Check out Microgaming’s page for Mega Moolah, for instance. The studio provides some interesting stats. Its smallest, Mini jackpot, awards on average around €9. But because it drops on average once every 18 seconds, its total value of wins is impressive. For two years, from January 2021 to January 2023, it paid close to €30.5 million.
How Do Progressive Jackpot Games Work
These are regular games but they set aside a certain part of a bet for a jackpot to grow. Placing a bet is similar to buying a lottery ticket – you may lose, win a small amount, or hit the jackpot. Games provide information on jackpot contributions in their game files.
If you load Divine Fortune, for instance, and click the question mark icon at the bottom of the screen, you’ll open the Game Rules page that explains everything about the accumulation of its Mega jackpot. 3.7% of each bet contributes towards the jackpot accumulation. But only 80% of these contributions are added to the current jackpot. The rest 20% is added to the seed value of the next jackpot. Divine Fortune Mega is seeded at 10,000 EUR, but thanks to the 20% set aside, its initial value is bigger. That’s how most jackpots work.
Jackpots usually must be verified after they land. Until then, the money won’t be withdrawn. The software supplier will have to confirm the legitimacy of the win.
Win Mechanics
Every game has different win mechanics. Some drop prizes randomly, while others award jackpots only during special jackpot rounds. Even within the same network, games use different jackpot trigger mechanisms. Take Mega Moolah, for instance. It connects multiple slots which either trigger bonus rounds randomly, or require a collection of certain symbols.
Once an entry into a jackpot round is granted, at least the min payout is typically guaranteed. It can be a regular multiplier or a jackpot. For instance, when triggering the Age of the Gods bonus game, at least the smallest pot will be yours. But Divine Fortune can award just a few 10x bet wins if unlucky.
Chances of Winning
Landing a progressive jackpot can be easy or nearly impossible. Because it’s all about the amount you chase. As mentioned, figures range between tiny and massive, and it gets harder to hit larger jackpots, simply because they don’t drop that often and competition is more fierce.
Traditionally, software providers do not provide any info on the chances and how they change in response to wagering more at a time. But some provide stats on average time and amount, so it’s possible to make some estimates. You can also check out our jackpot tracker page to get some stats. But no statistics can show what’s going to happen next time as jackpots can drop at any moment. There are even cases when two of them drop almost within hours when the average time is 30 days.
However, when talking about the must drop type, this isn’t true. Jackpot triggering remains random, but as it gets closer to the max allowed time or amount, the chances of it being hit increase. And once the limit is reached, the drop is guaranteed. Suppose a jackpot must drop at €1,000. It still can get hit at any moment, but the moment the pot accumulates a maximum amount, it drops. That’s why this category is also called guaranteed jackpots.
Those who invest more in every round typically get an upper hand, because larger bets typically give higher chances of winning. Everyone with a minimum required bet can land a win, but the chances grow when players risk more money per round. However, developers don’t reveal how the chances change. So, you just trust them and pay more for spins if possible.
How Big Can It Get
You choose how much money should be on the line. Most online progressive jackpots are multi-tier and they offer small, medium size, large and massive prizes. The sky’s the limit when talking about top figures. At press time, the record win was over €19.4 million in Mega Moolah. But it can surely get bigger as typically jackpots don’t have the max amount cap.
The seed value is a good indicator of how big it can get. Microgaming networks Mega Moolah and WowPot! have the most impressive seed values. Every time their largest jackpots get triggered, they reset to €2 million. No wonder they attract thousands of punters and grow to massive sizes.
Check out our Jackpot Pokies page to find an extensive collection of games. They offer a wide variety of jackpots, from small to multimillion ones.
Types of Progressive Jackpots
Online gambling has introduced plenty of jackpot types. Two main categories are local and global (network). The former accumulates within a single NZ casino or a casino family, and the latter accumulates across all casinos.
Ozwin’s Jackpots by Yggdrasil features local jackpots. That’s why you’ll see a different amount accumulated in different casinos at any given moment. Because only players at a certain venue contribute. The popularity of a casino plays a big role in how fast a local jackpot grows. Whereas networks connect games across all operators and the popularity of a single operator doesn’t have much impact.
Must drop/guaranteed type is also popular. It’s especially suitable for punters looking for the thrill of chasing big pots but who appreciate a degree of certainty. They have a certain time or amount limit that can’t be exceeded. When it’s reached, the trigger is guaranteed. But it can drop at any other moment. There are also a few other types that are mostly tied to land-based gambling, and we discuss them below.
- Standalone progressive jackpot. Available at brick-and-mortar casinos, it isn’t the most impressive one in terms of accumulated money, but nice to hit anyway. Bets on one slot cabinet feed the pot.
- Proprietary progressive jackpot. A network of a few machines ensures more appealing prizes. However, it still isn’t the type that makes headlines.
- Wide-area progressive jackpot. It can expand to numerous game machines at multiple casinos and accumulates impressive figures.
What Games Feature Progressive Jackpots
Traditionally, jackpots are associated with slots. The online world presents this feature in some other games. But they aren’t necessarily popular titles.
Pokies
Just look through our jackpot slots catalog. Use filters and sorting options to navigate it. The selection is just amazing, pokies of every shape and form feature all sorts of jackpots. This variety and versatility are important for making sure you don’t just chase jackpots, but enjoy the gambling itself.
- Want uncomplicated gameplay and a traditional fruit machine vibe? Choose classic titles, and not much will distract you from your ultimate goal. Mega Joker by NetEnt is a great choice. It features a 3×3 grid, 5 lines, one bonus round, and a local progressive jackpot that receives 3% of each bet and grows from €2,000 to €17,000 on average. Excited to try more of the classic games? Choose three-reeled titles. There are a bunch of other interesting options.
- Modern pokies offer high entertainment value. There are so many choices but we have a range of filters to help you narrow down the collection. Choose a preferred supplier, volatility, RTP, and some other characteristics.
For quite a while there was a limited supply of new titles. But then there was a breakthrough and jackpots flooded iGaming. Big and small developers have jumped on this trend, triggering innovation.
Big Time Gaming introduced a grand idea. Previously only slots produced by the same content builders were connected. But this supplier decided it was time to expand the network and connect titles from different developers. It’s yet to produce massive wins, but as the network expands, it will surely draw more traffic and potentially deliver bigger payouts.
Right now, however, the leader in the jackpot area is Microgaming with its wide range of online progressive jackpots, including two particularly interesting networks – Mega Moolah and WowPot! By the beginning of 2023, Mega Moolah alone paid over €929 million, and it holds the record for the largest win at €19,430,723.
Blackjack
Although an unlikely category for a jackpot, some online blackjack titles do offer this feature. One example is Dr Fortuno Blackjack by Yggdrasil. It’s a classic instant play game with exciting visuals. The 3D dealer and carnival atmosphere make it an exciting game. 99.54% RTP earns it even more credits. Plus the jackpot it shares with Dr Fortuno slot.
The seed and reseed values vary depending on the operator settings. But the contribution percentage is similar. 2.5% of each bet goes to the current prize pool, and 0.5% is set aside for the next jackpot. The amount doesn’t usually reach impressive figures because it must drop before a specified time, which is customizable.
Roulette
Luckily for roulette enthusiasts, their favorite games do feature progressive jackpots. One of them is Age of the Gods Roulette. A live dealer title is connected to a famous Playtech jackpot network which is available across the Age of the Gods series of slots.
All players have a chance at grabbing the main prize but first, they should trigger a special mini-game. Once there, consider a jackpot is yours. The question is, which one as there are four of them. The smallest offers a few hundred Euros whereas the top prize is hundreds of Euros.
Popular Progressive Jackpot Pokies
Studios have released plenty of exciting slot machines that feature jackpots. It’s recommended to explore the entire catalog and try a variety of games. But we’ll mention great titles and jackpot networks which attract thousands of punters across the globe. Try many of them for free right on Clashofslots.com.
- Absolootly Mad connected to Mega Moolah network is a superstar. And its historical win of €19,430,723.60 helped boost its popularity. This isn’t the only crazy popular title in the series as it includes many more exciting and iconic titles such as original Mega Moolah, Immortal Romance jackpot version, etc.
- Dream Drop is Relax Gaming’s jackpot network that has gained a lot of traction. The studio released many Dream Drop versions of its largest hits including Templar Tumble 2, Snake Arena, TNT Tumble, and Temple Tumble 2. It’s a slightly different must-drop jackpot because its win limit levels up by €500k with every 2 wins until it reaches €10 million.
- Ancient Fortunes Poseidon WowPot Megaways is another epic title that lands life-changing winnings. Part of the WowPot! catalog, it paid some massive amounts, including €3,988,637.77 on August 23, 2021. This isn’t the largest payout to date, though. WowPot! produced a €17,529,047.11 win on April 13, 2021. The jackpot dropped in Book of Atem. It’s a four-tier jackpot, but not only its largest, WowPot! delivers massive wins. Major jackpot, which starts at €100k at times exceeds the €1 million mark.
Yggdrasil has a series of local jackpots and a global one. Empire Fortune and Joker Millions share one jackpot that also produces multimillion wins. Their average payout is over €3 million. But it takes quite much time to trigger one, around 5-6 months on average.
Quickspin, NetEnt, BTG, Playtech, and many more content creators have delivered an amazing library of jackpot titles.
NZ Casinos Offering Progressive Jackpot Games
Operators are happy to provide numerous jackpot titles. Check out this NZ casino rating if you need a legitimate operator. Choose any website as they all have content you’ll enjoy. You may want to explore different sites as typically their catalogs vary a lot.
Pay attention to player feedback and complaints. New Zealand Casinos should ensure a quick resolution of any issue. If you have a promo code and want to claim an appealing no deposit offer, note that you won’t play progressive jackpot content until the bonus expires or is cleared.
Pros and Cons
Progressive jackpots add so much more thrill to the gaming experience. But the other side of the coin is the problem gambling issue. As long as everything is under control, chasing jackpots is a great form of entertainment. There’s an amazing variety of jackpot content from pokies to live dealer titles.