Progressive Jackpot Online Slots

Everyone loves the chance of scooping a jackpot, don't they? So it should come as little surprise to see that the progressive jackpot slot space is fast becoming one of the most popular types of casino game.

Progressive jackpot slots revolve around a jackpot amount that continues to grow until one lucky player wins the lot.

With this slot category becoming such a fan favourite, let's take a closer looks at what exactly makes these progressive jackpot slots so popular.

What are Progressive Jackpot Slots?

Progressive jackpot slots are a category of slot games that revolve around a game jackpot, which will continue to grow until it is won. With a percentage of every single wager placed on the game added to the progressive jackpot pool, these can grow to truly incredible amounts.

There are three different types of progressive jackpot slot games:

• Stand-alone progressive jackpots - this jackpot is only linked to the one game.
• Local progressive jackpots - offering medium-sized jackpots, these games tend to be linked to a few others in the same slot series.
• Wide-area progressive jackpots - produced by game developers such as Jackpot King, these jackpots can often be linked across hundreds of games, and can grow to huge amounts, as a result.

How do you Win a Progressive Jackpot?

These jackpot wins can be triggered in various different ways, depending on which game you choose to play.

• Land a specific symbol combination to trigger a jackpot win
• Activated completely at random during standard gameplay

However these jackpots are landed, this brand of slot games can award some truly spectacular, potentially life-changing, wins!

Why are Progressive Jackpot Slots so Popular?

Much like with the Swedish man's win mentioned above, the attraction of these games must be that an incredible, life-changing win could be just a spin away. Offering the potential to win millions on a spin of the reels, these games can often be very hard to resist.

The return to player (RTP) linked to these games is often quite a bit lower than other slots, in order to cover the huge jackpot payouts. This means that if you play these games, you will need to be patient, as the base game and bonus rounds may not be as lucrative as classic online slot games.

Top 5 Biggest Progressive Jackpot Slot Wins Ever!

5. World Record Online Jackpot of $20 Million (2021)

Just to show that winning life-changing sums of money is also possible at online casinos, the next jackpot on our list came from a Mega Moolah slot on the Napoleon Sports & Casino site. That jackpot of €19,429,358 was paid out to a player in Belgium who was playing the Absolootly Mad™ Mega Moolah progressive jackpot slot. The player has remained anonymous, which is probably a wise decision. You can imagine how many new ‘friends’ you suddenly attract after a win such as this!

4. WW2 Veteran Won $21 Million – His Second Progressive Jackpot Win (2005)

What is amazing about this story is that Elmer Sherwin struck it lucky twice. The WWII veteran previously won a $4.6 million jackpot in 1989 when at the Mirage Casino in Las Vegas. He returned to the same casino in 2005 and registered an even bigger payout of $21million. Both came when playing the popular Megabucks progressive jackpot slot. At 92 years old, Sherwin knew he was unlikely to spend such an amount in his lifetime. Perhaps because of this, the kind-hearted pensioner donated a sizeable portion of his jackpot win to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

3. A Flight Attendant Scooped $27.5 Million (1998)

The common denominator of each of the huge payouts so far is that they have all come when playing the Megabucks progressive jackpot in Las Vegas. This time, an unnamed retired flight attendant won $27.5 million when playing the slot at the Palace Station Resort. With that sort of money, you can imagine she has spent her retirement jet-setting around the world! She opted to receive the money in annual instalments and used the first to ensure all casino employees received a massive tip.

2. Las Vegas Waitress Won $34.9 Million (2000)

A few years earlier, a waitress named Cynthia Jay Brennan also scooped a massive progressive jackpot at a Vegas casino. She spent an hour playing slots at the Desert Inn Casino before scooping a payout of just shy of $35 million. Unfortunately, Cynthia has not enjoyed the life she thought she might have after the win. Just a few weeks after winning that sum, a drunk driver hit her car. The unexpected tragedy claimed her sister’s life and left Cynthia herself paralysed; the only silver lining was that her winnings covered her medical bills. Cynthia has since been actively speaking out about drunk driving, particularly at colleges, and donated a thousand wheelchairs to those who could not financially afford them.

1. A 39.7 Million Win on the Megabucks Progressive Jackpot Slot (2003)

The biggest progressive jackpot win ever recorded happened in a Las Vegas land-based casino back in 2003. Won by a young man making his way as a software engineer, that jackpot was a whopping $39.7 million. He won this after wagering around $100 during a session on a Megabucks slot at the Excalibur Casino. Rather than taking the money in a lump sum, the player opted for a smarter move of receiving his jackpot win in 25 annual instalments.

Mega Moolah Slot

Mega Moolah online slot allows you to win thousands of cash with a single bet. The game gives players the ability to adjust their betting amount, coin denominations and fix the paylines before placing a bet. Mega Moolah has an RTP of 88%, and its mega jackpot is set at a minimum of £1 million, which usually climbs quite high.

In December 2012, John Orchard won £9.49m playing on Mega Moolah slot. He is said to be one of the top winners so far. Mega Moolah slot is played on 5 reels and 25 paylines, and it is run on software provided by Microgaming. 

Mega Fortune Slot

With an average jackpot set at over £3 million and 96.6% RTP, Mega Fortune is yet another slot game where players can hit the grand prize by playing a few cents. Mega Fortune runs on NetEnt software and offers 5 reels and 25 paylines. It also offers three progressive jackpots: Mega Jackpot, Major Jackpot, and Rapid Jackpot. The meter counters for these 3 slots are displayed just above the reels.

In 2018, a Swedish man won £4.0 million on Mega Fortune Dreams Jackpot. According to reports, he is one of the highest winners recorded in history. 

Arabian Nights Slot

The Arabian Nights slot is one of the oldest progressive jackpot played by most gamblers today. It has 95.6% RTP, and it offers an average prize set at £8 million. You can win the grand jackpot with a single bet as low as £0.01.

The Arabian Nights slot runs on NetEnt software and offers 5 reels and 10 paylines. Since its launch, this slot has paid out nearly £5 million. In 2014, a woman from Finland won a whopping sum of £691,000.

Hall of Gods Slot

Hall of Gods is a progressive slot with an RTP of 95.5% that offers huge jackpots and entertainment to players. There are three prizes that you can win: Mega, Midi and Mini Jackpot. The goal is to find three Thor hammer symbols; these are bonus symbols that can make you win either 1, 2 or all 3 jackpots. Alternatively, if you match three Mini, Midi or Mega Jackpot symbols, you can win the corresponding amount. The same happens if you match three coin values.

You can earn as much as £8 million on a single bet. Hall of Gods slot uses the NetEnt software and offers 5 reels and 20 paylines. There have been numerous reports of players winning as much as £10 million while playing. 

Empire Fortune Slot

Powered by Yggdrasil Gaming Software, Empire Fortune is a progressive jackpot that comes with 10 paylines and 5 reels, and an RTP of 94.3%. It also offers three progressive jackpots and numerous bonus modes that allow you to win massive amounts with one single bet.

Players can earn as much as £400,000. In 2017, a player from Norway won about £4.59 million while playing Empire Fortune on his mobile device.