Online Slot Jackpots Progressive Local Fixed Jackpot
Jackpots are what make slots so exciting. They offer gamblers a chance to win incredible jackpot payouts from a relatively small stake. Learn more about the different types of slot jackpots!
If you hear the word “jackpot”, you will likely think of a massive fortune that only the luckiest players can win. These fortunes are locked in various slot jackpots that have different gameplay. For this article, we take a close look at jackpot slots and help you know which titles to look out for.
“Jackpot slots“ is simply another term for progressive slots that have accumulative jackpot prizes. These games take a small cut of a player’s bet and add it to the progressive jackpot amount. To entice players, every progressive slot has a minimum jackpot amount. When someone wins the major, grand, or highest possible jackpot in the game, the slot reverts to the minimum amount.
Some other slots, especially older ones, do not have any progressive jackpot features. Instead, these slots usually have their highest payout called “jackpots”. A majority of these slots tend to be older slot machines.
| Game Name | Developer | Jackpot | RTP | Variance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah | Triple Edge Studios | 4x Progressive Payouts | 92.02% | Mid |
| Age of the Gods Norse: Gods and Giants | Playtech Origins | Daily, Instant & Progressive | 94.38% | High |
| Book of Captain Silver | All41 Studios | Fixed & 10,000x | 94.24% | High |
| Ling Chang | Design Works Gaming | Fixed (1000x) | 96.65% | Mid-High |
| Divine Fortune | NetEnt | Mega Progressive Jackpot | 96.59% | High |
| Sisters of Oz WowPot | Triple Edge Studios | Mini, Minor, Major & WowPot Jackpots |
92% | Mid |
| Mega Fortune Dreams | NetEnt | Mega Progressive Jackpot | 95.90% | Mid |
| Deal Or No Deal World | Endemol Shine Gaming | 3x Progressive Payouts | 95.06% | High |
| Rhino Blitz | Playtech Origins | Blitz Jackpot | 95.96% | High |
| Aztec Chief | AGS | Multi Jackpot Prizes | 96.11% | Mid |
Types of Jackpots in Slots
Slots with jackpots come in a wide range of flavors, which we will cover in detail. The main differences between the multiple types of jackpots come down to:
- locality – whether the jackpot is machine-based or across multiple slots
- payouts – the size of the payout (some reach millions of dollars!)
- progressive – the most popular jackpots grow over time as players keep on betting across the country
Most slot games will offer smaller jackpots that are easier to reach, and headline jackpots often in the millions of dollars to entice hardcore gamblers and slot jackpot hunters.
Read your slot game’s pay table to understand how to enable the jackpot features. Oftentimes, you will be required to “max bet” in order to enable the top prize jackpot.
Fixed Jackpots
Cash pot jackpots, or fixed jackpots, are coined for slot machines with a jackpot payout that does not increase. These jackpots are the highest possible prizes among these slots, which is why the requirements to obtain them are hard to accomplish. One of these requirements is to match five of the rarest symbols in the game or its wild symbols.
While fixed jackpots slots are not taking a chunk of its player’s bet onto a growing prize pool, your bet can influence certain jackpot amounts. Payouts for these jackpots are usually 1,000x-10,000x your wager on the spin that triggers the jackpot prize.
Progressive Jackpots
Progressive jackpot slots have a growing prize pool that is gathered from players’ bets. Every regular casino patrons instantly recognize progressive jackpot slots that have tremendous payouts than most games on the gambling floor. If you are on a gambling floor, you will immediately identify a progressive slot from the massive cash numbers displayed on top of several slot machines.
Popular progressive slots that get the most spins and clicks from players have no problem breaking the $10 million level. Mega Moolah from Microgaming is a good example of a progressive slot that rewards lucky players with life-changing fortunes.
Local Jackpots
Local progressive jackpots have an accumulative jackpot payout that comes from player’s bets within that specific casino (either land-based or online). Indeed, these bets are only from the title’s slot machines within the premises.
Because of the limited bets from each machine, local progressives have a much lesser jackpot amount than kinds of progressive slots. This amount is usually around $500-$4,000 across various local jackpot slots.
One positive aspect of these jackpot slots is their odds of winning or variance rate, which is within the mid-high level. You have better odds at winning any of the local progressive slot’s jackpot prizes than other kinds of progressive titles.
Network Progressive Jackpots
Network progressive jackpot slots are the most popular jackpot features on online casinos. This slot’s jackpot amount comes from the bets of players around the globe. With the massive input provided by players across various countries, network progressive jackpot payouts can average around $500K to $5 million.
Given the massive payouts among network progressive jackpots, it is rare to find one that does not have a high variance rate. Unless you are aiming for any of the jackpot prizes, other slots provide you with better odds on increasing your initial bankroll. On the other hand, the risk in playing network progressive jackpots is worth it just for a shot at the biggest payout in any online gambling site.
Wide Area Progressive (WAP)
Wide area progressive slots are the offline equivalent to network progressive slots. Wide Area Progressive Slots accumulate a small percentage from all bets for that game across multiple slot machines found in multiple locations (different casinos, and potentially different countries, too).
While WAP games gather a small part of its player’s bet to the progressive jackpot, it does so from numerous slot machines found in various casinos across the nation. Both WAP and network progressive slots can easily reach $1 million worth of jackpot payouts.
To get the most out of this game, it pays to know how to qualify for a WAP slot’s main jackpot prize. This progressive jackpot requirement usually involves setting the bet to the maximum (i.e., “max bet”) which fatally makes you lose faster, too.
Top 10 Best Jackpot Slots
Here are the top 10 games that offer the most exciting jackpot payouts and the best jackpot features.
1. Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah
Made with an Alice in Wonderland theme, Absolootly Mad: Mega Moolah from Triple Edge Studios has a 5×3 reels structure and 243 ways-to-win mechanics. On top of that, you will get a rather low RTP rate sitting at a mere 92.02% and medium variance.
What makes this game stand out from its Mega Moolah cousin is its avalanche reel and cluster pay mechanic, where every match gives you a re-spin that brings new symbols to the reels.
As you would expect from a Mega Moolah game, Absolootly Mad has a Jackpot Wheel Bonus that you trigger during the base game at random. Four progressive jackpot prizes are up for grabs during the Jackpot Wheel Bonus.
2. Age of the Gods Norse: Gods and Giants
Playtech’s Age of the Gods Norse: Gods and Giants achieved its theme with its simple 3×3 slot matrix. The game shows a respectable RTP rate of 94.38% and a high variance.
Giant symbols appear on both the base game and bonus mode. These symbols have a random Power Nudge function where they move up or down the reels to fill up the entire 3×3 space.
There are three jackpots in Norse Gods and Giants that are triggered at random during the base game. You have the daily and instant jackpots that provide a fixed payout, while the Ultimate Jackpot is the progressive prize that starts at £100,000.
3. Book of Captain Silver
Book of Captain Silver from All41 Studios is a pirate-themed jackpot slot with 5×3 reels, 10 paylines, high volatility, and a 94.24% payout return rate. Scatter symbols in this game have a much higher payout than your average slot. Matching four scatter symbols give you 20x your bet, while five scatters can grant you 200x your stake.
To reach the Captain’s Wheel Jackpot Feature, you need to match or collect enough scatter symbols to fill the treasure chest below the reels. You can win four different fixed jackpots during the Captain’s Wheel Jackpot Feature, including the Mega Jackpot of 10,000x your bet.
Check out our interview with All41 Studios!
4. Ling Chang
One of the mid-high variance slots in our list is Ling Chang from Design Works Gaming that has a 1×3 reel and one payline. It boasts a relatively generous 96.65% return to player rate.
However, Ling Chang’s most notable feature is the bet multipliers that appear on the third reel. These multipliers include 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, and 10x symbols. In addition, the multipliers also act as wild symbols. Ling Chang’s slot jackpot payout is a fixed one that pays 1000x your bet. You can win this by matching the two of the game’s most valuable symbols with the 10x symbol.
5. Divine Fortune
NetEnt’s Divine Fortune has a 5×3 reel structure, 20 payline mechanics, a 96.59% RTP, and a high variance.
Wild symbols here have multiple features, including a re-spin mechanic if it lands on the top or middle part of the symbol. This wild symbol stays on the reels and moves down one space per spin. Should a wild symbol land on the stickied wild symbol, you trigger the Wild on a Wild feature where the symbol expands.
Throughout the game, golden coin symbols are landing on the reels. Collecting enough of them will trigger the Jackpot Bonus Game mode. In this game, your goal is to have at least one row filled with Gold Coin symbols. You win the Mega Jackpot progressive payout if you fill the entire reels with Gold Coins.
6. Sisters of Oz: WowPot!
In this magic-themed jackpot slot from Microgaming’s Triple Edge Studios, Sisters of Oz: WowPot! uses a 5×4 reel structure with 20 paylines. The RTP rate is extremely low at 92% while the variance sits at a medium level.
This Triple Edge Studio’s jackpot slot has a feature-rich bonus mode that gives you a 2x multiplier throughout all free spins. You are also treated to a massive 3×4 giant symbol that occupies the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th reel.
As you play the game, gold coins appear on the reels. These gold coins trigger the Jackpot Wheel mode when you have enough of them from the Wicked Tales cauldron. You can win one of four jackpots during this mode, including the WowPot that contains all of the progressive jackpot amounts.
7. Mega Fortune Dreams
NetEnt’s Mega Fortune Dreams is a 5×3 reels jackpot slot with 20 paylines that uses a luxury theme. It also embeds a 95.90% payout rate and mid-variance.
Bonus features in this game are straightforward with a good payout potential where the free spins mode starts you off with a 3x multiplier. When you get a scatter symbol to land on one of your free spins, the multiplier increases by one notch, and you receive 1 to 3 free games.
Matching three of the Bonus Wheel symbol triggers the Jackpot Bonus Game that uses three prize wheels. Landing on the arrow squares allows you to reach the 2nd and 3rd wheels where the jackpots and high cash prize squares are located. To win the Mega Jackpot, you must land on the arrow square within the 3rd wheel.
8. Deal Or No Deal World
Based on the popular TV game show, Endemol Shine Gaming’s Deal Or No Deal World uses a 5×3 reel and 20 payline structure. It also boasts a high variance and an RTP rate of 95.06%.
You can reenact the game show through The Banker’s Best Offer mode where you pick one of 10 choices. As the game reveals the cash prize within the 9 symbols you did not choose, you are given a banker’s cash prize offer that you can decide to take or not.
Deal or No Deal World’s Banker’s Riches is where you can win one of three progressive jackpot payouts. This mode plays the game show where you pick one of the briefcases that contain any of the three jackpots. As the game shows you the content of briefcases you did not pick, you are given a cash prize offer that you can choose to accept or not.
9. Rhino Blitz
Rhino Blitz by Playtech Origins has a 6×4 reels structure and 4,096 ways-to-win mechanics. Rhino Blitz also offers a 95.96% return-to-player rate and high variance.
Out of the jackpot slots in this list, Rhino Blitz’s bonus mode gives you a chance to get up to 1,000 free spins along with a multiplier of up to 10x. This is possible through the free-spins mode feature where matching six Free Games symbols can reward you with 100 free spins.
You can trigger the Jackpot Blitz mode during the base game and free-spins mode to win one of the four jackpot prizes. You win a jackpot by revealing three of its respective symbol among the Mystery Diamond symbols during this mode.
10. Aztec Chief
Aztec Chief by AGS has a 5×3 reel structure with 75 paylines, as well as a 96.11% RTP and medium volatility. Gold Aztec coins are the game’s main feature. When two coins appear in one reel, it turns the reel into a wild one. During the bonus game, any wild reels are struck to the reels throughout your free spins.
During the base game, the wild symbols contain lanterns that grant you one lantern. Upon triggering the Jackpot Pick bonus at random during the base game, you can use your lantern to get one choice among the mystery symbols. Hiding among these choices is one of the jackpot prizes of the game.
Amazing Jackpot Slot Winners
There have been several people lucky enough to win any of the largest slot jackpot payouts.
And here are a few of our favorite jackpot slot wins!
$21 Million MegaBucks
Elmer Sherwin is a veteran who enlisted during World War II. In his 80s, Elmer was playing Megabucks slot and got the $4.6 million jackpot from the game. Since then, Elmer has been visiting the same casino where he won the jackpot and playing the same game. 12 years down the line, he managed to win the jackpot amount of more than $21 million. Elmer gave away a significant portion of his winnings to Hurricane Katrina victims and the other potions to tour the world.
$24 Million Mega Fortune
A Finnish man was visiting an online gambling site that caters to Scandinavia residents. He was a fan of a poker player but decided to give slot machines a shot. With just that single shot worth 25 cents, he managed to trigger the bonus mode of Mega Fortune.
Upon getting his winnings from the bonus mode, his lucky streak continues throughout the game. He got $24 million at the end of the day after spending 25 cents only. It is important to note that he is likely to be playing with the minimum bet, which is not enough for him to qualify for the progressive jackpot.
$100K Dancing Drums
Todd Rundgren (not his real name) was visiting Sunset Station and had bumped onto Dancing Drums. This Asian-themed jackpot slot was enticing players with its $100K payout. Todd took a chance and played the game with the wager set to $8.80 a spin, allowing him to qualify for the jackpot payout.
Fortune favored him that Sunday night as he triggered the game’s bonus mode. By the end of that mode, he got the jackpot of $100,964.47.
Slot Jackpots: FAQ
Answers to the most common questions about slots and jackpots!
What are jackpot slots?
These are slots with jackpot prizes, which are substantially higher than what other slot machines offer. Much of these prizes can reach up to 10,000x your wager while others are accumulative payouts.
How are fixed jackpot slots different from progressive slots?
Fixed jackpot slots have a static jackpot amount while progressive slots have a growing jackpot payout that comes from players’ bets.
Are you likely to win fixed jackpot slots than progressive jackpots slots?
In terms of variance, fixed jackpot slots usually have reasonable variance rates than progressive slots. This variance rate means you have slightly better odds at winning fixed jackpot slot’s highest payout prizes.
Are there low variance jackpot slots?
Earlier jackpot slots have lower variance than a majority of jackpot slots. A good example is fishing Frenzy Jackpot King that has a progressive jackpot prize during its bonus mode.
Should you play any jackpot slots?
If you can handle the risk, jackpot slots are worth playing. While your odds of getting the highest possible payout among jackpot slots are slim, you are rewarded with a substantial cash reward if you get lucky.
Jackpot slots have the best possible payouts within any casino floor or online gambling site. While the odds of winning any Mega or Ultimate jackpot is incredibly low, they are worth the risk for a life-changing fortune.