Jackpot Slots – The Millionaire Makers!

A 3-reel jackpot Let’s face it – most people play slot machines to hit the big prizes; the mega jackpot; the life-changing sum of money that will finally allow you to buy that desert island and tell your boss what you really think. Down the years, jackpot slots have granted those wishes to a horde of hopefuls, many of whom have won mind-boggling totals in excess of eight figures. All slot machines have jackpots, but the biggest sums of money are won on progressive jackpot slots. Massive sums of money can be won online, with thousands of slots games available in a burgeoning number of online casinos. On this page, we discuss the ins and outs of hitting slot machine jackpots and where to find the biggest wins. We’ll also walk you through all the different types of both progressive and regular casino jackpot slots on the UK market today. If you’ve never even heard of a progressive jackpot, don’t worry, we’ll explain what they are and how they work too!

Jackpot Slots and Progressive Slots – Which Type of Game is For You?

It isn’t always immediately obvious whether a slot machine features a progressive bonus, but generally speaking, game developers are keen to let you know if that’s the case. You will most likely find non-progressive slot machines to be in a classic, retro 3-reel design such as a fruit machine or the Liberty Bell. To know which type of game is for you, it’s important to consider why you are playing in the first place. If you play just for fun and want a higher chance of winning without mind-bending sums of money on the table, opt for a non-progressive slot machine.

Non-Progressive Jackpot Slots

A neon jackpot signNon-progressive jackpot slots are simply machines with jackpots fixed at a specific amount. They are largely no-frills affairs and are frequented by career gamblers as they tend to offer a higher chance at getting real money. You’ll find them away from the lights and the glitz and the glamour.

Nevertheless, if you see one of these fruit machines standing all lonely in a small and dingy UK pub, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t good money to be won. It may not be a progressive jackpot slot, but the fixed jackopt sums might be quite rewarding. But yes – they will be smaller than in most online progressive slots, where thousands of players are contributing to the prize pool from all over Europe, allowing it to rise very quickly.

High-Paying Jackpot Slots Games

While progressive jackpots continue to break records, their non-progressive cousins are still capable of creating some big winners. The sums of money may not be life-changing, but it will often be enough to guarantee you’ll be high-fiving strangers for the next few weeks. Even though you can’t win as big, non-progressives offer a higher chance of success, and some, like Gonzo’s Quest, can pay out six-figure sums.

What Is a Progressive Jackpot?

Progressive slot machine jackpots are totals that are not fixed at a certain amount. The jackpot increases as more and more punters try and fail to win it. A percentage of each wager goes towards the grand total. Usually, players only have access to the progressive jackpot if they wager a specified minimum bet. Once the jackpot is won, it is reset to a predetermined total. Slots with progressive jackpots are immensely popular, and many punters keep their eyes peeled specifically for the biggest sums of money out there. It is a common strategy that casinos employ to entice more players to their machines.

Different Types of Progressive Slots

Land-based slot machines featuring a progressive jackpot are sometimes stand-alone machines, or they can be set-up in a network of identical or similar machines. This can be within just one casino (Local Progressives), or they can be tied together across various casinos (Wide Area Network Progressives). Online slot machines can be accessed by anyone online (assuming the casino has a licence in your country), and as such, popular games can develop huge progressive jackpots without the need to link the jackpot between different games. However, there are some online titles that do connect the progressive jackpot across multiple games.

Unmissable Progressive Slots Games

Progressive jackpots slots online continue to grow, but the record of 17.8 million euros is surpassed by the $39.7 million won on a Megabucks machine in Las Vegas. In spite of this, online slots is a growing industry and there are a greater variety of games offering massive jackpots, such as Mega Moolah and Mega Fortune – two of the most popular online real money slots titles.

The Biggest Progressive Jackpots Keep Getting Bigger!
Date Slot Jackpot Casino
Jan 2013 Mega Fortune £15.4m Mr Green Review
Nov 2012 Arabian Nights £7.4m Casumo Review

The Benefits of Online Casino Jackpot Slots

Online progressives work just like their land-based counterparts, with a larger player pool feeding into the jackpot total. The fund grows quicker and tends to pay out more often, given the sometimes enormous number of people playing simultaneously. The choice of games online is massive, with around 4,000 titles to choose from, each with their own theme. Playing online means you can play from your own home, or practically anywhere if you play on your mobile or tablet device. Dressing yourself up and travelling to a land-based casino is not something you want to do every day of the week.

Unique Features

The rise in online video slots has spawned a wealth of original and creative ideas, culminating in bright and funky animations, storylines, second screen bonus rounds and new gameplay features which increase the number of ways you can win.

A jackpot meter on a slot machine Jackpot Meters All progressive jackpot slot machines come with a jackpot meter. This tool tracks the value of the jackpot as it progressively grows with each wager. Punters can watch the jackpot increase, which can be the encouragement needed to get them to choose the machine. There are even websites dedicated to watching the size of the slot machine jackpots, ranking the games according to the magnitude of their jackpot potential. Consequently, it’s very easy to find games with the big bucks online.

The coin value options on a slot machine Max Coins The vast majority of slot machines give you the chance to change your wager each time you bet, not only by allowing you to change the value of the coin but also increase the number of coins you bet per line. There is often an incentive to play with the maximum number of coins per spin. For example, some machines ensure that if you don’t bet the maximum amount, you will not be eligible for the highest jackpot. There may be a cap on what you can win. It’s wise to check the rules of the game and how the payout works before playing.

Types of Progressive Jackpot Slot Machines

There are three types of progressive jackpot slot machines out there for your entertainment. Wide area and stand-alone jackpot slot machines can be found online or in casinos, while a third type, the local progressive, is specifically grounded in a land-based casino.

Wide Area Jackpot Pool: The biggest progressive jackpots are often found in wide area progressive machines. These games are linked with others and contribute to a shared jackpot pool. Sometimes several casinos participate and a lot of machines are involved. The payback percentage is normally lower than in other types of machines.

Stand-Alone Jackpot Slot Machines: You’ll find smaller jackpots in stand-alone slot machines because, as the name suggests, they are not wired up to share the jackpot pool of other machines. These lonesome souls may not make many millionaires, but their higher payback percentage puts more smiles on more faces.

Local Progressive Jackpot Games: With a jackpot that is specifically linked to other slot machines within a given casino, Local Progressive slot machines tend to have comparatively small jackpots. You often find them connected to just a handful of machines, but larger casinos may have local progressive networks of a hundred machines or more.

Tips to Maximise Your Chances

While there is no gameplay strategy that can increase your chances of winning prizes on slot machines, it’s important to inform yourself about the game you are considering playing, to help you have more fun, and to play safely and responsibly.

Check Your Stake!

Before you spin the reels, have a gander at what you can win with each stake. On most slot machines, you can adjust your bet. If you bet less than the maximum allowed, you might miss out on the top prize. Always wager on maximum paylines at maximum wagers to guarantee that you get the biggest payout when it occurs. It would be a shame to line up those reels but lose out on the mega jackpot because you didn’t go for the max bet.

Enjoy the Game!

At the end of the day, many people play slot machines because they had a dream about rolling around in a haystack of cash, or taking a bath in liquid gold, or building a giant elevator out to space. Maybe we’re being a little too specific, but it’s clear that a lot of people are in it to win it. However, slot machines can be fun as well, and with that in mind, you may want to consider taking your time and betting low wagers on machines with higher payout percentages. If you need more guidance on real money slots and how to choose the right machine for you, we’ve got you covered.

Overdue Slot Machine Jackpots – Dispelling the Myth

Let us be clear – there is no such thing as an overdue jackpot. There is no ‘right time to play’ a slot machine beyond waiting for a progressive jackpot to grow. Each individual spin of the reels is entirely uninfluenced by the previous spin. The chances of winning remain the same thanks to a random number generator, which is a legal requirement of all slot machines – whether online or land-based. Don’t believe the hype.

Newsmaking Jackpot Wins

Theoretically, progressive jackpot wins can reach the clouds, albeit not literally. They can develop into enormous sums of money because they don’t stop growing until someone wins. As a result, there have been some astounding successes, which have made for headline news. We’ve touched on some of the biggest jackpot wins in history, but just remember, if you do emerge victorious, the casino is going to want to parade you through the streets and put you on the TV. They want everyone to know you’ve gobbled up a record-breaking win, so if you don’t opt for anonymity, be prepared to put on your Sunday best for a photo op or two.

Summary – High-Paying Slots

The quest for a jackpot may go on for many-a-player, and how a slot machine functions is still a mystery to a lot of punters. But we hope we’ve cleared up the key issues that may have been niggling away in your head. Even if you don’t strike lucky and win big, make sure you sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself. If that’s not the case, remember that there isn’t exactly a shortage of other casino games out there, many of which come with higher chances of winning. You can also head back to our main page to get an overview of the world of slot machines.