The online gaming industry is kept alive by online casino jackpots. If it were not for the promise of huge payouts, many players would find other distractions. But the promise has become even more enticing thanks to some truly sensational prizes. And while we dare not presume to know what effect the jackpots are having on the player base, we can guess that it is a salutary one.
If the idea of placing a small bet and reaping a large reward appeals to you, then I invite you to stick around and read my article on the virtual casino jackpot. Here we'll look at the differences between non-progressive and progressive jackpots, as well as some of the biggest Internet wins to date.
Regular Jackpots
A standard prize is the main payout of a game, but is limited to a certain amount. To illustrate, lining up five identical symbols on a standard slot machine will result in a jackpot that pays out a set amount. But every once in a while, something truly amazing happens. Regularly, slots and video poker are the places where you can discover this element of delightful unpredictability, with the royal flush providing the gig in the latter.
Progressive Jackpots
Hitting a progressive jackpot isn't easy, but when it happens, a player can go from a few pennies to a life-changing amount of money in a matter of seconds. They may be called "jackpots" and they are certainly impressive, but "payouts" is the more accurate term to use when describing these mammoth transfers of wealth. COMPETITIVE JACKPOTS --- The largest potential payouts in live casino games have recently become associated with machines called "progressive" slots.
When bets are placed on this type of game, a portion of those bets is added to the jackpot. This amount continues to grow until someone wins it, at which point it returns to a base amount and begins to grow again.
Progressive jackpots are generally associated with slot machines. They come in two types. One is a standalone jackpot, which pays out on just one game. The other, a multi-game progressive, is based on multiple games at one or more casinos. These interconnected jackpots can and do grow to huge sums - often into the millions.
Although slots and progressives are often found together, they can also be found in other game formats. Some brands of video poker offer a jackpot, and I've seen poker variations where the player can make an optional progressive bet before the cards are dealt.
Hot Drop Jackpots
Representing the latest trend in online slots jackpots, Hot Drop jackpots could catch on like wildfire. The idea behind them is simple. A jackpot must drop to players within a certain time frame or at a certain value. Some time frames are daily, others are weekly. Some of these jackpots are called "Super Jackpots" and are designed to attract and excite players. But widgets appear on the screen to let you know how much time the jackpot has left to drop, if any, and to work in your favor - the casino's favor, of course.
Examples
If you haven't yet experienced the wonder of progressives, let's take a look at the top 10 online jackpots that were up for grabs when this article was compiled. They are a solid representation of what some of the top casino software providers have to offer.
- Madness of Monsters - TopGame - $2,736,870; Bingo Slot - TopGame - $2,341,261; Aztec's Millions - RTG - $1,850,860; Jackpot Pinatas - RTG - $1,770,408;
- Stars and Stripes - TopGame - $1,209,801; NuWorks' Monster Millions - $1,018,840; Megasaur; - RTG; - $985,290; Greedy Goblins - Betsoft/Bovada - $579,106;
Top-10 Wins
If you're still not convinced that progressive jackpots are something special, take a look at these 10 huge jackpot payouts in online casino history. The numbers are hard to believe, and the lucky recipients of these amazing sums have certainly seen their lifestyles change drastically as a result.
- Mega Fortune Mega - Won by a player from Finland at Paf Casino in 2013 - $20,104,192.29
- UK player wins Mega Moolah Mega at Betway in 2015 for a total of $18,686,318.18
- Mega Fortune Mega - Won by a player from Norway at Betsson Casino in 2011 - $13,207,657.34;
- Mega Moolah Mega - won in 2016 by a player whose nationality and casino are unknown - $10,423,223;
- Arabian Nights - won by a Finnish player at Paf Casino in 2012 - $9,719,241.87;
- Mega Fortune Mega - won by a Swedish player at Folkeautomaten in 2015 - $9,653,101.43;
- Mega Hall of Gods - won by a Norwegian player at Betsson Casino in 2015 for a total of $8,802,016.16;
- Mega Hall of Gods - won by a Swedish player at Unibet Casino in 2012 - $8,636,674.93
- Hall of Gods Mega - Won by a player from Sweden at Betsson Casino in 2015 - $8,474,796.95
- Hall of Gods Mega - Won by a player from Norway at Betsson Casino in 2012 - $8,284,975.19;
Software Providers
When it comes to offering jackpots, not all gaming software providers are created equal. This is especially true for those that offer progressive jackpots. In this section, we highlight some of the top designers and their respective game portfolios so you know what to expect.
Playtech - Their payouts aren't as huge as some of their competitors, but their total of 40 progressives is easily the most in the industry.
Realtime Gaming (RTG) - Although their overall jackpot selection is relatively small, it's not uncommon for payouts to exceed $1 million.
NetEnt Entertainment – This designer has 16 jackpot games, with some including multi-level payouts.
Microgaming - When it comes to big jackpots, this is the place to be. There are 18 progressives in total, mixed between slot machines and video poker.
Cryptologic - They have 16 progressive jackpots built into their games; softly spoken, these jackpots have shared enough whispers that a dozen games can be said to share them. So what's your next game, buddy? You don't have to sing in the rain. You can be quiet and still play.
WagerWorks – This company only features a single progressive, but the jackpot is tied to three different machines.
Rival – All four of their progressives are slots, and they traditionally have some of the smallest payouts.
Gamesys – This software features six progressives, but each of them offers two jackpots (for a total of 12).
Vegas Technology – They have seven progressive games, including slots, blackjack, and stud poker.
$lotland – Found only at Slotland Casino, this software designer offers 15 progressive tied together through a site-wide network.
