Slot jackpots come in two main types. Fixed jackpots pay a set amount stated upfront — typically the slot's published max-win cap. Progressive jackpots grow continuously as a small percentage of every wager across the network feeds the pool until one player triggers the win, at which point the pot resets to a seed value.
The largest progressive networks in the UK regulated market are Microgaming's Mega Moolah (record £18.9m payout, 2018), Playtech's Age of the Gods, and the NetEnt Mega Fortune network. Pots of £1m+ are routine on the headline networks.
Important caveat: progressive jackpot slots typically have a slightly lower base-game RTP than non-jackpot equivalents, because a small percentage feeds the pool. The base RTP plus the long-run jackpot contribution typically averages out to around 96% on the major networks.
Example usage
- Mega Moolah (Microgaming, £1m+ minimum seed)
- Hall of Gods (NetEnt)
Related terms
- Max win cap — The maximum payout a single spin or bonus round can produce, expressed as a multiple of stake.
- RTP (Return to Player) — The long-run percentage of stakes a slot pays back to players over millions of spins.
- Volatility — How frequently and in what size a slot tends to pay out — high volatility means rare big hits.