Best Progressive Jackpot Slots for April 2024
In this article, you can find the best progressive jackpot slots. Our team of experts has tested casinos with the largest progressives and the most significant payouts to check their current value, so you know when it’s best to join the game. Check out our list of the best jackpot games in Australia, and start playing immediately.
Best Online Casinos with Progressive Jackpot Slots
| Rank | Casino | Welcome Bonus | Casino rating | Casino logo | Casino info | Play Now |
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| 1 | Sky Crown Casino | Up to A$4,000 + 400 Free Spins KNG1 | 4.65 |
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| 2 | FastPay Casino | 25 free spins on registration + 100% match bonus + 100 free spins | 4.7 |
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| 3 | King Billy Casino | 50 Free Spins on Registration + Welcome Pack AU$2500 + 250 Free Spins | 4 |
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| 4 | Bao Casino | $500 or 1 BTC + 100 Free Spins | 5 |
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| 5 | Campeonbet casino | 140% up to 2250 AUD | 4.8 |
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| 6 | Playamo Casino | Up to 1500 AUD + 150 Free Spins | 4 |
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| 7 | Slottica | 300% + 30 Free Spins | 4.3 |
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| 8 | Wazamba casino | Up to AU$4000 + 500 Free Spins | 4.7 |
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| 9 | Wildblaster | 25 FS on sign up + 100% match bonus + 100 free spins | 4 |
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| 10 | Dazard Casino | 125% up to 7500 AUD + 100 FS BRO125 | 3.49 |
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What Is a Progressive Jackpot
A progressive jackpot is the casino game’s top prize, growing on each bet. Starting from a min jackpot level, it gets bigger by a tiny percentage each time. Unlike a fixed jackpot, it is neither predetermined nor limited. The prize of a progressive slot game will continue to rise until one lucky winner gets the pot. After, the value returns to the starting level.
Types of Progressive Jackpots
Each progressive game features a jackpot that players can potentially win, and the grand prize amount increases with each game. However, these progressive games vary in their mechanics and belong to distinct categories.
Local Progressive Jackpots
These are progressive games connected in a local & limited area (for example, the inside of a land-based casino). Since the number of games using the same pool is small, the jackpot grows slowly and only sometimes reaches record-breaking figures.
WAN Progressives Jackpots
Wide area network (WAN) jackpots can cover a much larger region, even the entire world. Games do not need to be physically close to each other; even those in different parts of the world can use the same pool. Since many more games feed the prize pool, the jackpot grows faster and can easily reach millions.
Stand-Alone Progressive Jackpots
These games are not part of any network. Their pools are private and are often exclusive to a land-based casino. The jackpot can take quite a long time to grow and pay out. However, their costs (betting ranges) are typically much lower.
How Progressive Jackpots Work
Progressive jackpots work by taking a percentage of every bet made on the game. It pools money from players at the same operator or network. Many factors determine how big the prize of progressive jackpots can reach:
- Jackpot’s starting value
- Percentage contribution of every wager
- Number of operators
- Number of players
- Stakes
- Elapsed time since the last win
There are conditions to winning the total prize amount of progressive jackpot games. For example, the winning odds depend on the bet size. Thus, a player may need to wager up to the max to qualify for the top win. Wagering less may disqualify you or reduce the amount you could win. Hence, ensure to review the game rules first.
By now, you should understand that winning a progressive jackpot game is tough. For this reason, it can frequently take weeks or months for a lucky player to crack the top prize. A pot can reach hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars between wins.
Let’s consider an example of a progressive jackpot slot machine. Imagine a jackpot slot starting at A$200,000. Here, the game diverts 2% of every bet across all operators. The rule states that a player must wager A$10 (max stake) to qualify for the prize. Hence, each player contributes 20 cents per bet (2% x A$10), which builds on the starting pot.
It has been four months since a player last won. A prize pool that now stands at over A$1 million. It will continue to grow until a player at any casino wins.
How to Play the Progressive Slot Machines
Playing progressive games is no different from other slot machines because the basic rules and gameplay do not change. But you need to pay attention to a few extra things:
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Be sure to read the payout table before playing.Here it is explained how the jackpot prize is triggered (random, mini-game, a specific combination of symbols, etc.). Learn how to win the jackpot before you place your bet.
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Place your wager and press the “Spin” button.Remember, you can still win payouts by placing identical symbols next to each other and/or triggering other bonuses in the game (i.e., free spins).
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Keep spinning until the jackpot is triggered.The rules of the game you are playing will determine how you should act after this happens. For example, you may directly get the reward or be asked to play a mini-game.
Compare Progressive and Regular Slot
Although they have many similarities, progressive and regular slots are different. In the table below, you can see the most critical elements that distinguish them.
| Progressive Slots | Regular Slots |
|---|---|
| Offer an additional prize (jackpot) that can be won | There are no additional prizes |
| The winning amount can be fixed or progressive | All payouts are fixed |
| The RTP percentage is usually low (85-90%) | The RTP percentage is usually high (95% and more) |
Best Progressive Pokies for Aussies
We’ve compiled a list of the top progressive slots in AU, considering gamblers’ feedback and our experts’ impressions:
Mega Fortune Dreams (Netent)
In the “Dreams” variant of the famous Mega Fortune slot, the base game can pay up to 250 times the bet. You can win up to 25 free spins in the bonus round. Three bonus wheel symbols trigger the jackpot game and allow you to win one of the rapid (local), major (wan) or mega (wan) jackpots.
Joker Millions (Yggdrasil)
Designed like a classic fruit machine, this slot’s Return to Player (RTP) is 94.30%. With the Column Multiplier feature, stacked symbols can pay up to 5x. If the Joker symbol appears on all 5 reels, they start spinning automatically, and a payout is made for each extra Joker symbol. If 15 symbols appear, you win the money accumulated in the pool.
The Great Pigsby Megapays (Relax)
Using Big Time Gaming’s Megapays feature, this game has 117,649 paylines. There are four total jackpot pools, and any of them can be won at any time. The game’s paytable states that the higher the stake amount, the higher the chance of winning the jackpot.
Sherlock & Moriarty Wowpot (Microgaming)
These progressive slots offer the Wowpot network and four jackpots, but only one is progressive (the others are local and fixed). By collecting magnifying glass symbols, you get the right to spin a wheel of fortune, and this wheel can help you win any of them.
Dragon Chase (Quickspin)
This game has an RTP rate of 96.39%, which is quite impressive. It has four jackpots: mini, minor, major, grand, and only the last one is progressive. You start a mini-game with 3 jackpot symbols and try to collect Dragon Pearl symbols in this game. You need to collect 15 symbols to win the progressive reward.
Tips to Win Progressive Slot Machines
Progressive jackpot slots work with a Random Number Generator (RNG), determining the payout timing. Thus, there is nothing a player can do to influence the results of a round. Our experts have prepared some tips on the smart way of playing progressive slots:
- Determine your budget. Determining a realistic budget is wise regardless of the casino game. This is especially true with higher volatility casino games like progressive slots. Some have lower min wager requirements than others. This can help you stay within budget.
- Ensure to make qualifying bet amounts. Some progressive jackpots need max bet sizes to be eligible for the top prize. Read the T&Cs on qualifying bets, or you might not qualify for progressive slot machines win.
- Decide your goal. Your goal can be to win small prizes often. Or, it can be to win large prizes less frequently. Therefore, choose the best progressive slots to match the desired win frequency and payout.
- Avoid surprises by doing your homework. Always review the rules of a progressive slot to understand the requirements. Some progressive jackpot slot machines need the largest bet size possible to qualify. Also, you want to understand what triggers the jackpot.
- Choose suitable volatility. A lower volatility jackpot slot might be more appropriate for a smaller budget. Conversely, a high volatility slot is ideal for a much larger bankroll. A medium volatility slot is a compromise between win frequency and payout size.
- Play at a safe and trustworthy casino. A reputable casino will always treat players fairly. It’s also more likely to approve your withdrawal request without problems.
Biggest Progressive Slot Jackpot Wins
The highlight of playing a jackpot casino game, like Mega Moolah, is the chance to win a mega prize.
There’s no limit to the size of progressives, and the prizes seem to get bigger with popularity. You never know what can happen when you play a progressive jackpot slot. Higher risk tolerance players love the unpredictability with odds stacked against them. Below you can see the biggest jackpot wins of all time and some fun facts.
| Game | Provider | Casino | Win Date | Jackpot Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Megabucks | IGT | Excalibur | 24 March 2003 | $39,713,982.25 |
| Megabucks | IGT | Desert Inn | 26 January 2000 | $34,955,489.56 |
| Megabucks | IGT | Palace Station | 15 November 1998 | $27,580,879.60 |
| Megabucks | IGT | Bally’s | 27 March 2002 | $22,618,156.67 |
| Megabucks | IGT | Cannery Casino and Hotel | 15 September 2005 | $21,147,947 |
| Mega Moolah | Microgaming | Zodiac Casino | 30 January 2019 | $20,057,734 |
| Mega Moolah | Microgaming | Grand Mondial | 28 September 2018 | €18,915,721 |
| Mega Fortune | NetEnt | Paf Casino | 20 January 2013 | €17,860,868 |
| Mega Moolah | Microgaming | Lucky Casino | 17 August 2020 | €14,679,069 |
| Mega Moolah | Microgaming | Luxury Casino | 5 March 2019 | $12,945,603 |
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Progressive Slot Providers
There are many vendors for progressive jackpot slots. The following list demonstrates the most prominent ones:
- IGT: Based in the US, IGT is the largest slot cabinet manufacturer in the world and also the creator of video slots, the first example of digital casino games. The company has lots of legendary titles in its portfolio. For example, the famous “Megabucks” series contains more than a dozen names with different gameplay, but they are all connected to the same prize pool.
- Betsoft: This studio is known for 3D cinematic-quality graphics and progressive jackpot pokies. In its portfolio, you can find multiple titles with an increasing prize pool, such as Greedy Goblins, Tycoons, and The Glam Life. Their slots include unique and creative mini-games instead of the usual bonus rounds.
- Netent: This Sweden-based studio offers more than 200 online slot machines, and almost 20% contain a jackpot, whether fixed or progressive. Its most famous progressive pokie is Mega Fortune, developed to rival Mega Moolah. Mega Fortune offers a higher RTP rate (96.60%) and more paylines (25 instead of 20).
- Microgaming: This studio has set a world record for jackpot payouts. Mega Moolah broke the payout of €17,879,645 ($20,062,600, £13,209,300) in 2015 and is still among the most famous progressive slots in the world. The company started an entire industry by developing the world’s first online casino software.
- Playtech: Playtech is an Estonia-based studio founded in 1999 and was long known for its superhero-themed video slots. In recent years, it has been using the mythology theme more frequently and has developed many jackpot titles based on this theme. The Age of the Gods series is the most well-known and includes multiple progressive slot games.
Top Land-Based & Online Progressive Jackpots
Here is a table with some of the most popular jackpot games at brick-and-mortar and online casinos. The highly-favoured progressive jackpot games are fun for many reasons. Some have immersive visuals, soundtracks, or animation; others — engaging features and special symbols.
The excitement builds up when you unlock different kinds of jackpots. Sometimes, the best wins happen out of the blue, totally random. Others come from bonus games, like spinning a money wheel, getting extra spins, or collecting special symbols. It’s all about the unexpected thrills!
Progressive Jackpot — FAQs
How often do progressive jackpots drop?
How can I become a winner playing slot machines?
How does a casino payout progressive jackpots win?
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