Best Progressive Jackpots Slots

A progressive jackpot slot is a casino gambling machine that offers a jackpot that gradually increases until it is won. These games are popular amongst UK casino players as they offer the potential for huge wins that just aren’t possible in other slots. However, there are dozens of casinos offering jackpot slots, so finding the right sites and the right game can be a tricky task. 

To help you make the best decisions possible, our team at Casino.com provides you with the best information about progressive jackpot slots, including; how they work, the best games to play, the best progressive jackpot casinos, tips for playing progressive jackpots, and much more. 

Before we explore the best jackpot slots and the top online casinos offering progressive jackpots, let’s take a closer look at what they are and how they work.

What are Progressive Jackpots?

Progressive jackpots are a unique type of casino jackpot that grows as the game is played. While most traditional jackpots are set at a fixed limit, a progressive jackpot takes a small amount of each bet and adds it to the jackpot total. This results in the size of the jackpot increasing over time. Progressive jackpot slot machines are popular amongst UK slots players as they typically offer significantly larger jackpots than fixed-limit games.

How do Progressive Jackpots Work?

Progressive jackpots work by taking a small amount from each bet and adding it to their prize pool. Usually, these slots have a base prize pool that is funded by the casino to incentivise players to play the game. The prize pool steadily increases the more the game is played, with no fixed limit on the amount it can reach. Once the jackpot is won, the winnings are paid out to the lucky recipient, and the prize pool resets to its base amount.

How to Play Progressive Jackpot Slots

Based on our experience, playing progressive jackpot slots is just as easy as playing a regular slot game. If you’re playing these games for the first time, follow our helpful guide below to get started:

1. Choose a progressive jackpot slot from your casino’s list of games.
2. Read the rules of the game to find out how the progressive jackpot can be triggered as well as any minimum bet requirements.
3. Select your bet size by clicking on the arrows at the bottom of the screen, ensuring you bet enough to be in contention for the jackpot.
4. Click the “Spin” button to start playing.

It’s as easy as that! All that’s left to do is have fun and hope that you hit the grand prize.

How Often do Progressive Jackpot Slots Hit?

Online slot games do not disclose how often their slot games pay out their progressive jackpots to prevent players from trying to “game the system” and gain an unfair advantage. However, based on our research, we’ve found that the payout rate is usually tied to the size of the jackpot. The larger the jackpot size, the less often the game pays out, and the lower the jackpot size, the more often the game pays out.

Before choosing to play a progressive jackpot game, take the time to decide whether you’d like to play a game that pays out more frequently for a lower amount, or if you want to take the gamble on the higher jackpot that pays out less frequently.

What Types of Games Have Progressive Jackpots?

There are many online casino games that offer progressive jackpots. The most common progressive jackpot games are online slots, as their gameplay is well-suited to a jackpot format. It’s also common for video poker games to offer progressive jackpots for making a royal flush.

While less common, some table games such as Blackjack, Let It Ride, and Caribbean Stud may offer progressive jackpots on their side bets. These bets typically have a higher house edge than the main game, so offering a progressive jackpot incentivizes players to play them. 

While all progressive jackpots have a steadily increasing jackpot prize, there are three main types of jackpots you’ll find when playing at an online casino or a brick-and-mortar casino. To help you understand the differences between these progressive jackpots, we’ve broken them down in the list below.

• Standalone Jackpots – A standalone jackpot is the most limited form of progressive jackpot and typically has the lowest prize values. These jackpots are only increased when the specific machine is being played. The more that machine is played, the higher the jackpot will rise. Once the jackpot is won, it resets to its base amount, and the cycle starts again. If no one plays the machine, the jackpot will not increase.
• Local/In-House Jackpots – A local or in-house progressive jackpot is a type of jackpot that is shared by a set number of slots within a specific casino. For example, Slot A, Slot B, and Slot C all contribute to the same progressive jackpot. If someone plays Slot A, the jackpots available at Slot B and Slot C will increase at the same rate, even if no one is playing them, as they’re all part of the same jackpot pool. These progressive jackpots are typically larger than standalone jackpots, as there are more machines contributing to the prize pool.
• Network/Wide Area Jackpots – The largest form of progressive jackpots; network or wide area jackpots are a type of jackpot that is shared by multiple games across multiple casinos. All of the connected slots at each casino contribute to the prize, allowing the jackpot to grow at a much faster rate. These jackpots are typically offered by certain game developers that offer games at multiple casinos. 

There are two main categories of progressive jackpots: single-game and multi-game. The single-game jackpots are designed to work with a specific game, and a percentage of each spin is added to the jackpot. The multi-game jackpots take a category of games, such as the Age of the Gods or Kingdoms Rise game suite. These games pool the money from the entire suite to create a large jackpot. Our top 9 progressive jackpots in the UK feature a combination of these two types of jackpots.

Each of the slots below is incredibly popular amongst UK casino players and comes highly recommended by our team of experts.

Arguably the most popular progressive jackpot slot, Mega Moolah once held the record for the largest-ever online casino jackpot – an incredible win of €19,430,723.60. The game was developed by Games Global and has an 88.12% RTP rate and a medium volatility level. Mega Moolah slot features free spins, multipliers, and Wild symbols alongside its progressive jackpot. 

Funky Monkey slot – an homage to the traditional slot machine you’d find in casinos and pubs around the country, Funky Monkey is a simple game with three reels and only one payline. All you have to do is match three monkey symbols across the payline and you’ll receive the grand jackpot! The game was created by Playtech in 2018 , and it has an RTP rate of 96.95%. 

Great Blue slot – rounding off our list is this sea-themed slot from Playtech. Released in 2018, the game offers a graphical upgrade on the original as well as gameplay features such as free spins, multipliers, and Wild symbols. The game has 25 paylines across its 5x3 reel structure and an RTP rate of 95.02%. 

Created by Playtech, Age of the Gods slot kickstarted the popular franchise which now extends to multiple slots and roulette games. The game has a medium volatility level, an RTP rate of 95.02%, and a host of gameplay features such as bonus games, free spins, multipliers, Wild symbols, Sticky Wilds, and more. 

Another popular Playtech progressive jackpot is Beach Life slot, a beach-themed game created in 2015. The game has an RTP rate of 93.25% and uses the classic 5x3 reel layout with 20 paylines. Some of its gameplay features include Wild symbols, Scatter symbols, and a bonus game. 

Gladiator slot is a Roman-themed progressive slot uses the traditional 5x3 reel layout and has an RTP rate of 94.09% with a medium volatility level. Released by Playtech in 2015, the game features a bonus round, free spins, and scatter symbols. 

In a world where online casino game developers are trying to outdo the competition and claim the highest jackpot constantly, the punters are the true winners. Currently Microgaming is leading the way. It uses a multi-game system to help increase the size of the progressive jackpot. What’s even more impressive is that even with the multi-game system, Microgaming owns the record for the largest jackpot and it came on a single game jackpot.

In September 2018, a single punter won nearly €19,000,000 playing Mega Moolah. This beat the previous record, a €17,861,800 that was set 5 years earlier in the Mega Fortune slot game.

Before you can start playing these progressive jackpot games, you need to find a real money casino. To take the guesswork out of finding the best online casinos with progressive slots, our experts have thoroughly researched all available options and offered their recommendations below

It is very rare that a progressive jackpot would have an impact on the actual game. As we said above, most progressive jackpots are awarded at random, which means that even if you have a spin that doesn’t result in a win, you could theoretically still win the jackpot.

However, your bet on a regular spin can affect the outcome of a progressive jackpot. Many Online Slot games with progressive jackpots state in the rules that by making a higher bet, your odds of winning the progressive jackpot increase. This isn’t the case for all games, so it’s important to read the rules for each specific game.

What’re the differences between a progressive and non-progressive jackpot?

The biggest difference between progressive and non-progressive jackpot is that the non-progressive jackpot is a fixed number while the progressive jackpots will keep getting bigger until someone wins it.

At Casino.com UK, we strive to introduce players to the best casinos with as many games available on both desktop and mobile platforms as possible. Every casino game developer is a bit different in how they handle optimize their games for mobile screens. Some have a full screen and will work in both landscape and portrait mode, while other games will only be available in one or the other. There are several factors that determine how a game will look and feel on mobile devices. For the most part, games will have the same payouts, jackpots, and betting options regardless of the platform. Most of our recommended casinos have is a mobile casino app that will make it easier to access the casino games, or you can just log in to your casino account through your mobile browser and begin playing without downloading any additional software.

Progressive jackpots can offer fast payouts to otherwise regular casino games. While the jackpots are awarded at random, it possible to increase your odds of winning with a higher than average stake. Progressive jackpots are only available to real money casino players. So, if you haven’t done so already, create your online casino account at any of our recommended casinos and make a deposit. Who knows, you may be the next big jackpot winner.

We want our readers to make the most of their progressive jackpot experience and give themselves the best chance of taking down the grand prize. So, to help you out, our experts have listed some helpful tips that you should follow when playing progressive jackpot slot games.

• Practice bankroll management – We recommend setting aside a set amount of money that you can afford to lose when gambling, as this helps remove any financial stress. While playing, only bet a small percentage of your bankroll each round, as this will help extend your gameplay over multiple sessions and decrease the risk of going broke in one day.
• Know when to quit – Gambling should be a fun pastime and should not be considered as a way to make money. If you’re feeling tired or emotional, stop playing and come back another day. We also recommend quitting if you’re up a meaningful amount of money that you wouldn’t want to lose.
• Research the odds and payout rates – Before playing, research the payout rates of the slot as well as any information on how often the jackpot pays out. We recommend playing games with a higher RTP rate, as these games will pay out more frequently.
• Know how to trigger the jackpot – Read the rules of the game to find out how to trigger the slot’s progressive jackpot, including any minimum bets you need to make. While the chances of winning the biggest prize are slim, it’s important to know what to do! 

The rules of progressive jackpot games are typically filled with jargon that may be hard to parse for beginner players. So, to save you buying a “progressive slots to English” dictionary, we’ve provided a list of the most commonly used words and phrases and what they mean.

• Bonus Game/Bonus Round – An additional game within the slot that offers special rewards, such as the progressive jackpot.
• Coin Value – The amount that a single coin is worth in-game. Some slots calculate the total value of your spin by multiplying the coin value across their paylines.
• Contribution Rate – The percentage of the player’s wager that’s contributed to the progressive slot machine jackpot prize pool.
• Hit Frequency – The frequency at which the progressive jackpot is expected to be won. This is often an average, meaning the jackpot can be won sooner or later than expected.
• Jackpot Cap – The maximum amount the jackpot can reach. Some games do not have a cap on their jackpot, allowing it to rise indefinitely until is claimed.
• Jackpot Meter – An in-game display that shows the current value of the progressive jackpot prize.
• Jackpot Symbols – The game symbols required to trigger the progressive jackpot or its bonus game.
• Local Progressive – A type of progressive jackpot that is shared across multiple slots within one casino.
• Maximum Bet – The maximum amount a player can bet during a single spin of a progressive slot.
• Networked Slots – A group of slots that are connected to a wide area jackpot; each game contributes to the jackpot and offers a chance of winning the grand prize.
• Paylines – The lines across the slot upon which players must match the game’s symbols to win. Typically, to win a progressive jackpot, players are required to match specific symbols across one of the active paylines.
• Paytable – A table which displays the payout rates for different symbols within the slot game, including the requirements for the progressive jackpot.
• Progressive Jackpot – A type of jackpot that grows in size as the game is played until it’s won.
• Progressive Multiplier – A feature that offers the chance to increase the size of the jackpot based on certain in-game criteria.
• RNG (Random Number Generator) – An algorithm used to generate the results of each spin. These random number generators are regularly audited by third parties to ensure they pay out at their advertised rates.
• Seed Amount – The initial jackpot prize pool added by the casino after the jackpot has been won.
• Standalone Progressive – A progressive jackpot that is limited to one machine.
• Wide Area Progressive – A progressive jackpot that is shared across multiple slots spanning multiple casinos. These games typically offer the largest prize pools.