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Jackpot slots
Fixed prizes, local pools and networked progressives: where the money comes from, and why the published return is split.
A jackpot slot carries a prize that sits outside the normal paytable. Fixed jackpots pay a set amount; progressive jackpots grow from a share of the stakes played on the game, sometimes pooled across many operators. Because part of every stake funds the pool, part of the game's theoretical return sits in the jackpot rather than in ordinary wins. Eligibility conditions, such as a minimum stake, are set out in the game's rules.
Filter and sort the game list
| Game | RTP | Volatility | Grid / lines | Released | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mega FortuneNetEnt · Video slot
|
96.6% | Not published | 23 Jan 2009 | ||
Divine FortuneNetEnt · Video slot
|
96.59% | Not published | 24 Jan 2017 | ||
Wolf GoldPragmatic Play · Video slot
|
— | Not published | — |
Fixed, local and networked
Jackpot slots come in three broad shapes. A fixed jackpot is simply a large top prize of a stated size. A local progressive grows from play on one operator's copy of the game. A networked or global progressive pools contributions from many sites, which is how the largest prizes are built. NetEnt's Mega Fortune illustrates the mix: its bonus game uses three wheels and three progressive jackpots, two of them local and the third global1.
How the pool is funded
A progressive jackpot is funded by a share of each qualifying stake. That share is not added on top of the game's maths; it is part of it. This is why the published return to player of a jackpot game should be read as two numbers: what comes back through ordinary play, and what is held in the pool and returned, eventually, to whoever wins it.
British technical standards are explicit about the disclosure required. Before gambling, customers must have access to rules describing how the jackpot is funded, the startup seed and ceiling values, the return to player percentage either combined or broken down, eligibility restrictions and the respective theoretical return for players who are not eligible, how the prize is determined and awarded, and what happens when two players win at the same moment2.
The same standards require the current jackpot value to be displayed and updated as frequently as is practicable, and set out what happens to player contributions if a jackpot is decommissioned: the money may be held for the next win, moved to a similar jackpot, or refunded, with disclosure2.
Eligibility is the detail that is most often missed
Many progressive games require a minimum stake, a specific bet line, or a particular bet type to qualify for the pool. A player below that threshold is contributing to a game whose headline return assumes eligibility, which is exactly why the standards require the theoretical return for ineligible players to be stated separately2.
Jackpots are not universally permitted
Germany's Interstate Treaty on Gambling prohibits them outright for virtual slot games: stakes, winnings or parts of them may not be accumulated for the purpose of creating winnings for future games3. A game that carries a jackpot in one market may therefore appear without it in another.
How our database records it
We set the jackpot flag when the provider's game page or the game's rules describe a jackpot prize, and we note whether it is fixed or progressive where the provider states it. We do not publish current pool values, which change constantly and are specific to each operator's installation.
FAQ
About jackpot slots
Does the jackpot count towards a slot's RTP?
Yes, when the jackpot is funded from stakes. Part of the theoretical return is held in the pool instead of being paid through ordinary wins, which is why British standards require the return to player to be disclosed either combined or broken down between the base game and the jackpot. Read alongside that, a jackpot game's base-game return is lower than its headline figure suggests.
Do I have to bet the maximum to win a progressive jackpot?
Sometimes, and the game's rules will say so. Eligibility restrictions are common, and where they exist the rules must state both the restriction and the theoretical return that applies to players who are not eligible. If a game requires a minimum qualifying stake and you play below it, you cannot win the pool you are watching grow.
Is a jackpot more likely to drop when it is large?
Not in the sense people usually mean. Some progressives use a ceiling or a must-drop design, and where they do the rules describe how the prize is determined and awarded. Absent such a rule, the trigger probability does not rise because the pool is large, and adaptive games that change probabilities during play are not permitted under British standards.
Why do some countries have no jackpot slots?
Because the funding model is prohibited there. Germany's Interstate Treaty on Gambling bans the accumulation of stakes or winnings for the purpose of creating prizes for future games in virtual slot play. Other markets allow progressives but regulate disclosure, as in Great Britain, where funding, seed and ceiling values and eligibility must all be published.
Gambling can cause harm
No game gives a guaranteed return, and losses cannot be won back by playing more. If gambling is affecting your money, work, sleep or relationships, support is available — including free services you can contact from the Maldives.
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