Jackpot slots UK

Jackpot game developers

Game providers, like NetEnt and Microgaming, have become renowned for their jackpot slot creations. NetEnt and Microgaming feature jackpots that have gained a large fanbase and many plays, so these game providers are often singled out.

Microgaming slots include currently two of the biggest jackpot slots in existence, Mega Moolah and Mega Moolah Goddess. NetEnt slot games include Mega Fortune and Mega Fortune Dreams as the crowning achievements in its production of progressive slots.

These two suppliers have crafted big jackpot slots that entertain millions of players worldwide. However, they're not the only ones. While playing at online slots sites, you might also bump into these names:

• Betsoft
• Yggdrasil
• Red Tiger

Among the others, Red Tiger is an interesting one. They don't have any progressive multi-million slots, but in 2019 they unveiled an entirely new concept of "Daily Drop" jackpots. I'll explain more about these games in the section on jackpot seed values at the expert level.

Jackpot slots in the UK

Generally speaking, only the bigger game providers make progressive jackpot slots. These providers have also acquired the license of the UK Gambling Commission. This is needed to bring world-class progressive slots to players in Great Britain.

UK Gambling Commission licenses and regulates operators providing gambling in Great Britain. This concerns both the casino operators as well as game suppliers.

The operator or supplier first pays an application fee and then an annual fee to UKGC for the license, so it's not just a one-off thing for the license holder. They actively need to upkeep the license by paying the fees or the license expires.

Every slot needs to be individually licensed. This means that the game supplier has to fill out a new application at UKCG for each slot they wish to be available for UK players.

The application is very detailed and it has several requirements for the slot - even the source code gets an inspection. Read more about the UK slot licensing process.

Progressive vs fixed jackpots

Progressive jackpot slots have one or more jackpots that keep on growing. The progressive slots online always take a percentage of your bet and add it to the jackpot pool. So, the more people play the same game, the more aggressively the prize keeps climbing. This goes on until one fortunate customer plays the magic spin and triggers the jackpot.

Pros:

• Exciting gameplay
• Jackpots have no limits

Cons:

• The odds for winning the jackpot are close to zero

Fixed jackpot slots have a jackpot that is set at a definite amount that doesn't change. Fixed jackpots don't accumulate from players' wagering in slot games. Instead, a lump sum is offered as the jackpot prize money to whoever hits the winning payline. The jackpot amount is independent of the wagering in the slot game.

Pros:

• Freedom to adjust the jackpots with bet sizes
• The odds for winning the jackpot are better

Cons:

• The jackpots are nowhere near as big as in progressive slots

 

Odds of winnings a jackpot

At this point, you know the basics of progressive jackpot slots and probably can't wait to get started! But, on Bojoko we are committed to playing responsibly and also want you to know the hard, cold facts in plain English.

Let's put it simply; if you would buy a ticket to the National Lottery, your odds of winning the jackpot is around 45,057,474 to 1. The odds to win a jackpot at any progressive game are even slimmer. But, what makes the difference, is that you have about the same odds with every spin.

So, when playing jackpot slots these are some of the facts that are good to keep in mind:

• The probability of hitting the jackpot is highly unlikely.
• You have higher odds of losing your bets at jackpot slots.
• Return to player, or RTP, is usually lower at jackpot games.

Intermediate level: How do jackpots work?

What makes one jackpot slot different or better than the next, and what to take into consideration while playing? After learning the basics, it's time to dive deeper.

Multiple jackpots in one game

Progressive jackpot slots sometimes have other jackpots to be won aside from the major prize. Progressive slot games can feature multiple in-game jackpots as well as the multi-tiered progressive jackpot.

EXAMPLE: In Mega Moolah, the jackpot is split into "mega", "major", "minor" and "mini" jackpots. Each of these has a different sum that accumulates in the same way from players' bets.

However, the same slot can also have both progressive and fixed jackpots.

EXAMPLE: In Divine Fortune, only the "mega" jackpot is progressive. "Major" and "minor" jackpots are fixed and depend on the size of your bet.

Casino-specific vs game-specific jackpots

Progressive slots online can either be casino-specific or game-specific.

A local progressive slot has a progressive jackpot that accumulates only from a slot played in one casino. These slots can be available in several different online casinos but only draws money for their jackpot from one.

Examples of local progressive jackpots:

• Divine Fortune
• Jackpot Raiders
• Grand Spinn Superpot

Pooled progressive slots work differently, offering a wider opportunity for the jackpot to expand. The progressive slots draw in funds from bets placed in a single slot game present in several different casinos. This is what makes it a game-specific progressive slot.

In other words, you are playing the same slot and compete for the same jackpot at Casino A as your friend at Casino B.

Examples of pooled progressive jackpots:

• Mega Fortune
• Hall of Gods
• Mega Moolah

Best banking methods for jackpot hunters

What is the best method for transferring hefty lumps of money from the casino to your pockets?

We strongly recommend e-wallets, like Skrill and Neteller. Both of these are a very common sight at a jackpot slots casino.

Skrill and Neteller are great for making larger-than-average withdrawals. Although, the withdrawal limits might vary from one casino to the other and still won't run into the six figures.

But, Skrill and Neteller are both usually excluded from claiming bonuses in the casinos' terms & conditions.

Other withdrawal options might fleece you as you try to claim your winnings. This usually happens by placing exorbitant fees and limits on the jackpot amount.

Wire transfers and online bank transfers can also be used to withdraw winnings. When you've won a jackpot from progressive slots, choose your withdrawal method wisely. Check and double-check which banking option is going to offer you the best deal.

Who pays the jackpots?

When a player wins a jackpot, it's not always the casino that hands out the money but the game providers instead.

With networked progressive jackpot slots, like Mega Fortune, the jackpots are paid by the game suppliers.

This way, even smaller slot sites can afford to offer big jackpots. They don't have to risk their finances having to pay out a multi-million pooled jackpot shared by several other casinos.

Local progressive jackpots are paid by the site where the prize was won.

Depending on who pays the jackpot and where the jackpot was won, the prize may be paid in either single or several instalments. Normally, big progressive jackpots are paid in a lump sum. However, there can be restrictions made by the casinos themselves. These restrictions may dictate a maximum limit for a monthly payout anywhere from a few thousand quid to several tens of thousands.

Different currencies in jackpot games

Jackpot slots and progressive slots online can be won in different currencies, so keep this in mind when aiming for the top prize.

As a standard, progressive jackpots retain the same numbers across different currencies. This is generally done because it minimizes the chance for the players to use a lower currency value and abuse the system.

EXAMPLE: If you hit a jackpot of £1,000,000 on Mega Moolah but you're accessing the slot game from Europe, you'll receive €1,000,000 in winnings. The same jackpot would be equivalent to $1,000,000 in US dollars.

However, this isn't always the case and the jackpot can be converted to the player's native currency at the time of transaction.

Expert level: Technical information about jackpots

Like almost every casino game, jackpot slots have more than meets the eye. Several things are affecting how the jackpots are compiled, how they are potentially won and what are the odds for a player to hit the big wins.

Jackpot seeds

Seed values are the jackpot's default or original amount, from which the jackpot starts building up. Seed values can be as low as zero and as high as £1,000,000, and they vary amongst jackpot slots and progressive slot machines.

This means that when the jackpot is won, the jackpot amount reverts to the seed value.

EXAMPLE: Mega Moolah has four "levels" of jackpots:

• "Mini" jackpot seed value is £10
• "Minor" jackpot seed value is £100
• "Major" jackpot seed value is £10,000
• "Mega" jackpot has a whopping seed value of £1,000,000.

EXAMPLE: Mega Moolah's major jackpot seeds at £10,000. This jackpot climbs to £20,000 and someone wins it. After the win, the major jackpot reverts to the seed value of £10,000.

Red Tiger's "Daily Drop" jackpot games are curiosities that need to be addressed here. The "Daily Drop" games are pooled jackpot slots that have different-sized jackpots; Daily Drop, Super Drop, Mega Drop and/or Hourly Drop. The available jackpots vary from operator to operator.

These "Daily Drop" jackpots can have daily or even hourly jackpots that must drop within a set time limit. The seed of the Daily Drop jackpot is roughly around £10,000. Meaning, that every day it starts from there and keeps on growing until it's won - which needs to happen inside the time frame of 24 hours.

Jackpot random number generators

Random number generators, or RNGs for short, are the mechanism that ensures randomness in a slot game or machine. RNGs produce a random outcome for every single spin of the reels.

Due to this random number generation, each spin produces an equal chance of winning the coveted jackpot. This is what ensures the fairness of jackpot slot machines and the completely random outcome of the spins.

RTP in jackpot slots online

Return to player (RTP) is one of the major factors influencing jackpot games together with volatility and winning odds. To put it simply; RTP indicates the ratio of payouts to the total wagering for the game over time.

EXAMPLE: If a slot's RTP is 97%, it will pay you back £97 for every £100 you bet over an extended period. The remaining £3 stays with the house.

So, the higher the RTP, the smaller the house edge and the greater the chance of you reaping back of the money you put in.

Examples of jackpot slots RTPs:

• Arabian Nights: 95.62%
• Mega Fortune: 96.60%
• Hall of Gods: 95.30%
• Mega Moolah: 88.18%

One could easily translate this into a guideline. It would say that if you want the best chances of winning, you should always play the slots with the highest RTP. While theoretically true, it's not possible to simplify the big picture that much. In the end, it's the combination of RTP, volatility, and variance which create happy accidents.

But, let's face it, your chances of actually winning a jackpot are next to none. Even when the jackpots are calculated into the games' RTP the jackpot games are generally not the highest paying games. If you exclude the rarely occurring jackpot from the RTP, the payout percentage is even worse.

Volatility and jackpot odds

Volatility is the relationship between the frequency and the size of slot games' payouts. Jackpot casino slots with low volatility, for example, will produce frequent winnings of a modest value.

Your average player might choose to play a slot with lower volatility, as they have a higher win rate. Sure, the regular wins are smaller, but they do happen more often, which makes the game feel more fun.

Average win frequencies:

• Arabian Nights: 151 days
• Mega Fortune: 66 days
• Hall of Gods: 164 days
• Mega Moolah: 37 days

I would love to include the actual odds for winning any of the jackpots mentioned above. However, the game suppliers do not give this information and it's very hard to find such numbers. Many long-time players have tried to do the math and uncover the secrets of jackpot odds. But, even their results are only guessed at best.

There could be various reasons for the suppliers not publishing the odds for winning the jackpots. The most probable of them being "they're not great".

By telling the players how slim their chances of winning are, the providers likely are afraid of losing the interest of their customers.

Jackpot slots and responsible gaming

Gambling is always risky. Every single game on a casino is designed so that eventually the casino will win. This includes slots with massive jackpots.

The gigantic jackpot is simply there to make you want to play. The idea that one good spin would change your life is very enticing and that is what the casino is banking on. The bigger the jackpot is, the more people have already lost money to it.

It is very important to understand that casino games are for entertainment purposes and not a solution to financial problems. Every casino game has a negative statistical outcome for the player, which means the more you play, the more likely it is that the casino will win.

Knowing more about the games and how they work is important for responsible gaming. The better you understand how these games work, the better you can keep control.

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