Progressive jackpot slots have taken the online gambling world by storm, offering players the chance to win millions of pounds from a single spin. These exciting games have become increasingly popular among UK punters. We’ll show you all you need to know about playing progressive jackpot slot machines online.
We’ll look at what progressive jackpot slots are, how they work, and the different types available. We’ll also show you some of the most popular games available in the UK. We’ll even show you what bonus offers you can claim when playing progressive jackpot slots online.
Best Progressive Jackpot Slots Sites
What are Progressive Jackpot Slots?
Progressive jackpot slots are a unique type of online slot machines that offer potential big wins. These can be worth significantly more than conventional video slots. Unlike regular slots, progressive slots are linked across multiple casinos or a network of machines.
Each time a player places a bet on a progressive slot, a small percentage of that bet is deducted. It is then added to the overall jackpot pool.
Subsequently, the jackpot amounts continue to grow until a lucky player triggers the winning combination and scoops the jackpot. Jackpots can trigger on any spin. Many jackpots offer million-pound prize pools, so it’s no surprise that some of the best online slots now incorporate jackpots.
How Progressive Jackpot Slots Work
Shortly, we’ll look at the best progressive jackpot slots you can play. Beforehand, let’s examine how these games actually work – what’s involved with winning a progressive jackpot – and what the actual chances of winning are.
At the core of all progressive slots UK players can enjoy is the seed. The seed is the absolute minimum amount the jackpot prize can be worth, and this is set by slot providers. When a jackpot game is launched, and after a player has won the jackpot, the machine will default back to this seed – it’s the minimum jackpot payout, essentially.
When players play progressive jackpot games, a small percentage of their bet, usually ranging from 1% to 5%, is deducted, and added to the jackpot. This means that every time someone plays the game, the jackpot grows larger. The percentage of the bet that contributes to the jackpot is determined by the game’s developer and can vary significantly.
This jackpot then continues to grow until a lucky player wins it. The actual criteria to win a progressive jackpot vary by game; some slots require players to land a specific combination of symbols on a payline, while others feature a bonus round or a random trigger that can award the jackpot.
Like regular online slots, random number generators determine when progressive slot machines will pay out. Each spin is independent of the last, although some games offer an increased jackpot chance for those betting at higher stakes.
The UK’s biggest progressive jackpot games have the potential to award jackpots worth millions of pounds, making them some of the best mobile slots for those looking to land those once-in-a-lifetime wins.
It’s standard practice, after winning a progressive jackpot, for the casino and game developer to run additional security checks. These are designed to ensure the game has paid out correctly, there were no malfunctions, and that players didn’t exploit a loophole. Subsequently, it can be a couple of weeks after a jackpot win before the funds are transferred to the winner.
Where to Play Progressive Jackpot Slots
If you’re looking to try your luck on progressive jackpot slots, you’ll be pleased to know that many online casinos offer these exciting games. Some of the best slots sites UK players can join offer an extensive range of progressive jackpot slots, and you’ll find titles from software providers like Microgaming, NetEnt, and Playtech.
If you’re looking for the best online slots sites licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, check out Punters Lounge’s recommended sites. We personally test and review hundreds of online casinos to bring you the ones with the best bonuses, the fastest cashouts, and the most games.
Bonus Offers for Progressive Jackpot Slots
While many players assume online casinos don’t offer bonuses and free spins for use on jackpot slots, this is not the case. Jackpot slot promotions exist; you just have to know where to find them.
One of the most popular bonus offers for progressive jackpot slots is no wagering free spins. These spins allow you to keep any winnings without needing to complete any wagering requirements.
Another is the deposit bonus – also known as a matched deposit bonus. This is where a casino matches all, or some, of your deposit – giving you extra money to play with. Some sites allow you to use matched deposit bonuses on jackpot slots.
Naturally, any time you claim a casino bonus, it’s important to read – and understand – the terms and conditions. You should understand the wagering requirements, game restrictions, payment method limits, and maximum cashout limits before claiming a bonus.
If you’re claiming bonus offers for progressive jackpot slots, you may also want to consider reading our casino slot machine tips. These can help you manage your bankroll effectively, choose the right machines, and maximise your chances of a winning session.
Top Progressive Jackpot Slots
Mega Moolah
Mega Moolah is, without a doubt, the most iconic progressive jackpot slot ever made. A Microgaming creation, Mega Moolah holds the current World Record for the largest online jackpot win in history – and it frequently offers prize pools worth more than £10 million.
Based around a safari theme, Mega Moolah features four progressive jackpots. These can be won when playing at jackpot sites and online casinos, and you’ll need to hit the randomly triggered jackpot round to have a chance at winning!
In addition to the jackpot round, Mega Moolah also offers a free spins feature. Landing 3+ scatter symbols on the reels awards 15 free spins. During these spins, all wins are multiplied by 3x, or 6x if a wild symbol is involved in the win.
Age of the Gods
Age of the Gods is a jackpot slot from Playtech, and it’s become their best-known jackpot series. By combining the power of ancient Greek gods with online jackpot slots, UK players can enjoy multiple progressive jackpot games, each containing four different jackpots.
The original Age of the Gods slot is designed around a five-reel, three-row format, and there are 25 fixed paylines. You can spin the reels from just 25p – which means you have the chance of hitting million-pound jackpots for a few pence!
Age of the Gods features four different bonuses and features including Athena free spins, where multipliers of up to 5x are applied to wins, and Poseidon free spins, where up to five symbols turn wild on each spin.
The progressive jackpots are awarded randomly. The original Age of the Gods slot proved so successful, that Playtech now offers multiple titles sharing the same pooled jackpots!
Book of Atem: WOWPot
All41 Studios’ take on the popular “book” slot format is seen in their most successful release to date, Book of Atem WOWPot. Available at both land-based and online casinos, this Microgaming-powered game is played on a five-reel, three-row format. There are ten fixed paylines, and betting options range from 0.10 and £25 per spin.
Like most “book” slots, Book of Atem WOWPot has lots going on. The Pharaoh is the top-paying symbol, awarding 500x your stake for a five-of-a-kind combo. The book symbol acts as both the scatter and the wild, and landing 3+ will trigger the main free spins bonus round.
Once the free spins are triggered, you’ll receive ten free spins. Before they begin, however, a symbol is randomly selected to become the ‘special’ symbol. During the free games, any special symbols that land expand, and fill the entire reel – paying out on all ten paylines.
However, what makes Book of Atem WOWPot really standout is its progressive jackpot. On the left-hand side of the screen, you’ll see several jackpot tickers that constantly increase in value.
If you manage to land wild scatter symbols on the reels and trigger the jackpot wheel, you’ll get to spin the wheel. You are then guaranteed to win one of the four jackpots – although it’s the Major you’ll want to look out for, as this is what’s worth six or even seven figures!
Major Millions
Major Millions is one of the older jackpot slots, but it’s also one of the most iconic – and it was developed by Microgaming. This straightforward five-reel, 15-payline game is designed around a unique military theme.
The game features a wild symbol that triples any wins it helps create, as well as a scatter symbol that awards instant prizes. The real attraction, however, is the progressive jackpot, which is won by landing a five-of-a-kind combo of the wild symbol on the 15th payline.
Microgaming seeds the Major Millions jackpot at £250,000 – meaning the top prize will never be worth less than this amount. It’s common to see it grow into the million-pound range, and this explains why, despite its old-school style, Major Millions remains such a hit with punters.
Treasure Nile
Treasure Nile is another retro progressive from Microgaming, and it’s developed around a five-reel, three-row layout with nine fixed paylines. Microgaming seeds Treasure Nile’s jackpot at £40,000, although it’s not uncommon to see it reach into the hundreds of thousands of pounds.
To scoop the progressive jackpot you’ll need to land a five-of-a-kind combo of the Gold Mask symbols on the ninth payline. However, to be eligible to win the full jackpot amount, you do need to be playing at the maximum stake; £4.50 per spin.
While this may price out players on lower budgets, for those that can afford it, Treasure Nile is worthy of a look. While the game doesn’t offer any free spins rounds or bonuses, there is a wild symbol that helps you to form wins while playing!
Gladiator
Gladiator is one of the most iconic Hollywood films ever made, and it’s only fitting that there’s a progressive jackpot video slot based on the movie. Developed by Playtech, Gladiator – the slot – is designed around a five-reel, three-row layout, with 25 paylines.
There’s a standard free spins bonus round, triggered by landing three scatter symbols anywhere in view. During the bonus, you’ll receive up to 24 free games, with a 3x multiplier applied to any wins. Before the free spins begin, you can also pick one additional wild and scatter symbol.
To scoop the progressive jackpot, you’ll need to trigger the Gladiator Jackpot Bonus. This is activated by landing three Helmet wilds, and you’re then taken to a “Pick me Bonus”. You pick from bronze, silver, and gold helmets, which then reveal cash prizes, or the progressive jackpot.
Beach Life
Beach Life is another Playtech progressive, and while it’s one of their older titles, it’s a solid slot machine for those wanting straightforward gameplay with a steadily increasing jackpot. As the name suggests, Beach Life is set – well, on the beach – and you’ll see various theme-specific symbols like surfers, scuba divers, and sunbathing girls.
Beach Life keeps things simple with no bonus game; to scoop the jackpot, you’ll need to land a five-of-a-kind combo of the wild symbol on the 20th payline – and if you manage to do so, you’ll win the jackpot in its entirety!
Temple Tumble 2: DreamDrop
One of the newest progressive jackpot slots on this page is Temple Tumble 2: DreamDrop – a highly-anticipated sequel from Relax Gaming. The video slot is based around a 6×6 layout, and there are up to 46,656 ways to win on each spin.
Regarding the gameplay, Temple Tumble 2: DreamDrop is virtually identical to the original. Wins are formed from left to right, there are no paylines; simply landing three or more identical symbols secures a win.
Like the original, each win triggers the “tumble” mechanic. This sees the winning symbols removed, and new ones drop down to take their place. With each tumble, blocks are removed, expanding the number of ways to win.
Trigger the free slots no deposit spins by clearing all the stone blocks, and choose from three exciting bonus rounds with multipliers, extra spins, and special symbols. During the free spins, it’s possible to win additional spins by clearing the grid – although most players will be looking for the DreamDrop jackpots.
The jackpot bonus round is triggered from the base game by landing special “DD” symbols on all five reels. Doing so triggers the jackpot round, and you then enter a unique mini-game. Jackpot amounts drop from the top of the screen, and if you manage to fill a reel with them, you’ll win the jackpot prize that corresponds to that reel.
There are five progressive jackpots in total – and the Mega is the most valuable; Relax Gaming seed the Mega at a staggering £500,000 – so this is the minimum you’ll walk away with if you’re lucky enough to hit the jackpot!
Wild West Chest: Daily Jackpots
This Red Tiger slot transports you to the Wild West, where a golden chest can trigger slots free spins and instant wins. The slot is based around a five-reel, three-row layout, and there are 25 fixed paylines active on each spin.
During the base game, landing a five-of-a-kind combo of the revolvers awards the game’s fixed jackpot, worth 5,000x your bet. There’s also a free spins bonus, triggered by landing 3, 4, or 5 of the scatter symbols anywhere in view. During the free spins, extra wilds are added to the reels, increasing your chances of hitting a win.
However, like all of the slot machines we’ve looked at today, the real appeal of Wild West Chest: Daily Jackpots, are the progressive jackpots on offer. As a Red Tiger Gaming slot, the two smaller jackpots must drop by a certain figure or time – and the jackpot bonus is triggered by landing three jackpot symbols on reels one, three, and five.
So, if you’re looking to enjoy the best slots bonus in the UK players can play, and have a chance of winning six and seven-figure jackpots, this Red Tiger creation is worth a try!
King Cashalot
Last but not least is Microgaming’s King Cashalot. As one of the oldest progressive jackpot games on this list, you may think this doesn’t get much play – but you’d be surprised at how popular this game still is. Set in a mediaeval world, King Cashalot is designed around a five-reel, three-row format, and there are nine fixed paylines.
The game keeps things simple – and if you manage to land a five-of-a-kind combo of the King wild on the ninth payline, you’ll scoop the game’s jackpot – which can often climb into the six or even seven-figure range!
Other Types of Jackpot Slots
Progressive slot jackpot titles aren’t the only slots out there that are offering players a chance to win big money. There are a wide range of other jackpot slots that offer huge prizes. Here are some of those slots.
Fixed Jackpot Slots
While not technically progressive jackpot games, fixed jackpot slots are also very popular. These online jackpot slots in the UK feature a predetermined jackpot amount. This amount does not change, regardless of how many players are betting on the game or how much time has passed.
Fixed jackpots are often found in new online slots in the UK. This makes them easier for developers to incorporate into their games. These fixed jackpot slots don’t offer the seven-figure prizes you’d see in a progressive.
However, they can still offer opportunities for winning big. They can be found at most real-money online casinos.
Local Jackpot Slots
Local jackpot slots, also known as in-house progressives, are specific to a single online casino or a group of casinos owned by the same operator. These jackpots are not linked to other casinos, meaning that only players at particular casino sites contribute to and can win the jackpot.
Today, local jackpot slots are relatively rare. However, if you’re looking for the best RTP slots with local jackpots, you will find a few at UK sites – but they won’t be the focus of today’s post.
Must Drop Jackpot Slots
Must Drop Jackpot slots are a relatively new addition to the world of online gambling. These games feature jackpots that must be won within a specified time frame or before the jackpot reaches a certain amount. Most Must Drop jackpots come from Red Tiger Gaming, although we’re starting to see other software providers using the mechanic in their games.
Must Drop jackpot games come in various formats, including hourly, daily, and weekly drops. Some of the best online casinos feature Must Drop Jackpot slots as part of their promotional offerings, allowing you to claim free spins to use on them!
Our Final Thoughts on Progressive Slots
As you can see, progressive jackpot slots allow you the chance to win huge amounts of money from a single spin – and, with a variety of themes, features, and jackpot sizes available, there’s something for everyone.
Whether you prefer classics like Mega Moolah and Major Millions or newer titles like Temple Tumble DreamDrop, progressive jackpots offer an experience that conventional casino games can’t – and if you fancy having a punt, don’t forget to check out our recommended slots sites, all of which have been tested and hand-picked by our team of online gambling experts.
