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How to Win Jackpots at Casino: Complete Guide

While we’d like to believe you visit the LeoVegas website just for the company, we know that casinos are built around a singular concept - jackpots. These prize kitties are attached to every online pokie out there and some table games too (but that’s a different topic altogether).

So, why are we providing a guide for a topic that can mostly speak for itself? The short answer is that the internet has allowed game creators to experiment with the kind of jackpot(s) they’re able to offer. Now, each casino can have several different prizes on offer to their players, making the topic a bit of a tricky one for new players.

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Understanding Jackpots

We’ve already touched on the more obvious aspects of a jackpot but it’s worth adding that most of these big prizes live on their own, i.e. they’re attached to a single game and only pay out to players of that particular game. This is your standard casino jackpot, online or off. If the jackpot never increases or decreases in value, it’s a fixed jackpot.

The other main prize category is the progressive jackpot. We'll discuss this type of prize a bit later on but, for now, all you need to know is that these are often branded for identification purposes. For instance, any game tagged with Jackpot King or Mega Jackpots has one of these progressive features. There are plenty more out there to find.

The vast majority of jackpots fall into these two boxes, even if they're disguised with fancy minigames or graphics.

Choosing the Right Jackpot Game

To avoid confusion, most jackpots work in roughly the same way. They're triggered during normal gameplay by rare events (e.g. getting so many scatters on the reels) and then a secondary game might take place. In progressive games from Microgaming, this latter feature is normally a wheel that the player spins for a reward.

Despite all that, jackpot games usually have a large minimum bet requirement and can be slow to pay out. Put another way, they need a lot of tokens from the player but still only offer a low chance of winning in return. This second issue is due to something called volatility, also known as variance or, simply, risk. High-volatility games can seem a little exclusive.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of their prizes, jackpot games aren't always playable in demo mode, meaning they're not an easy thing to practise. As such, beginners and penny players will probably be more at home with the smaller jackpots, while high rollers might appreciate the high-risk play of games like Mega Moolah.

It's up to you - but always respect your bankroll and avoid wagering more than you can afford.

Master Progressive Jackpots

The progressive jackpot is such a large part of online casino culture that we thought we'd dedicate a whole section to it.

A progressive jackpot game has a variable prize that begins with a 'seed' amount so that the pot is never empty. This is €1 million in the most famous slot of all, Mega Moolah. As people make bets, a small percentage of each wager (usually less than 10%) is added to the overall jackpot. The jackpot resets to the seed value once it's won.

The only twist in the tale involves how progressive games get their prize funds. If they get them from game sessions all over the world, it's a network jackpot. This contrasts with local slots, which only get their jackpots from the casino they're based in - and possibly just from one game.

There's a bit more variety out there. Microgaming slots have four progressive jackpots called Mini, Minor, Major, and Mega (WowPot after 2020). Jackpot King slots use a similar format, offering Royal, Regal, and Jackpot King prizes. All of these get bigger over time.

As for strategy, progressive jackpot slots are entirely luck-based, just like any other casino game. The best advice is simply to bet the maximum possible amount, as this may be the only way to qualify for entry into the progressive prize pool.

Leveraging Bonuses and Promotions

Bonuses and promotions are one of the ways that casinos try to entice you into signing up. This might involve free spins on a slot game, free bets, or extra cash on top of your first deposit. The obvious question to ask is, can you use these treats to make winning a progressive jackpot easier? Well, it's complicated.

The odds still haven't changed but, by extending your starting bankroll, welcome bonuses can give you more time to play jackpot games. Theoretically, this means more tries at the big prize. Of course, these promotions usually come with wagering requirements, which can influence just how much you can withdraw and when you're allowed to do it.

Ultimately, the longer you can keep playing a machine, using your own money or the casino's, the better chance you'll have of getting it to pay out.

Big wins at LeoVegas New Zealand

Check out our big win stories blog to learn about real-life examples of winning big jackpots in LeoVegas casino!

How to Win a Jackpot: FAQ

What is the biggest jackpot ever won?

Mega Moolah set a Guinness World Record for the biggest jackpot payout (€18.9 million) in October 2015. This milestone was broken in 2018 when officials recorded a €19.4 million win. Remarkably, the winner's bet was just 0.75¢.

Can anyone win a jackpot, or is it purely luck-based?

Provided that their bet qualifies to win the prize, anybody can win a jackpot. Some slots award them at random.

Are online jackpots more lucrative than land-based ones?

Yes. Online jackpots have the benefit of a player network that extends around the world. This means that a limitless number of people can contribute to the prize.

Is it possible to consistently win at jackpots?

If you're lucky!

Learn more about jackpots in our latest guides: