Best Progressive Slots: Mega Moolah, MegaBucks, Aztec’s Millions
One of the most common questions gambling experts are asked is, “What is the best progressive jackpot slot machine?” One might think that would be easy to answer, but the slots industry is big and complex. In fact, no one answer to that question exists. The best progressive slots in the online casino industry are much different than the best progressive slot machines in Las Vegas.
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Any coverage of this topic must begin with basic information, so we provide the answer to players’ questions about progressive jackpot slots today. What are the best progressive slot machines in Las Vegas? What are the best online progressive slots? Is there a progressive slot strategy that works? Keep reading and learn the answer to all these progressive slots questions and more.
What You Should Know about Progressive Online Slots Jackpots
- The biggest-paying online slot ever is Mega Moolah, a game from Microgaming.
- Mega Moolah is known by some players as the “Millionaire Maker”.
- Mobile players also have a chance. One of the biggest jackpots came on a mobile Mega Moolah Slot.
- One slot machine in a Las Vegas Casino attained legendary status because it didn’t hit for over two decades.
Best Progressive Jackpot Slots Overview
- Current Progressive Jackpots Online: 331
- Current Slot Jackpot Pool: $70,091,605
- Biggest Online Progressive Jackpot Slot: Mega Moolah (Microgaming)
- Biggest Brick-and-Mortar Slot Machine Jackpot: MegaBucks (IGT)
- Biggest US Online Slots Jackpot: Aztec’s Millions (RTG)
Progressive Slot Machine Winning Tips
- Stick to a Budget: As always, create a budget, don’t get psyched out, and stick to your budget. Progressive slots are about getting lucky, so don’t bet more than you can afford to lose.
- Assure Eligibility: Bet enough to make yourself eligible for the progressive jackpot. On 5-reel slots, that almost always means making the 5-coin bet. Also, learn what the minimum coin denomination for the big progressive is.
- Target Specific Jackpots: Do a bit of research and decide which jackpot to target. Some players want the biggest of the big, but others prefer to go for smaller and more attainable wins.
- Do Research Beforehand: Learn what the biggest jackpots in a casino are. Check to see if an online slot has a history of paying out and learn why it does. If it has a lower house edge than other progressive slots, consider playing that game.
- Playing Slots That Are Due: Before you visit a casino, do your research to see which progressive slots’ jackpots haven’t hit in a while. While being “due” is a myth, this does assure you chase bigger jackpots.
- Determine Slot Volatility: Learn what the volatility of slots is and what it means. This gives an understanding of risk when you might be expected to win, and how often progressive wins happen on a machine.
Mega Moolah Slots from Microgaming
Because it has produced the biggest progressive jackpot wins, Mega Moolah Slots from Microgaming are called the “Millionaire Maker”. In many ways, Mega Moolah is the MegaBucks of online slots. The comparison is a good one, though players should note that online slots don’t pay out jackpots as big as land-based slots.
While MegaBucks has produced jackpots nearing $40 million, the biggest Mega Moolah slots are in the $20 million range. That’s still a life-changing amount of prize money, but players should expect a $20 million prize is the most can expect. Even better, it means that Mega Moolah jackpots trigger more often than MegaBucks jackpots.
Biggest Mega Moolah Jackpots Ever: Best Online Progressive Slots
| Slot Name | Online Casino | Date | Progressive Jackpot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Moolah | Grand Mondial | September 29, 2018 | €18,915,721 |
| Mega Moolah | Zodiac Casino | January 30, 2019 | $20,057,734 |
| Mega Moolah | Paf Casino | January 20, 2013 | €17,860,868 |
| Mega Moolah | Jackpot City Casino | April 5, 2020 | $16,496,060 |
| Mega Moolah | Luxury Casino | May 8, 2020 | $13,615,861 |
| Mega Moolah | Betway Casino | October 6, 2015 | £13,212,882 |
| Mega Moolah | Luxury Casino | March 5, 2019 | $12,945,603 |
15 Best Progressive Slot Jackpots for June 2023
Mega Moolah isn’t always the biggest online slot jackpot at any given moment. It’s the nature of progressive slots that they reset when someone hits the grand jackpot. Each progressive jackpot slots has a reset point. If Mega Moolah resets at $2 million, then it must accumulate prize money for a while before it reaches the top spot again.
| Online Slot | Jackpot Size | Slot Provider |
|---|---|---|
| Aladdin’s Lamp | $3,731,729 | InBet Games |
| Aztec’s Millions | $3,473,716 | RealTime Gaming (RTG) |
| Funky Fruits | $2,900,925 | Playtech |
| Hall of Gods Jackpot | $2,772,935 | NetEnt |
| Leprechaun’s Luck | $2,532,469 | Playtech |
| Life of Brian Slots | $2,426,998 | Ash Gaming |
| Beach Life Jackpot | $2,273,382 | Playtech |
| Mega Moolah | $2,142,167 | Microgaming |
| Mega Moolah Mega | $2,085,409 | Microgaming |
| Jackpot Pinatas Progressive | $1,898,642 | RTG |
| King Cashalot | $1,666,657 | Microgaming |
| Beach Life | $1,592,267 | Playtech |
| Major Millions | $1,378,785 | Microgaming |
| Megasaur | $954,279 | RTG |
| Spirit of the Inca | $899,876 | RTG |
Which Online Slots Pay the Best?
If you’re talking about return-to-player (RTP) or house edge, that is an entirely different matter. Usually, the online slots with the biggest jackpots don’t have the best RTP. Games with smaller jackpots and more winning features (multipliers, free spins) have the best percentage to pay back your money.
Below is a list of the online slot games that have the best RTP at the moment. A quick reminder: RTP is based on a theoretical payback percentage. If it has a 99% RTP, then you can expect to receive back $99 of every $100 you wager. That means you can play for a long time and, because of variance/volatility, you’ll have a lot of winning sessions where you walk away with more cash than you started.
Volatility means a wider variance in results; higher volatility means you’ll wait longer between wins but have bigger wins when you do.
| Online Slot | RTP | Volatility | Slot Provider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Joker | 99.00% | High | NetEnt |
| Blood Suckers | 98.00% | Low | NetEnt |
| Starmania | 97.86% | Medium | NextGen Gaming |
| White Rabbit: Megaways | Up to 97.72% | High | Big Time Gaming |
| Sweet Treats | 97.60% | High | Nucleus Gaming |
| Quest to the West | 97.53% | High | Betsoft Games |
| Safari Sam | 97.50% | High | Betsoft Games |
| Coco Bongo | 97.42% | High | Nucleus Gaming |
| Big Bad Wolf | 97.30% | High | Quickspin |
| Greedy Goblins | 97.20% | High | Betsoft Games |
| Apollo: God of the Sun | 97.17% | High | Novomatic |
| Gorilla Go Wilder | 97.04% | High | NextGen Gaming |
| Jungle Stripes | 97.03% | Medium | Betsoft Games |
| Reel Rush Slots | 97.00% | Medium | NetEnt |
| Quick Hit Ultra Pays: Eagle’s Peak | 96.89% | High | Big Time Gaming |
| Spin To Ride | 96.89% | Medium | Nucleus Gaming |
| Dead or Alive 2 Slots | 96.92% | Low | NetEnt |
Progressive Jackpot Slots FAQs
What are progressive slots?
A progressive slot has an accumulated jackpot, so it isn’t fixed. Each time a player hits “Spin” and the grand jackpot doesn’t hit, a bit of the bet is used to feed the progressive jackpot. Over time, progressive slots jackpots grow from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
The key takeaway is that progressive slots’ jackpots grow until someone hits it, so there is no theoretical cap to how big it might grow.
How do progressive jackpots work?
They work in several different ways. A local-area jackpot works in the straightforward way described above. A wide-area networked progressive jackpot has many different machines (or online casinos) feeding the jackpot, so it grows faster and bigger. Also, many of today’s progressive slots have multiple progressives, often labeled micro, mini, maxi, grand, and mega jackpots. The smaller jackpots might be in the hundreds of dollars, while the mega jackpots reach 6-figure or 7-figure sums.
How do you play a slot machine?
Slot machines require a bet, either with cash or through your online player account. Once you determine the bet size, you hit “Spin” and the video reels spin. When they come to a stop, they reveal a prize (or lack of a prize). Slot machines have a pay table that describes the winning combinations, which reel symbols unlock which prizes, and what the jackpot symbol is. A random number generator (RNG) determines the results.
Are progressive slots better than standard slot games?
It depends on a player’s preferences. Some players want to play for the biggest jackpot possible. It’s part of the allure, this idea that they can win a life-changing amount of money. For them, progressive slots are best. Other players want a more attainable jackpot, so they prefer classic 3-reel slots or 5-reel video slots without a progressive.
How do I win at slot machines?
As the old saying goes, buy a casino. Seriously, the great thing about slot machines is they don’t require strategy. Slots are a game of pure chance determined by an RNG. In the day of mechanical slot machines, slot tips and tricks might have worked. Slot strategy might have had some small bearing on the game.
That’s long gone. The idea is to find a slot game with a fun theme, entertaining features, and a nice jackpot and enjoy the game for entertainment’s sake.
Are there free progressive slots?
No, there are not. Free progressive slots that pay real money do not exist, though you can play progressive slots in the practice mode at most USA online casinos. These give imaginary credits (i.e. Monopoly money) but do not pay real money.
You can play progressive slots at social gaming sites or social casinos but, again, these don’t have real money progressive jackpots. If you want a chance at a life-changing progressive jackpot, you’ll need to make a wager.
What are the odds of a progressive slot?
The odds are long. In a way, progressive slot jackpot odds are similar to the odds of big lottery drawings. That being said, online slot jackpots top out at $20 million or so, so the odds are not nearly as long as they are for a Powerball or Mega Millions drawing. The point is, a lot of players must lose for one
What is the best progressive jackpot slot to win?
In brick-and-mortar casinos, your best bet is IGT’s MegaBucks Slots. In online casinos, the best option is Microgaming’s Mega Moolah Online Slot. If you play in the US online casino industry, the best progressive slot is Aztec’s Millions from RealTime Gaming (RTG).
What are progressive sweep slots?
A progressive sweep slot is a game played at an online sweepstakes casino like LuckyLand Slots, Pulsz Casino, and Gambino Slots. These sites use sweepstakes rules to offer real-money online casino games that are quasi-legal in 30 US states. The process of depositing and withdrawing is a little more complicated because they introduce “sweeps coins” to get around making bets with real money. Also, progressive jackpots on online sweep slots are much smaller than at traditional casino sites. They’re more in line with fixed jackpots or random progressives at most US casino sites.
Which progressive slot games are better or more popular?
Mega Moolah is the progressive online slot best known for paying out huge jackpots. In the land-based casino industry, MegaBucks Slots from IGT is the king of progressive jackpots. IGT Wheel of Fortune Slots has been the most popular slot machine because it ties a progressive jackpot to a popular game show franchise (licensed slot). Wheel of Fortune also tends to be the brightest, showiest slot machine on slots row.
What are the biggest jackpots?
Mega Moolah Slots from Microgaming tends to have the biggest online slots, though Mega Joker from NetEnt has the biggest online progressive jackpot at the moment. MegaBucks yields the biggest progressive slots jackpots in the brick-and-mortar casino industry.
Does Microgaming place slot machines in Las Vegas casinos now?
No, they don’t. As one of the oldest online slot designers (launched: in 1994), Microgaming is one of the most popular and widespread providers of online slots to casino sites. It works in a different niche than IGT, WMS, Bally, or Aristocrat.
Those companies might convert their land-based slots into online versions, but Microgaming does not convert their online slots into land-based slot machines. Some years ago, someone prominent wrongly posted online that Microgaming slots are available in Las Vegas, and that misinformation has spread on the Internet.
How often do progressive jackpots hit?
That depends on the type of progressive jackpot it is. Local progressive slots and random progressive slots might hit every few weeks or every few months, though they pay out much smaller jackpots. The wide-area progressives might not pay out for many months or even years, but they offer huge jackpots when the grand prize hits.
