How Progressive Jackpots Work, From Your Bet to the Payout
Every spin on a jackpot slot fills a prize that someone, somewhere, will win. I want to know how that prize grows, why it resets to a certain amount, why most winners win small, and what the jackpot cost in terms of Return to Player (RTP).
By Kadri Saar · Updated 2 October 2026
- €2Mwhere the WowPot top prize restarts after every win
- 15 secondsbetween WowPot wins on average in 2023, across all tiers
- 86%the RTP setting on classic Mega Moolah in Jackpot City's lobby
- $14.87Mthe same Mega Moolah meter at three casinos on 1 October 2026
How progressive jackpots work, from bet to payout
A progressive jackpot is a prize that grows with each bet until it’s won. Once won, it resets and starts over.
You place a bet
A small fraction of each bet is contributed to the jackpot pool.
The pool grows
With many players, the jackpot pool grows quickly, and the game can display the jackpot amount in real time.
A spin triggers it
It’s possible for a random spin to start the jackpot round. On Mega Moolah, bigger bets increase the odds of starting the jackpot round.
The pot resets
The jackpot pool is won, and the meter resets to the seed amount.
WowPot's top tier seeds at €2,000,000 (Games Global), and Games Global increased the seed amount of Mega Moolah in 2022 (Games Global).
The longest jackpot runs are what make records. The record-breaking win of €38.46 million on the WowPot jackpot was won after a jackpot run that lasted for one year (Games Global). Most wins occur close to the seed amount. All sourced wins are on WowPot winners.
Three kinds of progressive jackpot
The difference is who feeds the pot. More players means a bigger pot, and a longer wait for the top prize.
| Kind | How the pool works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone | One game feeds its own pot. Bets on that game only, often at one casino. | Smaller pots that drop more often |
| Local or ring-fenced | Several games share a pot, but only inside one casino group or one market. | Maple Moolah, ring-fenced to Ontario |
| Network | Every casino carrying the game feeds one shared pot. The meter is the same everywhere. | Mega Moolah and WowPot, at every casino that carries them |
Network jackpots are the ones in the news. As of 1 October 2026, the Mega Moolah jackpot was approximately $14.87 million and was played at Jackpot City, Grand Mondial, and 7Bit. It’s the same jackpot at all of these casinos, and where you play doesn’t impact the size of the jackpot. Our progressive jackpot casinos page explains how casinos differ in how they pay it.
Ring-fenced pots are a result of local laws. For example, at Games Global, Maple Moolah is available only to the Ontario regulated market, and therefore Ontario players have a ring-fenced pot of their own.
Jackpot tiers: why most progressive wins are small
The big networks run several pots at the same time. The headline number is the top pot.
Those numbers tell the real story. WowPot has paid out more than €225 million to over 5.3 million players, and only a very small fraction of these were the top prizes. The rest of the players won the lower jackpot tiers.
On Mega Moolah, the tier is determined the moment the wheel stops spinning. A small bet can win the Mega Jackpot, as was the case with the £0.80 Book of Atem spin. The odds of reaching the wheel are impacted by bet size.
Must-drop jackpots: a deadline on the prize
A must-drop jackpot has to be won before a certain period of time or before it reaches a certain amount. The game displays the limit next to the meter.
- Time-based: an hourly or daily pot that must pay out before the clock runs out.
- Amount-based: a pot that must drop before the meter hits its cap. Games Global's Lotsaloot works this way, and runs at a 92% RTP setting.
- The trade-off: a must-drop pot is small next to Mega Moolah, but someone is certain to win it soon.
The closer a must-drop meter is to its limit, the sooner it has to land. A classic progressive has no such promise. Mega Moolah's top tier can run for years, which is how it crosses $14 million.
Progressive jackpot RTP: what the pool costs you
A slice of each bet is stripped off and fed to the jackpot in the base game. So jackpot slots pay back less for normal spins.
| Jackpot game | RTP setting | Back from $100 of bets, on average |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Mega Moolah | 86% | $86 |
| Lotsaloot | 92% | $92 |
| Some King Millions titles | 96% | $96 |
Return to Player (RTP) is calculated over millions of spins and includes the jackpot. So at 86%, the vast majority of what Mega Moolah pays back is the jackpot you will almost certainly never hit. So while regular slots can be somewhat hot or cold, on Mega Moolah you can expect to go very cold for long periods of time.
That is the price for a shot at the game's biggest prize. Want a long slot session? Pick a higher RTP game. For a shot at Mega prize? Know what it costs. The information comes from our Jackpot City review, and Mega Moolah's record winners are listed on Mega Moolah winners.
Progressive jackpots FAQ
How do progressive jackpots work?
A small part of each bet is put into a growing jackpot which is won when a spin happens to win it. When the jackpot is won it resets to a pre-determined amount.
Is the progressive jackpot the same at every casino?
Yes, on network jackpots. Mega Moolah showed a network jackpot of about $14.87 million, on 1 October 2026, at Jackpot City, Grand Mondial and 7Bit. Standalone and local jackpots vary from casino to casino.
Does betting more increase your chance of a jackpot?
On Mega Moolah a bigger bet increases the chances of landing on the jackpot wheel. Once the wheel spins the tier you land on is not dependent on the bet you made.
What is a must-drop jackpot?
A jackpot which has to be won before a certain time or amount. The game shows the timer and the pot is definitely going to be won before the timer hits zero.
Do progressive jackpot slots have a lower RTP?
Yes, but sometimes the RTPs for progressive slots, are often quite low. For example Mega Moolah is set to pay at an 86% rate in the Jackpot City casino lobby. Compared to the average slot which is set between 95% -96%.
Play it safe
Gambling is for adults only (18+, or older where local law says so). Treat every deposit as money spent on entertainment, never as a way to make money. If it stops being fun, take a break with the casino's own tools or talk to Gambling Therapy, which offers free support in many languages.