A slot jackpot is a large top prize paid by a game on top of its normal wins. Fixed jackpots are a set amount, while progressive jackpots grow with a slice of every stake until someone wins and the prize resets.
Jackpots are where slot headlines come from, and where the odds are longest. This guide explains each type, how they are funded and what that does to the rest of the game.
Fixed jackpots
A fixed jackpot is a prize of a set size, usually expressed as a multiple of the stake. If the top prize is 5,000 times your stake, a £1 spin can win £5,000 and a 20p spin can win £1,000. It never grows and never resets.
Fixed jackpots are simply the top line of the paytable, funded from the same RTP as every other prize. Many hold and win games label their fixed prizes Mini, Minor and Major, sometimes with a separate Grand.
Progressive jackpots
A progressive jackpot starts at a seed amount and grows. A small percentage of every qualifying stake is added to the pot. When someone triggers it, they win the current amount and the pot resets to its seed.
Local (standalone) progressives
A local progressive is tied to one game, or to one bank of machines in a venue, or to one operator’s version of a game online. Only stakes on that game feed it, so it grows more slowly and tends to stay smaller.
Networked (wide-area) progressives
A networked progressive links the same game, or a family of games, across many casinos and sites. Every stake on any linked game feeds the same pot, which is why these jackpots can reach very large sums. Because the pot is shared, the person who wins it might be playing anywhere on the network.
Tiered progressives
Many jackpot games run several pots at once, from small ones that pay fairly often to a top tier that pays rarely. A typical feature drops you into a jackpot wheel or a pick game that decides which tier you land.
Must-drop and daily jackpots
A must-drop jackpot is a progressive with a guarantee attached. The rules state that it will pay out before it reaches a set amount, or before a set time, such as the end of each day or hour.
The prize is still won at random. Each spin has a chance of triggering it, and that chance is arranged so the pot pays somewhere between its seed and its cap. As the pot approaches the cap, the remaining range shrinks, so the next win is getting closer. This is the one place in slots where “due” has a real meaning, and only because the game’s rules say so.
Even then, it does not mean you are likely to win it. Many players are staking on the same pot at the same time, and only one wins each drop.
How jackpot contributions affect RTP
Every penny that goes into a jackpot is a penny not spent on the game’s everyday wins. Games show this by splitting the RTP.
An illustrative example
| Part of the RTP | Share |
|---|---|
| Base game and features | 93% |
| Contribution to the progressive jackpot | 3% |
| Total RTP | 96% |
These are illustrative numbers, not a particular game. In this example the total RTP is 96%, but 3 of those percentage points go into a prize that almost nobody will win. For nearly every player, the return they actually experience is closer to 93%. The house edge on the non-jackpot part of the game is effectively 7%.
Play £1 a spin for 1,000 spins on this game: £1,000 staked, of which the jackpot contribution is £30 and the expected return from everything else is £930. Unless you hit the jackpot, your expected loss is around £70, not £40.
Some progressive games state their RTP without the jackpot contribution, some with it, and some list both. The game’s rules screen will say which. Our guide to RTP explains how to find it.
The odds are very long
Jackpots are big because they are rare. A networked progressive grows to a large sum precisely because a very large number of stakes go in before one comes out.
Studios rarely publish jackpot odds as a single figure, and they often vary by stake. What you can say with certainty is that the top tier of a large progressive is won by a tiny fraction of the people who play for it. Most stakes that feed a jackpot are, from the player’s point of view, simply lost.
Jackpot games are also among the most volatile slots there are. As explained in our volatility guide, a large prize at the very top of the range means everything below it has to pay less, so long losing runs are normal.
Things to check before you play a jackpot slot
- Eligibility. Does the jackpot require a minimum stake or a particular setting?
- Stake scaling. Does a bigger stake raise your chance of triggering it? Many games say so in their rules.
- RTP split. How much of the RTP goes to the jackpot?
- Type. Is it fixed, local progressive, networked progressive or must-drop?
- Caps and timings. For must-drop jackpots, what is the cap or deadline?
Do not raise your stake to chase a jackpot. In Great Britain, online slot stakes are capped at £5 per spin for players aged 25 and over, and £2 per spin for 18 to 24 year olds, but the cap is a limit, not a target. See stake limits.
The short version
- Fixed jackpots are a set multiple of your stake, funded like any other prize.
- Progressive jackpots grow from a slice of every qualifying stake and reset when won.
- Local progressives are fed by one game or venue; networked ones by many sites at once.
- Must-drop jackpots must pay before a stated cap or time, but you are still unlikely to win one.
- Jackpot contributions lower the return from the rest of the game.
- The odds of winning a large progressive are very long.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a progressive and a fixed jackpot?
A fixed jackpot is a set prize, usually a multiple of your stake, that never changes. A progressive jackpot grows as a small slice of every qualifying stake is added to it, until someone wins it and it resets.
Do I need to bet the maximum to win a progressive jackpot?
Some games require a particular stake or option to be eligible, and some scale your chance of triggering the jackpot with your stake. The game's rules screen says which applies, so read it before playing.
Is a jackpot that has not paid for a long time more likely to drop?
For an ordinary progressive, no: the chance per spin stays the same however large the prize grows. Must-drop jackpots are the exception, because they are designed to pay before a stated cap or time.
Are jackpot slots worse value?
Part of every stake funds a prize very few players will win, so the return from everything else in the game is lower. Whether that matters to you is a personal choice, but the trade-off should be understood.
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