Every slot player dreams of the reels landing on a massive jackpot and winning a life-changing sum of money. The odds are rare, but it could happen on any spin.
A recent guest at the Palazzo Las Vegas experienced it firsthand, hitting a Dragon Link grand jackpot on June 14 for $1,142,215 after making a $250 bet in the casino’s high-limit room.
That said, you can give yourself a chance at a seven-figure jackpot without needing to wager $250 per spin or anywhere near that. This rings especially true at online casinos, as long as you know which machines allow you to win a huge payday.
Keep reading to learn which titles offer the opportunity to win big.
Largest online slots jackpots
Online casinos make it easy to find the slot titles with the highest jackpots. After logging into your favorite online casino app or website, you can navigate to a “Jackpots” section that exists separately from the full slots offering.
In general, progressive jackpot games will award the highest potential payouts. Some online casinos further segment “Progressives” from all other jackpots.
Progressive jackpots at online casinos often have mid-six-figure top prizes, and depending on the operator, they can even eclipse $1 million.
Progressive jackpots increase each time someone plays the game and does not win the jackpot. Online casinos often have a network of progressive slot titles that contribute to the same jackpot, potentially even across multiple states, allowing jackpots to increase rapidly.
Examples of progressive slot titles include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Divine Fortune
- Mercy of the Gods
- MGM Grand Millions
- Fortune Coin
- Cleopatra
- Siberian Storm
- Wheel of Fortune
- Capital Gains
- Deal or No Deal Megaways Jackpot
- Bison-related titles, including Bison Fury, Bison Fury Gold Link, and Blazing Bison Gold Blitz Extreme
Not all slot machines are created equal
Most slot machines have a direct correlation between volatility and jackpot size. On average, lower volatility games award smaller jackpots, and higher volatility games often offer much greater jackpots.
To hit a grand jackpot and multiply your wager by the thousands, if not more, you’ll need to focus on finding higher volatility slot titles. You’ll also need to understand that they come with a greater risk than those with lower volatility.
You can think of it this way: lower volatility machines hit jackpots more frequently, keeping the jackpot from climbing too high. An eye-popping progressive jackpot, by definition, requires players to make a significant volume of losing spins to reach a life-changing total.
Thus, if you’re in it for the big payday, you have to understand the risk-reward factor that comes with going for that win. High volatility machines have a greater risk and offer the potential for a greater reward.
Online slots give you more opportunities at a jackpot for less risk
Online slots have numerous built-in advantages, including convenience and lower minimum bets. Players can put in a short session in less time than it may take to drive to a casino, and they can wager less than the price of gas money to drive to the casino if they choose.
The increased access allows users to play more in less time. Online casinos also have less overhead, all of which affords operators the ability to award higher return-to-player (RTP) percentages in the long run.
For example, BetMGM Casino’s Cleopatra has a 95.02% RTP and currently has a progressive jackpot nearing $600,000. The average RTP across online slot machines in regulated markets is around 96%, and you can always check a title’s RTP percentage before playing.
Comparatively, many brick-and-mortar casinos have RTP percentages in the low 90s, if not worse. Nevada state law only requires slots to pay back 75% (though you won’t see any machines that low), and New Jersey’s law mandates at least an 83% RTP.
With this knowledge, you can confidently decide whether to chase a jackpot or wait for it to grow. You can also distinguish which online slot titles to play with the hopes of landing a dream jackpot.