The year is not much more than half-way through, and already we have seen a staggeringly big progressive jackpot payout in 2019. This life changing amount joins the list of the biggest ever online slot game payouts, and it comes from a game that has been producing millionaires for many, many years. Read on to find out which game our lucky punter was playing, how much they won, and which casino paid out this monster sum.
First things first: just how big was this jackpot win? Well when we tell you that it has moved into second spot in the list of all-time progressive jackpot wins you will understand that this is more than your average million-dollar win! In fact our lucky player took home the eye-watering sum of $20,057,734, which is certainly not to be sneezed at. Regular slot gamers won’t be surprised to discover which game this mega-jackpot payout came from. Yes, it was the evergreen Mega Moolah game, Microgaming’s premier progressive jackpot online slot.
Mega Moolah was first launched all the way back in 2006, and this safari-themed slot has been attracting players in their millions ever since then. Certainly, Mega Moolah doesn’t look anything special when viewed through eyes used to the latest slots featuring state-of-the-art graphics and multiple exciting bonus rounds. With its collection of smiling cartoon animals and a simple 5×3 layout with 25 paylines, it would struggle if it were released in 2019. Especially with an extremely un-generous return to player of just 88.12% when most modern online slots would return at least 95%. That is, it would struggle if it wasn’t for that monumental progressive jackpot that has a habit of attracting online gamblers like bees to honey.
After every spin of the reels, there is a chance to win one of four progressive jackpots, including the monster jackpot prize. These can be randomly triggered at any time and after any spin, but don’t get too excited because they don’t tend to happen all the time. Plus, a larger per spin bet has a higher percentage chance of unlocking the bonus than if you are placing smaller bets. But let’s imagine that you are one of the lucky few and that bonus is revealed; what happens next?
First of all, you will be taken to a completely new screen featuring a wheel of fortune. You now play to win one of those four jackpots, namely the: Mini Progressive Jackpot, Minor Progressive Jackpot, Major Progressive Jackpot and of course the big one – the Mega Progressive Jackpot. Each jackpot is seeded at a minimum amount, the Mini at €10, the Minor €100, Major €1,000 and the Mega starts off with at least 1 million in the kitty (or whatever your currency of choice is). This is just where those jackpots begin, however, and the longer they are not won, the higher they grow. Spin the wheel of fortune to see which of those jackpots will be yours
A progressive online slot game works by taking a small percentage of every bet from every spin, from players all over the world. A game like Mega Moolah appears in hundreds and hundreds of online casinos, and millions of people play the game every week, meaning that those jackpot amounts quickly build higher and higher. Certainly this has been true of Mega Moolah, as evidenced by the $20 million win which took place on the 30th of January in 2019. Maybe that total will be beaten before the year is out, but the odds are against it since this jackpot has made it to number two in the all-time list of progressive wins.
The world record for an online slot game payout is the amount of €18,915,721 which was won on the 20th of September 2018 by an anonymous player at the Grand Mondial Casino. This win beat the long-held record of British soldier Jon Heywood who hit the big-time with a win from Betway – again on the Mega Moolah slot – of £13,212,882. Depending on the exchange rate of the moment, this GBP win is listed just above or below the euro win of €11,735,446 by a Finnish player at Paf Casino who was playing NetEnt’s rival slot, Mega Fortune.
In fact these two games have dominated the list of the biggest slot gaming jackpots over the years. Of the top ten largest online slot jackpots, two have come from Mega Fortune and seven from Mega Moolah. The only other slot game on the list has been Jackpot Giant from Playtech, which came in seventh place thanks to a payout of over $12 million in October of 2018.
Our winner of $20 million was a Canadian playing at the Zodiac Casino. Like many big jackpot winners they chose to remain anonymous, so we cannot give you much more information about their identity. Zodiac Casino has been operating since 2002 and Mega Moolah remains one of the most prominent slot games among the 400 plus on offer. Licenced in Malta, Kahnawake and the UK, Zodiac Casino has been making millionaires for many years now and with a wide range of Microgaming games at its disposal it remains a popular choice for online gamers. With a generous welcome bonus offering newcomers 80 chances to become a millionaire, it is no surprise to discover that a lot of people are taking them up on their offer.
The biggest slot game jackpot winner of all time was another anonymous player who won almost €19 million from playing – you guessed it – Mega Moolah at the Grand Mondial Casino. There isn’t a lot of information about the winner, not even their nationality, so all that we know is that they hit the jackpot and set a new record in September of 2018. Our 2019 Canadian winner came close to taking the top spot, but with an extra $20 million in the bank they probably aren’t too worried about where they come in this particular list.
