Few things in a casino are as powerful as the promise of a jackpot. Players are drawn by the chance of a life-changing win, and operators want the traffic that promise brings. But a jackpot is also a liability: someone has to fund the prize, and someone has to pay it out. This guide explains how jackpots work, the main formats and what to weigh up before adding them to your casino.
Where the word comes from
The term began at the poker table. In an early form of draw poker, a player needed at least a pair of jacks to open the betting. When nobody could open, the stakes stayed in the pot and kept growing with each new deal, until someone finally held the jacks and the accumulated "jackpot" was played for. Over time the word came to mean the biggest prize a game can pay.
Jackpots today: from slots to live tables
Jackpots are now standard in slots and lotteries, and they have spread to live dealer games as well. Evolution was an early mover here: in June 2017 it announced Jumbo 7, a jackpot for its live Casino Hold'em with seed money of €1 million, and said the prize could grow beyond €30 million. That gave live casino a headline prize to promote, something players had mostly associated with slots. You can find jackpot titles in our games catalogue.
The main types of jackpot
| Type | How it works | What it does for the casino |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed | A set prize paid when the player meets a defined condition, such as a top symbol combination | Predictable cost that is easy to budget |
| Progressive | A share of every qualifying bet is added to the prize, which keeps growing until someone wins; some games require a maximum bet to qualify | Headline amounts that attract jackpot hunters and encourage higher stakes |
| Mystery | The prize drops at a random point between a minimum and a maximum that only the organizer knows | Suspense that keeps players engaged as the pot grows |
| Double trigger | Players unlock a bonus game that can award an extra prize of unknown size | A second layer of excitement on top of regular play |
| Door prize | A reward for a milestone player, for example the thousandth visitor to start playing | Activity and sign-ups around promotions |
Jackpots also differ in scope. A local jackpot runs within a single casino or brand, while a network jackpot links many casinos to one shared pool, which is why network prizes can climb so high. See our glossary entries for jackpot and progressive jackpot.
How often do big jackpots hit?
For operators, the odds are reassuring: top-tier jackpots are designed to land rarely, which is exactly why each big win makes headlines around the world. One of the best known came in 2015, when a player won €17,879,645.12 on Microgaming's Mega Moolah, a payout that earned a place in Guinness World Records. Some jackpot games, on the other hand, have never paid their top prize at all. Our guide to slot types covers progressive formats in more detail.
Who pays the winner?
That depends on who runs the jackpot.
- Local jackpots are organized by the operator for its own players, so the operator funds the prize and pays it.
- Network jackpots are run by a game provider, such as NetEnt or Evolution, across two or more casinos, and the provider is responsible for the payout.
For a provider-run jackpot, the arrangement typically works like this:
- The operator and the provider sign an agreement covering the jackpot.
- The provider opens a dedicated account in which the jackpot accrues.
- The operator transfers an agreed amount into that account.
- A contribution from each qualifying bet is added to the pool.
- When a player wins, the casino credits the prize to the player's balance, and the amount is settled between the casino and the provider through the jackpot account.
Every provider has its own rules and settlement process, so read the integration documents carefully or ask our team to walk you through them.
Why offer jackpot games?
- They attract jackpot hunters. Some players only play games with a jackpot attached. Without them, that audience goes elsewhere.
- They build credibility. Large, visible prizes that are paid promptly signal a trustworthy casino.
- They keep the lobby current. Newer formats, such as jackpots on live dealer tables, show players that your casino follows the trends.
- They support retention. A growing prize gives players a reason to come back and check the total.
Weighing the risk
The trade-off is financial exposure. A network jackpot leaves the payout with the provider, while a local jackpot gives you full control over the prize, the rules and the branding, along with full responsibility for the funds. If you run local jackpots, set contribution rates, seed amounts and caps your cash flow can support, and make the terms clear to players. Our local jackpot tools let you build branded jackpots for your own players, and our team is happy to talk through the options for your casino.
Written and reviewed by the iGaming Software Solutions Editorial Team.
