If you've ever played a jackpot machine, chances are you've played one of Microgaming's progressive jackpots. They offer gigantic sums in the 8-figure range and are regularly cracked. We've compiled a list and ranking of their most popular titles. We even went to the trouble of finding bonuses for Microgaming progressive slots. Here's what you should know!
We're going to take a closer look at each of the Microgaming progressive slots on offer. To sweeten things up, we'll discuss welcome bonuses on the best jackpot slots as well as free spins. Last but not least, we give you an overview of Microgaming as a company and its jackpot network.
Mega Moolah - a cult series of progressive slots from Microgaming
Let's start with the pearl of the Microgaming Jackpots network: Mega Moolah is undoubtedly the most famous and popular slot machine among the casino real money slots the company offers. This 5-reel, 25-payline video slot has a Safari/Africa theme and features a Free Spins feature with a multiplier, Wild Multiplier and a Spin the Wheel bonus round where you can hit the progressive jackpot.
The low-value symbols are playing cards and the high-paying symbols are savannah animals. As a rule, the bigger and stronger the animal, the higher its value. In this sense, monkeys, antelopes, and zebras are not so valuable.
But you will be delighted if your winning combination includes a buffalo, an elephant, or a mighty lion. The giraffe is in the golden mean. The lion is also wild and all winning combinations with it are multiplied by 2. The monkey is a Scatter, and 3 of them on the reels activate a free spins round with an x3 multiplier.
The Bonus round, in which you play for one of 4 progressive jackpots: mini, minor, major and mega, is activated randomly. It can also be triggered after a lost game. You spin the wheel and cross your fingers for the mega jackpot, which is £1,000,000. To win the Microgaming Progressive Jackpot, you need to maximize your bet. That means you need to activate all 25 paylines and choose the maximum bet per spin of £6.25. The minimum bet per spin is 25p, but that doesn't qualify you for the jackpot round.
The original Mega Moolah slot was launched in November 2006 and was one of the first African-themed slots. It also completely changed the future of progressive slots. Many Mega Moolah games were later added to the network and it continues to grow to this day.
Treasure Nile - a high RTP progressive slot
Treasure Nile is a 5-reel, 9 payline Egyptian-themed slot machine with extremely simple gameplay. There is no bonus round or free spins - just a basic game. The symbols are all Egyptian, including the lower ones. The slot does not use generic card symbols for low-value symbols, which greatly improves the overall experience. You will see papyrus, the death mask of Tutankhamen, the god Anubis, a sailing boat, a cobra, an amulet and ancient columns.
Two things set Treasure Nile apart from most Microgaming progressive slots. Firstly, your bet per spin is fixed at £4.50. You always play with 9 paylines and the bet per line is £0.50. That makes Treasure Nile a bit expensive, but if you can afford £4.50 per spin, you're playing for a huge jackpot that keeps growing.
The second point we want to draw your attention to is the RTP percentage, which is 92.11%. This may seem insignificant compared to other slots, but keep in mind that progressive slots always have a significantly lower RTP. If you compare the RTP of Treasure Nile with other Microgaming progressive jackpots, you will see that it is the most generous.
This slot was released in March 2004. More than 15 years later, it is safe to say that it has aged a lot. The graphics and sound are a bit outdated, but this can be seen as a desirable effect. There are many more details and interesting information in our Treasure Nile slots review.
Major Millions - switching to a 3x multiplier
Major Millions is a 5-reel, 15-payline video slot with a progressive jackpot. The fixed bet is €0.20 per line. Thus, the bet per spin is 3 euros, which is quite cheap for a jackpot slot. And while you can theoretically adjust the number of paylines you play on, only the maximum number of paylines qualifies you for the progressive jackpot, which is your ultimate goal.
The symbols in this great title from Microgaming's progressive slot family are fun and cartoonish despite the military theme. Is it us, or does the main character of this slot, Major Millions, look strikingly similar to the crazy "Hot Shots" Adm. Benson's "Hot Shots"? The other symbols are a warship, a bomber, a cannon, ammunition, binoculars, a sea cap and a "top secret" letter. The Wild is the Major Millions logo, and the Scatter is the word "Scatter" presented in the form of a graphic explosion of gold coins and diamonds.
There is no bonus round and no free spins, but all winning combinations with the wild are tripled. To win the progressive jackpot, you need to get 5 wilds on any 15th payline. Although it is rare, the base game also brings good wins. Major Millions has an RTP of 89.73%, which is average for Microgaming progressive jackpots.
The 88.12% RTP of the Mega Moolah slot is what you can expect from a progressive jackpot. We have written a special Mega Moolah slot review where you can read more about the slot.
Major Millions date back to May 2005, which is an impressive lifespan for a slot. As you might expect, it is not modern and graphically innovative - there are no SFX. In the background, you can hear a military march and some noises from the crowd, which are in no way offensive. Our Major Millions of slots review contains a deeper analysis of the game and many suggestions on where to play it.
Looking for more themed online games? Check out the list of the best Christmas slots to suit every taste here!
King Cashalot - enjoy big wins
King Cashalot is a 5-reel, 9-payline progressive jackpot slot from Microgaming, just like Treasure Nile, but this time you have the chance to trigger a bonus game. The betting limits range from 5p to £2.25, making this one of the cheapest Microgaming progressive slots that is also suitable for low rollers. Don't forget that you need to maximize your bet to hit the progressive jackpot.
While we have seen many slots with a mythical theme, this is one of the few based on King Arthur of Camelot. All the symbols are either silly faces or dishes from a medieval feast. The highest-paying symbol is the King Sperm whale himself, followed by the Queen, Princess, and Knight. Low-value symbols include roast beef, fried chicken, an octopus (why is it waving so happily at us?), jelly, and a plate of fruit. The wild is the King Cashalot, and the scatter is a fool.
The bonus round is triggered by a special symbol - a golden dragon. If you get 3 of them, you will activate the Pick and Win bonus. Place 5 King Cashalot symbols on line 9 and you will win the Microgaming Progressive Jackpot! The RTP for King Cashalot is 90.45%, which is pretty decent for a PJP slot.
The launch date of King Cashalot dates back to December 2004. You can probably already see the trend. All of the Microgaming progressive slots we have tested are very reliable by the standards of the online gaming industry. This means that they are very popular, but also that their graphics are a bit outdated compared to modern 3D slots. But we think the possibility of winning a progressive jackpot makes up for that, don't you?
LotsaLoot - Nothing scary, just good old-fashioned loot
LotsaLoot is all about... loot. You won't be distracted by any characters, bonus rounds or free spins. It's all about the base game. There are two versions of this Microgaming progressive jackpot slot machine - the original with 3 reels and the sequel with 5 reels. There are always 25 paylines and you can bet from 10p to €2.50 per spin.
All the symbols are familiar from classic slot machines - playing cards, bars, a four-leaf clover and a pot of gold. The Lotsaloot symbol is the wild. If you have a winning combination with Wilds2, your winnings will be multiplied by 2 times. If you're lucky enough to get 3 wilds, you'll get a 4x multiplier. 5 wild symbols anywhere on the reels will result in a big win, 10,000 coins, and if you somehow manage to get all 5 wild symbols on line 25, you will trigger the progressive jackpot!
Lotsaloot's RTP is 89.95%. While this is low compared to other Microgaming progressive slots, it's not too terrible. Overall, it is a very simple slot where the player should be prepared to wait for a big win and hope to hit the Microgaming progressive jackpot.
If you thought that previous slot machines were ancient, then Lotsaloot will seem prehistoric. This title, released in April 2000, has stood the test of time. The second 5-reel version was introduced in June 2004, four years after the original title was launched. Both are still very popular, but we have our own Lotsaloot slot review for the 5-reel version.
That was our list of the 5 best Microgaming progressive jackpots for 2023. Try them all and choose your favorite!