The gambling industry has seen rapid growth and evolution over the past few years. Games are being developed at breakneck speed and each with bigger and better features and rewards. One of the most interesting types of games is definitely the progressive jackpot game. These little gems don’t necessarily always come with the best graphics or features but the jackpot prize pool they offer is worth every spin.
Progressive Jackpot games have been around for many decades in fact it is said that IGT, founded by Si Redd in the 70’s, was the first to come up with the idea of a progressive slot game for land based casinos. The company used this progressive game theory to create a new range of slot machines called Megabucks, which were an instant hit. One of their biggest draw cards was that in order to play for the big jackpot players only needed to bet a minimum of 3 coins per spin!
“Always Winning! Microgaming - among its many other online casino firsts – was the first to launch an online progressive jackpot game when it launched Cash Splash in 1998!”
What sets progressive jackpot games apart from other games is the way in which the games are able to offer the dream of a staggering instant millionaire win. Each time a player makes a bet on any progressive jackpot machine a portion of the bet is siphoned into a jackpot pool. Thus, each time you place a bet on any of the progressive machines in that network - whether it be in a land based casino or online - the jackpot continues to grow until, often into the millions!
The Giant That Started It All
If you’ve ever wondered about the beginning of the online casino industry then you’re finally about to get some answers. Microgaming was the first company in history to step into the then uncharted waters we now call online gambling by launching the world’s first online casino back in 1994 – and how the world has changed into the past two and a half decades.
It’s worth noting that since taking that Neil Armstrong-like first step into the great unknown Microgaming has worked tirelessly to become one of the best-known names in the world of online casino slot developers. Far from just being another player in the evolution of this industry Microgaming is the progenitor of a global phenomenon that has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry.
“Which Came First? While Microgaming have the bragging right to launching the First Online Casino (1994), it is a Cryptologic casino brand that holds the title of First Online Wager placed (1996)!”
Microgaming was bold enough to risk trying something different and now decades later they are still recognized and respected as one of the best, most inventive and most reliable casino game designers in the industry. Players flock to their library of games because they are fresh, creative and highly intriguing. Each slot comes with an interesting theme or story whether it is something completely new or a reimagining of a well-loved story. Their ideas are fun and the ideas are bold and colourful, exactly what one needs to escape from a dull day at work or just to brighten up your day. With each new release they continue to impress and keep players hooked and wanting more.
Set Your Sights on These Big 5 from Microgaming
With such an impressive history and list of firsts behind their name it comes as no surprise that they were one of the first companies who took a dive into the progressive jackpot game development. Now years later they are boasting with a wide selection of over 41 progressives including player favourites like Mega Moolah – which incidentally holds the Guinness world record for the biggest online jackpot ever won.
1. Mega Moolah
Considering that Mega Moolah is a progressive slot popular across the globe thanks to its massive and frequent pay-outs it should come as no surprise that it tops our chart as the number one Microgaming Progressive game. Plus, as previously mentioned, it’s the progressive that set a Guinness World Record in 2009 for the biggest online jackpot of €6.37 million, and then again for a 2015 win of €17.8 million (from a 25p spin)! It seem that when you play on Mega Moolah the odds are certainly in your favour!
“A Heart Warming Story! The winner of the €17.8 million jackpot was a 26 year old UK serviceman by the name of Jonathan Heywood. The first thing on his to do list was to get his ailing father the best medical treatment money could buy! His dad needed both a lung and heart transplant!”
The cherry on top is that Mega Moolah comes with 4 different jackpots you can hit namely the Mega, Major, Minor and Mini. Each jackpot comes with a different prize pool and each of them continue to grow with every spin. The Mega Jackpot is the big daddy of them all and its starting jackpot is a guaranteed cool million!
Mega Moolah as a slot game however is pretty standard. It has 5 reels and 25 paylines, and comes with Wild symbols that will double your wins and Scatters that unlocks 15 Free Spins. During these Free Spins all wins are tripled – the good news is that they can be retriggered during Free Spin games to load up the win tally!
“Did You Know? The Mega Moolah Jackpot Wheel was inspired by the popular American gameshow Wheel of Fortune!”
With its Wild Africa theme Mega Moolah has captured the hearts of many adventurous bettors. Although in reality the real reason for its popularity is the jackpot prize pool. While it remains a game of chance there have been many players lucky enough to strike big jackpot wins with this game over the past few years giving others more than enough reason to try their luck!
Major Millions might languish in the shadow of the better known Mega Moolah but it is no slouch in the Mega Jackpot department having paid out high six to seven figure jackpots on numerous occasions.
The fun cartoonish design and the military theme makes it worth every spin especially if the captain with his big pearly smile pops up on the reels. The Major salutes your bravery and invites you try your luck on any of the three versions of Major Millions:
- Major Millions – MegaSpin
- Major Millions – 5 Reel video slot
- Major Millions – original 3 Reel video slot
The exciting news is that all three versions of the game are linked to the same progressive jackpot pool. This means that no matter which type of gameplay suits your taste and budget you still have a chance at walking away with a cool six figure win if Lady Luck is on your side.
King Cashalot has been charming players with that big smile, epic beard and all round sumptuously entertaining gameplay since he was first released as a Viper progressive slot back in 2004.
While the King does not boast the massive jackpot totals of his peers – take a look at Mega Moolah 5 Reel Drive or Mega Moolah Summertime for some crazy big jackpots – he does rack up jackpot totals of several hundred thousand, if not a million, which he distributes freely to his vassals.
This is a thoroughly entertaining medieval themed progressive jackpot that will be more popular with modest gamblers who keep an eye on their credit balance while maximising winnings, rather than the all-in mega jackpot chaser. That being said the more the merrier in Cashalot Castle so spin those reels and help build that jackpot total!
“Fun Fact: King Cashalot is the very first game to offer the ‘Pick-until-Collect’ bonus feature which allows you to pick one of eight treasure chests on display. Not happy with the win? Then discard that win and pick again but be careful you only have 3 chances and will have to live with the value of the third pick no matter what!”
4. Caribbean Draw Poker
Yes that is correct, not all Progressive Games are online or mobile slots! Microgaming offers a full suite of Progressive Games including blackjack, several types of poker games and Roulette Royale.
Caribbean Draw Poker was among the first games to be added to online casino platforms and given a new digital home. Microgaming’s version of the game comes with a cool five figure progressive jackpot that continues to grow as more players aim to improve their skills in poker.
Caribbean Draw Poker is a 5-card draw video poker variant that is played with a single 52 card deck. During the game your aim is to take on the dealer in the main five card draw game. There is also the added optional bonus or side bet that you can play at the same time to increase your winnings. The only way to strike the jackpot in this game is to hit a Royal Flush.
“Did You Know? That in a deck of playing cards the Ace, King, Queen and Jack cards of all suits are known as Honour Cards.”
5. Tunzamunni
When Tunzamunni progressive launched it immediately had some lifelong fans! No because it was a new progressive jackpot slot but rather because it combined two things that slot lovers have a soft spot for.
Firstly it harkened back to a favourite slot lovers theme, the hidden treasure of a slot ancient tribe. It’s a fact slots based on Incan Gold and Ancient Egypt tug at our heart strings.
Second, it is a homage to the classic 3 reel 1 payline slots of the Golden Age of yesteryear. There are plenty slots crammed to the rafters with bonus features, mini-games, and more but a basic one-arm bandit style slot that is still as much fun to play today as it was way back when a real winner in any players’ book is. Tunzamunni proves that the classics never go out of style. Especially when that classic slot comes loaded with tribal treasure theme and a five figure progressive jackpot!
“More Bang for Your Nickel! Tunzamunni was the very first nickel progressive slot created by Microgaming!”
There are plenty of progressive slots and table games to choose from if you are playing at a Microgaming online casino. As one of the oldest online game developing companies Microgaming has managed to uphold its reputation and still continue to surprise with their innovative and fresh content monthly. One could argue that they’ve had quite the head start but in truth the company is just run by a bunch of professionals with a love for the industry, the games and the players.
When looking for the best Microgaming progressives to play why not take a look at GamblersPick Select Casino? These online casinos have been reviewed by the GamblersPick community and each have been rated by players like you based on their personal experiences – good and bad – from game selections, to bonuses, to customer service. You can’t go wrong when choosing a casino from GamblersPick Select Casinos.
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