Microgaming Jackpots

Microgaming’s Hit Progressive Slots

Anyone who has ever played at a renowned online casino has probably already heard the name Microgaming. The latter is among the frontrunners in the online gambling industry and is regarded as one of the key casino software developers in the world. Microgaming’s creations are easy to spot – each game on the developer’s portfolio impresses with unparalleled depth in terms of visuals and sounds, not to mention the interface is so user-friendly that even first-time players are able to find their way around.

• Brief History
• Important Features
• Mega Moolah Jackpot Network
• Continuously Growing
• The Mega Moolah Network in Figures
• The Mega Moolah Jackpot Fund
• Currency Conversion
• Multi-Million Jackpots
• Winners
• Mega Moolah Jackpot Slots
• Mega Moolah - the Original
• Mega Moolah: Absolootly Mad
• Mega Moolah: Atlantean Treasures
• WowPot Series of Progressives
• Wheel of Wishes
• Book of Atem
• Sisters of Oz
• Other Slots with the Biggest Jackpots
• Major Millions
• King Cashalot
• FAQ

Slot fans have this leading software supplier to thank for some of the most innovative slot titles one can possibly play online. Some of those go hand in hand with gargantuan progressive jackpots that can transform lucky players into millionaires. Read on to find out more about Microgaming’s history, achievements, and the key features of the jackpot slots, offered by the developer.

History

Important Features

Jackpot Network

Popular Slots

Microgaming – Brief History and Key Achievements

Microgaming is largely considered a pioneer in the development of online gambling solutions. Interestingly enough, the company started out over twenty years ago when it launched the first ever online casino, the Gaming Club, in 1994. Several years later, Microgaming decided to head in a different direction and concentrate its efforts primarily on casino software development and licensing its creations to other web-based gambling operators instead.

Microgaming’s impact on the industry is impossible to deny. The software developer is to be held responsible for the launch of the first ever wide-area progressive slot in the world, Cash Splash, which was introduced to enthusiastic slot players the world over in 1998. Two years later, the key supplier went on to launch the first Instant Play software, allowing players to enjoy their favorite games without having to install any downloadable casino clients.

However, it was in 2002 that Microgaming really took off. The developer’s hugely popular Mega Moolah slot entered the Guinness Book of World Records for paying the biggest progressive slot prize in history. It is fair to say, the software supplier paved the way for mobile gaming, when in 2004, it became the first developer to release a slot compatible with mobile devices, the Double Magic. This was followed by yet another success when the company launched the first branded slot title in the industry, Tomb Raider.

But this is not all. In 2006 alone, Microgaming’s progressive slot titles boasted cumulative payouts of over $200 million. The developer is also responsible for introducing the so-called “All Pays” feature, which went on to become one of the most widespread slot formats in the industry. Slot fans have the key developer to thank for the Gram Slam of Slots – the first tournament of its kind which accepted entries from various Microgaming-powered casinos.

Microgaming launched Quickfire in 2010, the official name of its iGaming distribution platform. In a curious turn of events, however, the year 2022 saw Microgaming selling the Quickfire distribution business and its entire catalog to Games Global. The company has taken the reins of Microgaming’s legacy, while the creator of the first online casino has shifted focus to the provision of platform systems and services.

Important Features of Microgaming Slots

Microgaming’s slots, progressive or not, are certainly easy to recognize. Each slot on the developer’s gaming portfolio is like a feast for the eyes thanks to the outstanding graphics and engaging animations that have become somewhat of a trademark of Microgaming’s. The visuals are crystal clear and exceptionally vivid, while the digital sound effects add further authenticity to the games.

As far as gameplay is concerned, you are unlikely to face any difficulties in finding your way around, even if you have never spun the reels of an online slot. The interface of the games is quite user-friendly and easy to navigate.

Some Microgaming slots utilize the 243-Way-to-Win format, allowing players to land a greater number of winning combinations on the reels. There are no paylines as such in these games. Thus, there is no need for players to select the lines they wish to bet on. The combinations of matching symbols simply need to appear on the reels from left to right in order for players to collect a payout.

The Paytable Achievements is yet another feature of interest that can be found on some advanced Microgaming slots. Players earn their achievements by completing all possible payouts for each symbol on the reels. The more one progresses through the game, the greater the rewards they earn. These include rounds of free spins, bigger multipliers, and retriggering of the bonus spins, among others.

Microgaming’s Mega Moolah Jackpot Network

Some slots, courtesy of the leading software developer, are linked to Microgaming’s progressive jackpot network. The progressive prizes often exceed $10 million as the bets on all these slots contribute to the accumulation of the pools. What is more, the slots in question are linked across all online casino operators that run on Microgaming’s platform.

The Mega Moolah Network Is Continuously Growing

The slots that feed the jackpots from the progressive network initially included the classic Mega Moolah, Mega Moolah Isis, Mega Moolah 5-Reel Drive, and Mega Moolah Summertime. The selection of epic jackpot slots is constantly growing as the legendary studio frequently adds more releases to the network.

Atlantean Treasures, Fortunium Gold, Absolootly Mad, Juicy Joker, and Mega Moolah Goddess are now all part of it. Players’ favorite vampire-themed Immortal Romance is another Microgaming classic that is a part of the Mega Moolah network.

The Mega Moolah Network in Figures

All linked games offer several different rewards as there are four jackpots to be won, namely the Mini, Minor, Major, and the Mega jackpots. The second largest prize is the Major jackpot which seeds at the starting amount of £10,000 or the equivalent in other currencies.

The other two prizes are smaller and hit more often. The Minor jackpot starts accumulating at £100, while the Mini prize seeds at the humble amount of £10. Other cool features of the Mega Moolah slot series include wilds, scatter symbols, rounds of free spins, and multiple-coin bets.

Over the years, the network has awarded over 18 million individual jackpot prizes totaling over 1.3 billion in prize money. Players have won over 14.2 million Mini jackpots, 3.9 million Minor jackpots, 4,606 Major pots, and 11,537 Mega prizes. The average hit frequency of the Microgaming pots is 7,824 per day.

Needless to say, the Mini and Minor pots are smaller and hit more frequently. But it is the Mega jackpot that transforms recreational slot players into millionaires. Once somebody wins one of the four progressive prizes, the respective jackpot is reset to its base-seed level. You will be able to read more detailed information on some of the progressive Microgaming slots in the next section of the article.

The Mega Moolah Jackpot Fund Uses GBP as a Base Currency

The largest jackpot starts seeding at the impressive amount of £1 million, which explains how the prize skyrockets to eight figures so quickly. One important thing to note here is that Microgaming itself provides this seed amount and uses the GBP as the base currency for its Mega Moolah network. The use of the GBP is understandable considering the company hails from the British dependency the Isle of Man.

Things are easy when a player with a GBP casino account hits the jackpot. He or she will collect the full jackpot fund down to the very last penny. The Mega pot will drop to zero, and Microgaming will provide the £1,000,000 seed so that there will be plenty of prize money for other spinners playing the slot after the windfall.

Currency Conversion for Lower-Value Currency Wins

The process is a bit more complicated when players win the pot in other currencies. Complexity arises because the studio pays out winners who use different currencies from the GBP pool fund. Another reason why Microgaming uses this base currency is because the GBP has a higher value compared to USD and CAD, for instance.

Respectively, if a player triggers the Mega jackpot in another currency, the GBP-based fund will cover the win but a portion will remain in the pool for the next pot trigger. Here is an example of what happens in this case. Let’s suppose someone from the Great White North hits the pot for CA$7,000,000, which amounts to £4,095,700 at the current exchange rate.

Microgaming would take £4,095,700 from the pool to pay the Canadian player in full. If the entire pool stood at £7,000,000 at the moment of the jackpot drop, this would mean £2,904,300 will remain in the fund for the next big win. The jackpot will start accumulating from this amount rather than from £1,000,000, and Microgaming will not have to provide any seed in this case.

Mega Moolah Can Drop Clusters of Multi-Million Jackpots

This mechanism is in place with wins in other currencies as well, allowing the Mega jackpot to reach impressive amounts. It also makes it possible for the Mega Moolah slot to yield clusters of multi-million payouts. Players worldwide can enjoy the game in many different currencies.

When a lucky winner uses something other than the GBP, this typically leaves huge amounts in the remaining pool, especially if the pot has escalated to an eight-figure sum. Another interesting point is that when the fund gets under one million after the currency conversion on a win, the Isle of Man-based studio will again seed the pool to £1,000,000.

Winners Receive Their Prizes in a Single Large Chunk

The network has transformed many players into millionaires since its launch. More importantly, Microgaming-powered operators pay winners the jackpots in a single chunk rather than in separate payments after completing the necessary verification checks. Here are some of the record-breaking Mega Moolah jackpot wins over the years:

• In October 2015, UK soldier Jon Heywood from Cheshire won £13,213,838 (€17,879,645) at Betway Casino with a minimum stake of £0.25. Mega Moolah made it to the Guinness Book of World Records for awarding the largest online jackpot in a slot. Mr. Heywood’s win beat the previous world record from 2013 when a Finnish player collected €17,861,813 from NetEnt’s Mega Fortune slot.
• In September 2018, an anonymous player pocketed €18,915,872 from the Mega Moolah slot at Grand Mondial Casino with a €0.75 bet.
• In August 2020, a player from Sweden scooped €14,239,532 in prize money at Lucky Casino. He became the eighth person Mega Moolah transformed into a multi-millionaire in 2020.
• In April 2021, Microgaming beat its 2015 record by awarding a staggering €19,430,723 in prize money from the Mega Moolah: Absolootly Mad slot. The lucky winner was from Belgium and hit the life-changing pot at Napoleon Sports & Casino.

Pursue Your Luck with These 3 Mega Moolah Jackpot Slots

We bet your hands are literally itching to set the reels in motion after reading the inspiring stories above. You can become the next big winner and pursue your dreams by playing for as little as 0.10 credits in your base currency. Please note that minimum bet amounts vary based on which slot from the Mega Moolah series you play.

For example, the classic African-themed original plays on 25 fixed paylines with a minimum line bet of 0.01 for a 0.25 bet per spin. By contrast, the newer Absolootly Mad release lacks conventional paylines and uses the 243 Ways to Win mechanic instead.

The minimum you have to pay to qualify for all these winning ways is 0.20. Now, let’s check out three of the most enticing games from the Mega Moolah series. Remember they all link to the same prize pool. It is irrelevant which one you choose – you play for the chance to win the same jackpots.

Mega Moolah – the Original

As visually impressive as the new additions to the Mega Moolah network are, nothing can quite beat the legendary status of the original savannah-themed slot that started it all. The original Mega Moolah plays on 25 paylines where various beasts native to Africa help you form the winning combinations. Microgaming has chosen giraffes, lions, monkeys, elephants, and kongonis to represent the high-paying symbols.

Low-value combinations are possible by aligning symbols with card initials. The scattered monkey triggers the free spins round which comes with a 3x multiplier on the wins. Players can re-trigger the free spins by landing at least three monkeys during the feature. The lion is wild (excuse the pun), substituting for all other icons bar the scatter.

The jackpot bonus game triggers at random but only within the base game. It is impossible to unlock the jackpot wheel during a round of free spins. Players can win one of the four progressive pots at any time and any bet level. However, the higher you bet, the bigger your chances of scooping a progressive prize.

Mega Moolah: Absolootly Mad

In 2018 Microgaming joined forces with the independent slot designer Triple Edge Studios, which created this original release exclusively for the Isle of Man-based company. Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice children novels, this visually sophisticated slot takes you down the rabbit hole on a wonder-filled adventure during which you can win life-changing prizes.

Triple Edge Studios has opted to shift the focus from Alice to the Hatter, the highest-paying symbol in the game followed by the Cheshire Cat, the March Hare, a mushroom cupcake, teacups, and a pocket watch. The game uses the Rolling Reels mechanic with a multiplier trail and offers 243 winning ways.

Multipliers increase after each successive win, ranging from 1x to 5x in the base game. The free spins round comes with multipliers from 3x to 15x the total bet. Players collect wild coin symbols throughout the Rolling Reels play. Once they complete the feature, they have a chance to unlock the progressive wheel. The more wilds you collect, the better your chances of the wheel appearing but bet size also matters.

Mega Moolah: Atlantean Treasures

Exciting undersea adventures are in store for players who decide to give the reels of Mega Moolah: Atlantean Treasures a spin. Neon Valley Studios designed this exclusive mermaid-themed release especially for Microgaming, and we must admit the results are spectacular. Atlantean Treasures plays on 10 fixed lines that pay in both directions, increasing your odds of scoring payouts.

The visuals are captivating, to say the least. You will encounter various vibrant sea creatures as top-paying symbols along with an elusive expanding wild mermaid. Atlantean Treasures features a wealth of other functionalities including respins and a pearl-shaped symbol that triggers the progressive wheel game.

The progressive pearl can appear only on the second, third, and fourth reels over all icons except for the wild mermaid. Your goal is to collect pearls for the chance of triggering a spin of the jackpot wheel. Your odds of achieving this increase proportionately to the size of your bet.

Microgaming’s WowPot Series of Progressives

Microgaming initially launched the original WowPot title years ago. It was a simple three-reel game that later on became available in a five-reel format with 15 paylines. The software studio revamped the WowPot jackpot network in early 2020 with the release of Wheel of Wishes, which became the first title from the growing progressive series.

At the moment of writing, the network has expanded to feature several releases with diverse themes, including Wheel of Wishes, Book of Atem, Sisters of Oz, African Legends, Queen of Alexandria, and Sherlock & Moriarty. Bets from all these titles feed the four-tier network, except for African Legends, which links to the major level only. Each WowPot game gives players the chance to pocket one of the following progressive prizes:

• The WowPot jackpot seeding at 2,000,000
• The Major jackpot seeding at 50,000
• The Minor jackpot seeding at 100
• The Mini jackpot seeding at 10

The triggering criteria for the WowPot prizes are game-specific. The jackpot triggers randomly in Book of Atem and Sisters of Oz. Players collect special coins or book symbols during the gameplay, and each icon has the potential to launch the WowPot wheel-based bonus game. In contrast, spinners must score eight or more successive wins via the Rolling Reels mechanic to scoop the major-tier jackpot in African Legends. In other games, you must land a specific symbol configuration to trigger the bonus wheel.

Said wheel contains twenty sections in total, with slices reserved for each of the four pots. You spin the wheel and wait for the pointer to select a slice to collect its corresponding progressive prize. Similarly to Mega Moolah, Microgaming provides the seeds for the WowPot prize fund and uses the GBP as a base currency.

WowPot is a young jackpot network, especially compared to Mega Moolah, but it has already gained massive traction in the reel-spinning community. The largest top-tier win on the new network occurred in April 2021 when a British player landed £15,183.085 (€17,529,047) at 32Red Casino with a £0.80 wager on Book of Atem. The lucky winner eclipsed the €1,123,513 win that hit just a month earlier on the Sisters of Oz slot. Let’s have a closer look at three of the most appealing WowPot jackpot slots.

Wheel of Wishes

Designed exclusively for Microgaming by the Alchemy Gaming studio, Wheel of Wishes holds an obvious appeal to players with its stunning visuals and special features. The slot plays on 10 paylines and includes giant symbols, power spins, a power mode, and a jackpot bonus game.

The power spin triggers when players land two scattered wheel symbols. During the power spin, the first and fifth reels turn into a random stacked symbol. The second, third, and fourth reels will transform into a giant symbol that covers all their grids. Landing a full wheel symbol unlocks the Wheel of Wishes jackpot game.

Players also have the option to activate the power mode for permanent power spins, which would also increase their odds of triggering the jackpot game. However, this comes at the cost of 10x your bet per power spin. The wilds will help you score more winning combinations within the base game. All regular symbols pay from left to right bar the scatter which can return payouts in any direction.

Book of Atem

Book of Atem launched across Microgaming-powered casinos in early September 2020 to become the second game linked to the WowPot network. The Egypt-themed slot comes with high volatility, much to the delight of thrill-seeking spinners. It plays on a transparent 3×5 reel grid and offers you 10 paylines you can win on.

The game is courtesy of the ambitious supplier All41 Studios, which joined Microgaming’s growing roster of independent studios back in May 2019. All41 Studios focuses on delivering premium quality games that ensure the finest possible spinning experience. Its commitment to quality is evident in all aspects of Book of Atem, from the superb visual design to the enticing gameplay.

Players must collect scattered books for the chance to trigger the jackpot wheel and pocket one of the four WowPot prizes. Three scatters landing on the same spin unleash a round of ten free spins, with the option to retrigger more. At the start of the free spins, the game’s software picks one random symbol that can expand to cover an entire reel. The scattered books are also wild, acting as substitution symbols.

Sisters of Oz

Sisters of Oz takes players on a mesmerizing adventure to a magical world where four beautiful sorceresses dwell. Created for Microgaming by Triple Edge Studios, the game uses a 4×5 reel grid with twenty winning lines. Sisters of Oz simply brims with magnificent features.

To begin with, players will benefit from the so-called jumbo blocks. Witch symbols can stack on the three center reels to create 3×4 blocks, increasing your odds of matching combinations. The icon with the Oz book acts both as a wild and a scatter. It can substitute for all symbols except the coin that triggers the progressive wheel.

During the base game, players collect coins in the Wicked Tales pot for the chance to unlock the bonus wheel that awards one of the four progressive prizes. Placing higher bets increases the odds of triggering the jackpot wheel. Apart from the jackpot bonus game, Sisters of Oz features a round of up to ten free spins with multipliers. You can unlock it by landing at least three scattered wilds on the same spin.

Other Microgaming Slots with Progressive Jackpots

As mentioned previously, Microgaming’s slots are among the titles that offer some of the largest progressive jackpots in the world. Keep in mind the slots from the Mega Moolah and WowPot series are not the only Microgaming releases to carry such a massive winning potential. The studio offers several other wide-area progressives with appetizing prizes, including Major Millions and King Cashalot. Each of those links to a separate jackpot pool.

The original Mega Moolah slot was inspired by the African savannah and utilizes various wild animals as symbols on the reels. Both the classic Mega Moolah and its Egypt-themed cousin, Mega Moolah Isis, feature 25 paylines, spread across five reels. There are 9 paylines in Mega Moolah Summertime and 15 paylines in the 5-Reel Drive variation of the slot.

Major Millions

Major Millions is another popular Microgaming title that comes with a colossal progressive jackpot. This is a fun slot, which boasts an aviation theme. It, too, is available in several enticing variations, MegaSpin, the 5-reel version, and the classic 3-reel Major Millions slot.

Similarly to the Mega Moolah slots, the Major Million titles are linked in a progressive network, so all three variants contribute to the accumulation of the huge jackpot prize. The latter typically seeds at 250,000 credits, when reset.

King Cashalot

Slot fans, looking for life-changing payouts are also recommended to give Microgaming’s King Cashalot slot a try. Although more simplified in terms of graphical presentation and animations, this 5-reel slot with 9 paylines is well worth your time as it is attached to a hefty progressive jackpot, which seeds at 100,000 credits.

As the name suggests, the slot is based on a medieval theme and features some fun and colorful graphics. Players would also benefit from a variety of extra features, the likes of scatter symbols, multipliers, and a “pick-until-collect” bonus game.

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