Online Slots Jackpot Guide: How jackpots work in slots

Do you read about huge jackpot wins on the slots and wonder how on earth they happen? There have been some famously giant jackpots over the years, including to British army veteran Jon Heywood, who won around $18 million after staking just a few cents on Microgaming’s Mega Moolah.

Contrary to popular belief, slot jackpots do hit – and more often than you might think.

But how do these online jackpot slots work? And how can you increase your chances of snaring a life-changing amount of money from just a few spins of your favorite games at TwinSpires Casino?

What are Jackpot Slots?

Most slots offer fixed payouts when you make a winning line or progress in a bonus feature. But some have huge jackpots to be won that can amount to many millions of dollars. There are several types of jackpots slots:

Progressive jackpots

These are the games with the biggest prizes of all. A small portion of every wager you make on the slot contributes to the progressive total. Of course, players all over the world who might be playing the same slot will be contributing, too, so the jackpot rises fast.

When a lucky player triggers the jackpot win, perhaps by a random mechanic or through some sort of special bonus feature, they scoop the lot, and the progressive jackpot returns to zero and starts totting up again.

But one thing you must keep in mind: because the slot takes a portion of each bet and puts it towards the jackpot, there is less to be won during normal gameplay. For this reason, the return to player (RTP) percentage of jackpot slots tends to be less than other games. But for those dreaming of mega wins, this is a small price to pay for eternal optimism.

Fixed jackpots

Some slots simply have static jackpot payouts that are far bigger than the cash you win by matching symbols on a line. You will spot these jackpot slots easily enough as the jackpots you can win (often, there are three or for different sizes) will be displayed above the reels.

An example of a jackpot slot is Divine Fortune, the Greek mythology-themed slot from NetEnt. Plenty of TwinSpires players have bagged six-figure wins playing the engaging game, just as they have with 88 Fortunes from IGT as well.

How to Hit Jackpots on Slots

If you want to hit a jackpot slot, you need to be playing one. When you look around the well-stocked slots section of TwinSpires Casino, you’ll find plenty to choose from. You can load a few up to see what they offer, or use the search bar and type in "jackpot" to find some more.

Progressive jackpots can generally be struck no matter what bet size you select. But on the fixed jackpot games, the more you are prepared to wager, the higher the potential jackpot prizes available. The best jackpot slots are probably the fixed ones that pay out more often – they may not be the biggest, but the cash can make a significant difference to your life.

If you’re unsure about how a jackpot slot works, it’s a good idea to play it in free mode first, so you understand what to do before spending your cash.

How Do You Know When Jackpot Slots are About to Hit?

Ah, how we all wish this was possible. If you had a crystal ball and could forecast when a slot would hit, you’d be scooping up millions of bucks every week!

The truth is that slots and their payouts, including jackpot awards, are entirely random. Just because a slot has been stone-cold for months, it doesn’t mean it’s about to heat up. And just because a slot jackpot was won last week, it doesn’t mean another is around the corner.

With that being said, many slots fans believe in slot trends, so keep an eye on these pages for our regular hot and cold slot features, collated by our statisticians.

The Best Jackpot Slots

Here are 10 of the best jackpot slots, many of which are available here at TwinSpires Casino:

1. Hall of Gods
2. Divine Fortune
3. Rainbow Jackpots
4. 88 Fortunes
5. African Legends
6. Mega Moolah
7. Mega Fortune
8. Joker Millions
9. Cleopatra Mega Jackpots
10. Deal or No Deal Megaways

Play Jackpot Slots at TwinSpires Casino

Are you fired up to win a fortune? You can give jackpot slots a spin at TwinSpires Casino today. If you have not already done so, sign up for your account, make a real money deposit, and head to the slots section to find your favorite game. Good luck!