Jackpot Types: Fixed, Local Progressive, Network Progressive and Must-Drop

Key takeaways

• Fixed jackpots are a set multiple of the stake. Progressive jackpots grow from a share of every bet and reset when won.
• Progressive pools can be local to one game, shared across a network of casinos or bounded by a must-drop rule.
• The jackpot is funded from the game’s RTP, so a large top prize usually comes with a lower share for everything else.

Fixed jackpots

A fixed jackpot is a top prize defined as a multiple of the stake, such as a stated number of times the bet. It is part of the pay table and does not grow. Its size is known in advance and the odds of hitting it are built into the game maths. Many ordinary slots have a fixed top prize, usually described as max win. See how to read max win.

Local progressive

A local progressive pool is fed only by bets on one game at one casino, or on a small group of linked machines. A fixed fraction of each stake goes into the pool, which grows until a player wins it and it resets to a seed value. Pools are smaller because the volume of bets feeding them is limited.

Network progressive

A network progressive pools contributions from many casinos that offer the same game. The larger bet volume makes the pool grow quickly and reach much higher figures than a local one. Mega Moolah is the best-known example. It was released in 2006 by Microgaming, whose games business now operates as Games Global. It has several jackpot levels, commonly described as Mini, Minor, Major and Mega, each with its own pool. Seed values and current pool sizes vary and are shown by the game or the operator, so check them there.

Must-drop jackpots

A must-drop (or “hot drop”) jackpot carries a rule that it will be awarded by a certain point: either when the pool reaches a set amount or within a set time window. The rule bounds the pool and guarantees an award within that bound. It does not tell any single player when, or whether, it will be theirs.

Why RTP is split

A progressive game’s total RTP is divided between the base game and the jackpot contribution. A 96% RTP game, for example, returns part of that through ordinary wins and the rest as the long-run average contribution to the jackpot pool. The jackpot share only reaches players on average over a very large number of bets, and in practice it is paid to very few of them.

Two points follow:

• Studios and regulators may publish RTP as a range, or give separate figures for the base game and the jackpot.
• Because the pool can be very large, the payout on a win can be large, but the odds of triggering it are small. For how the spread of outcomes behaves, see house edge and RTP maths.

Type	Pool fed by	Pool size	Resets after win
Fixed	Not applicable	Fixed multiple of stake	No pool
Local progressive	One game or casino	Smaller	Yes
Network progressive	Many casinos	Larger	Yes
Must-drop	One or many	Bounded by rule	Yes

Where to look

Studios publish jackpot types and RTP per game, and our slots catalog lists those figures. On-chain jackpots, where the pool sits in a smart contract, are tracked in our on-chain section.

This article is information, not advice to gamble. You must be 18 or older.

FAQ

What is the difference between a fixed and a progressive jackpot?

A fixed jackpot is a set multiple of the stake and never changes. A progressive jackpot grows as a small part of each bet is added to a pool, until someone wins it and it resets to a starting value.

Why does a progressive slot often show a lower base-game RTP?

Part of the total RTP is reserved for feeding the jackpot pool. That leaves less for ordinary wins, so the base game pays less often or less per win.

What is a must-drop jackpot?

A must-drop jackpot is guaranteed to be awarded before the pool reaches a set ceiling or by a set time. Which one applies depends on the game's rules.