Microgaming has earned its place on the gambling stage

It is no secret that Microgaming gets a lot of attention among online gamblers and gambling company owners who want to partner with them. Their games are constantly being reviewed by both professionals and amateurs alike. The company also enjoys as strong a reputation as any other in the industry. But why?

Why is it that Microgaming receives so many accolades? Because this company knows how to do it right. Since the advent of online gambling, Microgaming has been at the forefront of industry development. They have been leaders in innovation and creativity. And best of all, they have shared their success with others.

Introducing Mega Moolah

Microgaming developed the very first online gaming software in 1994. A decade later they launched the first mobile casino platform. In essence, the company has been at the cutting edge for 26 years. However, Microgaming did not became a household name among video slot players until Mega Moolah was released. It was the first big Mega Moolah jackpot win that got everyone's attention. See the winners on our Winners page.

At first glance, Mega Moolah doesn't look all that special. It appears to be just another 25 pay line video slot themed around the Serengeti plain concept. But dig a little deeper and you find the one feature that makes Mega Moolah special: a 4-part progressive jackpot.

Mega Moolah doesn't offer just a single local jackpot. It offers four networked jackpots funded by every single game being played across the network at any given time. Microgaming's huge progressive network makes the Mega jackpot worth millions, most of the time. In fact, the Guinness world record for the single largest video slot jackpot - a payout that was in excess of £13 million paid to a British player - belongs to Mega Moolah.

Playing Mega Moolah

Mega Moolah is not all that different in terms of game-play. You choose the number of pay lines you want active, determine the value of each coin, and then decide how many coins you want to bet on the next spin. You are given lower paying symbols representative of playing cards 10 through Ace; you have higher paying symbols representing animals you might find on the Serengeti.

A standard spin produces a win whenever you land at least three like symbols on consecutive reels on a single pay line, beginning from the far left. The game has a scatter symbol that triggers a free spins bonus game that awards 15 free spins and a 3X multiplier. And of course, you have a wild symbol.

Playing for the Jackpot

What makes Mega Moolah special is jackpot play. Unlike other progressive jackpot games that require you to land certain symbols in order to have a shot at the big win, Mega Moolah awards chances to play for the jackpot randomly. Moreover, everyone given a shot to play for the jackpot will win at least one of the four jackpots.

The four jackpots are: Mini, Minor, Major and Mega. Their running totals are always seen at the top of the screen during play. When jackpot play is awarded, a new screen with a spinning wheel appears. You get one shot. Spin the wheel and see where it lands.

The wheel is divided into numerous coloured slots representing the four jackpots. There is only one slot for the Mega jackpot, making it the hardest one to win. The Mini jackpot has the largest number of slots on the wheel. Obviously, your chances of winning the Mini jackpot are greater than any of the other three.

You might be interested to know that Microgaming's progressive jackpot network is the largest in the world. It has paid out more than one billion (euro) to date. Mega Moolah is a big part of that network.

Other Microgaming titles

Mega Moolah could very well be Microgaming's most well-known game. But it is hardly the only Microgaming title worth playing. The company has released hundreds of titles over the years, all of them well worth your attention. Below are a few examples. Bear in mind that each of these games is powered by the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot network.

Atlantean Treasures

The Atlantean Treasures Mega Moolah slot is a new game (at the time of this writing) that was released in early 2020. It is a 10 pay line game with a 5x3 reel configuration, expanding wilds, re-spins, and more.

The game is themed around the mythical lost city of Atlantis and the treasure it allegedly holds. Game designers have incorporated rich animations and 3D graphics to create a truly underwater look and feel. If nothing else, Atlantean Treasures is a feast for the eyes. But you are going to love the game play as well because it offers the lowest minimum bet of just 0.10 per spin.

Expanding wilds are triggered when the mermaid wild symbol appears on any of the three middle reels. Every mermaid symbol will expand to cover every position on its associated reel. Note that the symbol also triggers the game's re-spin feature. When active, the expanded wilds are locked in place while the remaining reels spin up to three additional times.

Mega Vault Millionaire

If you are into gold, silver and diamonds, Mega Vault Millionaire's theme is right up your alley. This game is all about that secret vault and the riches found inside. This is a 25 pay line game with a 5x3 reel configuration, scatter and wild symbols, and a free spins bonus game.

The graphics are not nearly as dazzling as those in Atlantean Treasures, but they are still impressive, nonetheless. The visuals here are by no means arcade-style; they have been carefully created to support the vault theme and give your eyes a bit of candy to look at.

We recently did a comparison of the top Mega Moolah progressives and in our view Mega Vault Millionaire offers a slightly better chance of winning with it's slightly higher Return to Player (RTP) percentage.

Note that the Mega Vault Millionaire slot is only available for play at Casino Rewards group of casinos.

Absolootly Mad

The latest addition to the Mega Moolah network is the Absolootly Mad Mega Moolah slot. The theme is the Mad Hatter's Tea Party from the 1865 classic novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

The 3D graphics are sharp and offer the perfect backdrop for the strange and wacky world that can only be found by falling into a rabbit hole and coming out the other end. This game is complete with magic mushrooms and oddly shaped houses. Everything has been done with the intent of grabbing the player's attention. It really is that good.

But that's not all. Absolootly Mad is the first 243 Ways to Win game to offer Mega Moolah's jackpots. It also comes with Rolling Reels and a clever Multiplier Trail.

Wheel of Wishes

Finally, Wheel of Wishes transports you to the deserts of Arabia for a treasure hunting adventure of a lifetime. Its presentation is a little bit different despite the game being an official Microgaming title. The game screen features a 5x3 reel configuration as normal, but the minimalist controls are to the right of the reels rather than underneath.

Just above the reels are the running totals of all four jackpots, but they are not Mega Moolah jackpots. The Wheel of Wishes is a completely separate and unique progressive jackpot game. All of this sits against an Arabian desert backdrop featuring golden sand and blue skies. As for game symbols, Wheel of Wishes dispenses with the 10-to-Ace playing card symbols and uses card suits instead. Higher paying symbols are the treasures of Arabia.

The four jackpots in the Wheel of Wishes are Mini, Minor, Major and Wowpot. The difference is that in the Wheel of Wishes the Major Jackpot is seeded at £50,000 and the Wowpot at £2 million, whereas the Mega Moolah's Major Jackpot is seeded at £10,000 and the Mega Jackpot at £1 million.

Wheel of Wishes' special features include Power Spins and a 10x Power Mode that increases your bet by 10 times and gives you a better shot at playing for one of the jackpots. Power Spins is a special re-spin feature in which the middle three reels are locked in with a single, 3x3 high-value symbol, while reels 1 and 5 have at least one select high-value symbol. You can find more about the Wheel of Wishes under the news tag Wheel of Wishes, or you can visit WheelofWishes.net.

Great Mega Moolah games

As you can see, Microgaming has parleyed the reputation of its progressive jackpot network into a whole series of games that offer different themes and features but still rely on the Mega Moolah Jackpot players love so much. That is what's so amazing about Mega Moolah.

Mega Moolah is a game that could have peaked and waned like so many other video slots. In its very first iteration, there was nothing so special about it that would immediately grab a person's attention. Mega Moolah shot to fame because of its progressive jackpot feature and the first big win. You can read about that win in our article: Looking back at Blackjack Ballroom Casino's first big jackpot winner.

Once people started winning the jackpots, word of Mega Moolah began to spread. Not only did the game become more popular, but more players meant jackpots grew faster and larger. At some point the game took on a life of its own. It is now arguably the most popular progressive jackpot online. Microgaming has taken advantage of its popularity to build an entire series of games that all plug in to the Mega Moolah jackpot network.

Microgaming partner studios

It is difficult to write a post like this and not mention all of Microgaming's partner Studios. Microgaming is one of those companies that doesn't mind sharing its success with others. In fact, Microgaming routinely promotes its partner studios and the work they do.

On their website, Microgaming has an entire page devoted to the studios, to "introduce a new generation of independent game builders." These independent studios work with Microgaming in an exclusive relationship that allows them the freedom and resources to flourish while supplying Microgaming with a steady stream of great new titles.

To date, Microgaming has established relationships with the following independent studios:

• Alchemy Gaming
• all41studios
• Fortune Factory Studios
• Gameburger Studios
• Neon Valley Studios
• Pulse 8
• Sling Shot Studios
• Stormcraft Studios
• Switch Studios
• Triple Edge Studios.

It would not be possible for Microgaming to release as many games as they do without their independent studio partners. Microgaming provides the platform and tools; the independent studios produce games that will be offered exclusively to Microgaming licensees. It is a great arrangement through which everyone wins.

An industry leader by design

If you haven't picked up on it yet, Microgaming is not an industry leader by happenchance. Their position within the gaming industry is by design. They got their start back in the 1990s with a vision for what online gambling could be in a world that had never seen it before.

Look back on the company's history and it is clear to see that Microgaming has been an industry leader from day one. From that very first online gambling platform introduced in 1994, Microgaming developers and designers have continued to push the industry forward. They continue to do so today.