Microgaming's ace in the sleeve for 2020: Progressive games

ICE London 2020 was the place to be in February for anyone and everyone involved in the online gambling industry. The annual event brings together gambling operators, game developers and marketers from around the world to preview what is coming over the next 10 to 12 months. One of the stars of this year's event was Microgaming.

The Isle of Man company largely credited for pioneering online casino play in the 1990s came to ICE fully prepared to make a statement. And that they did, with the help of nine independent studios with whom they partner to develop a seemingly unending stream of new games.

Industry players unfamiliar with Microgaming prior to ICE London 2020 sure know of them now. They also know that the company has an ace up the proverbial sleeve: progressive games. Microgaming progressive jackpots are consistently some of the biggest in the world. It's no wonder their games attract so much attention worldwide.

New progressive games for 2020

Microgaming revealed at ICE that they have scheduled the release of 100 exclusive titles and 240 partner games for 2020. Among them are a number of progressive slots tied to the legendary Mega Moolah jackpot network or the new Wheel of Wishes (WowPot) jackpot network. First among them is Sisters of Oz from Triple Edge Studios. It appears to be the follow-up to their Book of Oz slot game.

Triple Edge Studios has also produced Absolootly Mad. This game's progressive jackpot is tied to Mega Moolah, whereas Sisters of Oz is part of the WowPot jackpot. Joining Sisters of Oz on WowPot is Stormcraft Studios' Fortunium Gold progressive slot.

If that's not enough for you, Microgaming partner Neon Valley Studios is set to introduce yet another Mega Moolah-linked progressive slot in Atlantean Treasures. There could be more coming down the pike; these are just the ones we know about for now. One thing people in the gambling sector have learned is to never underestimate Microgaming.

Mega Moolah's progressive jackpot

It is no accident that many of the progressive games released by Microgaming and its partners are tied to the Mega Moolah jackpot. As we have mentioned numerous times in past blog posts, the Mega Moolah slot is arguably the most popular progressive slot on the internet. It routinely pays out sizable jackpot wins in the millions that literally change lives.

Mega Moolah currently holds the Guinness World Record for a single jackpot payout. That payout was to a British player who won in excess of £13 million back in 2015. At the time of this writing, the jackpot stood at just a tad over £16 million. If it goes another few weeks, a new record will be set, regardless of what currency the jackpot is won.

There are two things that set Mega Moolah's jackpot apart. First is how it is won. Rather than having to land a certain number of symbols on a certain set of reals, players are randomly awarded an opportunity to play for the jackpot. Those who get the chance spin a wheel of fortune. If the wheel stops on the right slot, the jackpot is won.

The other significant thing about the Mega Moolah jackpot is that it is not a single jackpot. There are actually four of them: Mini, Minor, Major, and Mega. If you are randomly awarded an opportunity to play for the jackpot, your chances of winning one of them is guaranteed as there's no empty slots in the jackpot wheel.

The progressive jackpot concept

We understand that some of our readers perhaps don't get what all the fuss is about. They do not know why progressive jackpot games are so popular. In a word: winning. Imagine being the next Mega Moolah jackpot winner taking home more than 16 million in British Pounds, Euros, US/CA/NZ Dollars!

You could play video slots every day for the rest of your life and never accumulate total winnings anywhere near that amount. Yet knowing the potential for such a huge win is always there makes playing the game both interesting and entertaining. You might even find it intriguing.

The progressive jackpot concept is based on taking a portion of every standard wager placed on a networked game and putting it in the pot. To get a jackpot up to £16 million you need lots of contributions. So how do they do it? By networking the Mega Moolah jackpot all over the world.

Every game tied to the Mega Moolah jackpot is on the network. As a result, every player playing a networked game is contributing a small seed to the jackpot with every single spin. This explains how the Mega Moolah jackpot tends to grow at a rate of roughly £250,0000 every single day. That means there are millions of players around the world playing the Mega Moolah daily!

Progressive jackpots just keep growing until somebody wins. That means no one really knows how high the Mega Moolah jackpot could grow. In theory, there should be no upward limit. And that is the appeal of progressive jackpot games.

A Microgaming specialty

When you step back and take a look at Microgaming's entire progressive game portfolio, it becomes pretty clear that they know what they're doing with progressive games. They have a lot of them in their portfolio. In terms of slots, Mega Moolah is only the start. Other Microgaming progressive slots include Wheel of Wishes, Major Millions, King Cashalot, Treasure Nile, Tunzamunni, and Fruit Fiesta. Wheel of Wishes currently offers a jackpot worth £2.5 million, and Major Millions and King Cashalot both offer £1 million plus jackpots. Of course, these games don't even come close to the 16 million prize available of Mega Moolah, but they are still offering huge jackpots worth going for.

Progressive jackpots do not have to be limited to slot games. Microgaming's Caribbean Draw Poker is an example of a progressive table game. This is a traditional Caribbean poker game with an added twist: players who want a shot at the progressive jackpot can place a side bet to that effect. Winning the jackpot off that bet requires getting a royal flush.

There is a similar way to win the progressive jackpot in Microgaming's Poker Ride table game. The only difference here is that the side bet is automatically played on every hand. The player who wants a chance at the jackpot need only maximize that side bet before the hand begins.

Triple Sevens is yet another progressive jackpot table game. This one is a blackjack game that requires an additional side bet for a chance to win. After the bet is placed, the player is looking to be dealt two sevens during the normal course of play. If he gets them, he asks for one more card. A third seven wins the jackpot.

It is all about entertainment

It should be clear from the examples given that progressive jackpot games offer an incredible new twist on the slot and table games that have been played for generations. The question so many people ask is this: what is it about Microgaming games that makes them so popular compared to competing titles?

The answer is entertainment value. When you get right down to it, the whole point of online gambling is entertainment. Microgaming and its partner studios are in the entertainment business, just like filmmakers, pro sports leagues, TV show creators, etc.

We know that those who do the best job of keeping people entertained enjoy the most success. This is where Microgaming's ace in the sleeve gives them a decided advantage. It is simply more entertaining to play for a chance at a multi-million jackpot than to pump money into a retro slot whose highest payout has been a fraction of the Mega Moolah jackpot.

Microgaming has figured out what makes online gamblers tick. They have come to understand that networked games being played by gamblers the world over organically create huge jackpots that would not be possible to award any other way.

Withstanding the test of time

If you need any proof that Microgaming knows what it is doing with progressive jackpot games, look no further than Mega Moolah. This game is considered the gold standard of progressive games because of its record jackpots and total number of players. No other progressive game is in the same league with Mega Moolah.

Mega Moolah has been entertaining slot players for years. It has been awarding progressive jackpots and made millionaires of over 50 players. And guess what? Gamblers continue playing it because it is timeless.

Mega Moolah's track record speaks for itself. Players keep coming back to Mega Moolah for an opportunity to win the Mega Jackpot.

Another great year in 2020?

2020 is shaping up to be another wonderful year for Microgaming and its partner studios. The industry is looking forward to the release of more than 100 additional titles over the next several months. Undoubtedly, many of those titles will be progressive jackpot games designed to bring more players into the Mega Moolah fold.

Progressive games are Microgaming's ace up the sleeve. They know it, their partner studios know it, and fans of Microgaming games know it. Maybe that's why Microgaming garnered so much attention at ICE London 2020.