Why is the Mega Moolah jackpot increasing at breakneck speed?

This past weekend, the Mega Moolah jackpot climbed through the 10 million barrier for only the eighth time in the game's rich and varied history. Yet here we are just a couple of days on from that and the jackpot is now already three quarters of the way towards the 11 million mark.

That means we have seen the progressive jackpot increase by almost 800,000 in the space of just a couple of days. That is an almost unprecedented rate at which the jackpot is increasing on this massively popular progressive jackpot slot.

So, what is the underlying cause of this? What is it that is powering this meteoric rise of the Mega Moolah jackpot? When and where will it end? And what does this mean for the future of this hugely popular progressive that made 12 people millionaires from a single spin in 2019 alone?

In this article, we are hopefully going to answer all of those questions and much more besides.

What is powering the meteoric Mega Moolah progressive jackpot increase?

All progressive jackpot slot games are essentially the same when you look at how they are funded. A certain percentage of every spin on a progressive slot is used to fund the progressive jackpot prize fund, with the rest going towards standard pays in the game (and a small amount to the casino as profit).

So, if a progressive jackpot is increasing more quickly than usual, then there are generally three factors at work that are likely to be the reason behind this:

• There are more spins being played on the slot.
• There are more people playing the slot (or slots if there is more than one slot paying into the prize fund for a particular progressive)
• People are wagering more money than they would usually do on a slot, in terms of total spend or bet size, or both

In truth, without the statistical numbers for a slot in terms of the number of spins played on the game, the amount wagered by those players and the average bet size, it is impossible to tell how much each of the three reasons above contributes towards a progressive jackpot prize fund like Mega Moolah increasing far more rapidly.

The likelihood is that all three play some part and here's why.

More spins

Are there likely to be more spins being played on the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot series of slots? I think the answer to that is a most definitive yes and there is a very simple reason for that - the introduction of two brand new games to the Mega Moolah network over the past couple of months.

In late 2019, the Mega Vault Millionaire slot was released exclusively to Casino Rewards Network casinos and this allowed players at this casinos to play for the Mega Moolah jackpot prize on a new slot for the first time in many years.

However, a few short months later in 2020 and after a limited release at Bulldog Casinos, the Atlantean Treasures: Mega Moolah slot went on general release in February 2020. This new game combines a chance to win the Mega Moolah top progressive prize, with the ability to play a popular 10-pay line, win both ways slot that features Expanding Wilds and Re-Spin bonuses.

This particular form of game has proven to be a huge hit with players and I don't think it is any coincidence at all that since this game was released towards the end of February 2020, that we have seen the progressive jackpot prize for Mega Moolah increase far more rapidly.

Add to this the timeless and original Mega Moolah game (not to forget the other slots in the series, Summertime, Isis and 5-Reel Drive) and there are now six games paying into the progressive jackpot fund, three of which at least are all massively popular.

More people

Following on from the fact that we now have two additional games part of the Mega Moolah network, it stands to reason that having more games that are set up slightly differently to the original Mega Moolah, means that these games are going to have broader appeal.

That is especially true of Atlantean Treasures, as it is a form of slot that has proven to be very popular with players when chasing standard jackpot prizes. To team up a game of this sort, with a chance to land the Mega Moolah jackpot prize, is a sure-fire way to land a winner.

There is no doubt in my mind that the sheer variety of games you can play now to win the Mega Moolah slot means that far more people are being persuaded to play for the prize. Especially when you consider that on the new Atlantean Treasures game, the minimum bet to play is just 0.10 per spin, which is 0.15 cheaper than the minimum bet on other slots.

This has opened up Mega Moolah to very low stakes gamers too and I think we are seeing the result of that as the jackpot continues to increase at a rapid pace.

Wagering more money

Of course, it stands to reason that with more games and more people playing for the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot prize, more money will be wagered on it. But once you add into the mix a progressive jackpot prize that climbs above the 10 million mark, then you have another element to consider.

When the jackpot prize climbs this high, players are more willing to bet a little more, or play extra spins than they normally would, in the hope that they are the next lucky player to trigger the top jackpot prize.

We have seen evidence of this in the past when the Mega Moolah jackpot prize has climbed above the 10 million threshold. When this occurs, we do tend to see an increase in the rate at which the jackpot increases, even if there are generally the same number of players playing the game.

That can only mean one thing, which is players are wagering more money in the hope that one of those extra spins could be the one to trigger a massive life-changing win.

Do we know when the jackpot will be won and for how much?

No we don't. And we never do, regardless of how high the jackpot climbs, how much money is wagered on the game or how many people are playing it. That is because every award of the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot top prize is an entirely random event. That is part of its attraction and which is why you can win the jackpot prize on any spin at any time.

So, the jackpot could be won before it reaches the 11 million mark, it may be won at over 11 or 12 million, or 13 million, or it could not be won for weeks and months and we could see it crash through the 20 million mark, or maybe even set a brand new Guinness World Record. The truth is, nobody, not even Microgaming know when or where the next trigger will come.

The only thing we do know is that the next winner is going to be one very wealthy individual!

What does the future hold for Mega Moolah?

The progressive jackpot industry is in rude health at the moment. Mega Moolah continues to go from strength to strength and these new games have attracted more players to try their hand at this most popular of progressive jackpot prizes than ever before.

Add to that the release of the 2 million seeded Wheel of Wishes slot just a short time ago too, not to mention the Major Millions slot's top jackpot prize sitting at a record 2.6 million and King Cashalot slot not too far off the million mark, and it is clear that if you want big money, then the Microgaming progressive jackpot network is the place to head.

We are still waiting for the first big winner of 2020, but when that prize is landed, there are going to be ten million, if not many more, reasons to celebrate!