NZ’s top progressive pokies – where to play in 2024

Different types of jackpots

There are many different types of jackpot games to enjoy. Below, we take a look at the main ones.

• Network Jackpots – Also referred to as Wide Area Jackpots, these are the real million makers as the prize amount tends to climb very high, very fast. This is because there are multiple NZ online casinos contributing to the same prize. These progressive jackpot pokies are run by the game developers themselves with an open invitation to partnered casinos to take part.
• Fixed Jackpots – The maximum payout in these games has a set value and doesn’t change, regardless of how many players put down a stake. This type of jackpot isn’t limited to pokies, but can be added on to video poker, table games and even scratch cards. The amount will always be significantly smaller than that awarded for progressive games, but the RTP percentage tends to be better. Plenty of free pokies with fixed jackpots are available for players who want to get a feel for them.
• Standalone – A standalone progressive jackpot works in a similar way to the network types. However, the prize is not linked to other games, so it only increases when bets are placed on the specific pokie. Because of this, the maximum jackpot tends to be much smaller. These are also sometimes referred to as local jackpots.
• House – These are organised by the specific online casino, rather than by a game provider. An operator will usually include a large number of participating games, and any bet placed on the eligible titles gives you a chance to win the big jackpot. 
• Daily or other time limited jackpots – Many operators offer jackpot pokies where the prize drops at a specific point in time. Spinz, for instance, run daily and weekly jackpots, while Wildz has a selection that drops every 10 minutes. The more frequent the drop, the lower the prize pool as players won’t have had a chance to contribute as much as for the bigger progressives.

• Read the betting rules carefully

  With many progressive jackpot pokies you’ll only have a shot at the big prize if you wager the maximum stake. It’s very annoying to spend an hour chasing the jackpot only to find out you weren’t even in with a chance.

• Wait until the jackpot gets seriously high

  If you’re after the big bucks, don’t bother playing when it has just reset. Many casinos offer jackpot tracking options, with sites like Casinoly showing the increasing prize pool in real time.

• Look for Must Drop Jackpots

  Look out for jackpots where the prize is won at a specific hour or on a particular day. In this way you’re narrowing down your gameplay to that time period that actually gives you a good chance of winning.

• Don’t discount standalone jackpots

  The prize is typically lower, which means that the competition is less tough.

• Look for higher RTP titles

  The vast majority of progressive pokies have very low RTP percentages to make up for the size of the big prizes. Look for titles with high online casino payouts that is at least over 90%, like Beach Life.

• Choose games with more than one jackpot available

  Many titles, such as Mega Moolah, comes with three to four different-sized jackpots.

• Always stick to your budget

  Don’t get trapped in a circle of ‘maybe next one’s the charm’. Keep gambling safe and fun.

How are jackpots paid?

Now, we’re talking multi-million dollar wins here, and we all know that very few NZ online casinos have such generous withdrawal limits. So you are probably wondering how a progressive jackpot win is paid out. 

Worry not – you won’t have to trickle out your mega win in instalments of NZ$4,000 for a lifetime. In the case of network jackpots and some standalone jackpots, it’s not the casino that pays out the money but the game developer that created the winning progressive pokie. Spinz, for example, makes it very clear in its terms and conditions that it’s only responsible for paying out local jackpots. These prizes usually run into millions and are paid in one large sum.

In case of a local jackpot, you’ll receive your winnings from the casino. In this case operators usually have special policies to by-pass the normal limits. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be able to get your hands on the entire sum immediately. Some, like BetandPlay, will do exactly that. But many operators bind themselves to transfer the winnings within a time-frame, such as six months. This is entirely reasonable as massive wins can create both cash flow and administrative issues for the casino.

Some operators will pay out a lump sum by the end of this time period. Others will honour a percentage and pay out the rest in instalments. This is something that should be ascertained by reading the individual terms and conditions of the site you’re playing on, as conditions vary wildly. And if you do win, expect a request to pose for some good publicity.