Mega Moolah is a five-reel, three-row online slot with twenty-five active paylines. The game was developed by Microgaming, it offers high volatility and an RTP of 88.12%. The slot is home to four different progressive jackpots – Mega, Major, Minor and Mini – which are arranged by size. As you might expect, the more valuable the jackpot, the more difficult it is to win it. The Mega Jackpot seeds at one million, meaning the player who triggers it becomes an instant millionaire.
The widely popular Microgaming release offers you more than just a progressive jackpot to chase. It also has an exciting free spins special feature that ensures for all wins during extra turns to be tripled in value. The slot is also equipped with a Wild, replacing any symbol except for the Scatter, making the gameplay even more gratifying.
The Jackpot
When it comes to progressive jackpots, Mega Moolah has set the standard. It offers four progressive jackpots, ranked from lowest to highest: Mini, Minor, Major and Mega. Each one has a minimum seed value which grows in value as players spin the reels and bet on each spin. You see, a portion of each bet made contributes to the pot.
If you are planning to win one of these prizes, you just need to play the game for real money. The special feature which delivers one of the jackpots is awarded randomly. However, you can increase your chances of scoring a jackpot by increasing your total bet. The higher your wager, the greater your odds of winning a progressive jackpot are.
Once you are granted entry to the bonus round, a multi-coloured wheel is spun. Each colour corresponds to one of the four progressive jackpots. The most valuable Mega Progressive has just one position on the wheel (the white-coloured segment), while the remaining three jackpot prizes occupy three positions (Major), six positions (Minor) and ten positions (Mini).
Overall, you have to get lucky enough to activate the progressive jackpot special feature and then you need a dash of extra luck to score the best possible prize!
Mega Moolah Gameplay & Features
You play this slot on a 5×3 playing field, with twenty-five fixed paylines. Players should find this setup quite familiar, as many games use it to great effect. It remains popular despite newer reel formats that have seen more use in recent years. There are 11 base game symbols in the paytable and on the reels, 6 of them matching the animal/safari theme.
To win, you need to get at least three matching icons in adjacent positions. The winning combination must start with the leftmost reel and follow an active payline in order to award a prize. There are no additional mechanics in play like Avalanches or cluster pays.
Mega Moolah offers an RTP of 88.12%, which is much lower compared to the industry average. However, it makes it up with the introduction of progressive jackpot wins. Rather, the RTP is lowered due to the presence of the accumulated jackpots. The game has high volatility, which is something you will feel as you spin the reels – you will have to work for your prizes in this game.
Lion Wild Doubles All Wins
Microgaming’s release keeps it light in terms of special features. One you will frequently see is the Lion Wild. It can serve as a replacement for any other symbol, giving you an increased chance of landing a win.
If a Wild is part of a winning combination, the prize is doubled. Multiple Wilds create their own winning combinations and their prizes are not multiplied. To compensate, Wild icon payouts are a lot better than the rewards triggered by standard symbols.
Free Spins Round Comes With 3x Multiplier
One more special feature you should watch out for is the free spins round. You need at least three Scatters to win 15 free spins. Any Scatters on top of that will increase the initial cash payout. During free spins, all wins will be tripled.
You can also unlock additional free spins while the current round is being played. While not the most innovative bonus, it gives us something to look forward to while chasing the jackpot.
Other Mega Moolah Games
As well as the main base game there are several variations which also hook into the Mega Moolah jackpot. Unlike some jackpots which simply offer the same game with a new theme, the Mega Moolah games vary significantly in features, gameplay and even RTP.
Atlantean Treasures
Atlantean Treasures is a recent addition to the series, boasting better graphics and a higher RTP than the original Mega Moolah. The slot was created by a Microgaming partner, Neon Valley Studios. Instead of a safari theme, Atlantean Treasures takes on the theme of mythic Atlantis, the ocean and maritime creatures.
In this one, you get 10 active paying lines and features such as Expanding Wilds landing on the middle reels. Whenever a Wild completes a winning combo, the reels will respin for free. Atlantean Treasures sports an RTP of 92.08% and requires a small pearl progressive trigger symbol overlaid across any of the standard symbols on the middle three reels in order to activate the Progressive Jackpot Wheel. The wheel will look slightly different than the one showcased in the original Mega Moolah game (different colours are applied for each prize), but the distribution of the jackpots across the segments stays the same.
Mega Moolah 5-Reel Drive
With no more than 15 paylines, Mega Moolah 5-Reel Drive is a nail-biting online video slot with a racing theme. The players can choose the number of active lines, yet the more you enable and the higher your bet, the bigger the chances of hitting it big.
The paytable contains symbols such as fast cars and bold drivers, as well as snacks they would eat along the road. The game is also blessed with an upbeat soundtrack and, of course, the jackpots, which can be won through the random wheel bonus.
Mega Moolah Summertime
Mega Moolah Summertime is, as you can already deduce from the title, a summer edition of the Mega Moolah machine, and instead of Savannah animals on the reels it features juicy fruits, sandy beaches and tall waves. This version has only 9 adjustable paying lines, so it is safe to say that it is a bit more affordable than its sister slots in the network.
Along with summer vibes, Mega Moolah Summertime also brings 15 free spins in the bonus game and not much more on the side.
Mega Moolah Isis
Mega Moolah Isis is one of the oldest follow-ups to the original Mega Moolah setup and arguably one of the most popular ones. The slot welcomes you into the world of Ancient Egypt – Isis is one of the Egyptian goddesses, in case you weren’t aware, and her dominion was fertility and motherhood.
Mega Moolah Isis brings further changes to the gameplay in the sense that it can deliver up to 30 free spins in the bonus game with a 6x multiplier. Wilds symbols, if they participate in a winning combination, will double the payout every time.
Absolootly Mad
Absolootly Mad was developed by Triple Edge Studios for Microgaming and it is a video slot with 243 ways to win, vibrant artwork and a soundtrack that goes with it. Winning combinations are formed when three or more matching symbols land on adjacent reels, so there is no need to keep track of any paylines.
The game covers the theme of the Mad Hatter, one of the most impactful characters from Alice in Wonderland. In this one, the players need to collect golden coins and fill the teapot in the aim of reaching the Progressive Jackpot Wheel. Furthermore, Absolootly Mad includes special features such as Rolling Reels (winning symbols disappear to make room for new ones to appear in their stead), Multiplier Trail (the initial win comes with a multiplier of 1x and increases with each consecutive spin by one, maxing out at 5x) and Free Spins, during which one can bag up to 48 freebies with tripled wins and there is a chance to enhance the multipliers up to 15x. The RTP here is 92.02%, which is quite alright for a jackpot slot.
Mega Vault Millionaire
Mega Vault Millionaire comes with a theme of luxury and wealth – suitable for a progressive jackpot that pays a million at worst! The graphics are polished and the symbols enticing and with each spin you will be betting on all 25 paying lines. An ornate jewellery box acts as Wild and doubles any win that it is part of, whereas the Faberge Egg Scatter triggers the freebies with a 3x multiplier on every win achieved during the bonus.
The jackpot bonus game, the Progressive Jackpot Wheel, is still triggered entirely at random from within the base game, but it works in a different way than with other games from the series. Once you activate the wheel, you will just see an initial wheel format that will either award the Mini jackpot or a chance to spin the second wheel – this one awards the Minor Jackpot or advances you to the Major jackpot wheel, and so on. The jackpots, of course, pay the same throughout the entire network, depending on their values at the time of play.
Biggest Jackpot Wins
The Biggest Mega Moolah Payout – £16m
Despite offering four progressive jackpot prizes, people only talk about the Mega Moolah Mega Progressive. After all, it is the one that produces all the interesting headlines. In 2018, players were able to witness an incredible win which translates to a £16,828,128 grand prize. The lucky punter scored the jackpot on 28th of September 2018 and it remains the biggest Mega Moolah payout to this day.
Link: https://www.microgaming.co.uk/News/Mega-Moolah-sets-new-record
World Record Win – £13m
While definitely impressive, it was not the first time this slot made headlines. British soldier Jon Heywood scored a £13,213,838 prize on 6th of October 2015, which put him in the Guinness World Records at the time. He achieved this win with just a £0.25 wager.
Link: https://www.microgaming.co.uk/News/Microgaming-enters-GUINNESS-WORLD-RECORDS
The Mega Moolah Network Delivers – £6m
Recently, Microgaming has started connecting other games to the Mega Moolah network. On 8th of May 2020, Atlantean Treasures: Mega Moolah awarded a £6,510,115 prize. While not as mind-blowing as previous examples, it gives you the option to play something different and still win the jackpot. It also brings in more players, allowing Mega Moolah’s progressive jackpots to grow even bigger.
Link: https://www.microgaming.co.uk/News/Mega-Moolah-strikes-again-this-time-under-water
Microgaming Paid £22m in Mega Moolah Jackpots in 2020 – And Counting!
Another recent win comes from Jackpot City. There, an anonymous player took home a £9,431,327 grand prize. He received the entire jackpot as a lump sum, as was the case with all the previous Microgaming progressive jackpot wins. The developer’s progressive jackpot network paid more than £966,350,000 worth of prizes to date. Over £22,840,000 was paid out in progressive jackpot wins for 2020 alone.
Link:https://www.microgaming.co.uk/News/Microgamings-Mega-Moolah-awards-10-million-plus-euro-jackpot
Two Jackpots a Day Apart – Over £11m in Total
We have all heard impressive stories of big wins. However, stories of two progressive jackpots being scored within 48 hours of each other? That is a thrill few progressive jackpot games can match. Mega Moolah granted a £9,971,229.75 prize on 5th of March 2019. Just one day later, on 6th of March 2019, another player went home with £1,892,302.86 weighting down his pockets. Though we bet he wished his prize came one day earlier.
Link: https://www.microgaming.co.uk/News/Microgamings-Mega-Moolah-strikes-twice-in-48-hours
The Third-Largest Win on Microgaming’s Progressive Jackpot Network – £11m
Is seems like 2019 was definitely the year to score Mega Moolah jackpots. On 30th of January 2019, a player was lucky enough to win an £11,640,833.08 grand prize. This marked the third-largest win on Microgaming’s progressive jackpot network. It followed up on the 2015 Guinness World Records jackpot and the previously mentioned jackpot scored on 28th of September 2018. The latter still remains the biggest prize to this day.
Link: https://www.microgaming.co.uk/News/Microgamings-Mega-Moolah-pays-out-a-massive-win
Mega Moolah Pays on Mobile – £6m
An interesting thing so far is that the previously mentioned wins were all achieved on a desktop or a laptop. The biggest jackpot prize won on mobile was £6,808,921.97, scored on 28th of August 2016. The prize was granted to the player in its entirety. Talk about a great way to spice up your Sunday.
Link: https://www.microgaming.co.uk/News/Mega-Moolah-hits-again