Linked jackpot meaning in slots: a single jackpot shared by several machines or games, so stakes on all of them feed the same prize and any one of them can win it. Because more play flows into one pot, a linked jackpot grows faster than a jackpot on a single machine, and the cost comes out of every player’s return.
A linked jackpot is one prize pool shared by many machines or games.
A slice of every stake on every linked game feeds the pool, which is why it grows quickly.
That slice comes out of the RTP: Mega Moolah 4Tune Reels lists 90.3% including a 5.3% jackpot contribution.
UK casino machines can link a progressive up to £20,000, on one premises only.
Means
One jackpot shared by several games
Funded by
A percentage of each linked stake
UK machine cap
£20,000 linked progressive (B1, one premises)
Online examples
Jackpot King, Age of the Gods, Mega Moolah
After a win
Resets to a seed amount
Linked jackpot meaning in slots: one prize, many machines
On a standalone machine, the jackpot belongs to that one cabinet or game. Link several together and they share a single prize: every linked game takes a small cut of each stake and adds it to the same meter, and the first qualifying win on any of them takes it. The Wikipedia article on progressive jackpots (opens in a new tab) puts it neatly: pooling machines makes a larger jackpot that grows more quickly.
Most linked jackpots are progressive, meaning the amount climbs until someone wins. A few links pay a fixed amount instead. Either way, linking is about pooling money, and that money has to come from somewhere: the players’ return to player. This slot glossary entry shows how the pool is built and what it costs.
How a linked jackpot works, step by step
You place a stake on any linked machine or game.
A fixed percentage of that stake, the jackpot contribution, goes to the shared pool; the rest plays the normal game.
The pool’s current value is shown on every linked game, often on a sign above a bank of machines or a banner in the game.
A jackpot trigger lands on one machine, through a symbol combination, a bonus wheel or a random award, depending on the design.
That player receives the jackpot, and the pool resets to its starting value, the jackpot seed, ready to grow again.
Our deeper guide to linked progressives covers the hardware and software side, including where each pound of a contribution ends up.
Worked example: how fast a linked jackpot grows
Imagine 50 linked machines, each played 300 times an hour at £1 a spin. That is £15,000 staked across the link every hour. The table shows how much reaches the pool at different contribution rates. All figures are illustrative.
Illustrative linked jackpot growth: 50 machines, 300 spins an hour each, £1 a spin
Contribution rate
Added per hour
Added over a 10-hour day
Added over 7 days
0.5%
£75
£750
£5,250
1%
£150
£1,500
£10,500
2%
£300
£3,000
£21,000
A single machine on its own at 1% would add just £3 an hour. Linking is what turns a small slice into a headline figure. It also explains why the jackpot is so rarely won by any one player: the pool is paid for by everyone on the link, and only one of them collects it.
How a linked jackpot changes the RTP you see
Jackpot games often quote two numbers, or one that includes the jackpot share. Our slot facts show the pattern clearly. Mega Moolah 4Tune Reels lists an RTP of 90.3% including a 5.3% jackpot contribution, which leaves about 85% for the everyday game. The original Mega Moolah lists 88.12% for the base game, excluding the jackpot contribution. Age of the Gods lists 95.02% including its jackpot share.
In practice, most players experience the lower base figure, because the jackpot portion is paid to very few people. At an 85% base return, £100 of spins costs about £15 on average before any jackpot. Compare that with a non-jackpot slot at 96%, where the same £100 costs about £4. Neither figure predicts a single session, but the gap is real.
Types of linked jackpot
Local link: a bank of machines in one venue sharing a pool. This is the only kind British casino machines may use.
Network link: the same game, or a family of games, across many casinos or sites. Online jackpots work this way; the land-based version is a wide area progressive.
Tiered link: several pools at once, often labelled mini, major and grand, with the smaller tiers won far more often.
Must-drop link: a pool that has to pay before it reaches a stated cap or time; see must drop jackpot slots.
British law keeps land-based links small. According to the Gambling Commission’s B1 machine guidance (opens in a new tab), a Category B1 machine has a £5 maximum stake and a £10,000 maximum prize, rising to £20,000 for a linked progressive jackpot on a premises basis only. So machines may be linked within one casino, but not across casinos.
Linked progressives have their own Commission technical standard, and the proposed machine standards require the true value of a live jackpot to be shown at all times. Other machine categories have their own prize caps; see UK slot machine categories for the full table.
Linked jackpot networks on online slots
Online, there is no statutory prize cap, so linked jackpots can span many casinos and grow much larger. Well-known families include Blueprint’s Jackpot King, found on games such as Genie Jackpots and the Jackpot King version of King Kong Cash Even Bigger Bananas; Playtech’s Age of the Gods series; the Mega Moolah family from Games Global; Relax Gaming’s Dream Drop, launched in 2022; and the WowPot jackpot on The Finer Reels of Life WowPot, which lists 92.01% RTP including the jackpot contribution.
The Commission’s rules on game descriptions (RTS 3) (opens in a new tab) say players must be told whether there are jackpot contributions and how the jackpot operates, and that changing jackpot displays should be updated as often as practicable. Our Jackpot King guide looks at one network in depth.
Linked jackpot slots and partner offers
Free spin offers apply to selected games, which may or may not include jackpot titles, so read the game list in the terms before you plan around a particular slot. At Coral Casino, new players aged 18+ who deposit and bet £10 on slots get 100 free spins worth 10p each on the selected games, to be accepted within 48 hours and used within 7 days, with no wagering on winnings; the offer runs until 1 February 2027 and PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe and prepaid card deposits don’t count.
At Ladbrokes Casino, new customers aged 18+ who deposit and spend £10 on slots receive 50 free spins a day for 10 days, up to 500 at 10p each with no wagering, claimed by 23:59 each day and valid for 7 days. Both are LC International Limited brands, so you may not be able to join both. For jackpot games specifically, see Coral’s jackpot slots page. 18+, terms apply.
Coral and Ladbrokes are both run by LC International Limited (Entain). If you already hold an account with one Entain brand, you may not be able to open a new account with another; check the terms before signing up.
Significant terms: 18+. New players only. Offer runs 01/10/2026 to 01/02/2027. Deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10+ on slot games to get 100 free spins (selected games, £0.10 each, 48 hrs to accept, valid 7 days). No wagering on free spin winnings. Deposits by Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards do not qualify. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the Coral reviewLicence: LC International Limited, UKGC account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
Significant terms: 18+. New customers only, from 14/11/25 until further notice. Certain deposit methods excluded. Deposit and spend £10+ on slots for 50 free spins a day during the first 10 days after first deposit and registration (max 500, £0.10 each, selected games, claim before 23:59 each day, valid 7 days). No wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits do not qualify. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the Ladbrokes reviewLicence: LC International Limited, UKGC account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: plan a slot budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Frequently asked questions
What is a linked jackpot on a slot machine?
A linked jackpot is a single prize shared by several machines or games. Each linked game passes a small share of every stake into the same pool, and a qualifying win on any one of them collects it. Linking makes the jackpot grow faster than it could on one machine, and it usually works as a progressive that resets to a seed amount after it is won. Our jackpot slot machines page explains the wider family of jackpot designs.
Is a linked jackpot the same as a progressive jackpot?
Not always. Progressive describes a jackpot that grows as people play; linked describes a jackpot shared between machines. Most linked jackpots are also progressive, but a single standalone machine can have its own progressive, and a group of machines can share a fixed prize. The two ideas often overlap, which is why the terms get mixed up. Our progressive jackpot slot machines page covers growth, and fixed jackpot slots covers the set-prize alternative.
How much of my stake goes into a linked jackpot?
It varies by game, and the help screen should tell you. Our facts for Mega Moolah 4Tune Reels list a 5.3% jackpot contribution inside a 90.3% total RTP, so roughly 5p of every £1 staked feeds the jackpot pools. Other games quote one RTP figure that includes the contribution without separating it. UK rules require online games to explain whether stakes contribute to a jackpot and how it operates. Our jackpot contribution entry and the guide to reading slot RTP in the UK explain what to look for.
Can UK pub or arcade machines have linked jackpots?
The prize limits make big links impractical outside casinos. A pub Category C machine is capped at a £100 top prize, and a Category B3 machine in an arcade or bingo hall at £500, so there is little room for a meaningful shared pot. The explicit linked progressive allowance is on Category B1 casino machines, which can pay up to £20,000 on a linked progressive within one premises. Our Category B1 glossary entry and pub slot machines page set out those limits.
Are linked jackpots worth playing?
That depends on what you want from the game. Linked jackpot slots usually give a lower base return than ordinary slots, because part of each stake funds a prize very few players will win. If you mainly want steady entertainment for your budget, a non-jackpot game with a higher RTP will normally cost less per hour. If the jackpot is part of the fun, choose a stake you are happy to lose and treat any jackpot as a long shot. Our fixed vs progressive jackpots comparison helps you decide.
Does betting more increase my chance of a linked jackpot?
On some games, yes; on others, no. Certain jackpot slots raise the odds of reaching the jackpot feature as the stake rises, while others give every stake the same chance but pay less at lower stakes. A few older designs required a maximum bet to qualify at all. The game’s help screen states which rule applies, and UK rules require that information to be available before you play. Our page on what happens when a slot jackpot is won covers the payout side.
What happens to a linked jackpot after someone wins it?
It drops back to its seed value, a starting amount set by the game provider or operator, and begins growing again from the next linked stake. On tiered designs only the tier that was won resets; the others keep growing. The win is paid to the player whose machine or game triggered it, subject to the casino’s usual checks. Our jackpot seed entry explains how that starting figure is set and why it matters for the next cycle of play.
Gambling can be addictive. Free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133. Visit GamCare.org.uk and GamCare, or block yourself from all UK-licensed gambling sites with GAMSTOP.
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