Mega Moolah is the safari themed progressive jackpot slot that Microgaming launched in 2006, now part of Games Global. It is famous for its jackpot wheel, which has paid out several record wins over the years. The base game is a simple 25 line slot with a free spins round, and the jackpot wheel can trigger at random on any spin. It suits players who mainly want a shot at a life changing jackpot and accept a lower regular return.
How does Mega Moolah work?
You play on five reels and three rows with 25 paylines. Animal symbols such as the lion, elephant, buffalo and giraffe are the higher pays, with card royals as lower pays. The lion is the wild: it replaces regular symbols and doubles any win it helps form.
The monkey is the scatter and pays anywhere on the reels. Three or more monkeys trigger the free spins.
Separately, after any spin, the jackpot wheel can trigger at random. The chance of reaching the wheel is higher at larger stakes, but every spin has a chance regardless of what lands on the reels.
What are the Mega Moolah bonus features?
The free spins round awards 15 free spins, and all wins are tripled. Because the lion wild doubles wins as well, a win with a wild during free spins can reach a 6x multiplier. More scatters during the round retrigger extra spins.
The jackpot wheel is the main attraction. Once it triggers, you spin a wheel that lands on one of four jackpots: Mini, Minor, Major or Mega. Every wheel spin wins at least the Mini. The Mega jackpot is pooled across many casinos and seeds at a guaranteed minimum, listed as 1 million in the casino's currency in some markets and higher in others.
Is Mega Moolah worth playing? RTP and volatility explained
The base game RTP is listed at 88.12%, which is low compared to most slots. Some sources quote 93.42%, which includes the share of each bet that goes into the four jackpots. In practice, most of that extra return only reaches the few players who win a jackpot, so expect the regular game to pay back less than a typical slot.
Volatility ratings vary from low to high depending on the source. The base game pays fairly often and the non jackpot top win is about 1,955x your stake, but the real swing comes from the jackpot, which is extremely rare.
Tips before you play Mega Moolah
- Play Mega Moolah for the jackpot chance, not for its regular return, which is below average.
- Check the current Mega jackpot value at your casino; it is shown on screen.
- Higher stakes improve the wheel trigger chance, but only bet what you are willing to lose.
- Set a firm budget, since a low RTP game will usually reduce your balance faster than average.