The DraftKings Casino progressive jackpot is approaching $8 million in Michigan. The prize is already guaranteed to be the largest yet won at an online casino in the United States. The jackpot stands at $7.85 million as of December 18 and, at its current growth rate, PlayMichigan estimates it will reach the $8 million milestone on Christmas Day if no one wins before then.
Online casino customers in Michigan can enter for a chance to claim the progressive jackpot for as little as 20 cents while playing participating titles in the DraftKings Casino mobile or desktop app. Since this jackpot is a single-level progressive game, only one winner will claim the prize.
The jackpot in Michigan is growing larger in part because DraftKings has set the contribution per play at 20 cents. In other states, it costs only 10 cents to participate, but that means the jackpot grows half as fast per participant.
The DraftKings jackpot is growing at nearly $22,000 per day in Michigan. At that pace, DraftKings Casino progressive jackpot should reach the $8 million mark around 2 PM on Christmas Day. In practice, it will likely do so a little later in the day, as the number of people gambling may decline on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Progressive jackpot mechanics vary site-to-site and state-to-state
The current jackpot has been building for months and was already at a record size before Thanksgiving. The games in Michigan that are enabled for progressive entry are:
- Selected slots
- Roulette
- DraftKings Baccarat
- DraftKings Blackjack
- DraftKings Bingo Blackjack
DraftKings lets its players see the jackpot’s growth in realtime. Tracking of the data by PlayMichigan reveals that it typically grows by around $15 per minute as a round-the-clock average. However, the pace is slowest in the early morning and higher in the evening.
The casino’s parameters for the jackpot vary by state. In New Jersey, customers can enter for 10 cents, but the prize rarely grows beyond six figures before someone wins. Pennsylvania players are the most active, contributing almost $50 per minute on average, also on a buy-in of 10 cents.
The Connecticut jackpot also grows at an impressive rate for a smaller state: $20 per minute on average. But Michigan has 15 online casinos, at least half a dozen of which have a progressive jackpot feature. Conversely, Connecticut has only two options, and DraftKings is the preferred option for more than half the players in the state.
The current record for a progressive jackpot is held by BetMGM Casino, where one individual in New Jersey won a jackpot worth $6.5 million. That’s already guaranteed to fall, and if the DraftKings jackpot reaches $10 million, it may be hard to beat. DraftKings has no cap on its jackpots, while BetMGM limits them to a maximum of $10 million in New Jersey and $5 million elsewhere, including Michigan.
