What is Must-drop jackpot?
A must-drop jackpot is a progressive prize guaranteed to be won before it reaches a stated cap or before a set deadline, such as within each day.
Instead of growing without limit, a must-drop jackpot has a ceiling, for example 'must drop by £10,000', or a time rule, such as 'drops before 10pm daily'. The exact trigger point is selected randomly within that range and is hidden from players, so the jackpot can land at any value up to the cap.
Because the prize must be paid by a known point, the expected value of each spin rises slightly as the jackpot approaches its cap. That feature has made must-drop products popular in online casinos and in networked land-based slot systems.
The guarantee applies to the jackpot being won by someone on the network, not to any individual player, and the base game still carries a house edge.