A player in Brazil recently won the equivalent of more than €1.5 million in MGM Millions, the largest online jackpot win in Brazil since the market was regulated. We took the opportunity to speak with Theuns Jonck, LeoVegas Group Head of Jackpot, for some behind-the-scenes insights into the win, the world of jackpots, and why players love them.
BetMGM Brazil, the joint venture between MGM Resorts and Grupo Globo, recently paid a lucky player in São Paulo a record-breaking jackpot of R$ 9,363,768.85 (€1,523,485.19). What can you tell us about this win?
“What stands out about this win is how fast it happened. The player had only signed up the day before and was completely new to BetMGM.
On Sunday morning, with the jackpot option toggled on, the lucky player hit two mini-jackpots within the first two hours. Not long after that, they went on to win the first MGM do Milhão Mega Win, the largest online jackpot win in Brazil, since it was regulated in 2025.
The winner has chosen to remain anonymous and hasn’t decided what to do with the winnings yet. But it’s a good reminder that you don’t need experience or a long track record to win. It really can happen at any time to any player!”
How popular are jackpots among igaming players?
“Jackpots are consistently ranked as one of the most attractive and sought-after features across online content. They offer the chance to win a life-changing amount of money from a relatively small stake and that idea is attractive to many players. The BetMGM Brazil win, where an ‘everyday’ player registered and hit a mega jackpot within hours is a perfect example of this ‘anyone can win’ narrative.
With progressive jackpots, the prize pool keeps growing, which keeps players’ engaged as they continue to contribute and share in the thrills of winning.
Jackpots are a core part of our product because they combine our casino heritage with our goal of building world-class products. By understanding how customers interact with our platform and designing features that improve the user experience, we’re making jackpots a favourite for igaming audiences across our markets.”
How competitive is the MGM Millions jackpot, which is also available in Europe across BetMGM brands, and on LeoVegas as LeoJackpot?
“The MGM Millions and LeoJackpot is the largest online casino jackpot for players anywhere in the world. Its availability across our brands, including BetMGM and LeoVegas – in the UK, Sweden, Netherlands, and MGA-licensed markets – means that we can offer life-changing sums that are truly competitive.
Beyond the large prizepot, the MGM Millions and LeoJackpot is one of the most rewarding jackpot systems available. Last year alone, over 160,000 winners globally received payouts across various jackpot tiers. This keeps the excitement alive for a wide range of players, not just those going for the mega jackpot, and this consistent reward structure encourages ongoing engagement.
Jackpots also provide an essential alternative to reward players where traditional bonuses or promotions are not possible to give. In markets with regulatory limitations on promotional offerings, jackpots are a compliant way to reward players and maintain competitive differentiation without infringing on local restrictions.”
We’ve recently heard LeoVegas Group CEO Mattias Wedar speak about the importance of proprietary technology. Why is this so important, and how advanced are modern jackpot systems?
“Our heritage is casino and from the start, we’ve always placed a huge importance on owning our own technology where possible. It gives us more control over product development and provides the opportunity to scale without relying on third-party roadmaps.
Owning our own tech also means we can get deeper data insights into player behaviour, which gives us more flexibility around personalising player experiences and providing the features our players love most.
This foundation is what enables the incredibly advanced modern jackpot systems we see today. These aren’t just simple progressive pools; they are vast, networked ecosystems offering diverse jackpot types with real-time triggering mechanisms.
Without giving too much away, we have some exciting new features that will enhance how and where we reward our players, all whilst bringing more engagement and more entertainment!”