JackPotMadness.com in a League of Its Own

Sites hailing themselves as the biggest, the best, or even the first at what they do are a dime a dozen in the Interactive gaming business. It's a rarity when one comes along that can back up its boastful claims.

JackPotMadness.com, a portal to a network of Microgaming-powered sites offering progressive jackpots, is one of the exceptions. The site bills itself as the "World's #1 Jackpot Destination," and "the center of the jackpot universe" and does so with some pretty good credentials.

In the short time since the site's Sept. 2000 launch, over $49 million has been awarded to progressive games players, and the number is growing daily. It gives away more than $3 million in prize money monthly.

And it's not just popular with first-time players and casual surfers. A strong base of repeat visitors has created a thriving community of players who rely on the site for not just prizes but also as a source for news and information. The prize money won by repeat winners has already reached $11.5 million.

The site--a base for over 60 of Microgaming's casinos--offers players a wide variety of progressive slots and video poker games. It went live in the fall of 2000, at which time it featured Cash Splash, Microgaming's first online progressive slot machine, as well as Fruit Fiesta, SupaJax, LotsaLoot and WowPot .

JackPotMadness has been able to crack the code that so many operators have struggled with since the conception of not just Internet gambling, but the Internet in general.

Marilyn Glazier, public relations director for the site, said players are drawn to the site for many reasons, but the large jackpots are the main attraction. The site posts all winners on the site, a feature that she feels many players are drawn to. Players can see the live counters on the site to see the "latest winner," the "biggest winner," and a list of "total winners," and "total won."

In addition to players being able to play the progressive slots, they can link to the casinos, which offer the traditional casino-style games.

Glazier said the site was the result of more than six months of research and planning before the launch. It's largest jackpot was nearly $390,000 and with that type of winnings a player base from all over the world has flocked to the site, she said.

Having a section of the site devoted to past winners, she said, was a popular move.

"From the player feedback we have received players say they strongly identify with the winners’ testimonials, which is also a unique characteristic of the portal," Glazier said. "We also feature a section on 'lucky tips' that our readers send in, jokes, breaking news and more."

It isn't just the prizes that are big at JackPotMadness. The site has more than 100,000 registered users and Glazier said new members are added every day.

The site is planning a marketing campaign that's unmatched in the industry. Glazier said details are being finished on a progressive games competition, the winners of which will be treated to a luxurious cruise. Details of the event will be announced in coming weeks.

Glazier also said the site will see some changes soon.

"The slots are so successful that we plan on expanding on those, as well as adding more video poker," she said. "We have a number of new progressives in the development stages."

The site, she said, is on pace to hit the $50 million milestone in jackpots won by its place just in time for Christmas.

"With new casinos joining as well as the addition of new games, we anticipate that the portal's growth will triple in a year's time," she said.