Jackpot PKO
Also: jackpot knockout, jackpot bounty
The category name for a progressive knockout in which each bounty is multiplied by a randomly drawn figure before it is paid. Three operators deal one: Winamax as Space KO, Betclic as Smash KO and GGPoker as Ocean KO. The multiplier tables are set to average 1x, so the format redistributes variance rather than adding value.
Where it came from
Winamax introduced the mechanic as Space KO and Betclic followed with Smash KO, both in the regulated French and Spanish markets. GGPoker became the third operator to deal one — and the first outside those two countries — when it launched Ocean KO on 4 October 2026.
How the three tables differ
All three set the average multiplier at 1x, so none of them is more profitable than a standard progressive knockout. What they differ in is shape: how high the ceiling is, how often a big spin arrives, and how often a knockout pays less than it nominally should.
Winamax's Space KO tops out at 100x, pays 10x or better on 0.60 per cent of knockouts, and pays below face value on 60.00 per cent.
Betclic's Smash KO tops out at 50x, also pays 10x or better on 0.60 per cent, and is the mildest of the three below the line, paying under face value on 49.85 per cent of knockouts.
GGPoker's Ocean KO tops out at 400x and pays 10x or better on 2.48 per cent — four times either competitor — but it also has the highest share of below-face-value spins at 72.32 per cent. It funds the bigger jackpot by spreading more small disappointments.
What the format does and does not change
It does not change expected value, and therefore it does not change correct strategy. Calling thresholds and covering considerations in a jackpot PKO are the same as in any progressive knockout, because a bounty is still worth its face value on average.
It changes variance enormously. A standard PKO bounty pays face value with certainty; a jackpot PKO bounty has a payout distribution with a long right tail, so the same long-run result arrives through a much bumpier path. Any bankroll rule written for flat bounty payouts understates what these formats require.
It also changes the feel of the game, which is the commercial point. A format where one knockout in forty pays a multiple, and one in tens of thousands pays a jackpot, gives a recreational player a lottery-style outcome to chase. That behaviour is what operators are buying with the mechanic.
Related terms
Full glossaryFrequently asked questions
Which rooms offer a jackpot PKO?
Winamax as Space KO, Betclic as Smash KO and GGPoker as Ocean KO. GGPoker's launch in October 2026 was the first outside France and Spain.
Do jackpot PKOs pay more than normal PKOs?
No. All three published tables average 1x, so the expected value of a bounty is the same. Only the variance changes.
Which jackpot PKO has the best pay table?
That depends what you want from it. GGPoker's Ocean KO has the highest ceiling at 400x and the best chance of a 10x-or-better spin, but it also pays below face value most often, on 72.32 per cent of knockouts.