senior players.
The jackpot would be divided up between the first team squad, based on appearances, with the ever-presents earning the full share.
The cash on offer is also believed to be 50 per cent more than Whelan paid out to his squad when Latics clinched promotion to the Premiership last May.
Latics expect to make around £20m from their first season in the top flight and they are already on course for that survival target, with 25 points already in the bank.
It underlines Whelan's incredible determination to keep Wigan in the top flight and just how seriously he wants to establish his club as a force in the Premiership.
The 2-1 loss to Spurs at the JJB on Saturday saw Latics slide to fourth in the table by the end of the weekend.
It was their second home defeat in a week and with Newcastle coming up in the Carling Cup at the JJB on Wednesday, followed by Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, all away, it promises be a huge test for Latics.
And Jewell has told his players they will have to cut out the mistakes that cost them against Arsenal and Spurs if they want to retain their place among the Premiership elite.
Skipper Arjan de Zeeuw gifted Robbie Keane the opener and the Latics defence were at fault again when Edgar Davids secured the points.
Jewell said: "You just can't give a team like Spurs a start like that – and we were punished severely for that error.
"We were chasing the game after that and we didn't really have the quality on the day to wrestle back the initiative.
"Worryingly, we have made mistakes in the last two matches now. They happen, but we have to cut them out.
"It's still a learning curve for us at this level.
"People have been saying nice things about us until now, and I know what they are going to be saying after this.
"The whole team has been outstanding, but now we have lost to Tottenham and Arsenal I bet they are going to be saying that we are in crisis.
"But I reckon a lot of teams in this league would swap places with us right now.
"We are still fourth in the table and if you had offered us that before the start of the season then I would have taken it – in fact I'd have been doing cartwheels down Wigan High Street.
"I thought our performance was okay, and even when Spurs scored their second goal we didn't give up.
"But their keeper didn't have to make a save for all the possession we enjoyed in the final third. We lacked the quality on the day to hurt them, and that is something we must improve on.
"But I cannot be too critical of the players because they've done tremendously this season."
Jewell explained his reason for leaving first-choice goalkeeper John Filan on the bench, and giving Mike Pollitt his first Premiership start since September 18.
Jewell publicly back Filan on Friday following a rare lapse in the 3-2 defeat to Arsenal when he allowed Robin Van Persie's shot to sneak underneath his body for the Gunners opener.
Jewell said: "John has been carrying a knee injury for a couple of weeks now and he missed training at the start of the week, so I put Mike in.
"We've two excellent goalkeepers and it will give John a chance to get the knee right again because we've a lot of games coming up."