Slot machines are never 'due'. Progressive Jackpots. On most slots the amount of the top jackpot is fixed, but some slots have a meter that shows the jackpot amount getting progressively higher. Those are called progressive machines (as opposed to 'flat-top' machines). A portion of the money played in those machines helps push the jackpot ever.
The motto for most gamblers who come to Las Vegas on a lark is rather simple – go big or go home.
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- Megabucks may well be the most popular jackpot globally and the first wide-area.
- The largest slot machine jackpot in gaming history - $39,713,982.25 - was won today on a Megabucks(R) machine at the Excalibur Hotel-Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The winner, who requested anonymity, is a 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles.
If you’re going to wager real American dollars on games of chance and skill, there’s no reason to take the conservative route. Bankroll management notwithstanding, the goal for any gambler in Sin City is to hit it big, win the jackpot, and walk away with more money than you know what to do with.
Of course, the vast majority of us who take these shots don’t mint themselves instant millionaires. Instead, the house’s inexorable edge and every gambling game’s inherent odds against the player combine to pour our money straight into the casino’s coffers.
For this reason, what happened at the Excalibur casino on March 21st of 2003 when a random tourist from Los Angeles decided to hit the slots has become the stuff of Las Vegas legend.
On that day, an anonymous 25-year old gambler arrived in town to visit his family. With the annual “March Madness” college basketball tournament in full swing, the player figured they might as well get some action down on Duke, Arizona, and the rest of the sport’s heavyweights.
The young man’s uncle heard about the trip to Excalibur Hotel & Casino and offered his nephew a little sage advice from a Las Vegas local – play the Megabucks slot machine and see what happens.
And with a $10 million starting seed* – not to mention millions of tourists plunking down the requisite $3 per spin to give themselves a chance – the Megabucks jackpot had swelled to an astounding $39.7 million.
*Megabucks initially offered a $1 million starting seed, before increasing to $7 million in 1997, and $10 million in 2005
Thus, the visitor from L.A. found a Megabucks machine and took a seat with $100 in hand.
What happened next made history…
How Does the Megabucks Slot Machine Work?
First things first though… in case you’re unfamiliar with the Megabucks slot, here’s a quick crash course on the greatest progressive jackpot game of them all.
Casino game manufacturer International Game Technology (IGT) introduced its Megabucks slot way back in 1986. At the time, slot machine jackpots were static in nature, meaning each individual machine offered its own kitty based on how many coins had been previously deposited in between major payouts.
IGT had a revolutionary idea, however, so the company linked its various Megabucks machines all over the Silver State together. In other words, whenever a player in Reno, Mesquite, or anywhere in Nevada for that matter played one Megabucks machine, their coins contributed to the same jackpot total.
This wide area progressive jackpot concept proved to be an immediate hit with players, who loved to watch the meter continuously climb into the seven-figures.
And those meters did climb on a daily basis too, thanks to the Megabucks game’s enormous odds against on the topline jackpot.
Megabucks is a deceptively simple game, one which eschews the multiple paylines and expanded reels that make up the bulk of a casino’s slot inventory nowadays. For a maximum bet of $3, players send three reels spinning, each featuring traditional symbols like 7s, cherries, and BARs. To form winning combinations, players hope to hit three matching symbols along a single payline.
The game’s jackpot symbol is a golden “Megabucks Eagle” which depicts the slot’s distinctive logo. The only thing is, landing even one of these crucial symbols along the payline requires the player to beat odds of 1 in 368. Knowing this, the odds against spiking all three at once come to an astronomical 1 in 49,836,032 – or (1/368)3.
For this reason, the Megabucks progressive jackpot often goes unclaimed for extended stretches, many of which lasting more than a year. With so much time in between big winners, and so many players statewide tossing $3 per spin into the kitty, Megabucks jackpots soon became notorious for reaching epic proportions.
Before that fateful day in 2003, Megabucks players enjoyed an incredible run which saw the jackpot rise to a then record $27.5 million in 1998. That life-changing sum was won by a lucky slot spinner at Palace Station in November of 1998, but the record was eventually broken with a $34.9 million payout awarded to a cocktail waitress playing at the Desert Inn in January of 2000.
A little more than three years later, a new record was waiting to be set at the Excalibur.
$100 Flier Turns Into Life-Changing Record Jackpot Win
Starting out with only $100, the player from L.A. had just 33 spins to work with given the $3* price of play.
*Megabucks can be played for $1 or $2 spins, but the progressive jackpot is only awarded to players who opt for the max-bet of $3
Even so, as a press release issued by IGT later revealed, the player with a birthdate featuring three 7s seemed to have Lady Luck on his arm from the very start. Within the span of those 33 spins, the man watched as not one, not two, but three of the “Megabucks Eagle” symbols slowly spun and came to a rest alongside one another.
Just like that, the player had beaten odds of nearly 1 in 50 million to put nearly $40 million in his pocket.
Well, not all at once anyway. The winner elected to take $1.5 million installments over the course of 26 years – which means he’s still receiving seven-figure payouts annually to this day. In fact, the winner has another 10 years and $15 million remaining on his record-setting payment plan.
Although he chose to remain anonymous, the winner provided the following statement to IGT:
“I’m still stunned; it doesn’t seem real yet. But both of my parents are still working, so some of this money will be used to fund their retirement.”
Largest Megabucks Jackpot Ever – And By a Long Shot
John Sears – who served as vice president of IGT’s MegaJackpots program at the time – confirmed that the $39,713,982.25 payout smashed the previous record for largest slot machine jackpot ever awarded:
“This MegaJackpot is nearly $5 million more than the previous world record slot jackpot amount of $34.9 million – this one goes into The Guinness Book of Records.”
Check out the table below – featuring 10 real megabucks jackpot wins – to get a better sense of just how ridiculous the record-setting jackpot really is:
Megabucks Jackpot History (Wins of $10 Million or More)
| DATE | CASINO | CITY/STATE | JACKPOT AMOUNT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/21/2003 | Excalibur | Las Vegas, NV | $39,713,982.25 |
| 1/26/2000 | Desert Inn | Las Vegas, NV | $34,955,490.00 |
| 4/12/2009 | Terrible’s Rail City Casino | Sparks, NV | $33,000,563.00 |
| 11/15/1998 | Palace Station | Las Vegas, NV | $27,580,878.00 |
| 5/27/2002 | Bally’s Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV | $22,621,229.00 |
| 6/1/1999 | Caesars Palace | Las Vegas, NV | $21,346,937.00 |
| 9/15/2005 | Cannery | Las Vegas, NV | $21,147,947.00 |
| 11/14/2003 | Stardust | Las Vegas, NV | $19,600,523.30 |
| 12/14/2012 | M Resort | Las Vegas, NV | $17,329,817.67 |
| 11/30/2014 | Rampart Casino | Las Vegas, NV | $14,282,544.21 |
Competing Jackpot Hunters Lament Loss of Record-Setting Total
Within the slot machine gaming enthusiast community, learning that Megabucks’ massive jackpot had been won proved to be bittersweet indeed.
In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun conducted shortly after the news broke, Kim Wong from Kailua, Hawaii told the newspaper how she felt watching the meter reset back to $10 million:
“I was here at lunchtime around 12:30 and it was still around $39.7 million. Then I came back around quarter after one and it was resetting. It was such a drag. It was a little more enticing with the $39 million up there, but I’m still playing.”
Judy Selasky from Lavonia, Michigan provided a similar story, telling the paper that even though a record payout was off the table, she and her husband would still play in hopes of a “lightning strikes twice” type of moment:
“I said, ‘Hurry up and get up to the room, so I can get downstairs. I figure if he won, there might be some magic here. I’m not a hog.”
Conclusion
New Slot Jackpot Videos
In a city like Las Vegas which was founded on excess, setting the world record for slot machine jackpot winnings really is something special. And while we don’t know much about the software engineer from L.A. who did the deed, learning that a 25-year old tourist took the honors should give hope to every gambler who makes the sojourn to Sin City.
More than 16 years have passed since the record-setting spin, and nobody has even come close to claiming such an incredible Megabucks jackpot over that span – which shows just how astonishing that memorable moment in March of 2003 really was.
Despite the fact that online casinos offer thousands of different online slots, it is progressive slot machines that match extreme attention and popularity. These are special slot machines that stand out from the crowd due to their superb wins and real chances for a player to change one life for the better with a single spin.
In this short post, we will introduce you to the best progressive jackpot slots that you should definitely play to test your luck and land a massive jackpot. We would like to recommend that you play progressive slots at reliable casinos in order to be sure that your winnings will actually be paid to you once you hit the jackpot!
#1 – Mega Moolah
The Mega Moolah progressive jackpot slot currently holds the record for the largest jackpot win of £ 13.2m out of a 25p bet hit by a British soldier in 2015. This online slot has 25 pay lines, 5 reels and features the African Safari Adventure theme. The progressive jackpot game can start randomly from any spin, after which you will be taken to the jackpot wheel, where you have a chance to win any of the 4 progressive jackpots – major, basic, minor, or mini.
#2 – Mega Moolah Isis
Inspired by the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot slot, the core of Mega Moolah Isis is basically different from the original game. There are 5 reels and 25 pay lines, apart from the free spins bonus that comes with a win multiplier. The biggest difference between this game and Mega Moolah is its design, as this one features the Egyptian theme, with symbols like Isis, pyramids, Nile crocodiles, golden lotus flowers, soaring eagles, and others.
#3 – Mega Fortune
Mega Fortune is NetEnt’s product. The game is as popular as Mega Moolah when it comes to winning. This game actually held the largest online jackpot record at any given time. It comes with 25 pay lines and has a luxury theme, with expensive wine bottles, cars, watches, etc. It’s quite easy to activate the jackpot – you just need to land 3 bonus wheels anywhere on the pay lines.
#4 – Arabian Nights
While NetEnt’s Arabian Nights slot game isn’t as popular as Mega Fortune and Mega Moolah, it’s right at the top when it comes to their jackpot size. The company has consistently delivered million dollar jackpots to the lucky players for a long time. You have a chance to win the jackpot if you wager the maximum amounts on all 10 lines and eventually hit 5 wild symbols on any of the pay lines. Overall, this is a must-try game for anyone looking to win big jackpots and have already tried their luck at Mega Moolah and Mega Fortune.
#5 – Beach Life
The Beach Life slot machine is the pride and the latest achievement of Playtech. The game boasts a jackpot of over a million dollars and exciting gameplay. On July 22, 2007, the first lucky player – Heinrich S. – landed a whopping $ 4,801,527 jackpot in the game. Beach Life is an incredibly simple game, where the bet per line is fixed at only 50 cents. A progressive jackpot is something that makes this video slot even more attractive. Beach Life’s special features include the scatter symbols and a bonus game that makes it even more interesting and fun.
#6 – Millionaires Club
CryptoLogic’s Millionaires Club slot machine has long been the most famous, most popular, and the most played slot game with the largest jackpot. After each win, the progressive jackpot is set at $175,000, and thanks to its popularity among players, it grows at a gigantic pace every week. When playing at CryptoLogic online casinos, any player should make a couple of spins to try their luck.
#7 – Major Millions
The Major Millions slot is another progressive jackpot slot from Microgaming, whose popularity is growing steadily. There is nothing difficult in winning the grand prize in the game. Three Major Millions symbols on the third line will give you this progressive jackpot. If the Major Million symbol hits a pay line and completes a winning combination, the win is tripled.
The coin size for bets is limited to 20 cents, so the maximum bet is very low, which means that you do not have to be a high-roller to start the game. However, it is not the min bet size that catches the interest of gamblers. Major Millions is attractive to players due to the size of the jackpot – $332,863.
#8 – Treasure Nile
Fans of ancient Egypt will undoubtedly appreciate the Treasure Nile video slot and the size of its jackpot that they can win if they are lucky enough. Pharaohs on the ninth payline will bring you the well-deserved jackpot. You can win the progressive jackpot in the game if you play with the maximum bet per line, which is only $4.5. Obviously, this slot is affordable for all categories of players. Treasure Nile has a Wild and a Scatter symbol to increase the player’s chances of winning on every spin. The minimum jackpot in it is set at $40,000.
Highest Jackpot Slot Machines Winners
#9 – King CashaLot
The King Cashalot slot machine has been present in Microgaming online casinos for a long time, but it still gets more and more fans. Five Kings on the ninth pay line at the maximum bet will bring you the progressive jackpot, which is currently $614,034. So this machine can change once life. The bonus game is extremely profitable; it is activated when there are three Dragon symbols on reels 2, 3, and 4.
#10 – Captain America
Maximum Jackpot Slot Machine
Fans of comics will love this slot dedicated to one of the most famous retro comic heroes – Captain America. The jackpot in this video slot from CryptoLogic is 12,500 coins. Another great thing about the game is that you can win not one but as many as three jackpots. Interestingly, the Captain America video slot is part of the CryptoLogic family of slot machines licensed by Marvel, the publisher of superhero comics. Among them, you can find slot machines themed Hulk, Punisher, Daredevil, Blade, and many other heroes known around the world.