- Largest Slot Jackpot In Las Vegas
- Biggest Slot Machine Jackpot
- Largest Slot Jackpot Videos
- Biggest Jackpots In Slots
Slot games have changed the fortunes of many players. Generally, factors like low stakes, immediate payoffs, and ease of playing attract casino players to slot games. However, trendy and creative themes, bright colours, flashing lights, and a psychedelic mix of sights and sounds have become somewhat equally responsible for bringing in more casino players.
Largest Slot Jackpot In Las Vegas
Progressive jackpots in Nevada are some of the richest gambling jackpots in the world, offering you the chance to be able to make a huge return on your stake without having to alter the way that you play your chosen game. The biggest slot machine win rounded at a mind-boggling $39 million (and change)! The jackpot was hit by a 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles who gambled at the famous Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas. The lucky slot that paid out?
It is pertinent to note that some of the biggest casino wins in history have come from the slots and the subsequent introduction of progressive jackpots has helped maximise the number of slot wins. In case you need an if-they-can-win-so-can-you dose of motivation, read about the biggest jackpots won on casino slots below.
Both online slots and slot machines offer a chance to win multimillion-dollar jackpots. So, let us start with listing the biggest slots wins in the history of casino gaming.
News Highlights
The story of the suitcase man
Urban legends are fairly common in the world of betting, but none are as seemingly evergreen as the story of the 'Suitcase Man.'
In 1980, William Lee Bergstrom came with two suitcases to the Binion's Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. One suitcase was empty, and the other had $777,000 in it. He put the entire amount at stake and doubled his money on a solo dice roll. He then drove off with both his suitcases filled with the prize money.
But that's not it!
In 1984, Bergstrom returned to place a $1 million bet, which he ended up losing. To this day, this has been the largest bet someone made against a casino.
Megabucks machines in Las Vegas
John Tippin, a postal worker, went on a holiday to Vegas and won $11 million at the Megabucks Slot Machine in 1996. These slots are state-operated, and there are over 700 in operation around Nevada. House party game mac.
In 1998, the Megabucks jackpot crossed over $20 million for the first time, when a retired flight attendant gambled more than the total amount that could be put at stake ($300) at Palace Station Hotel and Casino. It fetched a whopping $27.5 million jackpot.
A year later, a single $10 spin paid out $21 million in the Megabucks at Caesars Palace.
The double winner
Another well-known Megabucks story is that of Elmer Sherwin, who played and won twice — once in 1989 when he won $4.6 million, and then again in 2005 when he won a massive $21.1 million at the age of 92.
The breakfast win
In 2002, a 74-year-old woman named Johanna Huendl of Covina, California, stopped to enjoy some breakfast and casually put about $170 into a Megabucks slot machine. She ended up winning $22.6 million. What a delightful start to a morning!
The biggest slot winner ever
In 2003, a software engineer in Los Angeles wagered $100 on Megabucks at Excalibur and won $39.7 million, the biggest win in Vegas's casino gaming history. The money had to be paid out in 25 annual instalments of $1.5 million each.
Now that online gambling has taken over traditional gambling, it is indeed fascinating to know how these tech-driven casino games have turned the wheels of fortune for many. Some of the major wins that are still remembered include the Beach Life jackpot.
Starting from 2011, the jackpot meter went past first $5 million, then $6 million and eventually even $8 million – much more than what the game had ever offered before.
So, who won? The name of the winner was not released when they cracked the right grouping of symbols and took home a prize of more than $8.2 million on 12th February 2012. It was one of the biggest wins ever seen in online gambling in those days.
Online progressive jackpots
The amount of progressive jackpots grows every time the slot game is played without anyone winning the game. A part of the money from each spin is put into an online jackpot. When won, the jackpot retunes to a predefined amount and slowly increases again.
Many machines can be used to play collectively to make for higher jackpots. So, when there are no winners, the moolah grows to an amazing amount attracting people from all over the world.
What's up now?
There are no two ways about the fact that online casinos are a direct competition to Vegas and similar other land-based casino gaming cities. It is because the former offers the same scale of prizes as the latter, combined with progressive jackpots available across several online slots.
The highest amount won in online slots till date is £13.2 million (approximately $20 million). Registered in the Guinness Book of World Records, Jon Heywood won it in 2015 on the Mega Moolah slot.
In another place, an anonymous Australian player received a colossal $10.4 million (AUS) on the Dark Knight slot, a game which has now been withdrawn due to licensing issues.
Adobe reader x 10 1 download. PokerStars Casino has also introduced several progressive jackpot slots with minimum prize money of more than $1 million. Since January 2017, there have been 12 players who have won over $23.6 million in progressive jackpots.
Do these stories inspire you to play more to try your luck at the next big win? Let us know your stories in the comments below.
Note: While all the payout figures in this article are validated, there could be a discrepancy in terms of current values, due to currency exchange rates and inflation and deflation over the years.
The motto for most gamblers who come to Las Vegas on a lark is rather simple – go big or go home.
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.
Biggest Slot Machine Jackpot
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.
Starting from 2011, the jackpot meter went past first $5 million, then $6 million and eventually even $8 million – much more than what the game had ever offered before.
So, who won? The name of the winner was not released when they cracked the right grouping of symbols and took home a prize of more than $8.2 million on 12th February 2012. It was one of the biggest wins ever seen in online gambling in those days.
Online progressive jackpots
The amount of progressive jackpots grows every time the slot game is played without anyone winning the game. A part of the money from each spin is put into an online jackpot. When won, the jackpot retunes to a predefined amount and slowly increases again.
Many machines can be used to play collectively to make for higher jackpots. So, when there are no winners, the moolah grows to an amazing amount attracting people from all over the world.
What's up now?
There are no two ways about the fact that online casinos are a direct competition to Vegas and similar other land-based casino gaming cities. It is because the former offers the same scale of prizes as the latter, combined with progressive jackpots available across several online slots.
The highest amount won in online slots till date is £13.2 million (approximately $20 million). Registered in the Guinness Book of World Records, Jon Heywood won it in 2015 on the Mega Moolah slot.
In another place, an anonymous Australian player received a colossal $10.4 million (AUS) on the Dark Knight slot, a game which has now been withdrawn due to licensing issues.
Adobe reader x 10 1 download. PokerStars Casino has also introduced several progressive jackpot slots with minimum prize money of more than $1 million. Since January 2017, there have been 12 players who have won over $23.6 million in progressive jackpots.
Do these stories inspire you to play more to try your luck at the next big win? Let us know your stories in the comments below.
Note: While all the payout figures in this article are validated, there could be a discrepancy in terms of current values, due to currency exchange rates and inflation and deflation over the years.
The motto for most gamblers who come to Las Vegas on a lark is rather simple – go big or go home.
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.
Biggest Slot Machine Jackpot
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.
Largest Slot Jackpot Videos
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.
Aditya hridaya stotra in hindi pdf. 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.
Biggest Jackpots In Slots
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
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.