- Best Progressive Slots In Vegas
- Las Vegas Progressive Slot Machines
- Progressive Slot Machines In Vegas
Anyone can enjoy this cheap and classic form of Vegas entertainment. We've come up with some simple tricks to turn the tides and help you become the next big Vegas winner. Here are the secrets to navigating the 200,000+ slot machines in Las Vegas. We help you understand the odds and point you to the best paying slots in Las Vegas. Best Progressive Slots in Vegas. I would completely avoid playing slot machines in Vegas in places such as McCarran Airport, and also avoid playing slot machines in the Las Vegas Strip. The slot has produced dozens of winners over the past 25 years and is one of the best slot machines in Las Vegas casinos. Book of Ra If you fancy classic themed titles, Book of Ra is one of the. Answer 1 of 5: What exactly does this mean? Thank you: Get Las Vegas travel advice on Tripadvisor's Las Vegas travel forum. The World's largest Slot Jackpots. The world's first wide area progressive jackpot system, Megabucks has been awarding life-changing jackpots to lucky winners since 1986.
Megabucks are slots with progressive jackpots, combined into a single network that covers casinos in several American states. The owner and operator of this network is International Game Technology, better known by its abbreviated name IGT.
Megabucks slot is considered as an alternative to state lotteries and enjoys incredible popularity among Americans. Actually, there is an opinion that IGT specifically released it to create a lottery competition. Since the beginning of the eighties in the twentieth century, when the slot was launched for the first time, this slot made dozens of players millionaires.
Thanks to the skillfully organized advertising company, every Megabucks jackpot, when it reaches a considerable size, causes a real excitement among the gambling public. And every hit of the progressive jackpot is widely covered in the media, attracting even more casino visitors to the slot. No other slot in the world is overgrown with so many incredible myths, rumors, and legends. But with all this, there are a lot of gambling experts and just experienced players who consider Megabucks a hideous slot that absolutely does not deserve so much attention. So, who is right: fans or opponents of this slot?
Where to Play the Megabucks Slot
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Rank | Casino/Hotel | Details | Booking |
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The Mirage | $100-200Avg. Room Rates | View Deals | |
2 | Park MGM | $100-200Avg. Room Rates | View Deals |
3 | Wild Wild West | $30-60Avg. Room Rates | View Deals |
4 | Paris | $150-300Avg. Room Rates | View Deals |
How to Play Megabucks
The classic version of the Megabucks slot from IGT is a 3-reel slot machine with the only one payline. In order to qualify for a progressive jackpot, the player must definitely bet three dollars. There are a lot of stories (both true and fictitious) about casino customers, who had the jackpot combination, but they did not receive any jackpot because of a bet less than three dollars.
The progressive jackpot is not completely nullified when a lucky winner gets it but starts to grow from a certain amount. In recent years, this fixed amount is $10,000,000. There are persistent rumors that soon this initial sum of the jackpot should increase by one million.
Megabucks Slot Odds
Strange as it may seem, there is no official information about the probability of winning the Megabucks jackpot. Some casinos say that the player has one chance out of 50 million, while others claim that this is one chance of 17 million. Whatever it was, when the sum of the jackpot is large enough, fans of this slot are ready to fly thousands of kilometers to try their luck.
What do Lady Luck's favorites have from this slot? Do they get all that huge amount of money that is advertised? When you win a jackpot, events can unfold as follows. First of all, the lucky guy will receive a check for $1,400,000. Then the winner is given two or three months to decide how he wants to get his winnings. There are two options: the amount is divided into annual payments, which will be transferred to the player within twenty-five years, or he can get the winnings immediately at a time, but at a rate of 60% of the jackpot.
![Las Vegas Progressive Slot Machines Las Vegas Progressive Slot Machines](https://live.staticflickr.com/2096/1731604673_216132f634_b.jpg)
That is, having won ten million, the winner can receive in the second variant only six million, but at once and with one payment. After receiving the win, he still has to pay taxes. Unsurprisingly, almost all holders of Megabucks jackpots prefer to receive their winnings in the form of annual payments.
However, in this case, they also have to pay taxes, the Internal Revenue Service of the United States (IRS) very strictly follows this. Subtract from the total amount of the jackpot another 40%, because such winnings are taxed at the maximum rate. So, the next time you hear that someone has won ten million in Megabucks and immediately took all the money, you know that the lucky guy got a little over three and a half million at his disposal.
The Curse of the Megabucks Jackpot
As already mentioned above, there are a lot of urban legends about the Megabucks slot and its jackpot, mostly of a gloomy nature. For the most part, they describe the tragic fate of players who managed to win a huge jackpot. It is believed that almost all the lucky people either perish or suffer numerous woes. The cause of their numerous misfortunes is the so-called Curse of the Megabucks slot.
Of course, in these stories, there is much more fiction than the truth. However, there is no smoke without fire — some winners, really, seriously suffered after they won the jackpot. In particular, the further life of the waitress Cynthia J. Brennan, who won $34.9 million in 2000, was sad. A month and a half after the win, Cynthia and her sister were hit by a drunk driver. The sister died on the spot, and Cynthia was forever paralyzed. The guy who drove the car in a state of intoxication was imprisoned for twenty-eight years.
But the rumors about the curse of Megabucks spread even before the year 2000. Simply, this accident was widely covered in the press and made people remember about other similar events, which at that time did not become so resonant. In 2003, many media published a story about a 25-year-old player who became the owner of the Megabucks jackpot and either died from a drug overdose in a casino hotel or was killed in a street shootout. IGT companies had to work hard to convince the public of the falsity of these statements.
There are also a lot of rumors about underage players and employees of different casinos who won the Megabucks jackpot but could not get it due to existing rules. But none of these rumors received documentary evidence.
Many experts in the field of gambling suggest that ITG recently made relevant changes to the Megabucks system, which makes the jackpot play less often, but with larger amounts. Although officially the company claims that nothing of the sort has happened, this opinion remains very popular.
Where Could You Play Megabucks?
Most fans of slot machines and large jackpots are not afraid of the curse of Megabucks and are willing to play in this slot. You can find this slot in almost all real casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, as well as in other establishments in Nevada, California, New Jersey, Mississippi, and some Indian reservations. Each state has its own separate network of Megabucks slots, but the biggest progressive jackpots are expected in Nevada. In other states, jackpots are much smaller.
Why do Experts Consider Megabucks a Bad Slot?
Experts do not believe in the curse of the Megabucks slot, but this does not stop them from considering this gambling machine not worthy of attention. The fact is that this slot is very unprofitable for the player. Firstly, it has an extremely high percentage of the casino advantage, which reaches 10-15% (for comparison, many slots in the Las Vegas casino are limited to 2-3%). Secondly, the procedure for paying a jackpot is extremely inconvenient. The winner either loses 40% of the amount or gets it in parts for 25 years. But the progressive jackpots of most other slots are paid immediately and in full.
All this suggests that Megabucks is a mediocre slot, which gained its popularity only thanks to record payments and a masterly organized PR campaign.
See Also
Las Vegas Progressive JackpotsProgressive slots have always been among the favorites of a large number of casino enthusiasts. They offer larger jackpots than usual and in certain cases, deliver life-changing results to winners. Every casino-goer interested in slots has probably wished that he would hit the Big One – the one that change his life for good! However, a reality check is required before you participate in slot games. The chances of lightning striking you are higher than your winning the big one. But this does not mean that you must never play slots.
You might not stand a chance of hitting a large jackpot, but slots can still be played for the mere joy they bring. If your expectations are realistic and you're not one of those dreamers who hope to hit the big one someday, slot machines can offer you plenty of fun. Few of the progressive slot machines out there are better when compared to others in terms of luck with hitting the jackpot. Before we go into detail with the kinds of progressive slots, let's go through the fundamental basics of the casino game.
Casinos With Progressive Slot Jackpots Over $500,000
Basics of Progressive Slots - Types of Progressive Slots
Progressive machines refer to a group of several slots that are interlinked using a common network. Each slot machine takes in money which is accumulated over a period of time. The progressive jackpot is a high-payout feature that continually grows depending on the number of people who play on the machine, until the winning icons for the big prize appear on screen. There are three major progressive slots that promise a great deal of fun and entertainment, viz. the Stand Alone Progressive, Proprietary or In-House Progressives, and Wide Area Progressive.
Stand Alone Progressive Slots
Unlike most slot machines, the stand alone progressive slot is not interlinked with others! Instead of offering players a fixed big prize, it takes a ratio of coins played into the machine and adds it to the top jackpot. The meter is usually located on the slot machine's front part, and displays the jackpot if the winning combination is the highest. Stand alone progressive jackpots are not as high as the jackpots that can be won by playing on interlinked machines.
Proprietary or In-House Progressives
Proprietary or in-house progressive machines are owned and run by a casino, and are linked together with other slots. These progressives are generally available in one single casino. However, they may also be interlinked with other properties if a casino has more than one franchise. The winnings will depend upon the casino where you play. Although jackpots are not generally in the multi-million category, they are often substantially rewarding. The good thing about proprietary or in-house progressives is that they hit more frequently than other progressives.
Wide Area Progressive
![Las vegas progressive slots amounts Las vegas progressive slots amounts](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9IYSo77AfhY/maxresdefault.jpg)
That is, having won ten million, the winner can receive in the second variant only six million, but at once and with one payment. After receiving the win, he still has to pay taxes. Unsurprisingly, almost all holders of Megabucks jackpots prefer to receive their winnings in the form of annual payments.
However, in this case, they also have to pay taxes, the Internal Revenue Service of the United States (IRS) very strictly follows this. Subtract from the total amount of the jackpot another 40%, because such winnings are taxed at the maximum rate. So, the next time you hear that someone has won ten million in Megabucks and immediately took all the money, you know that the lucky guy got a little over three and a half million at his disposal.
The Curse of the Megabucks Jackpot
As already mentioned above, there are a lot of urban legends about the Megabucks slot and its jackpot, mostly of a gloomy nature. For the most part, they describe the tragic fate of players who managed to win a huge jackpot. It is believed that almost all the lucky people either perish or suffer numerous woes. The cause of their numerous misfortunes is the so-called Curse of the Megabucks slot.
Of course, in these stories, there is much more fiction than the truth. However, there is no smoke without fire — some winners, really, seriously suffered after they won the jackpot. In particular, the further life of the waitress Cynthia J. Brennan, who won $34.9 million in 2000, was sad. A month and a half after the win, Cynthia and her sister were hit by a drunk driver. The sister died on the spot, and Cynthia was forever paralyzed. The guy who drove the car in a state of intoxication was imprisoned for twenty-eight years.
But the rumors about the curse of Megabucks spread even before the year 2000. Simply, this accident was widely covered in the press and made people remember about other similar events, which at that time did not become so resonant. In 2003, many media published a story about a 25-year-old player who became the owner of the Megabucks jackpot and either died from a drug overdose in a casino hotel or was killed in a street shootout. IGT companies had to work hard to convince the public of the falsity of these statements.
There are also a lot of rumors about underage players and employees of different casinos who won the Megabucks jackpot but could not get it due to existing rules. But none of these rumors received documentary evidence.
Many experts in the field of gambling suggest that ITG recently made relevant changes to the Megabucks system, which makes the jackpot play less often, but with larger amounts. Although officially the company claims that nothing of the sort has happened, this opinion remains very popular.
Where Could You Play Megabucks?
Most fans of slot machines and large jackpots are not afraid of the curse of Megabucks and are willing to play in this slot. You can find this slot in almost all real casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, as well as in other establishments in Nevada, California, New Jersey, Mississippi, and some Indian reservations. Each state has its own separate network of Megabucks slots, but the biggest progressive jackpots are expected in Nevada. In other states, jackpots are much smaller.
Why do Experts Consider Megabucks a Bad Slot?
Experts do not believe in the curse of the Megabucks slot, but this does not stop them from considering this gambling machine not worthy of attention. The fact is that this slot is very unprofitable for the player. Firstly, it has an extremely high percentage of the casino advantage, which reaches 10-15% (for comparison, many slots in the Las Vegas casino are limited to 2-3%). Secondly, the procedure for paying a jackpot is extremely inconvenient. The winner either loses 40% of the amount or gets it in parts for 25 years. But the progressive jackpots of most other slots are paid immediately and in full.
All this suggests that Megabucks is a mediocre slot, which gained its popularity only thanks to record payments and a masterly organized PR campaign.
See Also
Las Vegas Progressive JackpotsProgressive slots have always been among the favorites of a large number of casino enthusiasts. They offer larger jackpots than usual and in certain cases, deliver life-changing results to winners. Every casino-goer interested in slots has probably wished that he would hit the Big One – the one that change his life for good! However, a reality check is required before you participate in slot games. The chances of lightning striking you are higher than your winning the big one. But this does not mean that you must never play slots.
You might not stand a chance of hitting a large jackpot, but slots can still be played for the mere joy they bring. If your expectations are realistic and you're not one of those dreamers who hope to hit the big one someday, slot machines can offer you plenty of fun. Few of the progressive slot machines out there are better when compared to others in terms of luck with hitting the jackpot. Before we go into detail with the kinds of progressive slots, let's go through the fundamental basics of the casino game.
Casinos With Progressive Slot Jackpots Over $500,000
Basics of Progressive Slots - Types of Progressive Slots
Progressive machines refer to a group of several slots that are interlinked using a common network. Each slot machine takes in money which is accumulated over a period of time. The progressive jackpot is a high-payout feature that continually grows depending on the number of people who play on the machine, until the winning icons for the big prize appear on screen. There are three major progressive slots that promise a great deal of fun and entertainment, viz. the Stand Alone Progressive, Proprietary or In-House Progressives, and Wide Area Progressive.
Stand Alone Progressive Slots
Unlike most slot machines, the stand alone progressive slot is not interlinked with others! Instead of offering players a fixed big prize, it takes a ratio of coins played into the machine and adds it to the top jackpot. The meter is usually located on the slot machine's front part, and displays the jackpot if the winning combination is the highest. Stand alone progressive jackpots are not as high as the jackpots that can be won by playing on interlinked machines.
Proprietary or In-House Progressives
Proprietary or in-house progressive machines are owned and run by a casino, and are linked together with other slots. These progressives are generally available in one single casino. However, they may also be interlinked with other properties if a casino has more than one franchise. The winnings will depend upon the casino where you play. Although jackpots are not generally in the multi-million category, they are often substantially rewarding. The good thing about proprietary or in-house progressives is that they hit more frequently than other progressives.
Wide Area Progressive
Speaking of life-changing jackpots, it should be mentioned that wide area progressives offer the highest payouts in progressive slot games. Several unrelated casinos are interlinked and the machines are often run by a solo operator. Games like Quartermania, MegaBucks, etc. are operated by IGT – an independent slot-maker. The games are owned by the operator, but the casino gets a share of the winnings. Although the jackpots are fairly large, the possibility of hitting the top award is pretty low. Due to the costs incurred in interlinking machines along with administrative costs spent on operating these games, the percentage of payback on such machines is considerably lower when compared to other slots.
List of the Biggest Progressive Slots Wins in Las Vegas' History
Each year, jackpots associated with slots machines get bigger. Las Vegas has a rich history of changing the lives of many slots players. Following is a list of some of the biggest progressive jackpot victories ever!
Excalibur Casino
On the 21st of March, 2003, an incredible sum of $39.7 million was bagged by an anonymous L.A software engineer. One of the most famous progressive slots in Sin City, Megabucks only needs $3 to put you in the running for the jackpot. The smallest win is a fantastic $10 million. With such high amounts involved, there's no surprise that Megabucks hold the record for the largest jackpot ever paid out.
Desert Inn Casino
On the 26th of January, 2000, Lady Luck shone on a rather unfortunate cocktail waitress, Cynthia Jay-Brennan. Only six weeks before claiming the second-biggest jackpot in Vegas' history, Cynthia lost her sister and was left paralyzed following a car accident. The jackpot was won when she played on a Megabucks slot machine, and it fetched her a handsome $34.9 million.
Palace Station Casino
Best Progressive Slots In Vegas
Megabucks finds its place on the list once again as the third highest jackpot winning slot. On the 15th of November, 1998, a progressive prize of $27.5 was claimed by an anonymous flight attendant retiree who was just short of his 68th birthday! Megabucks had surpassed the $20 million mark for the very first time in history, but the most interesting news about the retiree winning was that he had claimed $680,000 playing Wheel of Fortune at Palace Station Casino only a year earlier!
Bally's Casino
Surprise, surprise – or is it?! Megabucks is on the list once more as the slot machine handed Johanna Huendl, a 74-year-old, $22.6 million on the 27th of March, 2002. Johanna, who entered Bally's Casino hoping to get some breakfast thought she would try out the slot machine for the fun of it. Little did she know that she would walk away with all the eggs in the proverbial basket!
Caesars Palace Casino
Okay, Megabucks is seriously impressing! On the 1st of June, 1999, an Illinois business consultant (anonymous) walked into one of Vegas' most popular casinos and walked out with a staggering $21.3 million. The interesting bit of his story is that it was his first ever spin on a Megabucks slot machine! Anonymous he might be, but his story is imprinted in the history of Caesars Palace.
Las Vegas Progressive Slot Machines
Cannery Casino
Progressive Slot Machines In Vegas
Megabucks rounds up the list of the biggest progressive jackpot win in the history of Las Vegas. On the 15th of September, 2005, Elmer Sherwin claimed a $21.1 million prize and is recognized as the oldest man to win more than $20 million on slots games. The legend was in the making when Elmer bagged $4.6 million while playing slots at the Mirage Casino in 1989. He announced that he would hit the jackpot again, and as his luck would have it, there he was, at 92 years of age, claiming almost five times the amount he won sixteen years earlier!