Highest Jackpot Slot Machine
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Progressive slot machines were introduced to the gaming market in 1986 by American slot machine manufacturer, International Gaming Technology (IGT). Until then, a slot machine payout would be limited to the amount set by the casino.
First on the list is IGT Interactive's Megabucks. The first wide-area progressive machine. Addams Family Slot Machine. Addams Family is one of the massive jackpot slot machines you will find in Las Vegas. The base jackpot is $100,000, and being a nickel machine means that this is a very nice minimum prize. The game has four themes and the most popular ones are “Cousin Its’ Good Hair Day” and “Fry Fester”.
The progressive angle allowed the total available jackpot to increase with every bet contributed by a player, minus the amount taken by the casino to preserve the house edge.
But because the original progressive slots were still limited to one machine at a time, payouts remained modest compared to what they would become.
What revolutionized progressive slot play and the gaming industry as a whole was the networking of progressive machines. There are two types of progressive networks – local and wide-area.
Local area progressives provide larger potential jackpots than the original stand-alone machine because the contributions of all machines on the network add to the payout potential of one machine. However, because the local-area network may only contain up to a hundred machines, payouts usually do not exceed $100 000.
Big slot play these days requires wide-area progressive networks. As you have guessed, wide-area progressive machines are linked to a much greater number of machines, which include machines from other casinos across the state and sometimes across the country. For gamblers playing in states with a rich gaming culture, like Nevada or Pennsylvania, this means high jackpot potential, indeed!
To date, the largest progressive jackpot payout (and therefore the largest payout in slots history) took place at the Las Vegas Excalibur, on March 21, 2003. The largest in Las Vegas history, a software engineer spent $100 on IGT's Megabucks and won a total of $39 710 896.36, beating odds of 16.7 million against.
The following is a list of 7 of the best progressive slot machines in the world today.
1. Megabucks
First on the list is IGT Interactive's Megabucks. The first wide-area progressive machine to become available, Megabucks is still in very wide use. The Megabucks is a dollar slot game, with $3 bets required to qualify for the maximum jackpot. The jackpot base amount is $10 million, and once the progressive payout is made the machine is reset to the base.
The Megabucks has been the machine on record for some of the largest payouts in slot gaming history, including the aforementioned, number one ranked $39 million. As of this date, the latest Megabucks jackpot was hit on March 22, 2016 at the Gold Dust West Casino in Elko, Nevada, paying over $12.5 million. Between 1994 through 2009, Megabucks paid out a total of $1,239,830,000 in winnings, an annual average of $77 489 375. Winners have a choice between taking the entire payout in one sum or having it distributed over a 25-year period in annual installments.
Be aware that Megabucks gaming is available solely in Nevada. However, visitors to Nevada will have no problem finding a Megabucks machine to try their luck on. There are many dozens of casinos in and around the Las Vegas and Reno areas that employ Megabucks machines. According to a2zlasvegas website, Megabucks jackpot hits have been averaging 1 a year for the past few years, with the most number of jackpots topping 3 per year. However, with winnings consistently worth well over $10 million, Megabucks continues to attract the crowds.
2. Wheel of Fortune Slots
Fans of the famous game show will feel at home with the Wheel of Fortune. Atop the machine is the iconic 'Wheel' which is spun with every press of the button, accompanied with the game show theme music.
Produced by IGT, Wheel of Fortune games come with options of 25c, $1 and $5 betting levels. Wheel of Fortune Quarter requires 3 coins, or 75c bets, to qualify for jackpot hits. After a hit, the jackpot level is reset to $200 000. Of the Wheel of Fortune variations, the 25c version pays out smallest but more often, averaging the past several years at least one jackpot payout per month. A few of which paying over $1 million.
The Wheel of Fortune Dollar is a dollar slot that requires a $2 bet to qualify for the jackpot. Winners may also choose to receive payouts in 25 annual installments. The base is set at $1 million and the machine is reset to the base upon a jackpot hit. As of this date, the latest Wheel of Fortune $1 jackpot was hit on June 9, 2016 at the upscale Red Rock Casino and Spa in Las Vegas for $ 1,240,398.97.
Though these jackpots are considerably smaller than its Megabucks cousin, Wheel of Fortune Dollar does pay out more often. According to a2zlasvegas website, over the past two years there have been 17 jackpot payouts, all worth well over $1 million. Still enough jackpot to have made it worthwhile!
Wheel of Fortune Five Dollar is a $5 slot machine that requires two coins, or $10 bets, to qualify for the jackpot. After a jackpot hit the base is reset to $1 million. Winners have the option to receive payouts in annual installments.
Of the Wheel of Fortune slot franchise, and not unsurprisingly, the Five Dollar pays out least often, with jackpots ranging from one to no more than a handful per year, over the past 15 years. However, payouts are typically well over $1 million, while a few have exceeded $3 million.
3. Saturday Night Live Slots
Saturday Night Live by Bally Gaming is one of the Bally's more popular slots, due largely to the variations between versions of the game and the potential for high bonuses and networked progressive jackpots. Typically, the jackpot will start at $10 000 on individual machines and proceed. However, some machines are linked to local or wide-area networks increasing the payout potential considerably.
Examples on variations include The Church Lady, which offers a Canned Ham and Church Hat bonus play. Another version is Wayne's World that has a Guitar feature that provides up to 15 times the bet's value and an Offer feature that can multiply your bet's value by 1000. Thus, the potential for huge jackpot payouts.
4. Sex and the City Slots
IGT's Sex and the City slots have been a big hit in Vegas, perhaps partly due to the popular TV show from which it derives its name and brand. These slots have acquired a reputation for attracting single women, perhaps because of the show's audience and identity. It will help to be a big fan of the show to get most enjoyment from the play experience. Because of this, Sex and the City's manufacturer – IGT – went all out to create a very visually appealing machine with all the show's themes and icons a fan would expect.
Another reason may be the fact they are technically penny slots, and so a play can cost much less than the other progressive slot games mentioned in this list. Sex and the City slots are also 4 in 1 games, offering a lot of variation in play. However, for maximum play experience, it is required to play all four screens at once. Since each play per screen is 50c a maximum play is $2, which is getting up into maximum progressive wide-area slot play.
The game offers nine bonus rounds where a player may enhance winnings. Each round is represented by a particular character from the show with show-themed scenarios, like Mr. Big or shopping for shoes. Fans of the series won't want to miss this one.
5. Millionaire 777s
Millionaire 777s have the reputation for providing more frequent payouts, with a chance to win $1 million every 107 spins. The base jackpot is $1 million and is returned to that after a jackpot hit. The most recent jackpot hit occurred April 8, 2015 at the California Hotel and Casino, for $1,168,555.17.
6. Powerbucks
Powerbucks is a wide-area linked progressive slot game that links machines in Nevada with machines in South Dakota and New Jersey.
As of this date, the most recent Powerbucks jackpot was hit June 2, 2015, at Orleans Hotel and Casino, for just over $1.35 million.
7. Quartermania
Quartermania is a progressive slot game that is linked within a wide-area system to casinos in Nevada and New Jersey. It can be found within a few dozen casinos in and around Las Vegas. Quartermania is a game that allows for more frequent play due to lower required bets but can still provide a whopping payout. The highest payout is over $178 000 and the most recent was on April 4, 2016 at the Tropicana in Atlantic City.
Conclusion
Wide-area progressive slots have gained the reputation of providing life-changing payouts and are typically well over $1 million. For this reason, the area around linked progressive machines tends to be one of the busiest in a casino, electric with the lights and sounds of the bells and the anticipation of extravagant winnings. If you decide to play a progressive slot you will notice the winnings potential increase in large, brightly lit numbers on the front. This adds to the excitement of progressive slot machine play.
Of course, also adding to the excitement is the knowledge that you, as the player, are not only competing against the odds set by the random number generator that exists inside each machine, but also against other players. Since there can be many thousands of machines connected to a wide-area network, including systems that extend both through-out and across state lines, you could be playing simultaneously with many thousands of players – all going for the same jackpot. In odds terms, the mathematical probability of hitting the jackpot is roughly 1 in 49 836 032, calculated in 1999 by Jack Robison.
One thing however, to be aware of is the minimum required bet. Most progressive machines require a minimum bet for each play in order for the player to qualify for the maximum jackpot. For example, if the minimum bet is a $2 coin and you play a $1 coin, and win, your bet did not qualify you for the available progressive jackpot. The result is you may still have a nice payout – say, $5000 – even if the potential payout was in the millions.
As you can imagine this could be quite a shock if you thought you were playing for the maximum jackpot. Don't worry though. Each machine should clearly state what the minimum bet is in order to qualify for the progressive jackpot. If you cannot find the information on the front of the machine, check the machine's 'Help' menu. Failing that, ask an attendant to show you where the minimum bet is located in writing. I do not recommend asking a fellow player as they may also be misled.
Progressive slots over wide-area networks offer the responsible gambler yet another thrill in his or her casino gameplay. As ever, budget aside a reasonable and affordable bankroll, monitor the time spent and you can spend an enjoyable hour or so always one bet away from making gaming history and going home truly rich.
Slot machines are relatively easy to understand and play. You drop the coin (or insert your player card) and pull the lever or press the button. The reels start spinning on a screen.
Once the reels stop, you’re hoping that you have a winning combo and finally have the nest egg, new car, or house you’ve always dreamed of. This is not the likely outcome of playing a slot machine. Slots (like penny slot machines specifically) are the biggest moneymakers for American casinos.
Most players would be surprised by how much they spend to win even a small payout. The odds are not in your favor. A slot machine is not usually a financially sound way to spend your money.
But you can win, and some gamblers have won big. Slot machine payouts are some of the largest out of any other game in casinos.
I’m going to talk about the biggest slot machine winners. I’m sharing with you the 10 biggest casino jackpot winners of all time.
1 – $39,710,826.36
A 25-year-old software engineer who chose to remain anonymous won nearly $40 million on a progressive slot machine at the Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas.
This win happened in 2003 and remains the most significant slot jackpot of all time. I don’t know if I could be trusted with that much money at 25, could you?
The anonymous gambler used $100 on the Megabucks slot machines. Talk about return on investment.
2 – $34,959,458.56
In January of 2000, Cynthia Jay Brennan, a cocktail waitress, had her most important day of her career. Cynthia, 37 at the time of the win, played a Megabucks machine at the Desert Inn.
The Wynn Las Vegas is the former location of the Desert Inn. Unfortunately, Ms. Brennan was in a tragic car accident six weeks later when she was hit by a drunk driver. She was left paralyzed, and her sister’s life was taken in the accident.
3 – $27,580,879.60
A retired flight attendant entered the Palace Station Casino on November 15th, 1998, with the intent of only playing $100 on slots. She blew her budget as we tend to do when real money gambling.
She ended up betting $300, and she’s glad she did. The anonymous woman is currently the record holder for the third largest jackpot winner.
The flight attendant won almost 28 million on a Megabucks machine. I guess sometimes tripling your bankroll pays off. It paid off big for this lucky player.
4 – $22,621,229.74
Rise and shine! That’s what Johanna Heundl did on May 27th, 2002, when she won the fourth biggest slots machine jackpot of all time.
The California resident casually decided to play a, you guessed it, Megabucks machine. She was on her way to breakfast.
Johanna looked away from the machine for a moment. When she looked back at the slot machine, she had to check her vision. She won nearly $23 million.
What a great way to start the day, wouldn’t you agree? I would’ve bought breakfast for the whole restaurant, wouldn’t you?
5 – $21,346,952.22
On June 1st, 1999, an unnamed business consultant put a $10 bill in a Megabucks slots machine. He had no idea that his life was about change.
The Illinois resident proceeded to win $21.3 million on the machine at Caesar’s Palace in Vegas. I wonder if he’s still consulting?
The 49-year-old has chosen to remain anonymous to this day. I probably would, too.
6 – $21,147,947.00
How would you feel about winning not just one multimillion payout, but two? In a span of 20 years?
Dreams do come true. Elmer Sherwin won $4.6 million in 1989 at the Mirage. Almost 20 years later, the Vegas regular won $21.1 million on a Megabucks machine at the Cannery Casino Hotel in Las Vegas.
The luckiest man alive won his second jackpot at the young age of 92. It’s too bad you can’t take money with you to the grave. Elmer passed away two years later at 94.
This story gives a new meaning to golden years.
7 – $17,329,817.80
Any casino regular is familiar with the freebies you’re given. There’s the $20 credit to play on slots. Maybe you’ll get the dinner voucher. You might even get a discount on your hotel room.
They’re great, but do you really take any of those seriously? I probably have 10 buffet vouchers in my junk drawer as I write this post.
Well, maybe we shouldn’t treat these freebies with such abandon. A Las Vegas woman went to the M Resort in Henderson, NV, to use her free play credit with the casino and use up some food vouchers.
She was on her way to use the food vouchers for dinner with a friend. She had no idea her life was about to change. The woman inserted the credits into a Megabucks machine and won. She didn’t just win a measly $400, she won nearly $18 million.
In December of 2012, this anonymous gambler’s holiday wishes came early. The lesson here is to use those free credits! You might not win, but what is there to lose? Maybe a multimillion-dollar jackpot?
8 – $17,329,817.80
A Las Vegas casino regular, known the Rampart Lucky Local, played a $20 bill in a Megabucks machine at the Rampart Casino. You know exactly what happens next—he won a multimillion jackpot.
The man had much bigger dreams than using the money for his own needs and wants. He made a substantial donation to his local church.
The donation allowed the fledgling church to build their own church. At the time, the young church was hosting their services out of a local high school’s gym.
The world might be just a smidgen better if more of us were this generous.
9 – $12,769,933.00
What happens when you’re visiting your niece and she happens to live in Vegas? You go play the $6 in your pocket at the Aria Casino and Resort, obviously.
What might not happen to all people in this situation is winning almost $13 million.
This is what on January 21st, 2011. An unnamed woman was:
- Visiting her niece in Las Vegas
- She had $6 in cash
- She played a Megabucks machine at the Aria Casino and Resort
- She won $12.7 million
The outcome of this was for one woman. Her life was forever changed. That’s the kind of out-of-town trip I’m talking about!
Ironically, there was another major jackpot on a Megabucks machine four months later. I bet the Aria was double-checking the odds on their machines.
10 – $12,510,549.90
Big Apple dreams came true for a Vegas local on April 14th, 1997. Suzanne Henley stopped into the New York-New York Casino one night on her way home from work.
She had a hunch that the casino was overdue for a massive payout on the Megabucks slot machines. I swear, you should always trust your gut. It’s rarely wrong.
Slot Machine Jackpots On Youtube
Suzanne played $100 on the Megabucks machine that was suspected to be a winner. And of course, she won millions. To be exact, Ms. Henley won $12.5 million.
The takeaway from this jackpot winner? Always trust your intuition, because it might be worth almost $13 million.
Why Are Big Jackpots on Megabucks Machines?
Megabucks machines are wide-area progressive (WAP) slot machines. WAP progressive slot machines are usually interconnected throughout a large area.
What makes the Megabucks machines unique is:
- The WAP system for the Megabucks machines is massive. The Megabucks WAP system in Vegas is the most prominent in the country. The Megabucks WAP system has more players contributing to its odds than any other system in the United States.
- The Megabucks jackpot payouts start at $10 million. So, the winner isn’t going to win less than $10 million.
- The Megabucks machines are some of the most expensive slot machines a gambler can play. The minimum bet amount starts at $3. Considering the average bet on a single spin for a slot machine is around 10 cents, Megabucks machines are expensive to play.
One can assume that the more expensive the single bet, the higher the payout.
These three combined characteristics of the Megabucks progressive slot machines are why they are the king of the biggest slot jackpots.
Conclusion
Man, wouldn’t it be awesome to play the small cash you have on you, even the free casino slot credits, and walk away a multimillionaire?
What Is The Highest Payout Slot Machine
These stories seem too good to be true. There’s a reason the odds of winning the Megabucks jackpot are not good. The odds for Megabucks win around 50 million to 1.
Which Slot Machine Pays The Best
I love jackpot stories, and I hope you do, too. Just remember, slots should be for fun, not a retirement plan!