Reno Slot Machine Winners

Enjoy an unparalleled luxury experience in Peppermill Reno's High Limit slot area. Recently redesigned with the best in quality furninshings and comfort, the High Limit area boasts the following amenities: - High denomination machines - Exclusive slot attendants - Over 100 high denomination slot machines - Private bar - Comfortable lounge seating.

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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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.

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.

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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?

Reno Slot Machine Winners Win

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 Jackpots

Slot Machines and Video Poker comprise the largest amount of space on the casino floor. The machines range from traditional 3-wheel slots, such as Red White and Blue; to branded bonus-round machines like Monopoly, and multi-game Video Poker machines. Be sure to use your slot card to earn comps!

CasinoNumber of Slot Machines
Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno2000
Peppermill Reno Resort Casino1900
Silver Legacy Resort Casino1600
Atlantis Casino Resort Spa1500
John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort1400
Grand Sierra Resort and Casino1300
Club Cal Neva1300
Circus Circus Reno Hotel and Casino1200
Harrah's Reno Hotel and Casino996
Sands Regency Casino Hotel650
Boomtown Reno600
Baldini's Sports Casino470
Tamarack Junction Casino460
Bonanza Casino420
Siena Hotel Spa Casino0

Grand Sierra Reno Slot Machines (A)

GSR has a good selection of newer slots. The floor is well-spaced out, and there's good video poker. We've found ourselves playing 9-6 video poker here while waiting for friends or dinner or whatnot. There's a good mix of slots, including traditional reels, lots of video poker, newer games, and lots of the state-wide progressives, including Monopoly and a few others. Drinks are served fast and cold. (be sure to tip your drink girl!)

Atlantis Reno Slot Machines (A-)

The Atlantis has a large variety of newer slot machines. They generally keep a fresh set of games, with the newer games easily available. There's a variety of video poker, with most Jacks or Better set at 8/5 and some at 9/6. Virtually all machines are both TITO and accept your player's card. Slots over Virginia Street near the Oyster Bar are non-smoking.

Peppermill Reno Slot Machines (B+)

The slots are sprinkled all around the gaming Peppermill's main area. They have mostly modern machines, all TITO (ticket-in, ticket-out). There are a significant number of video poker machines, with most Jacks-or-Better payouts at 9-6 for $0.25 bets or more, but dropping to as low as 8-5 for $0.05. Many machines are the cartoon multi-reel (such as Frog Prince, LobsterMania, Hexbreaker). There were no IGT progressives, such as Wheel-of-Fortune, or Megabucks. The chairs are comfy, and the cocktail service is very friendly and fast.

Reno Slot Machine Winners

Silver Legacy Reno Slot Machines (B+)

The Silver Legacy slot floor is mostly located on the lower level, and has approximately 780 reel slots, 360 video slots, 350 video poker machines, and high-limit area. Lots of new fresh games, and if you look around you'll find a few classics. There are some games on the upper level near the dining areas, also. The video poker Jacks-or-Better at $0.25 was set at a 9-6 payout, which is nice to see. Unfortunately, our $21 at a Wheel-of-Fortune machine didn't get us a single spin.

Baldini's Reno Slot Machines (B)

Baldini's has just under 500 slot machines. Most everything is TITO, and the machines are from a variety of manufacturers. Since its a local's joint, we seem to be able to get good playtime from our $20.

Cal Neva Reno Slot Machines (B)

The Club Cal Neva has a surprisingly large slot floor, and games spread out on both the upper and lower levels, as well as the bridge to the parking garage. The focus on local players gives lots of penny machines, lower but frequent jackpots, and friendly service. More information about the Cal Neva Slot Machines.

Circus Circus Reno Slot Machines (B)

Circus has a wide variety of newer slot machines, mostly from IGT. They do have other game manufacturers on the floor if you like variety, too. There are some progressives, as well as a variety of video poker. The floor feels larger than the 900 machines they say they have. The low ceilings of the lower level do give Circus a slightly older and different feel.

Eldorado Reno Slot Machines (B-)

The Eldorado is the largest slot floor of any casino in Reno at 2000 slots. Although, to be honest, it doesn't feel that big. There's a mix of older games as well as newer games. Some banks of slots can be tight and too close to other people, while others make you feel like you're sitting too far out in the open.

Tamarack Reno Slot Machines (B-)

The Tamarack is a relatively new building, and as a result, the entire slot floor is also new. There are plenty of newer machines. They didn't cram the machines too tightly together, which means there's plenty of room to walk around and not bump into people. Video Poker odds for Jacks-or-Better were 9-6 on a $0.25 bet, but dropped to a don't-bother-playing 8-5 on $0.05.

Bonanza Reno Slot Machines (B-)

All the machines at the Bonanza were very new and clean, including several progressive machines as well. There was a solid mix of video poker, but we were disappointed to find 9/6 odds only at $1 bets, many had 8/5 odds at $0.05, and a few machines were even 7/5. We did find a lucky streak on a Red, White, and Blue three-reel slots, which always makes for a fun time!

Harrah's Reno Slot Machines (C+)

Harrah's slot floor is spread out through the property. They have a variety of newer games, such as Star Trek, newer Monopoly-themed games, and others, as well as classic 3-wheel games. There's a few half-floor level changes, and everything is tied to their Total Rewards program. We've played here a few times, and honestly seem to go through our gaming budget pretty quick without winning. We observed the $0.25 Jack-or-Better odds to be 8-5, and there are plenty of 9-6 machines in Reno that make an 8-5 skippable.

Slot Machines Over 400 to choose from ranging from $.01-$5 Machines The Big 'M' Casino has some of the best slots and video poker gaming this side of the Mississippi! Enjoy the most electrifying and exciting slot and video poker games while cruising the Atlantic. South Carolina has 4 casinos in which you'll find more than 775 slots and gaming machines. There are a total of 58 table games. Click a casino on the left for more information on a particular property. If you wish to stay at some nice casino hotels in South Carolina, visit the South Carolina casino hotels page. We actually have 0 South Carolina. Slot machines south carolina.

Boomtown Reno Slot Machines (C+)

Boomtown's slot floor is wide and spread out, its a great place if you want more space and don't like the crowded feeling of many other floors. More information about the Boomtown Slot Machines.

Nugget Reno Slot Machines (C)

The slot floor at the Nugget is very spaced out, and winds its way around the main casino floor. Unfortunately, the decor is dated, and many of the games are older and showing their age. More information about the Nugget Slot Machines.

Sands Reno Slot Machines (C)

The Sand's slot floor is split up in two areas, the larger area is wrapped around the table games, and the smaller area is over by the hotel check-in and stage. They have a mix of newer games and traditional games. The floor isn't fancy, but the drinks come quickly. What we like about playing at the Sands is that we usually win a little bit! More information about the Sands Slot Machines.

Siena Reno Slot Machines (No Grade)

The slot floor at the Siena is CLOSED as of October 2010 with no plans to reopen.