Craig McCool / MGM Resorts International
Linda and Walter Misco of Chester, N.H., won the $2.4 million jackpot from the legendary “Lion’s Share” slot machine at MGM Grand on Friday, Aug. 22, 2014, on the Strip. The jackpot had not been won in 20 years.
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014 | 2 a.m.
The odds of hitting a multimillion-dollar jackpot on a Las Vegas slot machine are almost impossibly long, but it happens.
The most recent eight-figure payout occurred late last month at Rampart Casino, where a local man who was visiting the casino with a friend from out of town hit a $14,282,544 jackpot. The man, who did not publicly disclose his name, said he had been playing a Megabucks machine for about five minutes on a $20 bill when the machine paid off. He said he planned to donate the money to charity and his church.
In the aftermath of that news, here's a look at some of the biggest jackpots in Las Vegas history.
-
The biggest (so far)
March 21, 2003: A 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles won $39.7 million after putting in $100 in the Megabucks slot machine at the Excalibur to win the largest jackpot in Las Vegas history. He beat odds at the time of one in 16.7 million. Total: $39,710,826.36
-
A record at the Desert Inn
Jan. 26, 2000: Las Vegas cocktail waitress Cynthia Jay-Brennan, 37, won $34.9 million on a Megabucks machine at the Desert Inn. Six weeks later, a habitually drunk driver rear-ended her car, killing her sister and leaving her paralyzed. Her tragedy fueled a myth that bad things happen to those who win the big jackpots, becoming one of Las Vegas' most notorious urban legends. Total: $34,955,489.56
-
$300 in, $27.5 million out
Nov. 15, 1998: A 67-year-old retired flight attendant from Las Vegas had only intended to put $100 at the slot machine in Palace Station. She ended up putting in $300, but the Megabucks machine rewarded her with $27.5 million. She'd won big money before: hitting a $680,000 jackpot on a Wheel of Fortune slot machine, also at the Palace Station. It marked the first time Megabucks had surpassed $20 million. Total: $27,580,879.60
-
A quick play before breakfast
March 27, 2002: Johanna Huendl, 74, of Covina, Calif., was on her way to breakfast at Bally's when she decided to play the Megabucks machine. She put in about $170 and won $22.6 million. She said she had initially misread the meter and thought she'd won $2 million. She would have been happy with that. Total: $22,618,156.67
-
Another Palace hit, this time at Caesars
June 1, 1999: An Illinois man won more than $21.3 million on a Megabucks machine at Caesars Palace. The 49-year-old business consultant deposited $10 and won on the first spin. Total: $21,346,952.22.
-
One player, two mega jackpots
Sept 15, 2005: In an improbable display of beating the odds, Elmer Sherwin, 92, of Las Vegas won his second Megabucks jackpot by hitting $21.1 million at the Cannery Casino in North Las Vegas. Sherwin had previously won a $4.6 million in 1989 at the Mirage. He said it had been his "lifelong dream" to win it twice. Total: $21,147,947
-
Megabucks at the Aria
Jan. 21, 2011: A woman on her way to her room at the Aria, decided to plunk $6 into a Megabucks machine and hit a $12.7 million jackpot. She thought the machine had malfunctioned until her niece pointed out that, no, it was really a winner.
-
The Aria on a roll
April 22, 2011: Jackpot lightning struck the Aria twice in three months when another gambler took home $10.6 million from a Megabucks machine, a product launched by International Game Technology (IGT) in 1986. It took more than eight years and 38 jackpots to hit $10 million for the first time in 1995 at the Gold Coast.
-
Movies and money
Dec. 5, 2013: Slot manufacturer IGT said a Lauderdale, Fla., man won $10,337,640.37 on a Megabucks machine at the MGM Grand. The company identified the winner as Mark H., the executive producer of the 2013 movie "All American Christmas Carol" starring Meat Loaf. IMDb lists the producer as Mark Hodos. In addition to Meat Loaf, the film starred Beverly D'Angelo and Eric Roberts. The announcement came less than a month after Megabucks paid off to the tune of $12,463,147.70 — also at MGM Grand. No information was made public about the winner of that jackpot.
-
Marine hits $2.9 million
Feb. 19, 2012: Alexander Degenhardt, a 26-year-old U.S. Marine, won nearly $2.9 million on the Money Vault Millionaires Seven slot at the Bellagio. Degnhardt had been in training at Nellis Air Force base and went to the casino with some buddies on their last night in the city. He slipped in $100 and said he'd never won more than $200 before hitting the biggest Las Vegas jackpot from a Bally Technologies game in recent memory. Total: $2,882,808.32.
-
Lion's Share: Finally
Aug. 23, 2014: Over more than 20 years, countless gamblers had tried their luck at the Lion's Share slot at the MGM Grand. But the machine never relinquished a jackpot until Linda and Walter Misco, of Chester, N.H., lit it up for $2.4 million after playing for about five minutes on a $100 bill. Walter Misco indicated the couple planned to use the money on their children's and grandchildren's college educations. The game was the only one left of the original 50 slots from the MGM Grand floor. It had developed a cult-like following as gamblers vied to be the first to crack it.
This is an updated version of a story that appeared earlier at www.lasvegassun.com.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy