Despite the fact that the odds of hitting a multimillion-dollar progressive jackpot on a Las Vegas slot machine are almost impossible, the truth is that it happens. Not to everyone, and not frequently, but it happens enough times for you to take a try yourself.
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.
It seems that it happens even more frequently at online casinos. The biggest so far have been registered at Microgaming and NetEnt casinos, both unavailable to American players, where the biggest amounts paid out have been more than $20 million all of them won in the last couple of years.
You can try to find casino reviews of online casinos that accept American players, but you won't find such big jackpots there and these are usually of low reputation. Maybe you can try using bitcoins, because more and more reputable online casinos accept bitcoins. It's anonymous and no bank can block your transaction as explained at PureNetEnt.com.
Anyway, let's see the biggest progressive jackpots in Las Vegas.
Best Progressive Slots in Vegas One thing that will become very apparent when playing progressive slot machines is that the jackpots on some of them can be life changing. However, the slot machines. 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. 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.
August 23, 2014 – $2.4 Million
The Lion's Share slot at the MGM Grand is one tough slot machine known for not paying out a jackpot for more than 20 years until it was lit up by Walter and Linda Misco from New Hampshire in 2014. Just five minutes after they started breaking their $100 bill on this slot machine they won the $2.4 million jackpot. When asked what they will do with the money they said that they will pay for their grandchildren's education.
The Lion's Share 2.4 million dollar jackpot at the MGM Grand
February 19, 2012 – $2.9 Million
In 2012 a 26-year old U.S. Marine, Alexander Degenhardt was playing the Money Vault Millionaires Seven slot at the Bellagio on his day off from the Nellis Air Force base when suddenly he won nearly $2.9 million. He said he never won more than $200 on a slot machine, and this time he won a total of $2,882,808.32.
December 5, 2013 – $10,337,640
This jackpot was won on the Megabucks slot machine at the MGM Grand from the slot manufacturer IGT. Actually, the man that was identified as the winner of this jackpot was actually the executive producer of the movie 'All American Christmas Carol' from 2013 with Meat Loaf in the leading role. The producer's name was Mark Hodos.
April 22, 2011 – $10.6 Million
Two years earlier a jackpot lightning struck the same Megabucks slot machine made by IGT and an unidentified gambler took home $10.6 million. This slot machine was introduced in 1986 and had never paid out more than $10 million until it did for the first time in 1995 at the Gold Coast. This was the second time it did that at the Aria.
January 21, 2011 – $12.7 Million
Three months earlier the Aria celebrated another jackpot winner, this time a lady that was on her way to her room, but still decided to try her luck with a $6 bill before going to bed on the Megabucks slot. If she didn't do it she would walk away to her room retire for the night without $12.7 million in her pocket. First she thought the slot machine broke down, but her niece assured her that she is a millionaire.
September 15, 2005 – $21,147,947
This is maybe the oldest jackpot winner ever, Elmer Sherwin, 92, who won $21.1 million on the Megabucks slot at the Cannery Casino in North Las Vegas. What's even more fascinating is that this was his second jackpot on the same slot machine after he won another one at the Mirage in 1989 of $4.6 million. What he said after winning the second one was that his lifelong dream was to win the jackpot twice.
June 1, 1999 – $21,346,952.22
Imagine winning more than $21.3 million on the first spin! This is what happened to a 49-year-old business consultant on the Megabucks slot at Caesars Palace in 1999. He deposit $10 and after just one spin cashed in $21.3 million.
March 27, 2002 – $22,618,156.67
Covina, California, probably saw its first millionaire citizen after Johanna Huendl, 74, won $22.6 million on Bally's Megabucks slot. She was on her way to a breakfast at her hotel and decided to spend $170 on this amazing slot machine that has made many millionaires. She first thought that she won only $2 million after misreading the flash sign.
Johanna Huendl, 74, won $22.6 million on Bally's Megabucks slot machine.
November 15, 1998 – $27,580,879.60
This 67-year-old retired flight attendant from Las Vegas is only one in the long line of retired elderly slot machine players that became rich from playing Megabucks. Play free blackjack games. This unnamed woman won the Megabucks jackpot in Palace Station after putting $300. She first intended to play with only $100, but changed her mind after which the slot rewarded her with millions. This was her second big jackpot. She won the Wheel of Fortune slot machine jackpot of $680,000 at Palace Station some years earlier. This was also the first time that the Megabucks machine paid out $20 million.
January 26, 2000 – $34,955,489.56
Being a Las Vegas cocktail waitress has really paid off for Cynthia Jay in 2000. She decided to play the Megabucks slot at the Desert Inn and won $34.9 million. However, after six weeks people fueled up the myth that bad things happen to jackpot winners because she was rear-ended by a drunk driver, which left her paralyzed and killed her sister. It's one of the most notorious urban legends in Las Vegas.
Cynthia Cynthia Jay hit Megabucks at the Desert Inn and won $34.9 million.
March 21, 2003 – $39,710,826.36
And here is the biggest recorded so far, a $39.7 million jackpot won by a 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles. Do we even need to mention the game on which the jackpot was won? Anyway, the odds to hit this jackpot were 16.7 million.
An insider reveals the mysteries of video poker's richest games
By Henry Tamburin
In today's market, non-progressive players consider themselves lucky if they can eke out a 1% edge, which includes the return on the game plus the perks they get from slot club points, etc. Progressive jackpots offer the opportunity to make far more in much less time.
When it comes to video poker progressive machines there's a new expert in town, and his name is Frank Kneeland. He's the former manager of the largest progressive video poker team in Las Vegas, and the author of the new book 'The Secret World of Video Poker Progressives.'
I interviewed Kneeland about the pros and cons of playing progressive video poker games for this two-part series. Here's what he had to say.
Let's start with the basics. What's the difference between a progressive video poker machine, and a non-progressive video poker machine?
If we focus only on the video poker game (excluding slot club points, casino promotions, drawings, etc.), non-progressive video poker machines do not vary in either player strategy or expected return. A non-progressive game that has a negative expectancy will always be in the house's favor and never offer the opportunity for the player to get an edge. The opposite is true for some 100%+ return non-progressive games, such as full pay Deuces Wild, because they are always in the player's favor. In both cases, however, the playing strategy and the expected return remain constant.
On the other hand, the playing strategy and expected return for progressive machines does not remain constant. As the amount of the royal flush jackpot increases, the return increases and the playing strategy changes. Therefore, progressive video poker machines are dynamic. Since all progressive video poker machines have the possibility to exceed a 100% expected return, it makes all of them potentially playable. However, you can't say the same for all non-progressive video poker machines. One of the worst non-progressive video poker games is 5/6 Jacks or Better (meaning the per-coin payout for a flush is five coins, and for the full house it's six coins). The basic game has an expected return of 94.99%, yet it was one of the best progressives I've ever played because of its 4.5% meter-rise (more about meter-rise in a moment).
In the case of multi-meters, where meters progress on two or more hands, the story becomes more complicated. Progressive video poker machines often start out worse than their non-progressive brethren, but they become far better when the jackpot becomes sizable.
What makes playing a progressive video poker machine a good option for video poker players?
In today's market, non-progressive players consider themselves lucky if they can eke out a 1% edge, which includes the return on the game plus the perks they get from slot club points, casino mailers, and a combination of overlapping casino promotions. Progressive jackpots offer the opportunity to make far more in much less time. Last month, for example, I played a dollar progressive that had a royal flush jackpot over $18,000. It came to about a 6% edge with meter-rise factored in. In addition, consider this: higher percentage wins do not merely earn you more money. They are safer and less risky. Therefore, you get to win more money, with more consistency.
One of the negatives of progressive machines is that they can't be played all the time and they require scouting. Therefore, your profit and safety aren't the only factors, making it harder to make a straight-across comparison. If you could play progressives and non-progressives with equal frequency, there really wouldn't be a comparison. Progressives would win hands-down.
Can you explain what the 'reset' on a progressive machine means?
'The Reset' is the point at which the progressive meter starts (resets to) after someone has hit the royal flush jackpot. The reset point is usually the same amount of money as a comparable non-progressive game (e.g., a royal flush pays $4,000 for maximum coin wagered on a dollar denomination, non-progressive 5/8 Jacks or Better machine, and the reset amount for a progressive 5/8 Jacks or Better game is also $4,000). As players play the progressive machines, a certain percentage of the coins wagered are used to fund the increase in the jackpot(s). Therefore, a progressive will always have a slightly higher return than an identical non-progressive will. Of course, casinos often put their progressive jackpots on games with lower returns to counter this but not always, though. (For example, you usually will find a progressive on a 5/8 Jacks or Better game but rarely on a 6/9 Jacks or Better game.)
Xscan 3 2 13. And what's the meaning of the 'break-even' point?
'Break-even' (BE) is the point at which a progressive machine reaches exactly 100% expected return. The return of the game is influenced by the strategy you are playing, and the strategy is influenced by the rising jackpot, so calculating BE is harder than it first appears. There are other 'magical' aspects to BE, such as when it's best to play a progressive, and what playing strategy you should use. It's too much information to give here…[so let's just say] 'Never play a progressive if it's below its BE point.'
What does a '1% meter' mean?
'1% Meter' is an abbreviated way of saying, 'A progressive with 1% meter-rise.' What we mean is that for every dollar you put in the machine, 1% goes on the progressive jackpot(s), which in this case would be a penny per dollar wagered. However, keep this in mind: not all progressives are 1%. There is no standard. They must be taken on a case-by-case basis.
How can a player determine the meter rate for a progressive machine?
OK, that's easy. When no one else is playing, just drop $10 in the machine and see how much the meter goes up (around five in the morning is usually a good time for this). Divide the progression of the jackpot by the amount you dropped in.
Here's an example of a 1% meter-rise, where the amount of the jackpot increased ten cents after $10 was played:
.10 / $10 = 1%
Las Vegas Progressive Slot Machines Online
Obviously, you have to be sure you are the only one playing to accurately clock the meter-rise. Very late at night or early morning is best.
My interview with Frank Kneeland will be continued next month. In the meantime, you can listen to his new radio show 'Gambling With An Edge' by visiting his website www.progressivevp.com. You can also read his column on video poker progressives in my Blackjack Insider Newsletter (www.bjinsider.com).
Progressive Slot Machines In Las Vegas
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'1% Meter' is an abbreviated way of saying, 'A progressive with 1% meter-rise.' What we mean is that for every dollar you put in the machine, 1% goes on the progressive jackpot(s), which in this case would be a penny per dollar wagered. However, keep this in mind: not all progressives are 1%. There is no standard. They must be taken on a case-by-case basis.
How can a player determine the meter rate for a progressive machine?
OK, that's easy. When no one else is playing, just drop $10 in the machine and see how much the meter goes up (around five in the morning is usually a good time for this). Divide the progression of the jackpot by the amount you dropped in.
Here's an example of a 1% meter-rise, where the amount of the jackpot increased ten cents after $10 was played:
.10 / $10 = 1%
Las Vegas Progressive Slot Machines Online
Obviously, you have to be sure you are the only one playing to accurately clock the meter-rise. Very late at night or early morning is best.
My interview with Frank Kneeland will be continued next month. In the meantime, you can listen to his new radio show 'Gambling With An Edge' by visiting his website www.progressivevp.com. You can also read his column on video poker progressives in my Blackjack Insider Newsletter (www.bjinsider.com).
Progressive Slot Machines In Las Vegas
———————————————————————————————————- Odds of rolling a 7 in craps.
Henry Tamburin is a blackjack and video poker expert. He hosts the smartgaming.com website and is the editor of the Blackjack Insider newsletter (for a free three-month subscription, visit www.bjinsider.com/free). For a free copy of his Casino Gambling Catalog, which contains training products for video poker players, call toll free 1-888-353-3234, or visit the web store at smartgaming.com.
Pros & Cons Of Video Poker Progressive Machines, Part One.
