Photo of Trinadad Torres courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.

1. Big Slot Winners Las Vegas

Admit it. You have the same dream we do.

Everything conspires and you find yourself in the right place at the right time – seated in front of a Megabucks slot machine that’s primed and ready to hit. You push the button (of course, pulling a lever would be more dramatic, but this is 2015 and the one-armed bandit has gone the way of the horse and buggy). The logos on the reels all line up. And then the moment you’ve been waiting for finally arrives…you realize you’re a millionaire.

Correction: A multimillionaire.

Thursday, May 11, 2017 2 a.m. Slot players are simply wrong. Talk to people who study, market and design slot machines, and you quickly realize that many of the ideas players have about their.

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IGT’s Megabucks has been paying out ginormous life-changing jackpots for almost 20 years. Its slogan is “Dream big. Win big.”

A network of slot machines linked throughout Nevada, Megabucks boasts a top prize that builds from a base amount of $10 million. To play it costs $1 a spin, but to quality for that top amount you’ll have to shell out $3. That sounds pretty steep, we know. But trust us, if you hit Megabucks with only a buck or two invested, you’ll leave with a jackpot in the thousands instead of millions. And just imagine trying to live with that.

As you’d expect, Megabucks lays claim to having paid the largest slot jackpots in Vegas history. It last hit here in mid March at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. The lucky winner was Trinadad Torres, a 78-year-old woman from Magna, Utah. She played $100 before netting the $10,744,292.71 jackpot. Her plans include traveling to the Philippines and buying a yellow Mustang.

While nothing to sneeze at, Torres’ windfall just misses placing her on our list below of the 10 biggest slot jackpots ever won in Sin City.

Photo of Excalibur courtesy of MGM Resorts International.

Jackpot amount: $39,710,826.36
When: March 21, 2003
Where:Excalibur

More than 12 years ago, a 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles, who wanted to remain anonymous (and who can blame him?), hit the city’s largest slot jackpot after playing $100 on a Megabucks machine. A C-note in return for nearly $40 million…now that’s what we’d call a damn good investment.

Photo of Cynthia Jay-Brennan at the Desert Inn courtesy of Ethan Miller / Las Vegas Sun.

Jackpot amount: $34,959,458.56
When: Jan. 26, 2000
Where: Desert Inn (imploded in phases in 2001 and 2004 to make room for Wynn Las Vegas)

Gobs bigger than any tip she’d received, cocktail waitress Cynthia Jay-Brennan, then 37 years old, hit the second largest Megabucks slot jackpot in Vegas (at that time it was the city’s highest Megabucks payout). But her story took a tragic turn when her car was rear-ended about six weeks later by a drunk driver. Her older sister Lela died in the accident, and Jay-Brennan was left paralyzed.

Photo of Palace Station courtesy of Station Casinos.

Jackpot amount: $27,580,879.60
When: Nov. 15, 1998
Where:Palace Station

Ignoring your budget isn’t always a bad thing. Just ask the then 67-year-old retired flight attendant from Vegas who racked up the city’s third largest Megabucks slot payout. She’d only intended to play $100 at Palace Station that day, but wound up putting $300 in…and we’re pretty she doesn’t regret overspending one bit.

Jackpot amount: $22,621,229.74
When: May 27, 2002
Where:Bally’s

How does that old expression go? The early bird catches…the $22.6 million slot jackpot. Well, that’s how Johanna Heundl (then 74 years old) of Covina, California, might remember it. She was on her way to breakfast when she decided to stop and play a Megabucks machine. Having looked away for a moment, she couldn’t believe her eyes when she turned back and saw all the logos aligned in the payline.

Big Slot Winners Las Vegas

Photo of Caesars Palace courtesy of Caesars Entertainment.

Jackpot amount: $21,346,952.22
When: June 1, 1999
Where:Caesars Palace

An Illinois man, then 49 years old and described as a “self-employed business consultant,” put a $10 bill into a Megabucks machine at the Roman-themed property and hit this whopping multimillion-dollar slot jackpot on his first spin. Here’s what we want to know: Is he still consulting? Can we hire him to help us get into the business of being millionaires?

Jackpot amount: $21,147,947
When: Sept. 15, 2005
Where:Cannery Casino Hotel

One man, two times a Megabucks winner. What are the odds? They’ve got to be astronomical. Certainly, anyone would be happy to score a single multimillion-dollar slot jackpot. But not everyone is Elmer Sherwin. A frequent Vegas visitor, Sherwin hit his first Megabucks jackpot of $4.6 million at The Mirage back in 1989. It was a sign of even better things to come. Sixteen years later, at the age of 92, that lucky son of a gun (kidding, we’re not jealous…really) did it again, adding another $21.1 million to his bank account.

Photo courtesy of the M Resort.

Jackpot amount: $17,329,817.80
When: Dec. 14, 2012
Where:M Resort

Oh, the best things in life are free…especially when they lead to a $17.3 million jackpot. A Las Vegas woman stopped by the M Resort in Henderson to gamble with her “free play” credits and enjoy a meal with some dining vouchers. Before she knew it, she’d become a multimillionaire.

Photo of “Rampart Lucky Local” courtesy of the Rampart Casino.

Jackpot amount: $14,282,544.21
When: Nov. 30, 2014
Where: Rampart Casino

Late last year a Las Vegas man put $20 in a Megabucks slot machine at the Summerlin-area Rampart Casino. Within five minutes he’d hit a jackpot worth $14.2 million. His plans were altruistic (unlike ours). The man, dubbed the “Rampart Lucky Local,” said he would make a donation to his church. The church, which had been holding services in a high school gym, can now have its own location built.

Photo of Aria courtesy of MGM Resorts International.

Jackpot amount: $12,769,933
When: Jan. 21, 2011
Where:Aria

A woman visiting her niece in Vegas decided to drop $6 in a Megabucks slot machine before heading back to her room. Her reaction when the winning symbols lined up: “The machine broke.” Luckily, her niece was there to clarify things. We think we should book a room at Aria because about four months after that jackpot occurred, another Megabucks jackpot hit at the resort for $10,636,897. Talk about lightning striking twice!

Photo of New York-New York courtesy of MGM Resorts International.

Jackpot amount: $12,510,549.90
When: April 14, 1997
Where:New York-New York

New York-New York opened its doors on Jan. 3, 1997. Perhaps due to a little of the “city that never sleeps” magic, Vegas resident Suzanne Henley made her fortune at the Big Apple-themed megaresort just a few months later. On her way home from work, she stopped in to play a Megabucks machine – one that she’d had an inkling might hit. Henley waited in line an hour before she could play. And at 1:44 a.m., after putting $100 in, her diligence paid off…to the tune of more than $12.5 million.

Comments

The United States is home to more than 1,500 casinos – more than any other country on the planet. From coast to coast, gamblers have a huge range of options for where to place their bets. To help us find the best casinos in the country, we recruited Lisa Robertson-Dziedzic, Editorial Director of Casino Player and Strictly Slots magazines, along with Tony Harrell, a travel agent specializing in casino travel, to nominate their 20 favorites.

• Mohegan Sun
  Uncasville, Conn.

  One of two gambling destination resorts in Connecticut, Mohegan Sun features three casinos: Casino of the Earth, Casino of the Wind and Casino of the Sky. The three gaming floors between them boast a whopping 5,000 slot machines, 275 table games, 42 poker tables, a race book, two smoke-free areas and Sunrise Square, an area fashioned after an Asian market that offers traditional Asian table games like Sic Bo, Pai Gow Poker and Baccarat.
  Photo courtesy of Mohegan Sun

• Caesars Palace Las Vegas
  Las Vegas

  A classic Las Vegas casino, Caesars Palace brings the gaming experience to an ancient Roman setting. Encompassing 85 acres on The Strip, Caesars pairs its unique atmosphere and comprehensive casino offerings with some of the best retail, dining and entertainment in the city.
  Photo courtesy of bwzenith

• Pechanga Resort & Casino
  Temecula, Calif.

  Located in Southern California, Pechanga Resort & Casino houses a 200,000-square-foot casino floor where gamblers will find more than 4,000 slots, 130 table games, 11 restaurants, a 700-seat Bingo hall and coming in December 2017, a $285 million expansion.
  Photo courtesy of Pechanga Resort & Casino

• L'Auberge Casino Resort
  Lake Charles, La.

  L'Auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana sits only two hours from the Houston metro area, making it a convenient place to enjoy 70,000-square-feet of gaming space equipped with 70 table games and some 1,600 slots. The casino's High Limits Salon offers even more tables and slots with denominations up to $100, while its 2,100-square-foot, 24/7 poker room has six tables plus one semi-private high stakes table.
  Photo courtesy of L'Auberge Casino Resort

• Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
  Atlantic City

  The only nominee in Atlantic City, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa at Renaissance Pointe opened its doors in 2003 as the first new hotel in over a decade. Today, the 2,000-room resort offers gamblers 3,475 slot machines, 250 table games and Atlantic City's largest poker room, all spread out over 161,000-square-feet of casino space. Restaurants by Bobby Flay and Wolfgang Puck headline the culinary lineup, while the 2,400-seat Borgata Event Center plays host to some of the world's biggest names in music.
  Photo courtesy of Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

• Peppermill Resort Spa Casino
  Reno

  Reno players will find one of the city's top casinos at the Peppermill Resort, where more than 1,500 slot and video poker machines and 48 table games await. The casino also features a keno lounge, luxurious poker room and a sports theater with 61 big-screen HDTVs.
  Photo courtesy of Preferred Hotels & Resorts

• Foxwoods Resort Casino
  Mashantucket, Conn.

  One of two premier gaming resorts in Connecticut, Foxwoods Resort Casino offers 4,500 slot machines – ranging from penny games to $100 minimums – as well as 300 table games, high stakes Bingo at one of the world's largest Bingo halls, a race book with 50-foot digital projection screens and the largest poker room on the East Coast. Four unique hotel properties and over 30 restaurants make it easy to stay and play.
  Photo courtesy of Foxwoods Resort Casino

• The Cromwell
  Las Vegas

  The 40,000-square-foot casino at The Cromwell in Las Vegas includes a selection of 440 slot machines (both classics and the latest and greatest), as well as 66 table games. High rollers can play at three tables in the high limits area or inside The Abbey, an exclusive reserved gaming area with three tables.
  Photo courtesy of The Cromwell Hotel

• Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
  Sioux City, Iowa

  Gamblers at the award-winning Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City can choose from 835 slot and video poker machines (including penny slots and one of Iowa's first 3D machines) or 26 table games. Six restaurants and bars provide plenty of options for refueling between games.
  Photo courtesy of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City

• Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa
  Las Vegas

  Frequented by both locals and tourists, the Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa sits on 70 acres of land near the beautiful Red Rock Mountains in Summerlin, about 10 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip. The resort casino includes 3,000 slot and video poker machines, 60 table games, a race and sports book with a 96-foot video wall, a 20-table smoke-free poker room, 600-seat Bingo hall, a 20-seat Keno lounge and two private rooms for high-stakes gamers.
  Photo courtesy of Red Rock Casino Resort Spa

For the past four weeks, USA TODAY 10Best readers have been voting for their favorites. It was a close finish, but in the end, Mohegan Sun came out on top, dethroning Pechanga Resort & Casino as the best in the U.S.

The top 10 winners in the category Best U.S. Casino are as follows:

1. Mohegan Sun - Uncasville, Conn.
2. Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas
3. Pechanga Resort & Casino - Temecula, Calif.
4. L'Auberge Casino Resort - Lake Charles, La.
5. Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa - Atlantic City
6. Peppermill Resort Spa Casino - Reno
7. Foxwoods Resort Casino - Mashantucket, Conn.
8. The Cromwell Hotel - Las Vegas
9. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Sioux City, Iowa
10. Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa - Las Vegas

Congratulations to all these winning casinos!

The Experts

Tony Harrell

Tony Harrell, travel consultant and owner of Read More

Tony Harrell, travel consultant and owner of Abundant Travel, plans customized vacations for plus-size clients and customers of any size. He is a certified destination expert for Las Vegas and New Orleans as well as Canada. He feels that while Las Vegas is the obvious American mecca for gambling and other entertainment, there are other destinations across the country that are worth the trip.

Tony Harrell

Tony Harrell, travel consultant and owner of Abundant Travel, plans customized vacations for plus-size clients and customers of any size. He is a certified destination expert for Las Vegas and New Orleans as well as Canada. He feels that while Las Vegas is the obvious American mecca for gambling and other entertainment, there are other destinations across the country that are worth the trip.

Lisa Robertson-Dziedzic

Lisa Robertson-Dziedzic is the Publisher of Casino... Read More

Lisa Robertson-Dziedzic is the Publisher of Casino Player magazine and Strictly Slots magazine. Now in its 32nd year, Casino Player has thrived as America’s most popular gambling magazine. Over the decades, millions of gamblers have enjoyed and benefited from Casino Player’s gaming strategies, as well as its ever-changing lifestyle stories. In 1994, Lisa launched its sister publication, Strictly Slots, the nation’s only magazine written exclusively for slots and video poker players. Lisa is an accomplished director specializing in the gaming industry and has more than 35 years of publishing experience.

Lisa Robertson-Dziedzic

Lisa Robertson-Dziedzic is the Publisher of Casino Player magazine and Strictly Slots magazine. Now in its 32nd year, Casino Player has thrived as America’s most popular gambling magazine. Over the decades, millions of gamblers have enjoyed and benefited from Casino Player’s gaming strategies, as well as its ever-changing lifestyle stories. In 1994, Lisa launched its sister publication, Strictly Slots, the nation’s only magazine written exclusively for slots and video poker players. Lisa is an accomplished director specializing in the gaming industry and has more than 35 years of publishing experience.