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For gamblers who love spinning the slots, no machine holds a greater allure than Megabucks.

A product of casino game manufacturer International Game Technology (IGT), the Megabucks slot was introduced back in 1986. The game itself is relatively simple when compared to modern video slots, as Megabucks offers just three reels and a single payline to work with.

Reno Casino Megabucks Jackpot

1. Casino Games: Man hits Megabucks after playing $12 A Denver man hit a $10 million Megabucks jackpot at the Reno airport shortly after getting off the plane.
2. The world’s first wide area progressive jackpot system, Megabucks has been awarding life-changing jackpots to lucky winners since 1986. Win big with this jackpot - it resets to $10 million! Games Available on Jackpot System Megabucks® Spinning Reel - Double 3x4x5x Times Pay®.

But that payline is sweeter than any other slot in the world, thanks to a massive progressive jackpot of $10 million. As the world’s first wide area progressive slot network, Megabucks machines all over Nevada are linked together to create the enormous eight-figure jackpot.

And at $3 per spin, players grinding Megabucks machines in Lake Tahoe, Reno, and Las Vegas casinos, and just overall across the Silver State can easily cause the jackpot to build into the $20 to $40 million range.

The odds of landing just one “Megabucks Eagle” symbol needed to claim that ridiculous reward stand at 1 in 368. Thus, finding three of the key symbols lined up perfectly on the reels requires beating odds of 1 in 49,836,032 or (1/368)³.

With such astronomical odds against the player, years can go by without anybody winning the Megabucks jackpot.

To get an idea of how unlikely a Megabucks jackpot payout really is, and how lucrative they can be for the lucky winners, checkout the slot’s performance over the last decade:

Megabucks Jackpot History (2010 – 2019)

Yep, you read that right. Over the course of nearly 10 years, only 14 Megabucks jackpots have ever been hit, which is why the story of Elmer Sherwin is so wildly unbelievable…

At the age of 76, the retired Sherwin landed a $4.6 million jackpot from Megabucks back in 1989. (The $10 million seed amount started in 2005.) That alone made Sherwin one of the gambling industry’s rarities, a slot player who overcame the odds to win what was the largest jackpot in Las Vegas history at the time.

But 16 years later, Sherwin etched his name into the pantheon of gambling gods by winning a second Megabucks jackpot, this time for a whopping $21.1 million. Let’s take a look at the true Las Vegas legend of Elmer Sherwin’s double dip on the Megabucks machine.

Sherwin Wins Seven Figures on the Mirage’s Opening Day

The day was November 22, 1989 and Las Vegas locals were celebrating the grand opening of the Mirage, the city’s latest casino built along the Strip.

One of those locals was Elmer Sherwin, who visited the glittering new venue along with his ex-wife Florence. At the time, Megabucks machines offered a progressive jackpot that seeded at $1 million and climbed from there, so Sherwin and his fellow slot spinners were chasing a $4.6 million grand prize.

After about 90 minutes of play, during which Sherwin spent $80 of his own money before borrowing $20 more from Florence, the reels whirled and clicked into place just perfectly. With three of the coveted “Megabucks Eagle” symbols lined up along the payline, Sherwin turned his $3 wager into a $4,653,697.80 score.

According to the myth, IGT programs its Megabucks machines to pay out at a higher rate when a casino first opens, hoping to hook players into coming back for more.

But Boris Hallerbach—who works as a product manager for MegaJackpots, a division of IGT—told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2009, that’s just not how random number generators (RNGs) really work:

“Unfortunately, no. I hate to be the spoiler. There is no correlation between Megabucks hitting and the opening of a casino.”

Indeed, as the aforementioned report makes clear, none of the dozen casinos to open their doors since Sherwin’s big win have produced a Megabucks jackpot on opening day.

As a retiree, and a single one to boot, Sherwin had all the time and money he’d ever need to travel the world. But as he told local media outlets at the time, Sherwin’s experience serving in World War II had already taken him abroad, so he was content to stick around Sin City to try for a seemingly impossible feat—a second jackpot spin on Megabucks.

It would take him 16 years, but Sherwin would do just that in 2005, during a trip to the Cannery Casino and Hotel.

Lightning Strikes Twice for a Las Vegas Legend

At 92 years young, Sherwin found himself spinning away on a Megabucks machine inside the off-Strip casino known as Cannery.

He was chasing his “white whale” of sorts, hoping to become the first ever two-time Megabucks winner. But while Captain Ahab infamously went down with the ship chasing his own Moby Dick, Sherwin managed to capture one of the most elusive beasts in casino gambling history.

Once again, the reels revolved around and around, before settling in an arrangement instantly familiar to Sherwin—three “Megabucks Eagle” symbols in a row. Just like that, the veteran and proud patriarch laid claim to a staggering jackpot payout of $21,147,947.

In a press release issued by IGT, Sherwin celebrated his crowning achievement after becoming the undisputed king of Megabucks slot jackpots:

“I’m glad I finally hit; I’ve been trying to do it again. I’m gonna try for a third win on Megabucks, but I may try the Wheel of Fortune slot, too.”

When the news broke, Las Vegas Advisor publisher Anthony Curtis told local media outlets that the chances of a repeat win on Megabucks bordered on the immeasurable:

“It’s absurd. The odds of winning are on the order of billions if not trillions to one. It’s crazy.”

I’m no math whiz by any means, but when you multiply the 1 in 49,836,032 odds on hitting one Megabucks jackpot by 49,836,032, the answer basically broke my calculator—1 in 2,483,630,085,505,024.

That’s a probability of 1 in 2.4 quadrillion, odds which are simply unfathomable to most people. After pocketing another life-changing jackpot, Sherwin paid it forward by making contributions to charities assisting New Orleans after the city was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Sherwin continued playing slot machines in Las Vegas for the next two years, before passing away at the age of 94.

Conclusion

Millions of players will spin the Megabucks slot machine regularly for their entire lives without ever landing the topline jackpot. Only 22 jackpots have been awarded since the $10 million seed began in 2005.

With that in mind, trying to wrap your mind around Sherwin’s second jackpot score is essentially impossible. Las Vegas is a city built on legends, but none can compare with the epic Megabucks run enjoyed by the singularly unique Elmer Sherwin.

Since 1986, Megabucks has been disbursing multimillion dollar payouts to Nevada citizens. Megabucks is a progressive slot machine game that is designed, manufactured, and distributed by International Game Technology, or IGT.

In addition to the Megabucks slot machine, IGT also produces popular machines like Cleopatra, Kitty Glitter, and Sex and the City. Megabucks has earned the reputation as a huge Nevada moneymaker with a long history of multimillion dollar payouts. The most recent payout occurred on April 10, 2013. Some of its other gigantic jackpots are described below.

Excellent Winnings at the Excalibur

Gamblers come to Las Vegas in hopes of winning hundreds, even thousands of dollars. It is also possible to win millions of dollars, and that's exactly what happened on March 21, 2003 when a man won $39 million on a Megabucks machine at the Excalibur. After depositing only three $1 coins into the progressive slot machine, stars aligned just right for the 25-year-old Los Angeles citizen who won himself a life-changing fortune.

About Excalibur Resort

Located on the Las Vegas Strip, the Excalibur is shaped like a castle with colorful red, white, and blue turrets. The hotel and casino facility is owned by MGM. Gamblers at the Excalibur can wager money on races, sports tournaments, slot machines, and table games.

Dynamite Dollars at The Desert Inn

On January 26, 2000, Cynthia Jay-Brennan won almost $35 million on a Megabucks machine at the Desert Inn in Paradise, Nev. Six weeks after her slot victory, Jay-Brennan, a former cocktail waitress, was sadly paralyzed by a drunk driver in a tragic car accident. In that same accident, her sister was killed. Because of Jay-Brennan's bad luck, rumors about other ill-fated Megabucks winners have circulated ever since.

About the Desert Inn

The Desert Inn operated for 50 years before finally closing its doors just seven months after Jay-Brennan won her jackpot. Entrenched in Las Vegas history, the Inn was the fifth casino on the Strip to open its doors. Back in the 1960, it served as the set for the original version of the movie 'Ocean's Eleven', one of the best gambling related movies of that time. Today, Wynn Las Vegas stands where part of the now-demolished Desert Inn used to be.

Tremendous Take at Terrible's

On April 12, 2009, a woman won a $33 million jackpot at Terrible's Rail City Casino after playing for only about 10 minutes. It took a while for the 38-year-old mother of four, stunned by her extreme good fortune, to register the events that had just befallen her. Only after a Terrible's staff member explained it to her did she truly comprehend the magnitude of her mind-blowing acquisition.

About Terrible's

Located in Sparks, Nev., Terrible's Rail City Casino is part of a chain of the same name. Standard entertainment options are offered, including slots, gaming tables, and several restaurant menus. Terrible's is a free-standing game center with no attached hotel. The town of Sparks, Nevada is just a 5-mile drive from Reno. Sparks has several other gambling facilities as well.

Pretty Profit at Palace Station

On November 15, 1998, a retired flight attendant won $27 million from a Megabucks machine at Palace Station in Las Vegas. Interestingly, the woman had encountered good luck a Palace Station before, winning almost $700,000 on a Wheel of Fortune Machine. The flight attendant's win marked the first time since the machine's advent in 1986 that the jackpot ascended above the $20 million mark. It was, however, not the last such occurrence.

About Palace Station

Formerly known as Bingo Palace, is located near Chinatown and features a huge draw for Asian populations: 12 baccarat tables. Owned by Station Casinos, the downtown hotel and casino combo is just minutes from the Las Vegas Strip.

Reno Casino Megabucks Game

Bountiful Bucks at Bally's

On May 27, 2002, a 74-year old woman who had almost given up on her Megabucks machine suddenly found herself the winner of a $23 million jackpot. Johannah Heundl had vowed to quit after losing her first $100, but for some reason decided to stay on and invest another hundred in the machine when she won. Heundl, who had family in Austria, told the press she planned to use some of the money to visit her siblings who lived there.

About Bally's

Surrounded by a neon-lit, moving sidewalk, Caesar's-owned Bally's is a longstanding fixture on the Las Vegas Strip. Once known as the MGM Grand, Bally's suffered a devastating fire in 1980 in which 84 people died. Today, the refurbished hotel and casino facility is home to thousands of guest rooms, slot machines, and table games.

Bonanza at the Bonanza

Las Vegas isn't the only city in Nevada with profitable casinos. Reno, located near the western border of the state and just north of Lake Tahoe, offers numerous gambling houses to patrons and can be just as lucrative, if not more so, than Las Vegas.

On April 10, 2013, a woman at Reno's Bonanza Casino watched in disbelief as the symbols on her slot machine lined up to the tune of a $11,798,517 jackpot. Helena Stencil, 81, had wagered just a little over $100 on her Megabucks slot machine when she won the money. Stencil's jackpot is reportedly the biggest payout in Bonanza's history. While some people prefer the glitzy excitement and entertainment of Las Vegas gambling, others, like Stencil, enjoy playing their games in the less-crowded Reno setting.

Reno Casino Megabucks Players Club

About Bonanza Casino

Bonanza looks like a standard casino on the inside, with several hundred slot machines, a smoke-free room, and four different restaurants available to diners. In contrast to some facilities, it offers only six table games. Reno casinos are different than those found in Las Vegas in that they often tend to be less crowded inside.

Reno Casino Megabucks Numbers

For over 20 years, ITG's Megabucks has tantalized gamblers with the prospect of winning millions of dollars. Nevada gamblers looking to get their piece of the pie often try their luck at Megabucks progressive slot machines. The odds of winning millions aren't high, but when someone does hit the jackpot, it's always a life-changing experience.

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