Megabucks is IGT‘s best-known progressive slot, a linked game whose Nevada jackpot starts at $10 million and climbs until someone hits it. The catch is the price of that dream: the top prize is roughly a 1 in 50 million shot, and Nevada data put the game’s overall return at only about 88.6%.
How Megabucks Works
The classic Megabucks game is a three-reel, single-payline machine. To win the progressive jackpot you need the Megabucks symbol on all three reels with the maximum $3 bet in. Smaller wins come from standard reel combinations, paid from the pay table on the machine.
Megabucks is a wide-area progressive. Machines in many casinos feed one shared jackpot, which is why the top prize is so much bigger than anything a single machine or casino could offer. You can read more about how linked jackpots work in our guide to progressive slots. Check each machine’s help screen for its rules and jackpot eligibility, and see our slot games guides for other titles.
The Megabucks Jackpot
- Reset amount: in Nevada, the jackpot resets to $10 million after each win. It has been $10 million since September 2005; before that it was $7 million.
- Payment: the jackpot is paid as an annuity in 25 yearly installments. A $10 million jackpot works out to $400,000 a year before taxes.
- Record: the largest Megabucks jackpot was about $39.7 million, won at Excalibur in Las Vegas in March 2003.
Because the jackpot never drops below $10 million, Megabucks dwarfs most other casino progressives, including the Wheel of Fortune progressive family.
Odds and Return to Player
The odds of hitting the Megabucks jackpot have been reported as 1 in 49,836,032, which works out to about a 1 in 368 chance of the jackpot symbol on each reel. That figure comes from a 1999 report, and IGT does not publish the game’s current odds.
Megabucks pays back less than most slots. Nevada Gaming Control Board figures for 1994 to 2009 put its overall return at about 88.61%, meaning the house kept about 11.39% of money played. Analysis of those figures suggests that roughly 78% of each dollar goes back as regular wins, with the rest funding the jackpot reset and the growing meter. Many other slots return more, so you are paying for the jackpot with lower everyday returns.
Where to Play Megabucks
Megabucks is most closely tied to Nevada, where you will find it in casinos in Las Vegas, Reno and other gaming towns. The machines are usually easy to spot thanks to the large jackpot sign above them. Availability outside Nevada varies; if you live in California or another state with casinos, ask the casino whether it has Megabucks and what that version’s jackpot is.
Megabucks FAQ
What are the odds of winning Megabucks?
Reported odds are about 1 in 49.8 million per spin for the top jackpot, with the maximum bet.
Is the Megabucks jackpot paid all at once?
It is paid as an annuity over 25 years. Ask the casino or IGT about any other payment options when you win.
What is the Megabucks RTP?
Nevada figures put it at about 88.6% overall, which is low for a slot machine.
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