Megabucks is a slot machine with a progressive jackpot combined into a single network covering casinos in several U.S. states. International Game Technology, better known by its abbreviation IGT, is the owner and operator of this network.
Megabucks slot is an alternative to state lotteries and is incredibly popular among Americans. Some think IGT released it to compete with lotteries.
Throughout its history, which began in the early eighties of the twentieth century, this slot made several dozen players millionaires.
Thanks to the thoroughly constructed advertising company, each jackpot in Megabucks has a considerable size and causes a real buzz in the gambling public. And every win is widely covered in the media, drawing even more casino visitors. In addition, no other gaming machine in the world has many incredible myths, rumors, and legends about it.
But there are experts in the field of gambling and just experienced players who find Megabucks slot not worthy of such close attention. So who is right: fans or opponents of the gaming machine?
Megabucks Slot Rules
The classic version of the IGT Megabucks slot is a 5-reel slot machine with 60 pay lines.
To qualify for the progressive jackpot, the player must bet three dollars.
There were a lot of stories (both truthful and fictional) from customers about situations when they got the jackpot symbol combinations, but they did not win the jackpot because they had made low bets.
After each draw progressive jackpot, it is not reset entirely and begins to grow a certain amount. In recent years, it has been $10 million. However, more often say that it should soon increase by one million.
The Odds of Winning a Megabucks Jackpot
Reliable data on the probability of winning the jackpot on the slot Megabucks, oddly enough, does not exist. Some casinos say about one chance in 50 million, in the other one of 17 million. Whatever it was, gaming machine fans flew thousands of miles to try their luck.
But what is given to those whom fortune smiled? Whether it gets all of that vast sum, which blows advertising? If you win the jackpot, the events may unfold as follows.
- First of all, the lucky person will receive a check for $1.4 million.
- Then the winner is given two or three months to decide how he wants to receive the money.
- here are two possibilities: the amount is broken down into annual payments, which will be credited to the player for twenty-five years, or it can become the owner of a lump sum payment, which is 60% of the jackpot.
Thus, if a winner of ten million dollars chooses the latter variant, he gets only six. And then he still has to pay taxes. Almost all Megabucks winners prefer to receive their money in annual payments.
However, they have to pay taxes in this case, and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is stringent for these monitors. So it will be deducted from an additional 40% because such gains are taxed at a maximum rate. So when the next time you hear that someone has won ten million Megabucks slot on and immediately took all the money, you know - he got his hands on a little over three and a half.
Are Megabucks Winners Cursed?
As mentioned above, many gloomy legends exist on the Megabucks slot and jackpot. Mostly, they tell of the tragic fate of players who managed to thwart it. It is believed that almost all of them either die or suffer numerous ills. All this gave rise to talk about the so-called "curse of Megabucks slots."
Cynthia Jay-Brennan's Story
Of course, this story is much more fiction than the truth. But smoke without fire and some winners were seriously injured after a win. In particular, there was a sad future life, waitress Cynthia Jay-Brennan, who in 2000 won the Megabucks machine at the casino Desert Inn for $34.9 million.
Six weeks later, he and his sister were hit by a drunk driver. Sister died on the spot, and Cynthia always remained paralyzed. The driver was sentenced to twenty-eight years.
Death of a Young Megabuck Winner
But rumors about the curse Megabucks were distributed before 2000. Just this incident was widely covered in the press and forced to recall other similar events, which at one time became so resonant.
In 2003, many media published articles about a 25-year-old player who became the owner of the jackpot Megabucks, who either died of a drug overdose in a hotel casino or was killed in a street skirmish. IGTs had to work hard to convince the public of the falsity of these statements.
Other Megabucks Rumors
We also know a lot of rumors about underage players and staff of different casinos, which won the jackpot on the slot Megabucks but could not get it because of specific laws. But none of these legends has not received documentary evidence.
Many experts in the field of gambling believe that ITG has made the appropriate changes to the system Megabucks, because of which the jackpot playing less, but more significant amounts. Although employees are assured that nothing like they do, it remains a prevalent opinion.
Where Can I play Megabucks Slot?
But most slot machines and big jackpot fans are not afraid to curse Megabucks and willingly play this slot. You can find it in almost all real casinos on the Las Vegas Strip and other places in the states of Nevada, California, New Jersey, Mississippi, and some Indian reservations.
Each state has its separate network slots Megabucks, and Nevada's biggest progressive jackpots are formed on it. The other states are considerably smaller.
Why Do Gambling Experts Not Play Megabucks Slot?
Naturally, experts do not believe in the curse slot Megabucks, but this does not prevent them from considering this gaming machine is not worthy of attention. The fact that it is very disadvantageous for the player.
- First, it has an extremely high percentage of the house edge, which reaches 10-15% (for comparison, many slots in Las Vegas casinos are limited to 2-3%).
- Second, the procedure of payment of the jackpot is exceptionally uncomfortable. The winner loses 40% of the amount or gets it for 25 years. But progressive jackpots on most other slots are paid immediately and in full.
All of this suggests that the Megabucks slot machine is a slot mediocre that finds its popularity thanks to record payments and an expertly organized PR campaign.
