$50 Slot Machine Jackpots
If it’s massive prizes with life altering amounts of cash you’re after, then look no further than Wheel of Fortune’s best progressive slot machine jackpots. Amazingly, a 25 cent machine can pay out as much as $200,000. Many jackpots reach into the realms of $500,000 before a lucky winner hits. Normally $1 and $5 machines start the jackpot. One Account, Full Access to Free Slots. When you create your free account, you can access all kinds of online slot games for fun, including: 3-reel classics, like the old ones you’d find back in the ’60s. 5-reel modern games with as many as 50 paylines. The best bonus rounds. Games for fun that come with big progressive jackpots.
- Appendices
- Slots Analysis
- Miscellaneous
Introduction
A must-hit-by jackpot, sometimes called a mystery jackpot, is one that is guaranteed to hit by a certain point. There are two good things about a large jackpot:
- The jackpot itself is larger.
- The probability of winning it is greater.
As with any progressive game, at some point the jackpot becomes large enough to sway the odds in the player's favor. This page will examine these 'target points' on some new slots by WMS with mystery jackpots. If you're interested in must-hit-by progressives on Ainsworth slots, please see my separate page on that.
This page assumes that a jackpot is equally likely to trigger anywhere between the starting value and must-hit-by maximum. This seems to be true for all makers except AGS. The reader should be warned that AGS must-hit-by jackpots tend to hit near the must-hit-by-point. For example, on a version of River Dragons, where the large jackpot starts at $4,000 and must hit by $5000, I calculate the average point it does hit is $4,945.49. So, please do not apply the information in this page to AGS machines.
General Rules
Following are generally how must-hit-by progressives work.
- The jackpot starts at a defined minimum amount.
- A point at which the jackpot will hit is randomly chosen on a uniform distribution between the starting value and maximum possible jackpot.
- A certain percentage of money bet, known as the 'meter rise,' will be directed towards the jackpot.
- When the meter crosses the predestined win point the player will be awarded the jackpot.
The WMS jackpot games are different from the usual Mystery Jackpot games in two ways:
- There are two jackpots.
- The meter rises by the amount won, not the amount bet.
On the WMS games, it is my understanding that the Minor jackpot starts at $25 and must hit by $50. The Major jackpot starts at $200 and must hit by $500. Based on my own play, the rate of meter rise, for each meter, is 0.00582 times money won.
These two images below show two versions of the pertinent rule screen on the WMS games.
Math
The general formula for the Target Point can be given as:
t = m × (h + r) / (h + 2r), where:t = Target Point
m = Max jackpot
r = Rise of meter rate
h = House edge of game (taking into consideration the average value of the progressive)
An unknown piece to this equation is h, the house edge of the game. No casino is going to tell you exactly what a given slot machine is set to. So, you may have to resort to industry averages. The following table shows the averages for Clark County, Nevada (where Las Vegas is). You can see for penny slots, which Mystery Progressives tend to be on, the overall house edge is 10.77%.
Clark County Slot Win to 11/1/2017 to 10/31/2018
| Denomination | Casino Win (pct) |
|---|---|
| $0.01 | 9.97% |
| $0.05 | 5.54% |
| $0.25 | 7.11% |
| $1.00 | 6.34% |
| $5.00 | 5.51% |
| $25.00 | 4.99% |
| $100.00 | 6.22% |
| Megabucks | 12.34% |
| Multi-denomination | 5.26% |
| Total | 6.82% |
Source: Nevada Gaming Control Board, Gaming Revenue Report for 12-month period ending October 31, 2018 (PDF, see page 4).
Although the information is a bit dated, you may wish to also consider the returns of random games I sampled in my page on Slot Machine Odds in Las Vegas. All things considered, I think it is safe to assume a house edge of 8% to 12% in Las Vegas. The nicer the casino and closer to the Strip the casino is, the higher the house edge will generally be. Outside of Vegas, you're on your own.
WMS Target Points
The math for the WMS games gets rather complicated because of the two jackpot and that they go up by amount won, not amount bet. So, you'll have to take it on faith that the tables below are correct.
The first table shows the Target Point for the Major jackpot, according to the house edge on the game and the amount of the Minor jackpot. In most situations, it will need to be about $482.
Major Jackpot Target Points
| Minor Jackpot | House Edge | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14% | 12% | 10% | 8% | 6% | |
| $25 | $484.82 | $482.32 | $479.03 | $474.47 | $467.77 |
| $26 | $484.78 | $482.27 | $478.95 | $474.36 | $467.59 |
| $27 | $484.74 | $482.22 | $478.87 | $474.24 | $467.40 |
| $28 | $484.70 | $482.15 | $478.78 | $474.11 | $467.19 |
| $29 | $484.64 | $482.08 | $478.69 | $473.96 | $466.96 |
| $30 | $484.59 | $482.01 | $478.58 | $473.80 | $466.69 |
| $31 | $484.53 | $481.92 | $478.46 | $473.62 | $466.40 |
| $32 | $484.45 | $481.82 | $478.32 | $473.42 | $466.07 |
| $33 | $484.38 | $481.72 | $478.16 | $473.18 | $465.69 |
| $34 | $484.29 | $481.59 | $477.99 | $472.92 | $465.25 |
| $35 | $484.18 | $481.45 | $477.78 | $472.61 | $464.74 |
| $36 | $484.06 | $481.28 | $477.55 | $472.24 | $464.13 |
| $37 | $483.92 | $481.09 | $477.27 | $471.81 | $463.41 |
| $38 | $483.75 | $480.86 | $476.93 | $471.30 | $462.53 |
| $39 | $483.55 | $480.58 | $476.52 | $470.66 | $461.44 |
| $40 | $483.30 | $480.23 | $476.01 | $469.85 | $460.04 |
| $41 | $482.99 | $479.78 | $475.35 | $468.81 | $458.18 |
| $42 | $482.57 | $479.20 | $474.48 | $467.40 | $455.60 |
| $43 | $482.01 | $478.40 | $473.26 | $465.38 | $451.78 |
| $44 | $481.21 | $477.23 | $471.44 | $462.27 | $445.53 |
| $45 | $479.95 | $475.35 | $468.43 | $456.84 | $433.44 |
| $46 | $477.72 | $471.89 | $462.52 | $444.97 | $400.25 |
| $47 | $472.64 | $463.29 | $445.49 | $398.35 | |
The second table shows the Target Point for the Minor jackpot, according to the house edge on the game and the amount of the Major jackpot. In most situations, it will need to be about $48.
Minor Jackpot Target Points
| Major Jackpot | House Edge | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14% | 12% | 10% | 8% | 6% | |
| $200 | $48.50 | $48.25 | $47.93 | $47.49 | $46.84 |
| $210 | $48.49 | $48.25 | $47.93 | $47.48 | $46.83 |
| $220 | $48.49 | $48.25 | $47.92 | $47.47 | $46.82 |
| $230 | $48.49 | $48.24 | $47.92 | $47.47 | $46.81 |
| $240 | $48.49 | $48.24 | $47.91 | $47.46 | $46.79 |
| $250 | $48.48 | $48.23 | $47.90 | $47.45 | $46.78 |
| $260 | $48.48 | $48.23 | $47.90 | $47.44 | $46.76 |
| $270 | $48.47 | $48.22 | $47.89 | $47.42 | $46.74 |
| $280 | $48.47 | $48.22 | $47.88 | $47.41 | $46.72 |
| $290 | $48.46 | $48.21 | $47.87 | $47.40 | $46.70 |
| $300 | $48.46 | $48.20 | $47.86 | $47.38 | $46.67 |
| $310 | $48.45 | $48.19 | $47.85 | $47.36 | $46.64 |
| $320 | $48.45 | $48.18 | $47.83 | $47.34 | $46.61 |
| $330 | $48.44 | $48.17 | $47.82 | $47.32 | $46.57 |
| $340 | $48.43 | $48.16 | $47.80 | $47.29 | $46.52 |
| $350 | $48.42 | $48.15 | $47.78 | $47.26 | $46.47 |
| $360 | $48.41 | $48.13 | $47.75 | $47.22 | $46.41 |
| $370 | $48.39 | $48.11 | $47.73 | $47.18 | $46.34 |
| $380 | $48.38 | $48.09 | $47.69 | $47.13 | $46.25 |
| $390 | $48.36 | $48.06 | $47.65 | $47.07 | $46.14 |
| $400 | $48.33 | $48.02 | $47.60 | $46.99 | $46.00 |
| $410 | $48.30 | $47.98 | $47.54 | $46.88 | $45.82 |
| $420 | $48.26 | $47.92 | $47.45 | $46.74 | $45.56 |
| $430 | $48.20 | $47.84 | $47.33 | $46.54 | $45.18 |
| $440 | $48.12 | $47.72 | $47.14 | $46.23 | $44.55 |
| $450 | $48.00 | $47.54 | $46.84 | $45.68 | $43.34 |
| $460 | $47.77 | $47.19 | $46.25 | $44.50 | $40.02 |
| $470 | $47.26 | $46.33 | $44.55 | $39.84 | |
Example: You suspect the Minor jackpot may be high enough to play. The Major jackpot is at $300 and you assume a house edge of 10%. The table above shows the Target point is $47.86.
AGS Warning
This page assumes that a jackpot is equally likely to trigger anywhere between the starting value and must-hit-by maximum. This seems to be true for all makers, except AGS. The reader should be warned that AGS must-hit-by jackpots almost never hit until they are near the must-hit-by point. For example, the large jackpots are supposed to hit by $5,000, but it is rumored in the advantage player slot community that they rarely hit below $4,990. So, please do not apply the information in this page to AGS machines.
Further Reading
- The Secret World of Video Poker Progressives, by Frank Kneeland
- Million Dollar Slots by Peter Liston
Written by: Michael Shackleford
Photo of Trinadad Torres courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.
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.
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.
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
$50 Slot Machine Jackpots No Deposit
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
$500 Slot Machine Jackpots
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.