Megabucks record beckons players

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 1998 | 10:16 a.m.

Nevada Megabucks officials say a new record jackpot could be established today or Wednesday.

The current progressive jackpot is about to crack the record $12,510,559.22 by Las Vegan Suzanne Henley who hit Megabucks last April 14 at the New York-New York hotel-casino.

The jackpot, which climbed above the $12 million-mark for just the second time in its 11-year history during the Super Bowl weekend last month, was at $12,466,666 as of 8:05 a.m. today.

Officials at International Game Technology, manufacturers of the Megabucks reel slot machines, said Monday that the jackpot for the statewide network of nearly 690 dollar machines in 132 casinos has been climbing by about $100,000 per day in recent weeks.

The jackpot rises at the rate of several pennies for every dollar that is inserted into the slots. As a result, the cents total on the machine bank tote board is a blur when the slot action is heavy. When the jackpots reach the $10 million mark they tend to get really busy.

In all, 46 people -- nine of them Nevada residents -- have hit the main Megabucks jackpot for a total of $219 million. The last was an $8.3 million payout on July 13 at a Lake Tahoe resort.

To win at Megabucks, a player must bet three $1 coins per pull and line up Megabucks symbols. As with other reel slot machines, smaller jackpots are paid when other symbols are lined up.

Traditionally, six of every 10 big Megabucks jackpots have been hit at downtown Las Vegas, Strip and off-Strip properties. More than three of every four big jackpots have been hit at Southern Nevada casinos, counting outlying areas like Laughlin and Mesquite.

Megabucks systems also are featured at gaming establishments in Mississippi, Louisiana, Colorado, Missouri, Atlantic City, Macau and various American Indian casinos nationwide. However, the $12 million-plus jackpot can only be hit at Nevada casinos, officials said.