Best Winning Slot Machine Mgm

Photo of Trinadad Torres courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.

Tricks To Winning Slot Machines

Admit it. You have the same dream we do.

MGM Grand Las Vegas — MGM Grand is known for a vast selection of progressive slots that are believed to be lucky, as this venue has paid out some of the largest jackpots. Aria Resort and Casino — Aria Casino owns the award of the Best Casino for Slots by CNN Travel.

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

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

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.

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Introduction to Michigan Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Michigan slot machine casino gambling consists of three commercial casinos in Detroit and 23 tribal casinos throughout the state. Caesars Windsor is also nearby, just across the border from Detroit in the Canadian Province of Ontario.

Detroit’s commercial casinos have a minimum theoretical payout, while tribal casinos have none. Neither type of Michigan casino has return statistics publicly available.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

Keep Reading … or Watch Instead!

Or … Listen Instead!

Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Michigan*

The minimum legal gambling age in Michigan depends upon the gambling activity:

Land-Based Casinos: 18/21
Poker Rooms: 18
Bingo: 18
Lottery: 18
Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

The minimum legal age for gambling is 21 if the casino serves alcohol. Further, the minimum legal age for gambling at Caesars Windsor is 19 years old. Be aware that, at Caesars Windsor in Canada, all bets and winnings are in Canadian currency.

In 1996, Michigan voters approved three licensed casinos for Detroit via the Michigan Gaming Control & Revenue Act.

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Michigan

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in Michigan if it is 25 years old or older.

Gaming Control Board in Michigan

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) within the Michigan Department of Treasury regulates commercial casinos in Detroit. Further, the MGCB provides compliance oversight authority for tribal-state compacts with Michigan’s federally-recognized tribes.

Federally-recognized American Indian tribes are sovereign nations. As such, the State of Michigan does not have general regulatory authority over tribal casinos, although the state has oversight authority of compliance with state-tribal compact provisions.

Instead, through the federal IGRA of 1988, Michigan’s tribes have tribal-gaming compacts in place to allow Class III games-of-chance slot machines. Therefore, the National Indian Gaming Commission and each tribal government regulate Michigan’s tribal casinos.

Otherwise, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), a crown agency of Canada, and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) regulates gaming at Caesars Windsor in Canada.

Casinos in Michigan

There are three commercial casinos and 23 tribal casinos in Michigan.

The largest casino in Michigan is MGM Grand Detroit with 3,500 gaming machines.

The second-largest casino is Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort with 3,330 gaming machines.

Commercial Casinos in Michigan

Detroit’s commercial casinos, including the popular Caesars Windsor in Canada, include:

Caesars Windsor Hotel & Casino across the Canadian border from Detroit in Windsor, Ontario.

Tribal Casinos in Michigan

Michigan has tribal-state compacts with 12 American Indian tribes, which have produced 23 tribal casinos. At the end of 2017, these tribal casinos had a total of 21,976 Class III, Vegas-style gaming machines.

Tribal casinos in Michigan are a thriving business, and many major expansion projects are underway throughout the state. This is especially true for casinos in northern Michigan.

Michigan 23 tribal casinos are:

Bay Mills Resort & Casinos in Brimley located in the upper peninsula 53 miles north of Mackinaw City
FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek located 113 miles west of Detroit
Four Winds Casinos Dowagiac located 21 miles north of South Bend, Indiana near the Indiana border
Four Winds Casinos Hartford located 50 miles north of South Bend, Indiana
Four Winds Casinos New Buffalo located 34 miles northwest of South Bend, Indiana near the Indiana border and Lake Michigan
Gun Lake Casino in Wayland located 172 miles west of Mackinaw City
Island Resort Casino in Harris located in the upper peninsula 160 miles west of Mackinaw City
Kewadin Casinos Christmas in Munising located in the upper peninsula 129 miles northwest of Mackinaw City on Lake Superior
Kewadin Casinos Hessel located in the upper peninsula 41 miles northeast of Mackinaw City
Kewadin Casinos Manistique located in the upper peninsula 89 miles west of Mackinaw City
Kewadin Casinos Sault Ste. Marie located in the upper peninsula 59 miles north of Mackinaw City on the Canadian border
Kewadin Casinos St. Ignace located in the upper peninsula 12 miles north of Mackinaw City
Kings Club Casino in Brimley located in the upper peninsula 56 miles north of Mackinaw City
Leelanau Sands Casino & Lodge in Peshawbestown located in the lower peninsula 20 miles north of Traverse City
Little River Casino Resort in Manistee located in the lower peninsula 58 miles southwest of Traverse City
Northern Waters Casino Resort in Watersmeet located in the upper peninsula 268 miles west of Mackinaw City near the Wisconsin border
Odawa Casino Resort in Petoskey located in the lower peninsula 38 miles south-southwest of Mackinaw City
Odawa Casino Mackinaw located in Mackinaw City
Ojibwa Casino Marquette located in the upper peninsula 158 miles northwest of Mackinaw City on Lake Superior
Ojibwa Casino Baraga located in the upper peninsula 239 miles northwest of Mackinaw City on Lake Superior
Saganing Eagles Landing Casino & Hotel in Standish located in the lower peninsula 158 miles south-southeast of Mackinaw City on Lake Huron
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mount Pleasant located in the lower peninsula 157 miles northwest of Detroit
Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel in Williamsburg located in the lower peninsula 11 miles east of Traverse City

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying Michigan slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Michigan is:

North and East: The Canadian Province of Ontario
South: Indiana Slots and Ohio Slots
West: Minnesota Slots and, across Lake Michigan, Illinois Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Michigan.

Our Michigan Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Michigan? If so, join our new Michigan slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Michigan. Join us!

Payout Returns in Michigan

Detroit’s commercial casinos have a minimum theoretical payout of 80%. In addition, they have a maximum theoretical payout of 100% unless otherwise approved by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

Further, Class II skill-based electronic gaming machines at non-tribal casinos also have these payout limits when played perfectly. Return statistics from Detroit’s casinos are not publicly available.

Otherwise, there are no payout limits for Class III Vegas-style, games-of-chance slot machines at Michigan’s tribal casinos nor are return statistics made publicly available.

Finally, Canadian casinos in Ontario such as Caesars Windsor have a minimum theoretical payout of 85% and a maximum theoretical payout of 99.1% for Class III Vegas-style games-of-chance. However, Class II competition-style games-of-skill machines such as video poker have a minimum theoretical payout of 88%.

According to their OLG gaming control board from their Slots Brochure, Canadian casinos in the Province of Ontario have a single return statistic: Their average return is 91.8%.

Summary of Michigan Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Michigan slot machine casino gambling consists of three casinos in Detroit and 23 tribal casinos throughout the state. Otherwise, Caesars Windsor in Canada, across the border from Detroit, is a popular casino destination.

Casinos in Detroit have a theoretical payout between 80% and 100%. Michigan’s tribal casinos do not have any theoretical payout limits for Class III slots. No return statistics are publicly available from Michigan’s casinos.

Annual Progress in Michigan Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Over the last year, there has been little change to the slots gaming industry in Michigan.

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