IGT confirms Megabucks winner at M Resort

18 December 2012

By Howard Stutz

LAS VEGAS -- A gambler wishing to remain anonymous hit the statewide Megabucks slot machine jackpot, totaling more than $17.3 million, over the weekend at M Resort.

International Game Technology officials confirmed the jackpot Monday.

M Resort officials posted notice of the win on the hotel-casino's Facebook page.

IGT operates the Megabucks system, which is located on slot machines inside casinos throughout Nevada.

The slot machine player, who reportedly went to M Resort with a free play and food voucher, didn't realize he had won the top prize until another player pointed it out, according to IGT.

In total, the customer won $17,329,817. The Megabucks system was reset to its starting jackpot of $10 million on Friday. Customers have to play the maximum number of coins and line up the three Megabucks symbols in order to claim the top prize.

The prize was larger than the $12.7 million won by a woman at Aria in January, but well below the record $39.7 million Megabucks jackpot won by a California software engineer in March 2003 at the Excalibur.