Retiree Wins $20 Million Slot Jackpot

A 64-year-old Las Vegas retiree won a Megabucks(R) slot jackpot worth $20,519,025 today at the Cannery Casino & Hotel in North Las Vegas.

It was the second Megabucks(R) winner the Cannery has had in the last nine months. Elmer Sherwin won his second Megabucks(R) jackpot -- the only person ever to win it twice -- at the Cannery in September 2005.

The new Cannery winner requested anonymity, but said she had played only $12 in the machine -- four pulls of the slot handle -- when the jackpot hit. "My friend told me, 'Megabucks(R) is going to hit'," said the winner. "I couldn't believe I had won it. A cleaning lady in the casino pointed to the big jackpot and said, 'You won that.'"

The lucky woman said she plans to use her winnings to pay off her mortgage and possibly buy a new car.

A penny video version of Megabucks(R) has a statistically overdue jackpot of more than $14.6 million, which will set a world record for a penny slot payout when it is hit.

There are more than 600 Megabucks(R) dollar slots in 164 casinos throughout Nevada. The progressive system's MegaJackpot(R) can be won for a $3 bet and is paid in annual installments upon verification.

2006-06-06