The newest Megabucks winner is a woman from the Las Vegas Valley who swung by M Resort on the last Friday, Dec. 14, to redeem some dining coupons and use up her free play credits. She used them well and hit the $17.3 million jackpot.
According to the rules of slot-manufacturer IGT, which owns the Megabucks brand, the winner has two months in which to decide whether to opt for a reduced one-off payment or to take her jackpot in 25 annual installments. The frugal recent winner, who has opted to stay anonymous, has yet to decide, an IGT spokesperson confirmed, and if she opts for the lump sum then the exact figure will be determined by prevailing interest rates and won't be known for certain until the day she confirms her decision. Whatever she decides, the local resident told IGT that she plans to use the money to pay off her house and take care of her family.
Prior to this, the last time the Megabucks progressive hit in Nevada was at the Grand Sierra Casino in Reno, where a player hit for $10.3 million on June 15, 2011. Early that year it hit twice within three months at Aria.
