When you think of casinos, one of the first things that have to come to mind is slot machines. Slot machines are some of the popular casino games out there because they’re fun to play and don’t require any skills. Almost anyone can enjoy slots — they’re a fantastic game if you want something to enjoy either with friends or alone.
Online slot games were some of the first casino games that went online after the boom in the 2000s and continue to be the most played. That’s because slot machines translate well to the online space, especially when it comes to video slots.
There’s a huge number of different slot machines out there, both online and at land-based casinos. But there are some that definitely have stood out from the rest.
Here are the seven most famous slot games of all time.
Megabucks
Megabucks has to be one of the most famous slot machines out there. This game was developed in 1986 by IGT — and became the world’s first wide-area jackpot machine that was progressive. The Megabucks slot machine has been responsible for some of the biggest wins in the history of the game.
One of the big winners was an anonymous software engineer who won a record $39.7 million during Las Vegas’ Excalibur back in 2003. Another winner was a cocktail waitress named Cynthia Jay Brennan, who won $34.9 million. Johanna Huendl won $22.6 million while on her way to breakfast, a retired flight attendant who won $27.5 million and a businessman from Illinois who won $21.3 million on his first spin.
The Megabucks machine continues to be popular and awards million-dollar prizes for those lucky ones that play.
Wheel of Fortune
Another classic developed by IGT in the late ‘90s, the Wheel of Fortune game, is based on the show and is found in casinos across the world. The most popular of the variations out there is the three reel version. It also has a multiplayer game that features a bank of machines that allows every player to get their own screen. This allows people to play the bonus round together, which increases the fun and game show aspect of the game.
After all these years, it is still loved and played by many at land-based casinos and online slots.
Lion’s Share
Lion’s Share is a slot that was around for a while but got a bit of media buzz around it in 2014 when news outlets picked up on the story of Lion’s Share’s progressive jackpot that hadn’t been claimed in 20 years. It soon became the ‘it’ game in Las Vegas, with people waiting in lines at MGM Grand just to play their singular machine.
The big win came to Linda and Walter Wisco – a couple from New Hampshire – who hit the $2.4 million progressive jackpot. The Lion’s Share was retired soon after but still has a place in history.
Mega Fortune
This game is based on yachts, luxury cars and champagne and is one of the largest ever online slots jackpots. A big story came out in 2013 when a Finnish man won a world record jackpot that was worth £17.8 million on the game. Interestingly the average jackpot payout is £4 million for this game, so it’s justified in its theme.
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is one of the most famous slot machines of all time, being that it’s the first-ever mechanical slot. Invented in 1895 by Charles Fey, a car mechanic, the slot features a coin slot at the top, a paytable at the bottom and small reels in the middle. Its symbols include horseshoes, spades, diamonds, hearts, stars and Liberty Bells. To win the top payout of 50 cents, you need to get 3 Liberty Bells in a pay line.
For those history buffs out there, you can visit the original Liberty Bell, which is on display in the aptly named Liberty Belle Saloon in Nevada.
Mega Moolah
Mega Moolah was created by Microgaming in 2006. Seen as a rival to Mega Fortune, in 2015, Mega Moolah got worldwide fame when a soldier won a £17,879,645 payout — the largest online slots jackpot of all time. Hideki Nakata, an editor at onlinecasinojapan.com, the largest online slot jackpot of all time, says that Mega Moolah’s popularity extends even to Japan, and now it is one of the most popular slot games in Japan.
The game features a fun jungle theme with monkeys, zebras and lions, as well as African safari music that plays while in session. It’s a fantastic slot to play if you’re into the chance of winning the big bucks but also enjoy a jungle theme as part of your gameplay.
Cleopatra
One of the most popular genres of slot machines is the Egyptian theme, but Cleopatra definitely stands above the crowd. This game was developed by IGT and featured ancient Egyptian music and symbols like pyramids, scarabs, the Eye of Horus and Cleopatra herself. It’s been such a popular game that it’s produced a sequel called Cleopatra II. This second game has different music, up to 50 free spins and much richer graphics than the original.
The classic is still a brilliant game, though, and is enjoyed by people around the world who love the Egyptian theme and fun features.
