LAS VEGAS, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- A 71-year-old Las Vegan, on her way to see the afternoon performance of "The Magic of Rick Thomas" at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, made a little magic of her own today when she hit the dollar Megabucks(R) jackpot for $12,076,530.

Nevada MegaJackpots(R) systems have been hit for more than $38 million in the last 10 days. Besides today's big win, Wheel of Fortune(R) Special Edition(TM) produced a $7.8 million winner in Reno on January 27, and an $18.7 million Penny Megabucks(R) jackpot was won January 31 in Pahrump, Nev.

Today's anonymous winner had come to the Orleans early to have lunch before the 2 p.m. show. After lunch, on her way to the theater, she stopped to play Megabucks(R).

"I have been playing Megabucks(R) for years," she said. "I come here all the time, especially on Sunday after church. So today, I put in $20 and after several pulls, I saw the first Megabucks(R) symbol fall into place, then the second and then the third. It was all in slow motion, watching them drop down one at a time. But I knew right away I had won. I just didn't know how much."

The woman, a former interior decorator who moved to Las Vegas in 2000, said the winnings will help her pay off the mortgage on her home. She will also donate money to her church and share the winnings with her family.

Megabucks(R) is one of 24 Nevada MegaJackpots(R) systems operated by IGT. All IGT MegaJackpots(R) are paid in annual installments upon verification, except MegaJackpots Instant Winners Jackpots(TM) and Rapid Riches MegaJackpots(R), which are paid in their entirety upon verification. Both the penny and dollar Megabucks(R) progressives have top jackpots that build from a base amount of $10 million and are paid in annual installments upon verification.

International Game Technology (http://www.igt.com/) is a global company specializing in the design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sales of computerized gaming machines and systems products.

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"People shouldn't be afraid of their government. A government should be afraid of its people."

Amazing! I bet it was surreal to see those Megabucks symbols hit the payline.
I rarely go for the progressives but maybe on my next trip to Vegas I could part with 20.00 and go for the gusto...lol

What have you got to lose? Well, besides $20, that is.

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"I am in so far in blood, that sin will pluck on sin" - Richard III

I'm sure that woman's kids are happy. At 71, she probably won't be around for too many more years. Not that they're hoping she dies. I'm just saying that they have to know a lot of it will be left over.

She might spend it all just to spite them or leave it to charity. There's never any telling.

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"I am in so far in blood, that sin will pluck on sin" - Richard III

She might leave it to her cats.