Man misses Megabucks jackpot by playing just two coins

WENDOVER -- The State Line hotel-casino said a Utah man missed out on a $7.9 million Megabucks jackpot because he was playing with just two coins instead of the required three.

The casino is in Northern Nevada on the Utah border.

The gambler, Kirk Tolman, 22, Pleasant Grove, won $10,000 on the $1 slot machine with the two-coin bet.

Tolman said he was talking to a friend and wasn't playing close attention when he missed the jackpot.

"I don't know what I would have done if I would have hit it (the big one). It's unbelievable. I would have moved to Hawaii and surfed. I just don't know. I always play 'max' coins, but I was talking to my friend and wasn't paying attention," Tolman said in a casino press release.

International Game Technology's Megabucks Progressive System is linked throughout Nevada and advances from its initial reset amount of $7 million. The largest jackpot hit in January 2000 for $34,955,490. The most recent Megabucks win was Jan. 12 for $9,385,469 at Harrah's Las Vegas.

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