UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Mohegan Sun awarded $677,912 Jeopardy! MegaJackpot prize, the first of the year, on a penny machine, Jan. 11.

The winner, who asked to remain anonymous, said she visits the casino regularly for “quick getaways.” When asked what drew her to the winning machine, she said, “I watch the show but don’t usually play this one. I played a few others, won a few bucks, and switched to this.”

The winner was surprised to find she had won the top progressive prize. “I didn’t know how much until a Mohegan employee told me. Then, I didn’t want to believe it until I saw.” The winner reported wanting to share news of her MegaJackpot prize with her children, but is still thinking about how she will spend her winnings.

The award marks the first MegaJackpot to be paid at Mohegan Sun this year, and comes just on the heels of a $649,855 Wheel of Fortune Special Edition MegaJackpot year-end payout that was awarded Dec. 26. Mohegan Sun closed out 2009 having paid 14 MegaJackpots totaling $3.48 million.

Mohegan Sun is one of two gaming facilities in Connecticut belonging to a 17 state gaming network that includes more than 300 tribal casinos in the nation. Each time a coin is played in a linked machine anywhere in the network, the cumulative jackpot continues to grow until it is won. Since 1996, 164 MegaJackpots have been paid at the casino totaling more than $114 million.