A Frenchman in his thirties has made a dream start to 2022 by winning 2.6 million euros ($2.9 million) on a casino slot machine after playing a two-euro coin.

The man, described as an "occasional player" by the operator of the Saint-Amand-les-Eaux casino in northern France, hit the jackpot while playing on Sunday night.

A so-called Megapot of prize money is available on 175 slot machines linked up in 38 French casinos run by the Partouche group, with 31 people winning more than a million euros each in the last 10 years.

Sunday night's winner, who has not been identified, walked away with 2.626 million euros.  

Gambling is tightly regulated in France because of the dangers of addiction and financial losses, with advertisers required to warn consumers about the risks and banned from targeting children.