The Biggest and Most Famous Casino Wins in History

For most people, a trip to the casino is a form of entertainment where the dream of a life-changing win is part of the thrill. These stories of incredible luck serve as a testament to the unpredictable nature of gambling. These are the stories of ordinary people and high rollers who experienced a once-in-a-lifetime win.

The Excalibur Jackpot

The largest slot machine jackpot in history was won in March 2003 at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. A 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles decided to play the famous Megabucks slot machine while waiting for casino a basketball game to start. He wagered just $100 before the machine’s reels aligned perfectly, casino triggering the progressive jackpot. The life-altering sum was so huge that it was structured as an annuity, paying him $1.5 million a year for 25 years. He wisely opted to keep his identity private, becoming a legend in the process.

Don Johnson: The Man Who “Broke” Atlantic City’s Blackjack Tables

Sometimes, a big win is about more than just a lucky spin. In an incredible run, Don Johnson managed to beat several casinos at blackjack for more than $15 million.

His secret wasn’t card counting in the traditional sense. His strategy was to leverage his status as a whale to get better rules. These included a 20% “loss rebate” (where the casino would refund him 20% of his losses if they reached a certain amount), the ability to bet up to $100,000 per hand, and favorable rules like splitting and doubling down on any four cards. With these conditions, he played with a positive expectation, a rare feat in casino gaming. He won so much that he is no longer welcome to play at many of the world’s top casinos.

Winning the Jackpot… Again

The odds of winning a major lottery-style jackpot are astronomical, but winning it twice seems impossible. Yet, casino that is precisely the story of Elmer Sherwin, a veteran of the Second World War. In 1989, at the age of 76, he won a $4.6 million Megabucks jackpot at The Mirage in Las Vegas, just 10 hours after the casino opened. He used the money to travel the world, but he continued to play the Megabucks slots, dreaming of a second win. Sixteen years later, at 92 years old, lightning struck again, and he won a second Megabucks jackpot, this time for $21.1 million. A true philanthropist, he gave a significant part of his second win to those in need.