The Biggest and Most Famous Casino Wins in History

For most people, casino a trip to the casino is a form of entertainment where the dream of a life-changing win is part of the thrill. While most wins are modest, every now and then, someone defies the odds in spectacular fashion, walking away with a fortune that becomes the stuff of legend. Here are some of the most famous and largest casino wins in history.

The Megabucks Jackpot: A Software Engineer’s $39.7 Million Win

The largest slot machine jackpot in history was won in March 2003 at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The anonymous winner, a 25-year-old software engineer, was just passing time on the Megabucks slot. He wagered just $100 before the machine’s reels aligned perfectly, triggering the progressive jackpot. The total prize was a staggering $39.7 million, a sum so large that the casino agreed to pay it out in 25 annual installments of about $1.5 million. The winner chose to remain anonymous, and his story remains the ultimate testament to the incredible, albeit minuscule, chance of hitting it big on a slot machine.

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

Sometimes, a big win is about more than just a lucky spin. Don Johnson, a corporate executive, famously won over $15 million from a trio of Atlantic City casinos in just six months.

How did he do it? It wasn’t by counting cards. Johnson, a savvy businessman, negotiated special rules with the casinos before he even started playing. He secured a 20% discount on his losses, a very high maximum bet, casino and casino other rule changes that significantly reduced the house edge. This combination of perfect play and negotiated advantages gave him a small but crucial edge over the house. 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, that is precisely the story of Elmer Sherwin, a veteran of the Second World War. His first jackpot was for $4.6 million, hit on the opening day of The Mirage. He used the money to travel the world, but he continued to play the Megabucks slots, casino dreaming of a second win. His persistence paid off in 2005 when he hit another Megabucks jackpot for over $21 million. He was incredibly generous with his second windfall, donating a large portion to charity.