Legendary Jackpots: The Biggest Casino Wins of All Time!
Casinos are sometimes the stage for extraordinary destinies. A few spins of the reels or the roulette wheel, and the lives of perfectly ordinary people can change. Jackpot stories have always fascinated the general public, and some of them have become legendary. Dive with GAMRFIRST into the heart of the biggest casino wins.
Las Vegas, the World Capital of Casino Jackpots
It's in Las Vegas, the legendary city of gambling and chance, that you find the biggest casino jackpots in history.
The Biggest Casino Jackpot in History
Las Vegas, renowned worldwide for its flamboyant casinos, was the stage for an event forever engraved in the annals of the gaming industry. In 2003, a young engineer walked through the doors of the prestigious Excalibur casino. He still had no idea that he would become the biggest winner.
Determined to enjoy his evening, he headed for the sparkling slot machines of this iconic establishment. He spun the reels, and in a matter of moments, he pocketed a staggering $39.7 million, or around 35.4 million Swiss francs... For the record, it's said in the casino corridors that the young man had wagered the modest sum of $100 to hit the jackpot!
This monumental win undoubtedly changed his life, but no one knows for sure. The man wished to remain anonymous, and to this day, the mystery of his identity remains unsolved.
The Two Legendary Jackpots of Elmer Sherwin
Elmer Sherwin, a World War II veteran, is a lucky player. At the age of 76, he pocketed $4.6 million, just hours after the famous Mirage casino in Las Vegas opened. Sixteen years later, he tried his luck again, and bingo! He won another staggering sum: $21 million!
The story is beautiful because at the age of 93, Elmer decided to devote most of his winnings to charitable causes. Several million dollars were distributed to the residents of New Orleans, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Jackpot at the Desert Inn Casino
The Desert Inn Casino, now known as Wynn Las Vegas, also witnessed one of the biggest jackpots in the history of games of chance. Cynthia Jay-Brennan, a young waitress, had the audacity to try her luck during her lunch break. The result? An extraordinary win of $35 million!
The Retiree's Stroke of Luck
In 1998, history repeated itself at the Palace Station Casino, but this time it was a retiree about to change her life forever. That day, the seasoned player had no intention of risking more than $100. Swept up by the excitement of the game, she made a decision that would change her destiny: she ultimately decided to triple her bet. This bold move proved to be a wise choice. A few hours later, she left the casino with a staggering $27.6 million in her pocket.
A Few Dollars for the Biggest casino Wins in History
It's not over. In 1999, a man from Illinois, visiting Las Vegas, placed a $10 bill on the gleaming slot machines at the famous Caesars Palace. Suddenly, the chiming of hundreds of slot machines was interrupted by a cry of joy. The player had just won an incredible jackpot of $21 million.
Let's end with the incredible luck of a player at M Resort, who pocketed $17.3 million, solely through free credits on the Megabucks machine.
The Biggest Wins in Casinos Around the World
It's not only in Las Vegas that you can win at the casino! All around the world, players have experienced the thrill of hitting the jackpot. Let's take a look at some of the most remarkable stories.
The casino is not just the realm of slot machines. In 2004, a Greek businessman decided to try his luck at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Moscow by spinning the roulette wheel. After a series of bold bets, he left the establishment with a simply astonishing win of $3 million.
In Switzerland, the magic of jackpots has also worked its charm on many occasions. In 2018, a lucky bettor pocketed the impressive sum of 1,116,739 CHF at the Bern casino.
That same year in Zurich, a woman also changed her fate by winning a jackpot of 7.5 million Swiss francs in a city casino. In 2022, a player at the Saint-Gall Casino walked away with 5.2 million CHF.
In France, record wins have been recorded as well. In 2013, two retirees, both 67 years old and from Fréjus, regulars at the Barrière casino, won 7,524,034 euros. In 2011, in Antibes, a 59-year-old man had already won 4.5 million euros. His initial bet? A 20-euro bill! On May 7, 2018, at a slot machine at the Café de Paris Casino in Monte-Carlo, a player won a nice sum of 958,950 euros. But the record is still held by a bettor from Morbihan, who pocketed no less than 9,402,902 euros at the Joa Port-Crouesty casino.
Good to know: the amazing story of Charles Devil Wells
We're in 1891 at the Monte-Carlo casino. For a week, Charles Devil Wells racked up wins at the roulette table, from lunchtime until the casino closed. After 7 days, his winnings amounted to 4 million pounds. A series of miraculous victories that have become legendary in casino history.
The Biggest Wins in Online Casinos
The world of online gambling has also become the stage for extraordinary victories that defy all expectations. In 2011, a bettor online in Norway won the impressive sum of over eleven million euros playing Mega Fortune.
In 2013, it was the turn of a British soldier, Jon Hayward, to pocket the colossal sum of 13.2 million British pounds, which is around 14 million Swiss francs. Before winning this huge jackpot, he had only bet 25 pennies. Fortune favors the bold!
In 2015, a Swede also wrote a page in history by winning a jackpot worth over eight million five hundred thousand euros, playing Mega Moolah. That same year, a Finn had a similar fate by winning the impressive sum of 17.8 million euros. He, too, had only bet a few cents on the virtual reels before hitting the jackpot. On January 30, 2019, an anonymous player did even better by winning an incredible progressive jackpot of 20,059,287.27 Canadian dollars on the Mega Moolah game.
Finally, the biggest win in the history of online casino was won by a Finn. That day, he made a spin with a bet of 0.025 € and won... 21,500,000 euros!
These stories of casino wins remind us that luck can strike at any moment. In Las Vegas, online, or in a casino in Switzerland, dreams of sudden wealth endure. But remember, gambling and games of chance come with risks. Play responsibly and never forget that you're there, first and foremost, to have fun.