Whether you play an online slot game or its land-based equivalent, landing a jackpot is the ultimate goal. But many casino enthusiasts tend to overlook the low stakes and smaller payouts of slots, preferring to focus on high-stakes games such as blackjack and poker.
It’s a grave mistake to assume that slots don’t provide the potential for high-stakes excitement. Casino games such as Megabucks, Mega Moolah and Mega Fortune have paid out hundreds of millions in prize money to lucky slot machine winners. What’s more, many of these winners barely broke their bankrolls to hit the jackpot, needing to spend a couple of hundred dollars at most before striking it lucky.
Of course, luck plays a major role in slots and casino table games. The beauty of slots lies in the unique ability to reward minimum bets with maximum gains. With that in mind, take a look at eight of the biggest slot wins in casino history and discover the personal stories behind these astonishing events along the way.
8. $14.3 million – Anonymous
The first entry on the list belongs to a player who preferred to remain anonymous. Anonymity is a constant theme for slot machine winners, as you’ll soon notice. It stands to reason that an influx of millions of dollars is a life-changing event and keeping names out of the media adds a level of security that makes it easier to cope with winning.
Playing at the Rampart Casino in Las Vegas, the first anonymous player won a jackpot of $14.3 million in December 2013. Amazingly, all they had to spend was $20 before they struck gold. The player donated a large portion of winnings to charity, walking away with an undisclosed amount once everything was said and done.
7. $17.3 million – Anonymous
Did you know you can win a jackpot with free credits? The second anonymous player did exactly that, playing the Megabucks machine for free at the M Resort in Henderson, Nevada. She won $17.3 million with no need to risk any of her own money.
This win just goes to show that you shouldn’t underestimate the benefits provided by incentives such as free spins. When you register with a premium online casino, take full advantage of sign-up bonuses and free rewards — they’re crucial assets that may well swing the odds in your favor.
6. $21 million – Elmer Sherwin
When the Mirage Casino opened its doors for the first time back in 1989, a Second World War veteran by the name of Elmer Sherwin decided to pop in with his wife. Curious to try his luck but short on money, Elmer asked his wife for $20 to sponsor a few spins on the Megabucks machine.
Sherwin won $4.6 million with that $20, but that wouldn’t be the last time fortune smiled on him. Sixteen years later, he returned to Vegas and won a $21 million jackpot on yet another Megabucks game, this time playing at the Cannery Casino. To date, Sherwin is one of the rare few to bag two major jackpots in one lifetime.
5. $21.3 million – Anonymous
The next entry springs from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, one of the most famous casinos in the world. Yet again, it’s the Megabucks machine and an anonymous winner. With a wager of $10, this player managed to score a $21.3 million jackpot.
The win occurred in 1999. Not much else is known about this particular jackpot, except that it was won by an Illinois resident referred to as a business consultant. He chose to receive his winnings in annual installments over 25 years, giving him a reliable source of long-term income all because of a single jackpot he spent $10 on.
4. $22.6 million – Johanna Heundl
Retired and celebrating her birthday at Bally’s Casino in Vegas, it’s safe to say that Johanna Heundl wasn’t expecting to be a millionaire by the end of her holiday. The Californian received $100 in free play tokens from the casino to celebrate her special day, which would end up being instrumental in allowing her to obtain one of the biggest jackpots ever recorded.
After depositing her free credits and putting in $100 of her own funds, Heundl went to her favorite Megabucks machine and tried her luck. Unfortunately, a few costly mistakes depleted her funds, but she decided to add another $20 before calling it quits. Luckily for her, $20 was more than enough for not one but two slot wins, earning her $22.6 million altogether.
3. $27.6 million – Anonymous
Many of the slot players in this list were extremely fortunate with their wins, barely having to spend any money before hitting the jackpot. The third-place entry used a bit more bankroll than most, with a tally of $300, but the prize of $27.6 million was certainly worth it in the end.
Playing at the Palace Station Casino in Vegas in 1998, this individual had already won a $680,000 Wheel of Fortune jackpot a few months earlier. Her decision to risk extra funds on the Megabucks machine was entirely worth it, leading to the third double-win of this list.
2. $34.9 million – Cynthia Jay Brennan
Working as a waitress in a cocktail bar, Cynthia Jay Brennan could never have known how drastically her fate could change with one spin of the reels. When she decided to drop $21 into the Megabucks slot on her way home from a long shift, it resulted in the second-largest win of all time.
Playing the Megabucks slot at the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino, Brennan only had three spins to make the most of her bankroll. Luckily, on her second attempt of three, the symbols aligned, leading to $34.9 million in prize money. In a humble and compassionate move, she decided to donate most of her winnings to charities for the disabled.
1. $39.7 million – Anonymous
The title of biggest slot machine win ever currently belongs to an anonymous software engineer from Los Angeles. Dropping $100 into a Megabucks machine with a progressive jackpot, the lucky winner scored a prize of $39.7 million at the Excalibur Casino in Vegas.
Back in 2003, this progressive jackpot was steadily growing after weeks of accumulative rollovers. Eventually, someone would get lucky enough to win it all; it just so happens that the winning player was in the right place at the right time.
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