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The Biggest and Most Famous Casino Wins in History

For most people, a trip to the casino (hop over to this website) 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 Biggest Slot Win Ever

The largest slot machine jackpot in history was won in March 2003 at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. A young programmer from L.A. put some money into a Megabucks machine to kill time before a game. His relatively small investment of $100 resulted in the ultimate prize. 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. His story is the quintessential example of how a small bet can lead to an unimaginable fortune.

Beating the House at its Own Game

Not all legendary wins come from pure luck. Don Johnson, a corporate executive, famously won over $15 million from a trio of Atlantic City casinos in just six months.

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 negotiated perks, casino including a generous loss rebate, effectively tilted the odds in his favor. By combining these advantageous rules with perfect basic strategy, he was able to shift the mathematical edge slightly in his favor. He won so much that he is no longer welcome to play at many of the world’s top casinos.

Elmer Sherwin: The Man Who Struck Lightning Twice

To hit a huge jackpot once is a miracle; to do it twice on the same machine type is beyond belief. Yet, that is precisely the story of Elmer Sherwin, a veteran of the Second World War. He first won $4.6 million on a Megabucks machine in 1989 at the grand opening of The Mirage. He traveled extensively with his winnings but never gave up on his dream of winning again. Sixteen years later, at 92 years old, lightning struck again, and he won a second Megabucks jackpot, casino this time for $21.1 million. Sherwin generously donated much of his second win to charity, including relief efforts for casino Hurricane Katrina victims.