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. 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 stuff of dreams became reality for one man at the Excalibur casino. A 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles decided to play the famous Megabucks slot machine while waiting for a basketball game to start. He wagered just $100 before the machine’s reels aligned perfectly, casino triggering the progressive jackpot. The win amounted to an incredible $39.7 million, paid out over 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

Not all legendary wins come from pure luck. Between 2010 and 2011, a man named Don Johnson went on an unprecedented winning streak, taking three Atlantic City casinos for a combined total of over $15 million playing blackjack.

He didn’t use card counting to achieve this feat. 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. With these conditions, he played with a positive expectation, a rare feat in casino gaming. After his epic winning streak, casinos became much more cautious about the deals they offered high rollers.

Elmer Sherwin: The Man Who Struck Lightning Twice

Winning a massive jackpot once is a statistical miracle. Winning it twice is almost unbelievable. This is the incredible story of Elmer Sherwin. He first won $4.6 million on a Megabucks machine in 1989 at the grand opening of The Mirage. He used the money to travel the world, but he continued to play the Megabucks slots, dreaming of a second win. Incredibly, 16 years later, in 2005, at the age of 92, he did it again. He won a staggering $21.1 million jackpot on another Megabucks machine at the Cannery Casino. A true philanthropist, he gave a significant part of his second win to those in need.