The gambling industry has always played a huge part in our lives. For as long as we can remember, casinos have been operating and been serving patrons with next-level entertainment and fun. In the past couple of years, the industry managed to progress with the help of technology.
Apart from the standard land-based casinos, you can also play the best casino games on the market at online casinos. They are accessible at any time and place and the only thing that you need to do is register an account.
Arguably the most popular games at both land-based casinos and online casinos are slots. They are simple to play and can provide you with massive rewards. That is exactly what we are going to discuss in this article. We’ll be taking a look at some of the biggest slot wins in history, so without any further ado, let’s dive into the details.
Bally’s (Las Vegas) – $22.6 Million
Coming in at number 5, we have Johanna Heundl, a retired resident from California, who managed to earn her spot on this list in the most bizarre way. As she revealed, she was headed to have breakfast when she decided to make a quick stop and play the Megabucks slot machine.
After spending a total of $170 on the game, she managed to hit the jackpot and of course, she was thrilled. But here comes the best part. Heundl originally thought that she won a $2 million jackpot, when in fact, her retirement just become a lot better as she hit the $22.6 million jackpot.
Paf.com (Online Casino) – $23.6 Million
Number 4 includes a Finnish player who managed to win a massive jackpot while playing at Paf.com, an online casino. Considering the fact that online casinos are adamant about protecting their players, the identity of the winner was not revealed.
However, it was revealed that he/she managed to win $23.6 million while playing Mega Fortune, a popular progressive online slot developed by one of the world’s most reputable game providers – NetEnt. Data shows that the jackpot was won in 2013. Moreover, the player spent just $0.25 before winning the prize.
Palace Station Casino (Las Vegas) – $27.6 Million
The third place is reserved for a retired flight attendant that wanted to hide her identity. The player went to Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas and decided to enjoy her day by placing $100 on slots. That wasn’t her smartest decision as she did not end with any wins, but nevertheless, she wanted to give one last shot.
In doing so, she went all in and put $300 on Megabucks. The result? The retired flight attendant won $27.6 million.
Desert Inn (Las Vegas) – $35 Million
The difference in jackpot payout between the second and the third place is pretty enormous, as you can see. Cynthia Jay Brenan was a cocktail waitress who decided to visit the Desert Inn in Las Vegas in 2000 after finishing her shift.
She spent an hour and a half playing slots but had no luck. Just before she got out, she decided to try her luck out a few more times, which was the best decision of her life as she struck $35 million on Megabucks, the highest jackpot payout in history at the time.
However, there is a sad twist to this story as Cynthia was hit by a truck around 2 months after winning the massive jackpot. Even though she was paralyzed, she pledged a massive portion of her jackpot wins to help people in need.
Excalibur Casino (Las Vegas) – $39.7 Million
Finally, the biggest jackpot payout in history goes to an anonymous player who played Megabucks at Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas. The one thing that is known about the player is that he was a 25-year-old software engineer who bet $100 on Megabucks and managed to turn it into the biggest payout in his life.
After spinning the reels on the said name, the software engineer managed to win $39.7 million, which remains the highest jackpot payout to this day.
Honorable Mentions
As you can see, the highest jackpot winnings are pretty high, and they’ve undoubtedly changed the life of the winners. There are also a couple of honorable mentions on this list, and we feel obliged to include them.
First off, we have Elmer Sherwin, who won $21.1 million at Cannery Casino & Hotel in 2005. The funny part about this story is that he actually won $4.6 million on the machine in 1989. Talk about making a living out of playing slots, huh?
As for online jackpots, Mega Moolah is undoubtedly the most rewarding progressive slot as many players have managed to win over $15 million on several occasions. Take Jon Heywood, a British resident who won $19.9 million after betting $0.25 on Mega Moolah.