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. 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 Megabucks Jackpot: A Software Engineer's $39.7 Million Win
The largest slot machine jackpot in history was won in March 2003 at the Excalibur Hotel & casino (https://amicireggiavenariareale.com/) in Las Vegas. The anonymous winner, a 25-year-old software engineer, was just passing time on the Megabucks slot. His relatively small investment of $100 resulted in the ultimate prize. The win amounted to an incredible $39.7 million, paid out over 25 years. The winner chose to remain anonymous, and his story remains the ultimate testament to the incredible, albeit minuscule, chance of hitting it big on a slot machine.
Don Johnson: The Man Who "Broke" Atlantic City's Blackjack Tables
Sometimes, a big win is about more than just a lucky spin. 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.
How did he do it? It wasn't by counting cards. As a known high roller, he was able to negotiate extremely favorable playing conditions for himself. These included a 20% "loss rebate" (where the casino would refund him 20% of his losses if they reached a certain amount), the ability to bet up to $100,000 per hand, and favorable rules like splitting and doubling down on any four cards. By combining these advantageous rules with perfect basic strategy, he was able to shift the mathematical edge slightly in his favor. His incredible run caused some casinos to change their high-roller policies, and he was eventually banned from many establishments.
Elmer Sherwin: The Man Who Struck Lightning Twice
Winning a massive jackpot once is a statistical miracle. Winning it twice is almost unbelievable. But that's exactly what happened to World War II veteran Elmer Sherwin. He first won $4.6 million on a Megabucks machine in 1989 at the grand opening of The Mirage. He didn't stop playing, hoping for a second miracle. Sixteen years later, at 92 years old, lightning struck again, and he won a second Megabucks jackpot, casino (https://amicireggiavenariareale.com/games/the-big-easy/) this time for $21.1 million. Sherwin generously donated much of his second win to charity, casino including relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims.