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. Though large wins are rare, some lucky individuals have hit jackpots so massive they've gone down in history. 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. He wagered just $100 before the machine's reels aligned perfectly, triggering the progressive jackpot. 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.
The Blackjack King
Not all legendary wins come from pure luck. In an incredible run, Don Johnson managed to beat several casinos at blackjack for more than $15 million.
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 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. He won so much that he is no longer welcome to play at many of the world's top casinos.
Winning the Jackpot... Again
Winning a massive jackpot once is a statistical miracle. Winning it twice is almost unbelievable. Yet, that is precisely the story of Elmer Sherwin, a veteran of the Second World War. In 1989, at the age of 76, casino - atuttavita.com - he won a $4.6 million Megabucks jackpot at The Mirage in Las Vegas, casino just 10 hours after the casino opened. He didn't stop playing, hoping for a second miracle. His persistence paid off in 2005 when he hit another Megabucks jackpot for over $21 million. Sherwin generously donated much of his second win to charity, including relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims.