The reason we all like playing slots is because we have that dream of the big win. Progressive jackpot slots offer that promise of a life-changing win. However, for some lucky winners, this dream has become reality – and there have been many that have scooped millions on the spin of a lucky reel – both at land-based casinos and online casinos.
You might not be surprised to learn that most of the biggest winners managed to hit the jackpot win in Downtown Las Vegas, the gambling capital of the world. But there have also been some big wins achieved by people spinning the reels from the comfort of their own homes on online slots.
So, let’s take a look at the biggest and best slot machine wins of all time and see which players have made casino history.
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Rampart Casino, Las Vegas: €14.3m
In tenth spot of top slot machine wins at land-based casinos, comes a player who won his or her fortune in December 2013 at the Rampart Casino, Las Vegas.
This lucky winner spent just €20 playing on the Megabucks slot machine (which you will see featured heavily on this list!) and managed to win a stunning €14.3 million. The lucky winner was also a lovely winner, who chose to stay anonymous and donate a large chunk of the win to charity.
M Resort, Henderson: €17.3m
Next on our list of the biggest slot machine wins ever, we have a massive €17.3 million – again in Las Vegas.
The woman in question visited M Resort, Henderson and with her free credits, she too chose to play the Megabucks jackpot slot machine – and she too won big. If this isn’t evidence that free credits can pay off, then I don’t know what is!
Online Win – £13.2m
The next largest slot machine win was achieved at an online casino, by a soldier from Britain. He hit the right notes on one of the most popular progressive jackpot slots ever, the Mega Moolah slot, walking away with £13.2 million – approximately €20.8 million.
Jon Hayward from Crewe only played 25p on the slot and ended up walking away a millionaire. Not a bad return on the investment eh?
Cannery Casino & Hotel, Las Vegas: €21.1m
This Megabucks jackpot winner is probably the most jaw-dropping of all of the wins… and proof that lightning can strike twice in the same place.
Back in 2005, Elmer Sherwin scooped a €21.1 million prize after spinning the reels on the Megabucks slot at the Cannery Casino and Hotel. What is most incredible though isn’t the prize – it’s the fact that this was his second time cracking the Megabucks jackpot, having already won €4.6 million on the game back in 1989 at the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas
Caesars Palace, Las Vegas: €21.3m
Another of the biggest slot machine wins happened at the world-famous Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. It was back in 1999 when a lucky punter wagered only €10 on the Megabucks slot machine and walked away with a €21.3m prize.
The 49-year-old, hailing from Illinois chose to remain anonymous.
Bally’s, Las Vegas: €22.6m
Next up on our list of biggest jackpot wins came about in May 2002, and was won by a woman called Johanna Heundl – again in Vegas… and again on the famous Megabucks machine.
Heundl proves it’s never too late to stop dreaming, scooping the prize at the age of 74 – and doing it all before breakfast!
Online: €17.8 M – The Biggest Online Slots Win
Here we have another massive online slots machine win, this time it was a lucky Finn in 2013, who got lucky when spinning the reels of the NetEnt’s biggest progressive slot, the Mega Fortune slot.
Fortune was clearly on this punter’s side, as they had only spent just 25c before hitting the big win. This spin saw them walk away with a colossal €17.8 million… around €23.6 million… which remains the biggest online slot win of all time.
Palace Station Casino, Las Vegas: €27.6m
The third highest winner in our list is one lucky retiree, who certainly managed to retire in luxury after scooping the big win in 1998 at the Palace Casino in Las Vegas. They went out to simply spend €100, ended up spending €300, but it certainly paid off.
Like many other wins on this list, the jackpot again came from the Megabucks machine – and it ended up awarding a stunning €27.6 million jackpot.
Desert Inn Casino, Las Vegas: €35m
In second spot, we have Cynthia Jay Brennan, who hit the jackpot in 2000, at the age of 37 years old. This was also won on the Megabucks slot, this time at the Desert Inn on Vegas – and scooping a huge €35 million.
This doesn’t have a happy ending though, as her luck soon did a 180. Just a few months later, she was seriously injured in a road traffic accident and was left paralyzed.
Excalibur Casino, Las Vegas: €39.7m
The biggest slot machine win of all time was won by one lucky gambler in 2003, at the Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas. This was another player that struck lucky on the famous Megabucks slot machine, spending just €100 at the casino before hitting the win.
The win came – and the win came big – dropping in at a massive €39.7 million. A record that has remained, to this day, the largest jackpot win ever.
The Win that Never Was… Resort World Casino, New York: €42.9m
There was a win that nearly made it to the very top of the list, but never quite got there… In 2016, a woman in New York was told that she had won a whopping €42.9 million. This was despite the fact that the machine she had played, the Sphinx slot machine, stated that its biggest prize was just €6,500.
There was a fair bit of legal wrangling and the case just went quiet. However, it is almost certain that her claim was rejected and she didn’t get the prize money. Nearly but not quite.
Serious Megabucks
Whether you head over to Vegas – or simply play at an online casino, there is some serious money to be made when playing a slot game. The biggest and best progressive jackpots can make people multi-millionaires – but can you give yourself a better chance of a win? You might try looking for the loosest slot machines, reading guides on how to win at slots, but the truth is, those that walk away with these jackpots have simply been kissed by lady luck.
