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. Though large wins are rare, some lucky individuals have hit jackpots so massive they’ve gone down in history. Let’s look at a few legendary tales of astonishing casino victories.

The Excalibur Jackpot

The stuff of dreams became reality for one man at the Excalibur casino. A young programmer from L.A. put some money into a Megabucks machine to kill time before a game. His relatively small investment of $100 resulted in the ultimate prize. The total prize was a staggering $39.7 million, a sum so large that the casino agreed to pay it out in 25 annual installments of about $1.5 million. He wisely opted to keep his identity private, becoming a legend in the process.

Beating the House at its Own Game

Some of the most famous wins are a result of skill, strategy, and negotiation. 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.

His secret wasn’t card counting in the traditional sense. Johnson, a savvy businessman, negotiated special rules with the casinos before he even started playing. 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. With these conditions, he played with a positive expectation, casino a rare feat in casino gaming. He won so much that he is no longer welcome to play at many of the world’s top casinos.

Elmer Sherwin: The Man Who Struck Lightning Twice

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. His first jackpot was for $4.6 million, hit on the opening day of The Mirage. He didn’t stop playing, hoping for a second miracle. Incredibly, 16 years later, casino 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.