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. These stories of incredible luck serve as a testament to the unpredictable nature of gambling. Let's look at a few legendary tales of astonishing casino victories.
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 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles decided to play the famous Megabucks slot machine while waiting for a basketball game to start. After feeding about $100 into the machine, he hit the jackpot of a lifetime. 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.
Don Johnson: The Man Who "Broke" Atlantic City's Blackjack Tables
Sometimes, casino 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.
He didn't use card counting to achieve this feat. As a known high roller, he was able to negotiate extremely favorable playing conditions for himself. These negotiated perks, including a generous loss rebate, effectively tilted the odds in his favor. With these conditions, he played with a positive expectation, 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.
Winning the Jackpot... Again
The odds of winning a major lottery-style jackpot are astronomical, but winning it twice seems impossible. 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 traveled extensively with his winnings but never gave up on his dream of winning again. His persistence paid off in 2005 when he hit another Megabucks jackpot for casino over $21 million. Sherwin generously donated much of his second win to charity, including relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims.
