Becoming a lucky player and bagging a jackpot win that makes headlines is the dream of most slot-machine players out there. Over the years, many players have enjoyed some jaw-dropping jackpot wins, so let’s take a moment to overview a few of these life-changing moments.
Before diving into some of the big slot wins the world has ever seen, we want to clarify that winning at slot games is only a matter of luck. For every player that has won a fortune, there are countless other players who have lost much more than they won.
Playing slots (or any other casino game) must always be done responsibly. Don’t bet more than you can afford to lose, and when the fun stops, stop playing.
$11.8 million on the Megabucks slot
As you’ll see soon enough, the Megabucks slot machine has been the source of some big winners in the past. It was a player by the name of Rodolfo T. who made headlines by winning the game’s progressive jackpot.
In order to qualify for the progressive jackpot in Megabucks, players must bet at least $3, and that’s precisely what Rodolfo T. did. His slot win amounted to a mind-boggling $11.8m, instantly making him a multi-millionaire.
$12.9 million on the Mega Fortune slot
The popular NetEnt slot machine Mega Fortune delivered one of the biggest slot machine wins in the world on September 24, 2011. In fact, this was one of the biggest slot wins that made it into the World Guinness Book of Records!
In the dead of night, a Norwegian slot machine player was the lucky winner, as the grand jackpot fortune of $12,922,312 popped on the screen and most definitely set them for life.
$6.3 million from the Mega Moolah jackpot
Mega Moolah and big wins always seem to be in the same sentence. Although not the biggest slot win in the world, a player managed to bag a $7m jackpot after taking the reels of Mega Moolah for a spin. This happened in March 2009.
$22.6 million on the Megabucks slot
The Megabucks machine delivers again! It was in 2002 that the elderly Johanna Huendl decided to spice up her Las Vegas trip and try spinning the reels of Megabucks on her way to an early breakfast.
The Austrian hit one of the biggest jackpot sums ever recorded — a staggering $22,618,156 — despite previously thinking that the big win could ‘only’ amount to $2m.
This is the fourth-largest Las Vegas jackpot win. Not bad for a quick trip to a casino, one might say!
$39.7 million at the Excalibur Casino
Among other big winners is one young software engineer who tried his luck at the Excalibur Casino in 2003.
Megabucks was the protagonist yet again, as the engineer hit the big jackpot of $39.7m. Seeing as the winnings were so astronomically big, he and the casino agreed to have his fortune delivered to him in 25 instalments.
It’s unbelievable to think that he might still be getting paid to this very day!
$680k from Wheel of Fortune, $27 million after that!
The Wheel of Fortune is known to deliver what its name suggests: a big fortune! Although not as much money as the above winners, a player won a hefty $680k by playing this slot machine.
As it happened, her money was only set to increase several months later, when she won an additional $27m from Megabucks.
This gives a brand new meaning to ‘progressive jackpot‘!
$17.3 million from Wheel of Fortune
Still on the topic of Wheel of Fortune, which was based on the long-running TV show, another lucky player bagged a tremendous amount of money.
They were playing at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas when the whopping $17.3 million hit their screen.
It must have been a fun night!
$9.2 million from The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight slot is based on the extremely popular Batman movie franchise, of course.
This Microgaming slot game delivered a superb win of $9.2 million to one lucky individual in 2012.
They must surely be thankful for the existence of the Batman franchise!
$1.586 billion from Powerball
Disclaimer: we’re not talking about slot machines here. Powerball is a lottery that depends on nothing but luck to win big, just like slots.
In 2016, three uber-lucky winners won a record-breaking $1.586 billion jackpot win, the largest ever recorded.
Who knows what they ended up doing with such an astronomical amount of money?
$7.8 million on Hall of Gods
You’ll find two familiar elements in this superb win.
Firstly, Hall of Gods is yet another NetEnt game that delivered a spectacular win. Secondly, it was yet another Norwegian who won the grand jackpot!
In 2013, a Norwegian player won €7.8 million ($8.73 million), and in 2015, another lucky player secured a €7.5 million ($8.45 million) jackpot.
$18 million on Mega Moolah
The Mega Moolah slot machine was a source of nothing but wealth for a 26-year-old British soldier by the name of Jon Heywood.
A 25-pence bet was what it took for Jon Heywood to hit the big jackpot of €17,879,645.12.
Nevertheless, Heywood kept his win a secret from his friends and family for three whole days.
After that, he disclosed his win to his peers and sought to financially help his father’s medical treatment and even pay for cruises for his extended family.
$42.9 million, which turned to zero!
There aren’t many cases like this one!
It was a tale of tears of joy to those of sadness for New Yorker Katrina Bookman, who won a whopping $42.9m at the Resort World Casino before learning that it was just a slot game glitch.
As it turned out, the max. payout was just $6,500 and the machine somehow glitched out.
Adding salt to the wound was the consoling prize offered by the casino: a steak.
We’ll leave the judgement to you.
$20 million at the Caesar’s Palace (Las Vegas)
In 1999, a mystery player bet just $10 on Megabucks. This led to a jackpot win of a whopping $20 million!
We’d say that a quick escape to Las Vegas couldn’t have proven to be more fruitful than that.
$1 million from Dragon Link
At the same casino as the one we mentioned above came another big win, although it wasn’t as outstanding.
Nevertheless, a $1 million payday was in the cards for one lucky player, who, at 4 a.m. on a Monday, was betting $25 on the Dragon Link slot.
Whatever betting strategy they were using worked. The player ended up hauling in a total of $1,040,252!
$17 million from Arabian Nights
In this tale of Arabian Nights, the Alibaba in our story is replaced by a lucky Norwegian. In 2011, this player managed to turn €0.75 into a superb jackpot of €17 million.
We’re not sure what’s up with Norwegians winning so many jackpots, but they surely won’t mind!
$22.5 million from Might of Ra
This slot machine showed its might all right!
This slot game, which is based in the Ancient Egypt theme, delivered one of the biggest jackpots of all time to one lucky streamer in March 2022.
Here’s the thing: it wasn’t even a jackpot! In fact, this is one of the biggest life-changing wins that was not a jackpot prize!
$11 million on Megabucks
Although a huge jackpot can definitely turn your life around, it might be for the worse. Ask John Tippin, who won a mouth-watering $11 million win on Megabucks back in 1991.
Tippin, who worked as a postal worker at the time, went on to write a book called “I Did It: My Life After Megabucks” which follows his life after becoming the winner of $11 million. Tippin, a Honolulu resident, went on to stress the importance of keeping his finances in check after such a life-altering win, which goes to show you that truly everybody should be paying attention to their budget — not only the gambling budget!
$4.9 million on Megabucks
Going further back in time, we’ll find the tale of Terry Williams: the winner of $4.98 million in the famous Megabucks game. After splurging his winnings for the first two years after becoming the winner, his was destroyed during the 1989 San Francisco Bay Area earthquake.
Thanks to the amount he won, Williams managed to purchase another home. His last check from the casino is said to have been delivered in 1996. We hope that he made his jackpot last!
$11.6 million on Mega Moolah
What’s fascinating about this jackpot win is the fact that a player (known only as D.P.) won the Mega Moolah jackpot on their cell phone!
Playing an online casino game on your phone was already thought of as futuristic. But what about playing a game and winning $11.6 million on Mega Moolah on your phone?
In fact, this is the largest win ever recorded on a mobile device! Perhaps on-the-go gaming might be worth looking into if you’re on the move.
$300k on the Liberty Bell
We simply had to close things off with the game that kickstarted this wonderful genre of gambling.
As you may or may not know, the Liberty Bell was the first-ever slot machine! It was created by a mechanic by the name of Charles Fey towards the end of the 19th century — quite a while ago!
In 1899, this slot paid $10,000 to a winner. Although it doesn’t sound like much, that figure translates to roughly $300k today. We’re pretty sure that whoever got paid this much was thankful for playing slots back when few people did!
What does it take to get big slot wins in online casinos?
If you’re looking for a secret to land big wins at the most popular games on the market, you’ll be disappointed to hear that there isn’t one.
To have a chance at securing big slot wins in online casinos, several factors come into play. Firstly, it’s crucial to select the right slot. Look for games with higher return-to-player (RTP) percentages, as they theoretically offer better long-term payout potential. Additionally, progressive jackpot slots often provide the opportunity for massive wins, but they tend to have lower odds due to the larger prize pools.
Managing your bankroll wisely is also extremely important. Setting a budget and sticking to it ensures that you can play responsibly and avoid chasing losses. It’s advisable to bet within your means and consider playing with smaller denominations or lower coin sizes, as this can prolong your playing time and increase your chances of hitting a winning combination.
Understanding the game’s mechanics and features is also beneficial. Some slots offer bonus rounds, free spins, multipliers, or other special features that can enhance your winning potential. Take the time to read the game’s rules and paytable to fully comprehend how these features work and how they can contribute to bigger wins.
Lastly, it’s important to keep in mind that big wins in slot games are still primarily a matter of luck. The outcomes are determined by RNGs, ensuring random and unbiased results. While following strategies or specific patterns won’t guarantee success, maintaining a positive mindset, enjoying the gameplay, and practising responsible gambling can make you enjoy playing online slots.
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