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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. 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 – he said, agreed to pay it out in 25 annual installments of about $1.5 million. His story is the quintessential example of how a small bet can lead to an unimaginable fortune.
Don Johnson: The Man Who ”Broke” Atlantic City’s Blackjack Tables
Not all legendary wins come from pure luck. Don Johnson, a corporate executive, famously won over $15 million from a trio of Atlantic City casinos in just six months.
His secret wasn’t card counting in the traditional sense. As a known high roller, he was able to negotiate extremely favorable playing conditions for himself. He secured a 20% discount on his losses, a very high maximum bet, and other rule changes that significantly reduced the house edge. This combination of perfect play and casino negotiated advantages gave him a small but crucial edge over the house. He won so much that he is no longer welcome to play at many of the world’s top casinos.
The Double Megabucks Winner
To hit a huge jackpot once is a miracle; to do it twice on the same machine type is beyond belief. 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. Sixteen years later, at 92 years old, lightning struck again, casino and he won a second Megabucks jackpot, this time for casino $21.1 million. He was incredibly generous with his second windfall, donating a large portion to charity.