Slot machines have always given players that rush of excitement of unpredictability and millionaires-making type jackpots. Some players have been fortunate. They have successfully won huge amounts of money with just one turn.
£13.2 Million (Approx. $20.8 Million) – Online Win by Jon Heywood (2015)
In October 2015, a British soldier Jon Heywood became famous when he raked in £13.2 million (approximately $20.8 million) in the Mega Moolah slot. It was an astounding jackpot win off the back of a staked bet of just 25 pence, going on to prove how these online slots have the power to create lucrative payouts that change lives. By the way, the Mega Moolah Slot is one of the most popular jackpot titles. For example, you can find it in RollXO Casino and test your luck with (if you aren’t lucky, you’ll, at least, get the 15% cashback on your losses).
What was unique about Heywood’s win wasn’t just the size of the prize but the perfect timing, too. At that time, his father was ill with a serious condition, and he was on the road to recovery. John said that he would like to use part of his winnings for the best medical treatment to be given to his father. In this way, the winnings gave him not only financial security but also peace of mind.
$39.7 Million – Excalibur Casino (2003)
In March 2003, a software engineer from Los Angeles, who was 25 years old, became an instant multi-millionaire at Excalibur Casino by winning $39.7 million while playing the Megabucks slot machine. The wager was only $3, and it was a clicking of the reel right to take away the ever-biggest slot machine payout recorded.
The young man inserted three $1 coins into a machine, stepped a few feet away, and then returned to see that the jackpot had been hit. The win was huge: it was paid out over 25 years, which means more than $1 million a year. This story is just a good reminder of the gamble involved with gaming and the incredible life-changing possibilities for the wins.
$34.9 Million – Desert Inn (2000)
Cynthia Jay Brennan hit a $34.9 million jackpot from a Megabucks slot machine at the Desert Inn back in January 2000. It was on her lunch break, and she was already celebrating with friends who overnight changed everything for her.
A little digression about that very special Megabucks slot machine, thanks to which Cynthia won a fortune specialty of this machine is that it requires only a $3 maximum bet to qualify for the jackpot. In this game, players try their luck matching up everything from cherries to lucky sevens. The Megabucks symbol is the key to hitting the grand prize of the game. In theory, it is not that attractive, considering the RTP is below 89% and the odds for the jackpot are at roughly 1 in 16.7 million. Its appeal, therefore, lies in how it could alter life overnight.
$21.3 Million – Caesars Palace (1999)
In June 1999, a 49-year-old Illinois business consultant hit Caesars Palace and turned a $10 Megabucks slot bet into $21.3 million. It only took one spin of the reels to change his life.
He opted for the annual installments of $1.5 million for 25 years and thus was able to secure his future and comfortably retire. Thus, the story goes to prove that slot machines do have the potential to bring small investment results into wealth.
$21.1 Million – Cannery Casino, Las Vegas (2005)
In 2005 a World War II veteran Elmer Sherwin became a legendary gambler after bringing home $21.1 million from Cannery Casino. What is most interesting, though, is that it had not been his first jackpot; Elmer Sherwin earned $4.6 million on the same Megabucks machine back in 1989 when the Mirage Hotel first opened its doors.
At 92, Sherwin’s second jackpot made him the only person known to have won the Megabucks jackpot twice. His first win enabled him to enjoy retirement, while with the second came the opportunity to give back. Sherwin donated some of his winnings to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, thus showing his giving spirit.
Conclusion
Stories like these will give slot players hope and excitement, making one wonder if it could happen to them. Yet, at the same time, gambling is an enterprise that begets responsibility and a modicum of risk awareness. After all, while winning is exhilarating, the playing experience and the enjoyment should take front and center in any gaming adventure.