When anyone spins the reels on an online slot machine in the UK, they hope that luck will be on their side and change their lives forever. And while fortune may not always be looking their way every time they hit “Spin,” some have walked away from a slot as a jackpot winner. In this blog, we take a look at five big slot wins that forever changed the lives of a lucky few.
5. £17.46 Million ($21 million) at the Cannery Casino & Hotel, Las Vegas, 2005
They say lightning never strikes twice, but this wasn’t the case for Elmer Sherwin. Elmer had been a lifelong gambler when fortune smiled upon him for the first time in 1989. PBS reported how, a mere nine hours after The Mirage hotel and casino had opened, Elmer took home a fantastic $4.6 million (£3.83 million) from a Megabucks slot machine.
But it seems some people have all the luck, or at least a lot of it.
In 2005, Elmer once again tried his luck on a Megabucks slot at the Cannery Casino & Hotel. This time he walked away with more than four times his previous winnings – $21 million! A piece on Sherwin’s fantastic fortune on GamblingSites.org described how the elderly man escaped to a nearby restaurant when a crowd surrounded him after his epic win. The article also told how the generous man not only shared his winnings with his family, but also with those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
4. £18.79 Million ($22.6 million) at Bally’s, Las Vegas, 2002
In 2002, a retiree entered the history books with an incredible win of £18.79 million at Bally’s in Las Vegas. The Casino City Times website interviewed the winner, Johanna Huendl, who was on her way to breakfast when she decided to stop and play at the Megabucks machine. She spent about $170 (£141) and won an incredible $22,621,229.74. Despite her massive jackpot win, she planned to come back, since she had been a long-time regular at the casino. She was also going to use some of her winnings to visit her family in Austria, where she was originally from.
3. £22.87 Million ($27.5 million) at the Palace Station Resort, Las Vegas, 1998
A fantastic £22.87 million went to an anonymous woman at the Palace Station Resort in 1998. AP News shared how she had been a casino regular for 23 years and spent $300 (£249) on a Megabucks slot the night she became a multimillionaire. According to Michele Masse, a spokesperson from IGT, the family-focused woman said she would share her winnings with her three children and grandchild.
2. £29.02 Million ($34.9 million) at the Desert Inn Casino, Las Vegas, 2000
The second-largest win on our list actually held the title of the biggest win for three years at an incredible £29.02 million. The Las Vegas Sun reported how a woman spent $27 (£22.50) on a Megabucks slot after a show at the Desert Inn and ended up winning the incredible jackpot prize. She was offered one of the top suites at the hotel and caviar and champagne to celebrate her jackpot win.
1. £33.01 Million ($39.7 million) at the Excalibur, Las Vegas, 2003
In 2003, almost $40 million was won at the Excalibur, a hotel and casino in Las Vegas. The winner preferred to remain anonymous but was identified as a 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles in an article about the win from IGT.
The article further elaborated on how the young man was in Vegas visiting family and had been enjoying the college basketball “March Madness” tournament with a few friends. After his uncle suggested he play the Megabucks slot because of its huge jackpot, he decided to give it a go. After about $100 (£83.16) in spins, he was lucky enough to claim the massive £33.01 million ($39.7 million) jackpot.
This still remains the biggest slot machine jackpot win after two decades.
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