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We all fantasise about winning big in a casino. But what are the chances of getting lucky and hitting it big at a slot machine or table game? Casinos worldwide have produced some pretty great wins over the last few decades, from people cashing out with tens of millions of dollars in their pockets. The stories behind these wins are incredible—and they’ll make you want to keep playing!
We’ve collected some of our favourite casino stories below:
Mr Peter
You’ll be surprised to know that Mr Peter is a Norwegian player who is only known by his first name Peter. A few years ago, he won $14.5 million from the Arabian Knights slot machine, which is a progressive jackpot slot game played online.
Imagine Peter’s shock and awe at his digital wallet for his casino account! Who would have thought that a random online casino Deal could change his life? He had just won more than 11.7 million Euros (approximately $14 million). Casinos have produced some impressive wins over the years, with some players cashing out in the tens of millions.
Kerry Packer
The amount of money Kerry Packer won is nothing short of staggering. While he was known for his love of gambling, no one expected him to claim one of the biggest jackpots in modern gambling history.
While there are some conflicting stories about what happened that night, it is widely believed that Packer went into the MGM Grand casino and wagered over $250,000 on a hand of baccarat and ended up walking away with more than $40 million. To date, Kerry Packer has been estimated as having won the largest jackpot in modern gambling history by far.
Anonymous
An anonymous player won another record-breaking money win. He played roulette and won 39.7 million in one session. This anonymous person was not a professional gambler, nor did he work in the casino industry. How did he do it? The answer is that this man had an uncanny knowledge of statistics and probability. He knew how to calculate what would come up next on any given wheel spin, so his bets were calculated precisely right each time!
“Don Johnson”
Another anonymous player won $15.1 million at the top three casinos on the strip in Atlantic City, NJ. The casinos are not named in the story, but it’s assumed that they were Caesar’s Palace, Borgata, and Tropicana.
Initially, he played blackjack. The following is a timeline of his winnings:
He won $2 million at Caesar’s Palace
He moved on to play roulette at Borgata and won $10 million
He won another $5 million at Tropicana Casino
Antonio Esfandiari
The man known as “The Magician” has made quite the name for himself in the world of poker, and he’s been able to cash in on that reputation. In 2012, Antonio Esfandiari was playing at The Big One for One Drop tournament when he bet $1 million to win back his previous loss from a previous hand. Esfandiari won this time but not before earning himself another trophy: A platinum bracelet worth nearly $5 million more than his initial investment!
Beverly Whitten
In 2006, Beverly Whitten won $3.7 million playing the slots at the Golden Chambers Casino in Lake Tahoe. The win was quite literally a dream come true for her. Beverly was a retired teacher enjoying a quiet retirement when she hit it big that day. She had been playing in the $3-$5 game when she hit on one of the biggest wins in casino history.
Imagine being so stunned by your winnings that you ask them to pay you in cash and deliver it to your home. That’s precisely what happened to Beverly Whitten when she became overwhelmed with excitement after winning such an incredible amount of money just from playing slots!
Amy Nishimura
Amy Nishimura is notorious for taking a more empathetic and patient approach to winning slots. Amy played slots for three hours straight at the Fremont in Las Vegas while talking to the machines. While this may seem crazy, it worked to her advantage and she ended up winning $8.9 million from a $100 bet. There may not be a stranger winning story in the history of casino games.
Johanna Heundl
In 2007, Johanna Heundl was going about her usual business when she came across a Megabucks machine at Bally’s. She pulled out $170 from her purse and put it into the machine. She only had to spin one quick time to win the $22.6 million jackpot.
When asked how she would use the money to help others, Johanna said that she would give some of it to family and grandchildren as well as donate some of it to charity organisations like UNICEF which is doing great work around the world for children who need help with necessities such as food and shelter.
Archie Karas
Archie Karas is a Greek immigrant who specialised in poker. The $40 million wasn’t exactly won in one go, it was won over 30 months over a series of winning runs. It was one of the most prominent poker runs in history and it managed to net the immigrant a fortune.
In the history of casino gambling, Archie Karas holds the record for the largest and longest winning streak, known as The Run. It is believed that between December 1992 and January 1995, he was able to turn an investment of $10k into more than $40 million. Now, that is an amazing winning story!
Conclusion
Casinos have produced some pretty great wins over the years, with some players cashing out in the tens of millions. The most fantastic casino wins have been on many different games and come from various sources. Some of the biggest jackpots have come from slots and video poker machines, while others were won through progressive jackpots offered by casinos or tournaments where all players share in the prize pool.
The stories of the greatest wins in casinos are genuinely amazing. They have been told many times, but not all can be found anywhere. This article is meant to fill that gap by providing a list of some of the most exciting stories about big-time winners and their incredible experiences at the table. We hope this compilation will inspire you to play at casinos more often and show you how much fun it can be!