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. These stories of incredible luck serve as a testament to the unpredictable nature of gambling. Here are some of the most famous and largest casino wins in history. The Megabucks Jackpot: A Software Engineer’s $39.7 Million Win The stuff of dreams became reality for one man at the Excalibur casino. A 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles decided to play the famous Megabucks slot machine while waiting for a basketball game to start. His relatively small investment of $100 resulted in the ultimate prize. The win amounted to an incredible $39.7 million, paid out over 25 years. The winner chose to remain anonymous, and his story remains the ultimate testament to the incredible, albeit minuscule, casino chance of hitting it big on a slot machine. Don Johnson: The Man Who “Broke” Atlantic City’s Blackjack Tables Not all legendary wins come from pure luck. Between 2010 and 2011, a man named Don Johnson went on an unprecedented winning streak, taking three Atlantic City casinos for a combined total of over $15 million playing blackjack. He didn’t use card counting to achieve this feat. Johnson, a savvy businessman, negotiated special rules with the casinos before he even started playing. These included a 20% “loss rebate” (where the casino would refund him 20% of his losses if they reached a certain amount), the ability to bet up to $100,000 per hand, and favorable rules like splitting and doubling down on any four cards. By combining these advantageous rules with perfect basic strategy, he was able to shift the mathematical edge slightly in his favor. His incredible run caused some casinos to change their high-roller policies, and he was eventually banned from many establishments. Elmer Sherwin: The Man Who Struck Lightning Twice The odds of winning a major lottery-style jackpot are astronomical, but winning it twice seems impossible. Yet, that is precisely the story of Elmer Sherwin, a veteran of the Second World War. In 1989, at the age of 76, he won a $4.6 million Megabucks jackpot at The Mirage in Las Vegas, just 10 hours after the casino opened. He used the money to travel the world, casino but he continued to play the Megabucks slots, dreaming of a second win. Sixteen years later, at 92 years old, lightning struck again, and casino he won a second Megabucks jackpot, this time for $21.1 million. A true philanthropist, he gave a significant part of his second win to those in need.