Top 10 Biggest Slot Machine Wins Ever – Ranking the Largest Slots Payouts in History

For many gamblers around the world, big slot wins are what dreams are made of. But for a select group of lucky punters, those dreams have become a reality.

Some people dedicate much of their lives to hitting the jackpot on their favorite slots. However, some of the biggest slot machine wins in history occurred after nothing more than a simple $1 spin.

Unsurprisingly, many of the biggest slot machine jackpots of all time landed in Las Vegas – the world’s gambling capital. But did you know that some of the biggest slot wins are courtesy of the best online casinos?

Join me as I examine the 10 biggest slot machine wins ever.

When a Las Vegas resident visited the M Resort in Henderson with a few free credits in hand, they probably didn’t expect to leave with much.

Little did they know that they would register one of the biggest slot machine wins of all time.

The anonymous player scooped up a mammoth $17.3 million, landing the jackpot on the Megabucks machine.

Just a heads up, this won’t be the last time that Megabucks appears on this list of big slot wins.

Let this be a lesson to anyone who doesn’t value free credits. If you’re sitting at home with a few free credits in your drawer, get down to your nearest casino and spin a few reels. You never know what might happen.

You could end up finding your name on the next list of the biggest slot machine wins of all time.

A slot machine big win from Las Vegas? Stop me if you’ve heard that before. Some people are just born lucky, aren’t they? It’s safe to say that Elmer Sherwin falls into that category.

Remarkably, Sherwin has not one, but two big slot machine wins to his name. After winning $4.6 million at Vegas’ Mirage Casino in 1989, he secured a monster $21.1 million jackpot at the Cannery Casino in 2005.

They say lightning doesn’t strike twice, but Sherwin is proof that it does.

Taking home one of the highest slot machine payouts ever is one thing. But the odds of hitting two gigantic slots jackpots aren’t even worth calculating.

Who knows? Maybe Elmer likes to play hot drop jackpots, which tell you when they have to drop. Ignition Casino offers plenty of chances to win when they do drop.

This online casino offers an exclusive bonus of 300% up to $3,000, which you can read more about in this full Ignition review.

You won’t struggle to find Las Vegas and the biggest slot machine wins of all time mentioned in a sentence. It could be argued that Caesars Palace is the most famous casino on the planet.

So, it’s only right that one of the biggest slot machine jackpots of all time landed at the iconic establishment.

In 1999, a 49-year-old business consultant from Illinois wagered just $10 on (yep, you guessed it!) the Megabucks slot at Caesars. Astonishingly, he ended up leaving the Palace $21.3 million richer.

It is worth noting that this win came more than 20 years ago. Just imagine what $21.3 million is worth in today’s money!

Either way, this incredibly fortunate player walked away with one of the greatest hauls of all time. Do big slot machine wins get any better? Why yes, they do!

Tyler Niknam, better known by his online streaming name, TrainwrecksTV, has one particular big win in slot machines that earns a spot on my list. The streamer has made a name for himself in a number of different ways.

He was the second-most watched streamer during the 2020 US Presidential Election on Twitch. Niknam claimed that he gets paid to stream himself gambling, which leads us to one of his big wins on slots.

The streamer won a whopping $22.5 million while playing Might of Ra. It’s worth mentioning that he was playing $1,000 per spin. You’ll find that out of all the big wins on slot machines, this one was the highest wager.

Even though other gamblers have won more by wagering less, it still doesn’t take away from the fact that this was one of the biggest slot wins ever.

All this talk of huge slot wins might be making you jealous. But it’s difficult not to feel happy for this winner.

While celebrating her 74th birthday at Bally’s Las Vegas in 2002, Johanna Heundl decided to spin a few reels before heading to breakfast.

Needless to say, the decision to delay breakfast paid off – big time!

After spending $100 without success, the retired Californian inserted a second $100 bill into the machine. With only $30 left, she hit both the primary and secondary jackpot – claiming a colossal $22,618,156.67.

Still jealous? Well, there’s nothing I can do to change your fortune. However, if you are aiming to scoop up the largest slot machine jackpot win of all time, you could try your hand.

The Megabucks slot is one of the most iconic machines in history. If you’re looking for a big win in slot machines, there’s a good chance it’ll be with this game.

It’s tough to make an argument against this slot machine, but if any other game has a chance, it’s Mega Moolah.

There have been several massive jackpots from this game, such as the one from 2018. An anonymous gambler at the Grand Mondial Casino won an incredible $23.5 million.

Unfortunately, we don’t know any more details about the gambler or how much they wagered to win that much. I wouldn’t doubt the win, though, especially when you look at the other wins from this list.

It’s probably in their best interest to remain anonymous anyways. As you can see, it’s pretty common for one of these lucky winners to remain out of the spotlight. There isn’t much good that can come out of revealing your identity, but there’s a whole lot of bad.

So, if there’s anything to take away from this big slot win, it’s that remaining anonymous is probably in your best interest.

We’ve read through some incredible stories on this list of the biggest slot machine wins of all time. But not all of them come with names or faces.

Many of the biggest online slot wins in history don’t make it onto this list, as the most notable big slot wins occurred in land-based casinos. However, this entry catapulted straight up to #4 when it hit in 2003.

While playing the NetEnt Mega Fortune slot at a European online casino, an anonymous Finnish gambler pocketed €17.8 million ($24 million). Believe it or not, all it took was a single $0.25 spin to secure one of the biggest online slot machine wins ever.

Can you imagine what would happen if you wagered a quarter and came away with $24 million? It’s a good example that big wins on slot machines don’t always require a heavy stake.

You can even skip land-based casinos and try winning big by playing at the best offshore slots around.

Many players hunting for big slot machine wins turn to Las Vegas to get their kicks. But patience is a virtue, as they say.

If you gamble a lot, you will know that it isn’t always easy to call it a day. Resisting the temptation to chase the jackpot can often be a good idea. But for one lucky punter in 1998, failing to resist the urge changed her life forever.

The anonymous player originally intended to spend $100 at the Palace Station Casino in Vegas, but she spent $200 more.

A few months earlier, the same person won $680,000 on the Wheel of Fortune slot at the same casino. I wonder if she fancies sharing some of her luck with the rest of us?

I sure could use seeing my name on this list of the largest slot wins. Then again, I also harbor fantasies of going on gameshows and walking away with millions in prizes.

The perfect combination? You guessed it: gameshow slots! Check out our list of recommended game show slots to try online.

5 Game Show Slots You’ll Want to Try Online – Reels & Wheels and More

Reels and Wheels is one of the top game show slots with its 97.08% RTP. Play The Prize is Right at DuckyLuck Casino, which has a 500% welcome bonus. Wild Casino’s Plunk-Oh has low volatility and has five reels and fixed paylines. I’ve Got a Secret, Queen...

Read More

Like many big slot wins, this entry was won while playing the legendary Megabucks slot. On this occasion, the lucky player pocketed $34.9 million at Vegas’ Desert Inn.

In 2000, Cynthia Jay-Brennan, a local cocktail waitress, decided to swing by the Desert Inn after a work shift. Following only a handful of $3 spins in the space of roughly an hour, she struck those famous matching symbols.

Sadly, just a few months later, Jay-Brennan was left paralyzed after a tragic car accident – losing her sister in the process. Since then, she has donated a large portion of her winnings to charities that aid people with disabilities.

Although the strange dichotomy of her fortunes story makes envying this player somewhat difficult, she will always be remembered for this massive payout.

However, Cynthia did not come away with the biggest slot machine win ever. That one went down 2.5 miles south of Vegas just three years later.

So, what is the biggest slot machine win of all time? And what is the most money won on a slot machine? Stand up… Mr. Anonymous.

The biggest casino jackpot ever won happened all the way back in 2003. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that the lucky winner, a young software engineer from Los Angeles, landed the record-breaking jackpot on the Megabucks slot.

The player wagered just $100 to lock in the $39.7 million jackpot at the Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas, sealing the biggest slot win in history. I’m not jealous – you are!

I can’t imagine what I’d do with all that money if I had won the largest slot machine win of all time. But I’ll try! There are huge slot wins and then there is this story.

It’s beyond comprehension for most of us to stroll into a casino and walk out with the type of “F-You” money this unnamed player had to their name. You just hope they managed to find some good ways to spend it all!

Hoping to win your biggest slot jackpot ever? A good place to start is at a big win casino.

As far as I am aware, there is no manual that teaches you how to land the biggest slot machine wins of all time.

Of course, big slot wins don’t happen without a large slice of luck but there are plenty of factors that you can control.

Playing slots with hot drop jackpots is a good place to start. And when you play these slots, make sure you bet enough to be eligible for the jackpots.

You don’t want to play a progressive slot without wagering enough to win big.

Some gamblers like to start with small bets and work their way up, while others prefer to begin with a sizeable stake. Whatever you decide, be sure to play within your budget and manage your bankroll.

Needless to say, the chances of landing one of the biggest slot machine wins of all time are very slim. But you won’t win the prize if you don’t buy a ticket!

Still wondering about the other big wins on slots? Don’t worry, I have a few honorable mentions that just missed out on the top 10.

Jon Hayward was the closest to making it in the top 10, but he fell short by a mere $50,000. I highly doubt he cares that he missed out, as the lucky winner took home $17.25 million.

In 2013, a lucky player spent $20 on a spin and turned it into a whopping $14.3 million at the Rampart Casino. It’s rumored that the winner donated a good amount to charity, so it’s good to know some good came out of it.

Rodolfo T. and “D.P.” were two other winners who took home over $11 million. Rounding out the list is Jon Orchard. The 60-year-old winner bought a Jaguar, and a house for his daughter.

That’s going to wrap up my list of big slot machine wins for now. Keep in mind, this list could change at any moment in time. Do you think anyone will reach the $40 million mark?

Check out our dedicated slots guide to get a better understanding of how slots work and are the best sites to visit. Maybe it’ll help you win the biggest slot machine win ever.

Footnotes:

• Jackpot details are courtesy of the Las Vegas Sun.
• World record slot win information was pulled from IGT.