Biggest Casino Wins Ever: Top Online Games with Record Payout

Written by — August 28, 2024 at 10:50

There's really no better feeling than hitting a life-changing jackpot when you're playing your favourite casino game. The flashing win screen is something all casino players wish and hope for, but few get to experience the excitement of hitting the big jackpot.

Today, we're looking at the biggest jackpot winnings ever recorded and exploring the best paying casino games, from Jackpot King winners to the luckiest Mega Moolah jackpot winners. If you're feeling inspired by the incredible casino winnings after reading this article, you can always try your luck at a safe casino like Betiton. 

Remember that winning a jackpot is rare, but you never know what can happen when you try your luck!

Top 10 Historic Land-Based Casino Wins

Although more people play online casino games rather than physical slot machines due to the wider availability and ease of access, land-based casinos have certainly produced their fair share of overnight millionaires. Take a look at the incredible winnings at casinos from 1997 to the most recent jackpot winner in 2021 in the table below.

1. $39.7 Million - Excalibur Casino, Las Vegas (2003)

One of the biggest land-based casino wins ever recorded happened to a lucky 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles. On a weekend break to Las Vegas, the unassuming player took a chance with a $100 bet, triggering a nearly $40 million jackpot on the Megabucks slot machine!

2. $34.9 Million - Desert Inn, Las Vegas (2000)

In January 2000, 37-year-old cocktail waitress Cynthia Jay-Brennan tried her luck on the Megabucks slot machine at the Desert Inn Casino in Las Vegas. She played just $27 on the game and hit the jackpot with a $3 bet, winning a life-changing $34.9 million. Tragically, Cythnia's story took a dark turn when a drunk driver collided with her car just weeks after her historic win, leaving her paralysed.

3. $27.6 Million - Palace Station, Las Vegas (1998)

The third-largest win on the Megabucks slot machine was recorded in 1998 at the Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas. A 67-year-old retired flight attendant hit the big jackpot of $27.6 million on Megabucks after betting $300 on the game. It was the second-largest jackpot win ever recorded at this casino.

4. $22.6 Million - Bally's Casino, Las Vegas (1999)

In 1999, a year after the historic win at Palace Station, Johanna Heundl from Austria was visiting Bally's Casino in Las Vegas. After gambling around $170 on the Megabucks slot machine, she hit the big jackpot and took home a whopping $22.6 million.

5. $21.3 Million - Caesars Palace, Las Vegas (1997)

In June 1999, a 49-year-old businessman from Illinois had immense luck when visiting Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The winner couldn't believe his luck when he wagered $10 and hit a $21.3 million jackpot with a single spin!

6. $17.3 Million - M Resort, Henderson, Nevada (2012)

The Megabucks luck struck again in 2012, this time at the M Resort in Henderson. In December, a retired school principal had his dreams come true when he played $20 on the iconic slot machine and triggered the big jackpot. The lucky woman didn't realise she had won $17.3 million until someone on the machine beside her told her she had just won the jackpot.

7. $15.5 Million – Suncoast Casino, Las Vegas (2020)

In 2021, an anonymous player visiting from Alaska was on a trip to Las Vegas with his family when he decided to try her luck on the famous Megabucks slot machine. She hit the jackpot and won a whopping $15.5 million at the Suncoast Casino. 

8. $15.1 Million – Casinos in Las Vegas (2011)

One casino player who didn't make his fortune on a jackpot slot machine is Don Johnson, who won over $15 million over six months in 2011. Johnson played blackjack at Borgata, Caesar's Palace, and Tropicana Casinos in Las Vegas.

9. $14.3 Million - Rampart Casino, Las Vegas (2013)

The same year, an anonymous player visited the Rampart Casino in Las Vegas. The fortunate player wagered just $20 on – you guessed it! – the Megabucks slot machine and was generously rewarded with a $14.3 million jackpot.

10. $12.7 Million - Aria Resort, Las Vegas (2021)

In 2021, another historic Megabucks win was recorded, this time at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas. An anonymous visitor turned a small $6 bet into a jackpot exceeding $12.7 million when she triggered the jackpot on one of the most popular jackpot slots ever.

Top 10 Record-Breaking Online Casino Wins

Many players have also had unbelievable luck playing famous progressive jackpot slots like Mega Moolah, Hall of Gods, and Mega Fortune. Progressive jackpot winners aren't made daily, but these 10 lucky players and Mega Moolah winners were fortunate enough to hit the big jackpot.

1. €19.4 Million ($21.7 Million) - Grand Mondial Casino (2021)

Most people who play online casino don't imagine hitting the jackpot, but luck was on one player's side when he hit the world record for the largest jackpot won online in 2021. The Belgian player hit the big jackpot worth $21.7 million while playing Mega Moolah at the Grand Mondial online casino.

2. €17.8 Million ($20 Million) - Betway Casino (2015)

In 2015, British soldier Jon Heywood played just £0.25p on the Mega Moolah slot at Betway Casino and became an instant multi-millionaire when he hit the jackpot. He won a total of $20 million, a win recognised by the Guinness World Records.

3. €17.8 Million ($20 Million) - Paf Casino (2013)

A Finnish player trying his luck at Paf Casino in 2013 won the same amount of $20 million, this time on the Mega Fortune slot. The player won the jackpot in January, starting 2013 in the best way anyone can imagine.

4. €13.2 Million ($17.2 Million) - Zodiac Casino 2013

In 2013, an anonymous player from Finland hit the mega jackpot on the Mega Fortune online slot. The player bet just $0.25 and spun the reels just a few times before hitting a $17.2 million jackpot. It was the second-biggest win after Jonathan Heywood's win on Mega Moolah.

5. €11.7 Million ($13.8 Million) - Unibet Casino (2017)

In 2017, another lucky player struck gold on the Mega Fortune slot. This time, it was an anonymous 20-year-old player from Norway. It's not clear how much the player bet on the game, but it's safe to say he was more than generously rewarded for his investment!

6. €9.6 Million ($11.6 Million) - Betsson Casino (2012)

Marcus Goodwin from Canada decided to try his luck on the famous Mega Moolah slot in 2016. After playing for around two hours with bets of just $1.50 per spin, he hit the jackpot, winning a total of $11.6 million.

7. €8.6 Million ($10.9 Million) - Paf Casino (2012)

An anonymous Finnish player won the world's second-largest online jackpot while playing the Arabian Nights slot at Paf Casino. The player hit the second-largest jackpot recorded at Paf in 2012, all with a bet of just €5 on the famous Mega Fortune slot.

8. €8.9 Million ($10 Million) – Casino Land (2016)

Rawiri Pou, a 27-year-old casino player from Matamata, won over $10 million playing at an online casino in 2016. It's not clear what game Pou hit the jackpot on, but it's known that he played a total of $250 at CasinoLand, eventually hitting the big jackpot.

9. €7.5 Million ($8.3 Million) – Folkeautomaten.com Casino (2017)

While most record-breaking jackpot wins are on Mega Moolah slots or even Jackpot King slots, one lucky player found incredible luck on the Hall of Gods slot, a popular jackpot slot from NetEnt. The 47-year-old Norwegian player was having a casual game session at Betsson casino when he suddenly hit the Mega jackpot in the game.

10.  €4.2 Million ($4.6 Million) - Casumo Casino (2016)

In 2016, a 30-year-old Casumo player struck gold while playing the Mega Fortune Dreams slot. The player hit the big jackpot with a bet of just $1 and won a very generous jackpot worth over $4 million.

Highlighting Betiton’s Top Online Casino Games

As one of the top online casinos, Betiton offers some of the best online casino jackpots where you can take a chance at winning a jackpot. In fact, Betiton has all the casino online jackpots with record-breaking payouts you've read about in this article. If you decide to try your luck at this casino, you'll also be able to claim a great online casino bonus as a new player.

Let's look at Betiton's best online casino games, from Jackpot King slot winners to Mega Moolah payouts.

Mega Moolah

Mega Moolah is the most famous progressive jackpot slot in the world. It was created by Microgaming in 2006. Since then, the game has created various multi-millionaires and a whole game series. Some popular Mega Moolah slots include Mega Moolah Absolootly Mad and Mega Moolah Atlantean Treasures, all linked to the big Mega Moolah jackpot network.

Mega Fortune

Mega Fortune is a popular progressive jackpot slot from NetEnt, released in 2009. It's one of the oldest NetEnt jackpot slots, but it remains one of the most frequently played ones thanks to its three progressive jackpot prizes.

Hall of Gods

Hall of Gods is another well-known NetEnt jackpot slot, offering a huge progressive jackpot that's frequently in the millions. The game was released in 2013, and several players won life-changing prizes on the game.

If you're feeling inspired to try your luck on jackpot slots online after reading about these insane wins, remember that winnings aren't guaranteed. You can also try other slots, such as Megaways slots or fixed jackpot slots, which offer smaller rewards but better winning odds.

Online casino jackpot winners are rare, especially the ones that win life-changing amounts. However, you never know if you'll get lucky – that's the fun of playing casino slots online!