BIG JACKPOT WINNERS’ STORIES: WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WON?

Imagine winning millions on a slot game. What would you do with the money? A slot machine awarding millions, Is that even possible? Not only is it possible, it happens more than you might think. That got us to wondering what happened to those jackpot winners. How’d they win, which slot, where? And ultimately, what did they do with all that money? Of course, many winners generally keep quiet about winning big money at the casino or in a state lottery. Once the news gets out, the phone keeps ringing with offers, “business deals,” and investment schemes. Or family and friends show up looking for some help, which many winners will do gladly. Here are stories of the biggest winners who actually did something positive with their new-found wealth.

5 BIG WINNER STORIES THAT WILL MOTIVATE YOU TO PLAY CASINO

1. $14.3 MILLION PLAYING SLOTS

In December 2013, a mysterious player deposited $20 in the Megabucks slot at the Rampart Casino in Las Vegas and won $14,282,544. According to the winner, a Vegas local, he was just showing his friend around the casino when he impulsively made his bet. He donated much of his winnings to his church and a few charities.

2. $17.25 MILLION PLAYING A PROGRESSIVE SLOT

This happened playing the Mega Moolah progressive slot. In October 2015, a 26 year-old soldier named Jonathon Heywood bet about 50 cents and won $17.25 million. What makes this particular win even more exciting is that a lot of players were playing and waiting for the growing progressive jackpot to hit. But it was lucky Mr. Heywood who won one of the largest slot jackpots and used a portion of it to care for his ailing father. It couldn’t have happened at a better time for the young soldier. During the same time, his grandfather died and his gravely ill father needed a heart and lung transplant. Jonathon promised to use his windfall to get the best possible treatment for his father.

3. $25 MILLION AFTER TWO TRIES

Elmer Sherwin won twice. Though his two wins were nearly sixteen years apart, Sherwin always enjoyed gambling and the rush of playing at the casinos. So, when he and his wife decided to make a stop in Las Vegas to visit family. They attended the grand opening of the Mirage Hotel and Casino. Elmer asked his wife for $20 for one last try at the Megabucks machine. Sherwin’s chances of winning were slim, but he beat the odds by winning the $4.6 million dollar jackpot. They used the winnings to travel the world. He even carried a picture of his first win so he could tell his story to everyone.
And, 16 years later, Sherwin was back at the Cannery Casino & Hotel and the megabuck machine was calling his name. That day proved different, or a repeat, depending on how you look at it. Sherwin pocketed $21 million. He donated a generous share of his winnings to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and continues to help his family.

4. $34.9 MILLION AT THE DESERT INN AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS

Cynthia Jay-Brennan had just finished her shift working as a cocktail waitress and stopped by the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino in Vegas. She was saving for her upcoming wedding and spent enjoying a birthday celebration for her soon-to-be mother-in-law with a few rounds of slots. She chose the Megabucks machine.
Starting with just $21 and betting the max, $3, per spin — the only way to score a jackpot that big! Her initial bankroll depleted, she decided two more spins were necessary. Of course, in the movie version of her life, the very final spin landed matching Megabucks symbols and a jackpot of just under $35 million. And it all took about an hour of spinning time.
Since then, Jay-Brennan has donated a lot of her winnings to several charities dedicated to helping people with disabilities.

5. $39.7 MILLION AT THE EXCALIBUR HOTEL AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS

What happened on March 21, 2003, at the Excalibur Casino has become a Las Vegas legend. A 25-year old software engineer comes to town for a visit with family. The young man’s uncle offered his nephew some advice from a Las Vegas local: play the Megabucks slot machine. The tourist from Los Angeles located a Megabucks machine and sat down with $100 in his hand. With $100, he had a max of 33 spins, given the $3 cost of playing the progressive and most lucrative, slot.
During those 33 spins, the gambler watched as one, two, then three Megabucks Eagle symbols landed alongside one another. And just like that, he had beaten odds of nearly 1 in 50 million and put nearly $40 million in his pocket, a world record that still stands today. The winner, wisely, chose to remain anonymous and tight lipped about his winnings, but did make a statement, saying, “I’m still stunned; it doesn’t seem real yet. But both of my parents are still working, so some of this money will be used to fund their retirement.”

BIG WINS DON’T JUST HAPPEN IN VEGAS: IGNITION CASINO BIG WINNERS

We celebrate big winners at Ignition Casino all the time. We even have a special page with the jackpot winners list and top jackpot wins, and a place where players share their big wins on the Ignition forum. That’s where you can see who won how much playing which games. In fact, we expect that the list of big jackpot winners 2023 will grow just like it did in 2022 and 2021. Perhaps a little inspiration in your quest for the big money wins? Playing casino online makes it even more convenient and easy for you to hit a potential jackpot. We have players winning every day, especially now that we have Hot Drop Jackpots.

1. HALF A MILLION IN 2 SPINS PLAYING CYBERPUNK CITY SLOT

Barry F is a dedicated player who has been playing at Ignition for around 3 years. BF’s experience playing on the site has been nothing short of exceptional, and his recent big win is a testament to that. He won playing Cyberpunk City, where he hit a single spin win of 375K, the largest win he’s ever had in one spin. But this was definitely not his first big win online. In fact, he’s hit over 50K at least 20 times, including jackpots. B.F’s winning streak continued the very next day when he hit a whopping 280K on Golden Buffalo (that you can now play in Hot drop jackpots!) This double win was enough to convince him to spoil himself in a big way. Instead of splurging on luxury items or a lavish vacation, he decided to use his winnings to buy a house.

2.  FROM 5 $ TO 573K WITH REELS AND WHEELS

Meet Karen P., a single mom of two who works as an accountant in Louisiana. When she’s not working, she enjoys fishing and golfing, two hobbies that give her the same rush as playing casino online. Karen has been a fan of casino games for a long time and had had small wins before, but her recent $573K win on Reels and Wheels XL was truly unexpected. Karen picked Reels and Wheels XL because of the multiple jackpots she could potentially hit, and was drawn to the bonus rounds the game offered. She played on her mobile for about 2-3 hours before hitting the jackpot. She placed bets ranging from $5 to $40, using crypto to deposit. She says she plays for fun but also likes the rush and satisfaction of winning. Karen enjoys playing other slots games that have bonus rounds. She has a consistent betting style, betting between $5 and $40 per spin. That consistency is what got her to win!

Slots are intuitive, so players don’t think much about how to maximize their chances. If you’re a slots lover who just places a bet and presses spin hoping for the best, we have some tips to help you improve your chances for a shot at the really BIG money. Ready to try your luck?