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A Look at the Biggest Casino Winners Ever

Jane ShawBy Jane Shaw Senior Editor Updated: 02/07/2023
Jane Shaw Jane Shaw Senior Editor See Full Bio

We count on Jane to inform our readers about the latest slot games in the US market. With her passion for video games and a degree in engineering, she’s our gambling tech expert. Jane’s also active in our blog section, where she tackles the curiosities and changes in the industry.

The Biggest Casino Winners The Biggest Casino Winners

Almost everyone can be lured in by the temptations of casinos. Land-based casinos – and even online casinos – offer so much to get excited about. The sound of the slot machines, the glamor and luxury, and the voices and energy all around the table. Combine that with the potential of winning a lot of money, and you can see why trips to the casino are so popular! If you’re interested in learning about the biggest casino winners, read on – as we’re going to be showing you some of them here on this page!

Biggest Casino Winners

The biggest casino winners are often rich businessmen and women. However, there are also some winners you may not expect! We’re going to be showing you some of the biggest casino winners on this page. Please note, this list doesn’t include online casino winners, and it doesn’t include poker winnings; it’s focused entirely on wins from land-based casinos.

What Is The Biggest Casino Win in History?

The biggest casino win ever was added to record books when Australian billionaire Kerry Packer started playing blackjack and baccarat at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. While his exact winnings are unknown, he won between $20 and $40 million! We’ll tell you more about his story – and other big winners – in the rest of this blog.

If you’re more interested in online gambling, rather than land-based casinos, then make sure to check out our general guide to online casino gambling. It shows you what online gambling is, how to get started, and the best online casinos to play at.

Kerry Packer – MGM Grand

Kerry Packer was an Australian media magnate and billionaire businessman. At one point, he was one of the richest people in the world. He passed away in 2005. When Packer was alive, he was well-known for having a goal-oriented personality. He utilized aggressive business tactics – and was famed for his passion for gambling. Packer owned numerous media assets, including the Nine Network, and was a key developer in the Australian media industry.

Packer also holds the record for winning the most amount of money at a land-based casino in a single day. When he ventured to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, he played ultra-high stakes games, namely blackjack and baccarat. He started to win so much money that it became impossible to keep track of it.

According to observers, Packer ended up winning between $20 and $40 million! However, he subsequently ended up blowing a lot of this money – placing silly bets and giving away casino chips to random people! However, throughout the night, he left over $1 million in tips – making him one of the biggest casino tippers in history, too!

Anonymous – Excalibur Casino

Next up is an anonymous player, who managed to hit a giant jackpot of $39.7 million while playing a slot in the Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas. This happened way back in 2003 and the millions were won from a bet of just $100.

The winner of this jackpot chose to stay anonymous, so there’s not much known about them, except that they were a software developer from Los Angeles. In fact, there’s nothing more to say about them, so let’s move on and look at the next person on the list!

Please note: there have been several huge slot wins in casinos, but to ensure this list has a bit of variety, we’re only going to mention the biggest one!

Don Johnson – Atlantic City

Don Johnson is one of the best-known figures in Atlantic City – and for good reason. Over a six-month period, he won more than $15 million from three land-based casinos in the city – all without cheating or counting cards. Johnson developed his own unique blackjack system – and this was combined with some lucrative deals land-based casinos in Atlantic City were offering after the 2008 financial crisis.

Thanks to these deals, Johnson was able to claim as much as 20% cashback on his losses. When combined with his strategy – which involved sticking to the strategy, playing the perfect game, and looking for tables with the best odds – he managed to win millions of dollars.

As a result of his winnings, Johnson was banned from most casinos in the US. Those that didn’t ban him will not offer him any type of cashback or rebate promotions, and he remains one of the biggest casino winners in the world.

Mike Ashley – Fifty Casino

The biggest casino win in history may not have landed in London – but the city has been host to some pretty notable wins of its own. The UK also has one of the world’s strongest economies, which is why land-based casinos tend to do pretty well in the country.

In 2008, Mike Ashley – the former billionaire owner of Newcastle United – decided to head to a trendy London casino called Fifty. He spent just 15 minutes playing roulette – and by the end of his session, he ended up winning more than $1.6 million!

According to croupiers and spectators, as soon as Ashley walked into the casino, he headed to the roulette table. Long before placing his bet, he loudly announced that he would be betting on the number seven and only the number seven. Clearly, luck was on his side, as number seven rolled right in – and he walked away with a profit of more than $1.5 million!

If you’re interested in learning about the top land-based casinos in London, check out the list below.

Casino Name Location
Hippodrome Casino Leicester Square
Empire Casino Leicester Square
The Palm Beach Casino Mayfair
Grosvenor St. Giles Bloomsbury
The Victoria London Marylebone

Charles Wells – Monte Carlo

One of the biggest casino winners in history had an incredibly interesting life. A man called Charles Wells was well-known for breaking the bank, and he was, reportedly, a compulsive gambler. He frequented the roulette table at various land-based casinos. Convinced that a big win was coming his way one day, he went to a bank and took out a loan to gamble with!

According to reports at the time, Wells went on to play roulette for 11 straight hours – and ended up “breaking the bank” a total of 12 times! His roulette session was so successful, the land-based casino he was playing at – the Monte Carlo – didn’t have enough chips to continue paying his winnings. As a result, he ended up leaving the casino with 1 million francs in cash!

Please, remember these are only a few examples of successful gaming sessions. If you enjoy playing online or at land-based venues, stick to responsible gaming principles. Play for fun, stay within your budget, and don’t try to win back your losses.

Frequently Asked Questions

As you can see, the biggest win in casino history was worth between $20 and $40 million! If you've read this blog in full, you'll also have a good understanding about some of the other big winners throughout history. Below, we're going to answer some additional questions our readers may have.

Who was Kerry Packer?

Kerry Packer was an Australian businessman and billionaire. He owned a wide variety of media assets - most notable of which was the Nine Network. Many claim he had an undeniable role in the development of the Australian media industry. He also holds the record of being the biggest casino winner in the world!

What game was the anonymous player playing?

When the anonymous player won his or her record-breaking jackpot, they were playing the Megabucks slot in Excalibur Casino, Las Vegas.

Who is Mike Ashley?

Mike Ashley is a British businessman and founder of sportswear retailer Sports Direct. He is known for his controversial management style and has been criticized for poor working conditions in his stores. Ashley has also acquired several high-profile companies such as House of Fraser and Newcastle United Football Club, the latter of which he has now sold. He also won more than $1.6 million playing roulette in London!

How much did Charles Wells win playing roulette?

When Charles Wells finished his marathon 11-hour roulette session at the Monte Carlo casino, he ended up walking out with more than one million francs! In today's money, that equates to around $13 million - and he had to walk back from the casino to his home with all the cash!

How did Don Johnson win playing blackjack?

When Don Johnson took to the land-based casinos in Atlantic City, he did so with a smart plan. As a result of the 2008 financial crisis, consumers didn't have the money to gamble. Desperate for business, casinos started to offer special bonuses and promotions, including rebate and cashback. Johnson took advantage of these offers to put the odds in his favor - and won more than $15 million over a six-month period in doing so!
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