Largest Las Vegas Slots Jackpot Wins of All-Time

Hitting a big slot jackpot in Las Vegas is the ultimate feeling of euphoria that a gambler can experience. The lights, sounds, and jackpot messages splashed across the screen are enough to make anybody feel like they’re floating on air.

Despite the long odds, Las Vegas slot jackpots of varying sizes hit every day on The Strip and elsewhere across the city. However, hitting the large jackpots worth millions of dollars are rarer in Las Vegas.

That being said, we are about to show that you shouldn’t give up on your dreams of hitting it big on the slots. These one-armed bandits are programmed to payout a certain percentage, also known as a return-to-player (RTP) algorithm.

Online slots for real money are based on the same software as land-based video slot machines. With this in mind, slot players can win big jackpots at online casinos, too.

Let’s take a look at the largest Las Vegas slot wins of all time, and how you can hit a big jackpot from the comfort of your own home.

Largest Las Vegas Jackpots

7. $17.3 Million Jackpot at M Resort Spa Casino (December 2012)

A short drive to the Las Vegas Valley suburb of Henderson, Nevada, is the site of a $17.3 million slot jackpot. In December 2012, an anonymous gambler hit the jackpot on the Megabucks slot machine at M Resort.

The lucky customer went to M Resort because they had a free play slot and food voucher. According to IGT, the slot manufacturer of Megabucks, noted that the winner didn’t realize they had won before somebody brought it to their attention¹.

We suggest always taking advantage of free play and bonuses at the best online casinos. This gambler turned a free bet into $17.3 million. The same free slot vouchers can be found at no risk to you online.

6. $21.1 Million Jackpot at Cannery Casino & Hotel (September 2005)

Another casino off The Strip is responsible for one of the biggest slot jackpots in Las Vegas history. On September 16th, 2005, 92-year-old, Elmer Sherwin won the second jackpot of his life.

In 1989, Sherwin was the winner of a $4.6 million slot jackpot at the Mirage. 16 years later, at the Cannery Casino & Hotel, Sherwin struck again. This time, he won a monster $21.1 million Megabucks jackpot.

Sherwin told Cannery Casino & Hotel representative, Aimee Worth, that it was his life’s dream to win a second jackpot². All it took was a $3 max bet on the Megabucks slot for Sherwin to cash in an unprecedented second time.

5. $21.3 Million Jackpot at Caesars Palace (June 1999)

In 1999, at the world-famous Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip, an anonymous tourist from Illinois raked in with a $21.3 million jackpot.

While most gamblers have to take multiple attempts, the 49-year-old business consultant only needed one spin. He inserted $10 into the Megabucks slot machine and won the $21.3 million slot jackpot on his first try³.

4. $22.6 Million Jackpot at Bally’s Las Vegas (May 2002)

Formerly known as the MGM Las Vegas, and currently the Horseshoe Las Vegas, the fourth-largest Las Vegas slot jackpot occurred at Bally’s Las Vegas.

In May 2002, a 74-year-old native of Austria, Johanna Heundl, won the $22.6 million Megabucks jackpot at Bally’s. She inserted $177 into the slot machine and turned it into millions. Heundl planned on using the money to fly home to visit brothers and sisters in Europe⁴.

At the time, this was the third-largest jackpot in Las Vegas history. Since then, the $22.6 million win has dropped down a spot in the all-time biggest Las Vegas jackpot rankings.

3. $27.6 Million Jackpot at Palace Station Hotel and Casino (November 1998)

A local resident of Las Vegas was rewarded with a $27.6 million jackpot following a Sunday trip to Palace Station. On November 15, 1998, an anonymous woman cashed in after spending $300 on a Megabucks slot machine.

Instead of receiving a lump sum, the woman decided to receive the money in installments over 25 years. She opted for $1.1 million paid out every year.

The winner stated to casino representatives that she planned to share the money with her three children and grandchild⁵. After 25 years, this will be the final year that the jackpot is paid out to her estate.

2. $35 Million Jackpot at Desert Inn Hotel (January 2000)

On January 26, 2000, the second-largest jackpot in Las Vegas history was won at the Desert Inn Hotel in January 2000. Currently, the Wynn and Encore is where the Desert Inn Hotel was situated on the Las Vegas Strip.

Originally from Sacramento, California, Cynthia Jay-Brennan moved to Las Vegas for a job as a cocktail waitress. She moved with the intention of saving up enough money for college.

After one fateful night, while celebrating her boyfriend’s mother’s birthday, she would make enough for college tuition and then some. Jay-Brennan won the $35 million Megabucks jackpot and her life would never be the same again.

Unfortunately, Jay-Brennan was involved in an automobile accident weeks after winning the life-changing windfall. As a result, her sister passed away due to injuries sustained in the crash, and Jay-Brennan was left paralyzed below the chest⁶.

1. $39.7 Million Jackpot at Excalibur Hotel & Casino (March 2003)

Only three years after Jay-Brennan broke the Las Vegas slot jackpot record, a 25-year-old software engineer from Los Angeles secured the biggest slot win ever.

Two decades later and the $39.7 million Megabucks jackpot still stands as the record in Las Vegas. The winner, who remained anonymous, was in Las Vegas visiting friends and betting on the NCAA Tournament.

After looking away from his machine for a second, the software engineer was shocked to find all of the Megabucks symbols lined up when he looked back⁷.

Today, his Las Vegas slot jackpot still stands as the biggest of all-time in the city’s history.

Huge Slot Wins Can Happen Online Too

Big slot machine wins are not exclusive to Las Vegas and Nevada casinos. There have been countless stories of gamblers striking it big on slots games at online gambling sites.

There have been three documented jackpots at online casinos worth over $20 million, all of which have occurred over the last ten years. The biggest online slot jackpot was registered a decade ago by a native of Finland.

On a small 0.25 cent wager, the 40-year-old pocketed a stunning $24 million jackpot on the Mega Fortune progressive slot machine⁸. The big winner reportedly triggered the bonus round on the Mega Fortune slot game.

Progressing all the way up to the Mega Jackpot, the 40-year-old was shocked to find out that he broke the record for the biggest online slot jackpot.

Here are a few of our favorite online casinos with huge jackpots ready to be won today. Additionally, you can play blackjack online, roulette, and more of your favorite online casino games at these sites as well.

Bovada Features Hot Drop Jackpots

For an all-encompassing online casino experience, including being one of the best online betting sites, look no further than Bovada. One of the biggest draws to Bovada has to be their massive online slot jackpots.

In particular, the Hot Drop Jackpots are a must-play for any gambler looking for guaranteed jackpots. The Hot Drop Jackpots feature big prizes that must be paid out by Bovada before a certain threshold or time limit.

There are three different tiers for the Hot Drop Jackpots: Super Jackpot, Hourly Jackpot, and Daily Jackpot. The Hot Drop Jackpots are progressive jackpots that accumulate until there is a winner.

A variety of online slots at Bovada offer the Hot Drop Jackpots. The following is a small sample of slots games that feature these slot jackpots:

Golden Savanna
Golden Buffalo
Reels of Fortune
777 Deluxe
Oasis Dreams

Super Jackpot:

The jackpot will keep growing until a slot player wins before a progressive threshold. Currently, the Super Jackpot will drop before reaching $300,000 in total wagers.

This guarantees that someone is going to win a huge jackpot.

When somebody wins the jackpot, the progressive will reset. The Super Jackpot is the toughest to win out of the three Hot Drop Jackpots to hit. However, it still offers better odds than traditional progressive slot games at land-based casinos.

Hourly Jackpot:

The Hourly Jackpot is on an hour-long timer. Every hour a new Hot Drop Jackpot will drop. This is the most common and easiest Hot Drop to win at Bovada.

However, don’t confuse that with being a small prize. The hourly jackpot often gets into the thousands of dollars.

With a guaranteed jackpot worth thousands every hour, this gives you an outstanding opportunity to win quick money.

Daily Jackpot:

If the Hourly Jackpot doesn’t sound like enough, there is also a Daily Jackpot that can accumulate up to well over $20,000.

Similar to the Hourly Jackpot, there is a time limit for finding a winner. Every 24 hours or less, Bovada is crowning new winners on their daily jackpot.

It may not be as large as the Super Jackpot, but daily jackpots of over $20,000 have our interest.

Get started at Bovada with a 100% welcome bonus and 50 free spins on the “Gods of Luxor” slot machine. You can use your free casino credits to put on the Hot Drop Jackpots or any online casino game of your choice.

Wild Casino Offers A Large Variety of Slots Games and Jackpots

For top-notch casino bonuses and online slot jackpots, Wild Casino has to be on your shortlist of online casinos to play at. We are very impressed by Wild Casino’s 100% welcome bonus of up to $5,000.

The free casino bonus cash can be used to try your luck on a variety of big slot jackpots. If you don’t want to risk much, Wild Casino is running daily free slot tournaments worth up to $20,000.

For the biggest slot jackpots at Wild Casino, consider checking out their progressive slot machines. Currently, the Faerie Spells’ slot progressive jackpot is well over $500,000!

Additionally, there are a few online progressive slot jackpots that have caught our attention at Wild Casino:

Faerie Spells – $576,753.83

Fruit Loop – $78,583.92

Pompeii – $60,541.91

Take advantage of the free welcome bonus at Wild Casino to take a crack at these big progressive jackpots now. Furthermore, Wild Casino has a progressive blackjack jackpot promotion currently running as well.

The Wild Diamond 7’s Progressive Jackpot is a $1 side bet for the live casino game: RED Blackjack. With the jackpot at $325,000+, there is certainly going to be a Wild Diamond 7’s progressive winner soon.

DuckyLuck Has Big Jackpots and Great Bonuses

DuckyLucky makes it easy to get started vying for huge slot jackpots right away. The 500% welcome bonus of up to $2,500 is an unbeatable offer that can’t be missed. In addition to the bonus cash, users will receive 150 risk-free slot spins.

Once you get your free casino cash, head over to DuckyLuck’s expansive list of online slot machines. Whenever you receive such a generous casino bonus, it is best to consider using it on progressive slot machines with huge jackpots.

DuckyLuck has multiple slots offering progressive jackpots. For instance, you can find big progressive jackpots on 777 Deluxe, Cleopatra, Jackpot Jam, Reels & Wheels, Battle of Rome, A Night With Cleo, and many more.

Here is a sample of some of our favorite progressive jackpots at DuckyLuck: