In case you haven’t been keeping up, online gambling has been growing rapidly over the past 10 years. What was once relegated to bootleg websites and dangerous payment systems has now entered the mainstream, and a few people are quite a bit richer for it.
Online casinos, though somewhat unassuming when compared to their physical counterparts, have been paying out huge amounts of money in recent years. In fact, several millionaires have been made simply from huge online casino wins.
In this article, I’ll explore some of the biggest online casino wins of all time, and subsequently provide some hope that one day it may be you on the list.
1 – Mega Moolah for Mr. Rawiri Pou (USD 7.4 million)
Slots, while being hugely popular in just about every casino across the globe, is typically not going to be at the top of any list in terms of where you’ll find the best odds. Don’t tell one Mr. Rawiri Pou that, though.
When he logged in, he said he was only looking for some quick entertainment while getting ready for the day. Using Casino Land as his preferred website, he took his chances on the Mega Moolah slots.
Not long after he began playing, he hit it big to the tune of a number that guaranteed his life would never be the same again. The little digital wheels fell in his favor, and he walked away with more than $7 million when it was all said and done.
Fancy cars, homes, and other luxuries were not on his list of things to buy. He said simply that he would use the money to improve the life of his family. Good on you, Mr. Rawiri Pou.
2 – Beginner’s Luck
Jon Heywood was just a regular guy when he hit it big. He was a 25-year-old British soldier who had just recently returned from serving his country in Afghanistan. At that time, he was still getting his feet under him, and was working a minimum-wage job that was just enough to cover his bills and other living expenses.
Following all of his hard work and dedication to serving his country, karma was about to smile on him in a big way.
Much like Pou, Heywood wasn’t looking to break the bank when he logged in to his Betway online casino account. According to the reports, he deposited around $40 USD and figured he’d try his luck while watching TV.
The World War II documentary he was watching began to get exciting, so he wasn’t paying as close of attention to his progressive jackpot game that was slowly growing. When he noticed his potential winnings growing, however, he quickly shifted his focus.
A few spins later, and Mr. Heywood would be staring at more than $17 million USD, at age 25.
When asked about how he would choose to spend the winnings, Heywood spoke honestly. He mentioned wanted to buy a Bentley, but also ensured the interviewer that he would be taking his family on a cruise.
A year after the win, Betway followed up with Heywood. He mentioned that he had used a great deal of his money on his father’s medical bills, but that he was also able to invest some of it as well.
3 – The Quarter Champion
If you aren’t sold on real money online slots after reading the previous two stories, this one might be have you fully changing your tune.
One Finnish man logged on to play Mega Fortune with hopes of turning a very small amount of money into enough to buy lunch or something else. In fact, he was in for a lot more than he could ever have hoped.
His Wager?
A whopping $0.25. With an unbelievable amount of luck on his side, he was able to turn that measly amount into a life-changing $24 million USD.
Although there isn’t much information available on what happened to this man following his huge win, I can only imagine that he isn’t really hurting for cash these days.
4 – One Student’s Dream
What happens when you can’t sleep? You try to make your dreams come true in real life, of course!
That’s what happened for one Norway student at least. While struggling to fall asleep due to a stressful course load, he decided to pop on to betson.com in order to test his luck with progressive slots.
After what happened next, I can only assume that sleep was nearly impossible.
He played out all the money he had uploaded, but due to an online bonus, he still had a few free spins left in the bank. He put them to good use by turning in a win that was valued around $13 million USD.
He may have thought he was dreaming, but this win would have him living the dream in no time.
5 – Beginner’s Luck 2
If you’re a lifelong gambler who has never really hit the big win, I’m sorry to say that this story might upset you. With that being said, let it be a reminder that these massive wins do happen, and perhaps yours is on the way.
The story takes place in 2017, with the player being Neil from Scotland. He placed a deposit with the online casino Casumo, and things quickly took off from there. When I say quickly, I mean within an hour of the money hitting his account.
After depositing a relatively modest amount, around $50 USD, he began placing small bets on the Hall of Gods slot game. Neil must have said his prayers before pulling the virtual lever, because nothing could have prepared him for what was about to happen next.
He bet around $5 on a spin before hitting the jackpot. This jackpot turned out to be the highest amount that this particular online casino had ever paid out to anyone, let alone a first-time player. His beginner’s luck turned into a mind-boggling $8 million USD. Again, this was within the first ever hour he played the game.
How did he celebrate? By calling his wife, of course! Rumor has it he asked her if it was even possible, not believing that he could actually get that lucky.
When asked how he was going to spend his money, Neil, a major Liverpool supporter, decided that he would buy season tickets, or maybe even club seats! Additionally, he planned a family trip to Disney World, and a visit to his sister all the way in Australia.
Perhaps the most heartwarming part of the story is that Neil was intending to donate a good chunk of his newfound fortune to Macmillan Cancer Research to help find a cure. Good job, Neil!
6 – Persistence Pays
Many of the big winners on the list hit the jackpot relatively early in the playing career. Donnalyn K., a mother of three from Hawaii, took a few years before her massive win.
After more than three years of playing Chumba Online Casino games, a simply $0.50 bet resulted in a million-dollar payout. More specifically, it was the Stampede Fury game, which was a staple in the progressive jackpot.
She went private after collecting her winnings, but I can imagine that her three children had the best Christmas of their lives that year.
Conclusion
These winners are proof that even online casinos can make millionaires out of everyday people. While I’ve only shown six examples of jackpot winners, many more exist, and more are continuing to win every single day.
The key takeaway? If you want to be like these folks, you simply have to log on and play! No secret strategies are required, and anyone can make it happen in just a matter of minutes. The only question left to ask is, are you going to be the next million-dollar winner?
Michael Stevens
Michael Stevens has been researching and writing topics involving the gambling industry for well over a decade now and is considered an expert on all things casino and sports betting. Michael has been writing for GamblingSites.org since early 2016. …
